Batman; resurrected

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2005)

It's about time that comic book movies started being taken seriously. We've had a surge of good ones recently - Spider-Man, X-Men and Sin City to name a handful, and not only are these movies entertaining and visually stunning, their drama aspects are spot on also; making these films a complete package. Batman Begins is no different, and the film marks another huge success for the comic book film sub-genre. Rather than delving straight into the action as previous Batman films have done, director Christopher Nolan has decided to take us back to the origins of the caped crusader, and therefore plugging us into his plight before dishing up some very spectacular action sequences. Needless to say, this does the film no end of favours because we actually CARE about what happens to our hero, rather than just rooting for him because he's the protagonist. The acclaimed director of 'Memento' also shows us the difference between himself and how a hack would handle the story by not overpowering the movie with action sequences, and making the drama behind the story arguably even more interesting than Batman's high-octane antics.
I didn't go into Batman Begins expecting to be emotionally affected, but the movie surprises in that respect as well. The scenes that show us how Bruce Wayne made the decision to devote his life to fighting crime are genuinely touching, and add massive emotional weight to Bruce Wayne's back story. This is offset by the action sequences, which are extremely well orchestrated and show us that the director can do action as well as drama. The way that the action is held back (it's an hour into the film before 'Batman' even appears) helps rather than hinders the scenes themselves as they mean more by the time they do appear, which shows us Nolan's skill as a director. The man has also put together an astounding cast of actors to tell his story. Christian Bale, who is the absolute perfect choice for the title role, heads an all-star cast, which includes Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, to name a few. Bale captures just the right amount of darkness and strength for his character and I wouldn't hesitate to name him as the best man to ever don the black cape. Nolan shows his adeptness again by the way he handles his lead actor, which is shown best by the 'American Psycho' style scene in a high class restaurant.
Gotham city is just another masterstroke in this movie, and unlike previous Batman offerings; the city is much more realistic this time round. It still holds that classic Gothic metropolitan feel; but the way it's shot is much more down to Earth, and Nolan has given us a realistic world for his unrealistic story. The story itself compliments this new landscape for the series excellently, and it's much more subtle than what previous Batman films have offered us. We deal with the idea of 'fear', and the main villain; The Scarecrow is the perfect choice for the villain of the piece. The special effects in the movie are continually astounding, and everything from the way that The Scarecrow taps into his victim's fears to the huge chase sequences in the film look and feel just like they've been taken from a comic book. This is the sort of movie that reminds movie fans exactly why they're movie fans; and in this respect, the film is spectacular throughout.
On the whole, this film is further proof that comic books can be the source of movies that are just as credible as the dramas that take the gold come awards season. Batman Begins is more than just a movie about a man in a cape who fights crime; it's an emotional ride into his inner psyche and, of course, it's also a lot of fun. Nolan has captured just the right balance between action and drama and I say roll on the sequel!