Refreshing, brilliantly acted and extremely well cast

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2005)

when i first saw this movie, I wondered if it could live up to its hype and the expectations surrounding it (and not tank like Batman and robin, aka the movie which sank the Batman Franchise for 7 years.) Well it exceeded my expectations.
Batman Begins truly the beginning of something great. With a new story, new villains and a new brilliant director this movie could very well become the best movie of the year(well in my opinion it is) Plausible explanations are given for the gadgets and suit. Gotham City now a Gothic version of New York but without a hero and without a good mayor.
Directing is brilliantly done by Chris Nolan who deserves credit for putting together this movie. Even though the fight scenes are cut a bit short(though this could be the point), the movie tells its tale from beginning to end without hiccups.
On to the cast, Christian Bale becomes the Batman who in this movie is a lot darker and more gritty like in the comics.
The fight scenes are brutal with the image that when he fights, batman really unleashes himself instead of the normal cartoony pull-your-punches short of batman.The only thing keeping him from tearing his enemies apart is his conscience. and you had better hope that he holds onto it because this is a man on the edge.
This is just one of the parts that is admirably portrayed by the mainly British cast.
A little touch that puts this batman above the rest is Thomas Wayne(Aka Daddy Wayne). From the limited amount of screen time that he does get, he is portrayed as a kind humble man who cares deeply about the City that he calls home.after his unfortunate demise, his son makes a promise that the evil that killed his father will not consume the city.
About half the movie follows the origins of batman and adds a few things in like how come batman has the gauntlets.Also (for once), Batman's gadgets are given plausible explanations and applications adding to the realism of this Batman.
For the rest of the movie he saves the day. Cillian Murphy plays an unnerving psychologist with an obsession of fear. shamelessly sprouting an almost flawless Brooklyn accent, Tom Wilkinson plays Carimine Falcone a savvy and powerful man. (Just don't ask how he go the power)
Gary Oldham plays a young and unfaltering Jim Gordon determined to save the city from corruption.
Katie Holmes plays Rachel Dawes who like Jim Gordon is trying to clean up the city which has gone to the dogs since the death of Tom Wayne.
Finally,Liam Neeson is the mysterious Henri Ducard, Bruce Wayne's Mentor and Ken Watanabe as the even more mysterious Ra's Al Ghul But the real scene stealer has to be Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth the long suffering and faithful butler who in my opinion gets the best lines in the movie and brings some dry humour to the screen.
The result of this cocktail of stellar actors is a gripping tale that with its social commentary tells the story of a young man trying to find inner peace.