The story behind the Caped Crusader's mask

Rating: 9/10 (27 June 2007)

We all know what happened to the original Batman franchise; what started out as a rather promising trilogy ended as being nothing more than a campy final two movies.
Christopher Nolan, one of the best directors of the 21st Century, has risen to the challenge of creating a new Batman franchise. His first task? Reveal the true story of Batman's mysterious past and deliver it in the most magnificent way possible.
The movie begins with Bruce Wayne in a place in life you've never seen before. He is in a prison in Nepal (?), for committing crime. He is soon approached by a man named Henri Ducard, a man who is looking to give Bruce Wayne a chance to clean up the hell he has put himself in and turn him into a man of justice. Bruce Wayne, who has hit rock bottom, has decided to start making his way back upward and fulfill his goals and needs. This is the opening story of the movie.
The first thirty minutes transcends between Bruce's time with the League of Shadows (a comic book origin not even hinted at in previous Batman films) and the path he has taken in life, leading up to where he is right now. Through these recollections, we discover why Bruce Wayne is terrified of bats, his drives, wishes, and most importantly we get a 3-dimensional look at the type of person he is.
The next thirty minutes is fast-paced, showing his return to Gotham city. Although corrupt, The League of Shadows has taught him how to fight injustice. He quickly acquires a disguise, a symbol, and his first mission is to put Carmine Falcone behind bars. This is where Batman finally comes in. He thwarts a drug shipment, and Falcone is finally handcuffed, waiting for his trial.
What Batman doesn't realize is that this move has played right into the hands of insane asylum-owner Dr. Jonathan Crane, played to perfection by the creepy Cillian Murphy. He takes over the empire Falcone once owned and seemingly has his own plans. Soon, a microwave transmitter is stolen, and Batman slowly begins to unravel the connection between Jonathan Crane (aka "The Scarecrow"), the shipment of drugs, and the stolen microwave transmitter.
The plot planned by the Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul is easily the most sinister of any Batman film, driven by motivations that were missing from previous Caped Crusader films.
That's not the only thing about this Batman film that I liked better than other interpretations of Batman's story lines. Bruce Wayne's history is outlined and detailed with a brilliant passion, and only enhanced by Christian Bale's performance. His character has excellent chemistry with Henri Ducard, who is played by the outstanding Liam Neeson. His bout with Batman at the end is exhilarating, and it makes the best fight scene in any Batman film. His confrontations with the Scarecrow are even better- although there are only two, his first is the most memorable, being one of the coolest scenes I have ever seen(not greatest, COOLEST). Cillian Murphy never shows any vulnerability as The Scarecrow, although he is ultimately "defeated" (or is he?).
Not to say BB was perfect. I didn't like some of the little things (like a homeless man approaching the Batmobile and saying "Nice ride"), some of the scenes didn't seem to enhance the film (Do I look like a cop?), and the love story was a one-way road. While Christian Bale actually showed that he liked Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), Katie Holmes didn't seem to react, making the love story seem a bit off when all of a sudden Rachel Dawes kisses him at the end of the movie. However, Katie Holmes was a great DA and the chemistry between her and Cillian Murhpy in there scenes together worked like a charm.
So even though Batman Begins is not without its flaws, it more than manages to entertain the average moviegoer, answers the questions of a lot of people as to Bruce Wayne, offers a little something for everyone, and leaves the viewer satisfied. 9.5/10= Amazing movie!