Batman Begins: Masterful and Rich.

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2005)

*no spoilers* Having just watched Batman Begins, it wasn't a matter to me whether Christopher Nolan (of Memento fame), could outdo the latter 2 crapfest features in the franchise. As almost all agree, Schumacher's take on the Dark Knight had all the resonance of a 4 month old crack baby. My question was whether the new retelling of the Batman franchise could par the course with Tim Burton's 2 highly laudable efforts or perhaps even (heaven forbid), outdo the quirky master filmmaker's direction and vision.
Summation: The Commie believes wholeheartedly that Batman Begins is perhaps the best of the 5 Batman franchises by far.
Critique: Christopher Nolan has managed to keep a tight rein on the more whimsical and self destructive aspects of David S. Goyer's scriptwriting. The result of their collaboration is nothing short of epic, taking into consideration the time-limiting constraints of the filmic medium. The acting all round is of a high standard, with juggernauts like Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine bringing their expected pedigree. Relative newcomers Christian Bale, Cillian Murphy and even oft-suspect Katie Holmes raise their game in a very fine, Pathos-ridden, serious take on the fable of Bruce Wayne. Stylistically, Nolan's desire to carry the look of "Blade Runner" in the scenes of Gotham City does carry very well, especially in the later half of the film.
Plot: Bruce Wayne, paralysed by his own self loathing and fear brought about by a childhood accident and the pointless misadventure of his parent's demise, embarks upon a personal quest to conquer his fear and investigate the nature of society's ugly underbelly. He meets Ducard (Liam Neeson), a vanguard of the League of Shadows - a secret society of vigilantes, who take him under their wing to learn the true nature of himself and who he is to become - A crusader against all who oppose justice, in all it's twisted forms in Gotham City.
Execution: Nolan has breathtakingly managed to carve his own stylistic niche in an already established franchise. His uses of drained blue hues in the early half of the movie and the later sepia toned browns bring a rich and invigorating eye to the already landmark features of Gotham City. The acting is top notch. But first and foremost, all these elements have not taken precedence to an intriguing and I dare say matured plot line. And a twist is on the cards for those who dig those kinds of movies. They took the time to tell the story, not choosing to go in with the typical big budget 5-minute-in explosion. And it certainly pays off.
Observations: All round, Batman Begins is an often too rare an example of what visionary filmmakers can do if given carte blanche and allowed to do what they wish to do confidently, without the incessant interloping of studio execs and ignorant bigwigs. Batman Begins is first and foremost, a Director-and-Storyline first movie, and that is why it excels where other marginalized, merchandise-oriented drivel have just fallen by the wayside. I found the film nothing short of spectacular. I'm glad that the top brass took the guts to leave the film as it was meant to be - An M rated film that pulls no punches in narrative, darkness or pathos. This is NOT a show for kids.
The Battank question: Forget the gripes. This is the Batvehicle to kill them all. It's the Batmother******, period.
Rating: Goosebumps, people. I got goosebumps. 5 out of 5 is the only proper rating I could give to this hardworked, painfully crafted tour-de-force. If I have any gripe, it's that Bale's face looks a tad puffy under the Batmask, but hey... forest for the trees.
The Dark Knight lives again.