A superhero movie that is uncharacteristically realistic

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2005)

Batman Begins Directed by: Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight makes a triumphant return as Christopher Nolan directs a restart of the popular "Batman" franchise. It has been eight years since a Batman movie of any kind has been released, and it was well worth the wait.
PLOT: Unlike the previous four movies, "Begins" explores the main origins of how billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) became Batman. The audience is captivated into a world that for once, takes place outside of Gotham City, as Wayne seeks to join the infamous League of Shadows (lead by Ra's Al Ghul- Ken Watanabe). His journey takes him into Asia and is trained by Ra's right-hand man Ducard (Liam Neeson). Wayne, still trying to overcome the loss of his parents, learns he needs to control his fear and unleash it on those who use it as a weapon. In this case, the fear is bats. Steadily, Wayne transforms into Batman and begins his quest to restore justice in Gotham City.
CHARACTERS: Bale delivers as Bruce Wayne and Batman, something many feel was a hard task to accomplish in the previous four films. The audience can actually see a difference between Wayne and Batman, and they are easily two different characters. As usual, Liam Neeson plays the mentor role, and does a superb job in the process. Many complain that Katie Holmes, who plays love interest Rachel Dawes, was not suitable for the role. It is a little distracting, but not enough to tear one away from the movie. Michael Caine fits Alfred like a glove, and I've always been a fan of Michael Gough. The performance that stood out for me though, was Cillian Murphy's representation of the Scarecrow. He is downright creepy, and his performance is right up there with Jack Nicholson's Joker. Supporting actors Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox, Batman's version of "Q"), and Gary Oldman (the determined future-Commissioner Gordon) solidify this outstanding cast.
ANALYSIS: "Batman Begins" is uncharacteristically realistic for a superhero movie, but this is one of the movie's best qualities. The audience actually believes that a Bruce Wayne's self discovery is indeed possible, which grips them into thinking a story like this could actually happen. The realism comes down to how Batman got his costume, something the audience never understood or even cared about until now. This is what I liked most, how believable it was.
BOTTOM-LINE: Superhero fan or not, this is a must see. Outstanding. 9/10