Shockingly Great!!

Rating: 10/10 (22 June 2005)

I first became aware of this movie back in January. After the other 4 movies, I had zero interest in seeing "Batman Begins." But then the positive word-of-mouth and the good/great reviews began mounting. Also, who could resist the cast?! I saw it a few days after it was released.
This movie both blindsided and shocked me with its greatness!! Nothing prepared me for it. It is THE movie of the Summer. The one I've TRULY been waiting for (I thought it was "Revenge of the Sith.").
This is the movie that should've come out in 1989. The Batman movie that fans deserved, but didn't get. (For those of you old enough - remember those long lines back then? How they either wrapped around the theater or were several city blocks long? I do.)
Where to start? There is so much to love about this movie. The following are my comments thinking back on the movie I just saw:
1. It's apparent that a lot of thought, heart and hard work went into every frame.
2. The material was respected and taken seriously. It's a comic-book movie by adults, FOR adults (and unlike "Hulk," it succeeds!).
3. There aren't really any silly one-liners or "Rocky Horror"/crowd-pleasing/sell-out moments (where the audience cheers/claps, etc.). No pop-psychology crap ("Spider-Man" movies).
4. The dialogue and scenes are consistent with the characters and within reason.
5. The spectacular, exciting scenes taking place on a highway, the other a train.
6. I loved the dynamic score during a scene involving Bruce Wayne and his progress within the League of Shadows (you'll know the scene).
7. Killer cast. Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy were both superb and unforgettable.
8. Smaller, quieter moments involving simple, common words. In one of the movie's best scenes, Gordon thanks Batman and his words have WEIGHT. Batman's response has equal weight. And, as far as I'm concerned, the movie earned my emotional reaction to that scene.
9. It's just damn thrilling and exciting seeing Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman. This is half of the movie's running time right here, and I'm thankful for that. We get to know, understand and like Bruce Wayne/Batman.
This movie is for anyone who loves great cinema. You don't have to be a comic book fan! (I'm not.) Just see it!! It is by far the best Batman movie ever made AND the best comic-book adaptation since "Superman II." (I'm thinking about seeing it again as I type this!)