Burtonesque? Definitely. Schumacheresque? Thankfully not.

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2005)

This morning I went to see Batman Begins. I don't care what all you people are thinking when you say "Batman? Oh YAY" (sarcasm implied). That was one GREAT movie. Take the Tim Burton original in the last franchise and make it darker, grittier and more real and you get Batman Begins. The tale is far more grounded in reality and explores the idea that Batman could well be real and is sooo much more than a crazed looney vigilante who likes to play dress up. Obviously Bruce Wayne is just a little bit mad (as well as angry) but even that is pretty well explained in the plot. Waynes journey from mere-man to self styled superhero is made totally believable - if a little far fetched - by stopping to explain the real world trials and tribulations of the man, and explains his love of gadgets perfectly. I was a little worried that I might have set myself up for disappointment by getting a little excited, but that was not the case. Granted - as this is obviously a character developing opener to a new franchise - it is a little slow to get going and I found myself sitting there saying "Bring on the Bat!!" (not out loud of course!!) This is the treatment that Spiderman got, but I firmly believe that it was necessary to fully explain the method behind this mans madness. I really liked the anger that Christian Bale was able to express as the Batman half of the persona, something we've not really seen in the light hearted earlier franchise. It's just reinforced my adulation of him as an actor. I'm now hanging out to see both El Maquinista and American Psycho to see how deep this actor really is. Bales Batman kinda had a fairly similar ring to him as his Quinn Abercromby of Reign of Fire. I'd quite like to see him playing something a little out of that mold. So anyways... top class, brilliant and plenty of action and depth. Well done Mr. Nolan and Mr. Bale :D --excerpt from my Journal Entry for the Geek Mythologies.