Batman Begins Was Great

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2005)

Batman Begins has flown onto screens with a whirlwind force impossible for movie goers to avoid. A handful of ripe star characters, eye catching scenes, and a beautifully developed plot, sure beat a carrot on a string. As if the long awaited unveiling of the origins of the beloved Batman wasn't enough. Actor Christian Bale stunningly portrays the tormented masked avenger, skillfully enhancing Batman's dual nature. No doubt the talented Bale draws from his past quality roles from such films as "American Psycho." The transformation of Bruce Wayne into Batman and the start of the film begins at a prison camp where Wayne appears to have been living for a while. Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) mysteriously appears and convinces Wayne to become his apprentice, teaching him how to fight and have self control. Wayne reveals to Ducard all the secrets of his past and why he was running from it. With a new take on his fears, Wayne returns to save Gotham City from the corrupt Carmine Fabone (Tim Wilkinson), and Dr. Crane (Cillian Murphy) the key players in the city's drug ring. Batman is helped by his childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) the D.A., Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) the only morally upstanding cop in the area, and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) a long time Wayne Enterprise employee who supplies Batman with all his little tech savvy gadgets. And as always by his side is Alfred his loyal butler played by Michael Caine.
Batman Begins is so satisfying to die hard fans because rather than loading it with elaborate computerized fight scenes, time was spent on expanding the back story and making the Wayne- Batman evolution a believable one; from the bat cave to the bat mobile and weapons, to the hit and miss process of Batman inventing himself.