Bale and Nolan take this series to the top level

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2005)

Batman Begins....where do I begin? I've seen it at least 6 or 7 times, and it never gets old. The direction behind this action gem from Christopher Nolan is excellent and bold. The darkness of the Caped Crusader is brilliantly captured by the great director behind Memento. The way each scene interlocks with the others is another mark of this film. Starring Christian Bale, Oscar Winner Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman, Oscar Nominee Gary Oldman, Oscar Nominee Tom Wilkinson, Golden Globe Nominee Cillian Murphy, Oscar Nominee Liam Neeson, Rutger Hauer, and Ken Watanabe, Batman Begins redefines the action/drama genre.
Bruce Wayne (Bale) watched his parents die at an early age, forcing himself to believe that he was responsible for their deaths. He then flees Gotham to the Himalayan mountains. While recounting his inner thoughts to Henri Ducard (Neeson), Bruce further delves into his past, by also remembering the day that his parents' killer was released from prison because he could provide information about notorious gangster Carmine Falcone (Wilkinson). After being nearly forced to do something he doesn't believe in, Bruce flees his new home in the Himalayan mountains and his mentor, Ducard, and his leader, Ra's Al Ghul (Watanabe). With the help of his butler, Alfred (Caine), a military arms specialist inside of his father's company named Lucius Fox (Freeman), a lieutenant of Gotham police named Jim Gordon (Oldman) and his former childhood friend, Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Holmes), Bruce becomes Batman, determined to take down Carmine Falcone and his ally, Dr. Jonathan Crane aka The Scarecrow (Murphy), not to mention a mysterious third person, as they devise a scheme to take over Gotham.
What stands out the most about this film to the average viewer will be the performances. Besides the great direction and writing, the performances of Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine stand out the most in this. It's hard to go into further examination of Neeson without spoiling the plot details, so I'll focus on the other three. Christian Bale as Batman is not only the right choice, it is the best choice. Bale commands the screen as Batman in every scene, but he still keeps the character human. His voice is near perfect for both Bruce and Batman. This is the best performance of any comic book character from any movie. Next up is one of the villains, Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow. Parents beware: the Scarecrow is the scariest of any of the villains of the Batman movies. Murphy will frighten anyone under age 12. Murphy plays the part of Crane very well, making him mentally strong, but reminding the audience that he is just a simple skinny doctor (who just so happens to have a hallucinogen working for him). Murphy also commands the screen in all scenes he's in, and says some of the coolest lines in the movie. Michael Caine is very good as Batman's right hand man, Alfred Pennyworth. Caine gives the audience a feeling of warmth every time he appears, not to mention reassurance.
Batman Begins one of five films that are must see 2005. They are 'Crash', 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith', 'Batman Begins', and 'Walk the Line'. Batman Begins has it all....great performances, exceptional direction, amazing special effects, cool fight scenes, nice one-liners, and great writing. I recommend it to everyone.