The Batman movie many have been waiting for...

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2005)

Without giving anything away, I must say this was the most spectacularly thrilling and uncertain film I've ever seen. Uncertain in the fact that you could never be sure of things, as in the case with...well, you know if you've seen it. Those who haven't, unless you are a die hard Schumaker fan, go. Just go.
Now, I have been a die-hard Batman 1989 fan for the longest time, and I thought nothing could beat it. But let me tell you, Begins did. It wasn't REALLY better, because 89 was VERY good, but it was better by a margin. Everything was based in a realistic setting, which to me was very nice, because everyone says that Batman can never be real. Well, look there, and guess what, Batman is the most realistic comic book character you will ever see. I have always loved Batman, and there is one thing that all the other films, even 89 lacked, and that thing was...fear. Batman doesn't use superpowers. He uses fear, the legend that he has become, to deter criminals. He uses the shadows and his costume to project a deep fear into his opponents, which gives him the edge. I was so glad when I saw this movie, that 1, there were no DUMB neon suits, which a realistic Batman would never wear. 2, it explored the IMMENSE training that Bruce Wayne undertook to become the Batman. Batman has trained in every single martial art ever known, and worked his body to be as fast and as agile as possible. As you saw in the "dock" scene, he moved so fast, that all you saw of him was glimpses. An ear there, a fist there, and all around, enemies flying back or to the ground. This is what Batman is all about. He puts fear into criminals hearts because he is THE BEST. He comes out of the shadows and disappears without a trace. He takes out twenty armed men, silently and efficiently.
Now, I'm sure, if fact I know that many are going to nitpick and find something wrong with this movie. But I'm not really going to put it against them. You just can't satisfy some people. This movie has so few and miniscule flaws I don't even know where to begin. The plot. Well developed. Scratch that, extremely well developed. The story is as easy to follow as any other movie ever made. The intricracies of the characters are fully developed, giving you a sense of the personal depth of the characters. The suit. Oh, when I saw this suit for the first time, I thought, "Man that looks weird." But then I heard that Nolan was going for as realistic a movie as possible. Then I thought, "Well yeah, something that can stop bullets and knives and almost anything can't be expected to look perfect." This suit is by far the most realistic, and stylish even in it's realism. Sure, I loved 89's suit because it was well sculpted, but that is exactly why this is a different movie. Batman 1989 was just that. Batman, in 1989. This movie, is Batman, starting out in present times. Thats why it looked not quite as stylish as people may have wanted. The fight scenes. A lot of people said the fight scenes sucked. Well, you have issues. I thought that some of them were a little fast, but not too fast. They were almost perfect. Sure, the sword scene kinda moved around a little too much and jumped, but hey, overall it wasn't that bad. The car. Just because it isn't a smooth looking vehicle doesn't mean it isn't the Batmobile. Once again they wanted realism, and this car was real. Believe it or not, this car does everything in real life that you see it do in the movie. EVERYTHING. It jumps, it accelerates past 300 miles an hour. Many of the chase scenes were filmed around 105mph, whereas most chase scenes are filmed at 50 or 60. This car is unbelievable. It does jump in real life, up to 60 feet in fact.
This is the Batman movie for me, and I dearly hope you will go see it, because you will be amazed. It is the best movie of the summer, and the best Batman movie of all time. The best comic book movie of all time. Watch it, because when you walk out of that theater, you will feel as if there is hope in the darkness...