Batman Begins makes its mark as a dark and epic superhero tale

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2005)

Be forewarned that I am an avid Batman fan and have been since I was a child. I grew up watching the motion pictures and the highly acclaimed animated series, gradually becoming more or less obsessed with the Dark Knight. Once I was able to read I started collecting the comics and haven't looked back since. I was hardly nine years old when Batman & Robin was released in June of 1997, and I honestly thought I'd never see Batman make the big screen again (after such a campy take). But here I am, age seventeen, and not only did Batman make it to the big screen again, but this time it was for real. Batman Begins satisfied my thirst for an accurate and dark portrayal of the hugely popular comic book icon, easily ranking among the best comic book adaptations ever created. In my opinion, although some might view at as a biased one, Batman Begins is the single best comic book film thus far. What more could you ask for in a film based on comic books? The acting was grand, the story had substance, there was action, explanation, and even some dry humor to lighten up the majorally serious movie. Christian Bale hit the weights for this movie and is the closest physical replica to Batman that I've seen in the movies. (Sorry Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney). Not only that, but his attitude towards criminals was exactly similar to the Batman we all know and love in the comics: downright scary. He is the exact opposite of your average superhero, he's just not a nice guy. He's filled with guilt, anger, and rage, and he takes it out on his enemies quite nicely. The manner in which he scolded Flass with such ferocity made me want to congratulate Christian Bale. The lighting, the atmosphere, the overall feel of this movie just made me a completely happy camper. My goal is to someday portray Batman in a film, and after seeing Christian Bale's solid performance, I've got my work cut out for me. I'd have to honestly say that the only advantage I have on Bale as far as playing Batman would be that I grew up interested in the character, and have hundreds upon hundreds of Batman comic books under my belt, with various styles and portrayals to mix and match with. Jim Lee's Batman is probably the concept I'm most partial to. Anyway, I'm getting slightly off subject with my radical hopes and dreams of starring as the caped crusader in a future film. All I can say is this: I'm a hardcore Batman fan-boy if there ever was one, and this film not only pleased me, it did something even better than that. This movie left me wanting more...which, with the beautiful seg-way at the ending leading into the sequel, should come along within the next two or three years. Batman Begins is a must see film and in my humble (yet biased) opinion is the best movie of the year so far...Thanks for reading -Ryan