Batman Shines

Rating: 10/10 (8 June 2016)

It occurs to me that we never really learned the Batman legend before. We never learned anything from "Batman & Robin" for those that unfortunately remember the film but there has never been a solid backstory about him until now. Director Christopher Nolan creates a dark and fun filled adventure of the caped crusader that penetrates his deepest fears and shows us that he is not only just a vigilante but a real human who is vulnerable.
It's about a young child, Bruce Wayne (Gus Lewis) who loses his parents, Thomas (Linus Roache) and Martha (Sara Stewart) one night and Bruce is taken in and raised by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine). 14 years later, Bruce (Christian Bale), is still devastated by the loss of his parents and plans to take the law into his own hands when the justice system fails. His childhood friend, Rachel Daws (Katie Holmes) berates him for thinking of such an act so Bruce decides to travel the world in an attempt to overcome his fear and learn how to confront justice. After training with, Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) and facing his fears, he returns to Gotham determined to stop the crime as a caper vigilante called Batman.
Christian Bale steps into the suit and is, arguably, the best Batman to date. It opens in a prison camp where Bruce is a prisoner enduring punishment as part of his journey into seeing evil for what it really is. He is rescued by Henri Ducard and he becomes Bruce's mentor. He teaches him how to sword-fight and how to control himself in the face of danger. Things go sour when Wayne refuses to kill someone as a requirement for membership and Ducard becomes his enemy. Wayne returns to Gotham City and sets his sights on Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson ), a mafia boss who controls the city.
Christopher Nolan gives us every aspect of the Bruce Wayne story. We learn his fear of bats (childhood accident) and his hatred of criminals (his parent's murders) are the reason for his journey but also discovering himself and learning to face his true destiny. His family owns Wayne Corp. and is run by a seedy figure, William Earle played by Rutger Hauer, who was in the meaningless and disgusting shocker called "The Hitcher." He fits right in with this character. Morgan Freeman plays Luscious Fox, scientific genius, and Wayne's weapons handler who gives him the tools he needs. He gives Batman the Batmobile and it's a juggernaut on wheels. Batman's suit also has some nice upgrades as well. Gary Oldmen steps into the role of Lt. Gordon who will quickly discover Batman is here to do good. In the middle of everything, Wayne is torn between a love he has for Rachel Dawes and also keeping his identity a secret.
When Wayne puts on the suit and becomes Batman, the action starts and it doesn't stop. Now, the plot could take a simple detour and give us some story where Batman beats everyone up, finds the villain and saves the day like we have seen before but it doesn't. Batman has a motive and he knows what he needs to do. When he is revealed in the second act, there is a sense of fear and darkness looming over the character that we become anxious to see what he is going to do. The main villain of the film is the Scarecrow and his zany scheme spells psychotic trouble. He is played by Cillian Murphy and does a bang up job as a menacing presence for Batman to face. He plans to poison the town's water supply and drive everyone mad. This will prove to be a challenge for Batman because Scarecrow is not the only person he must face. A familiar enemy in his past might come back to haunt him.
I was a little nervous when I heard they were rebooting the series. I wasn't a fan of the last four films. Michael Keaton was a fun Batman. Jack Nicholson lost me when he looked like a clown from the 1966 "Batman" and Tommy Lee Jones didn't do it for me as Two-Face but this picture shines and finally gives us everything we want to know about Batman. The special effects add a monorail in the climax of the film to keep the intensity going and it's a roller-coaster ride you can't look away from. It's clear that Christopher Nolan has a vision in mind for Batman and I'm fine with that. I finally got the Batman movie I always wanted to see and you will enjoy it. Katie Holmes is fantastic at Batman's love interest and I hope to see more of her with the next one. I'm very excited to see what is going to happen next.