The greatest superhero origin film ever made and one of the top five most influential films of the 21st century!

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2013)

Christopher Nolan's magnificent contribution to the comic book genre has been easily attested to as one of the most influential films of the 21st century, and with good reason.
Unlike other films of the genre, Batman Begins gives its characters true depth and phenomenal texture, not to mention an astonishing amount of heart in the performances and writing. Bruce's journey is simply the most fascinating, richly layered adventure I've ever seen in cinema, superhero film or otherwise.
The remaining cast is sensational, with Liam Neeson giving a subtle yet menacing portrayal of Ras Al Ghul, perfectly balancing roles as a sympathetic father figure, misguided freedom fighter and megalomaniac at once.
The supporting cast is excellent, with Michael Caine Alfred giving a great dynamic as the other father figure attempting to guide Bruce along a straight path while embracing/tolerating Bruce's attempts to bring fear to the criminals of Gotham, but also giving moments of levity with his sophisticated level of humour that Caine brings to so many great films.
Gary Oldman 'is' Jim Gordon, as perfect a casting choice as Christopher Reeve's Superman, portraying the moral cop surrounded by people on the take and feeling that it's an endless cycle until Batman makes his debut.
Cillian Murphy's Crane/Scarecrow is utilized perfectly here, allowing him to give a subtly creepy performance, but never overshadowing the main antagonist. Nolan avoids the tropes of having two super villains 'team up', and instead, has Scarecrow working for the more deadly and complex Ghul.
Rounding out the cast, Morgan Freeman gives a naturally charismatic and charming performance as Lucius Fox and, like Caine, also provides the film with levity and wit during Bruce's evolution.
Nolan also knows how to take limited actors and make them fit into their roles. Katie Holmes' Rachel Dawes could have been portrayed as any typical damsel in distress, but instead of just being the eye candy for Bruce to save, we see someone who embarked on her own path to clean up Gotham that is radically different from Bruce's (and Ghul's for that matter). She also provides the film with one of its greatest, most complex moments near the end.
And, of course, Christian Bale (tied with Daniel Day-Lewis for best modern actor) gives a dynamic performance in Bruce Wayne, and his transition to Batman is nothing short of breathtaking, displaying a wide array of characteristics that make Bruce more than just a man and more than a symbol. I have never encountered a character that made me feel so much for the man behind the mask.
The screenplay and direction are incredible, providing many bombastic and subtle moments that compliment each other.
The impact felt by this film outside the genre is awe-inspiring, branching beyond the superhero genre and into other mediums such as James Bond, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes. Yet what's even more remarkable is just how well Batman Begins stands up to those films over the last eight years, being regarded by many viewers and critics as still being the best product out of a medium it basically helped create/elevate with regards to reboots and detailed origin stories.
Ironically, most films out of the CBM genre itself over last few years that have tried to emulate BB's quality, have ultimately come off as watered down and generic in many aspects by comparison (i.e. Amazing Spiderman, Iron Man) with X:Men First Class being the one film that can be called quality, while the best quality emulators came from outside the genre.
Batman Begins did for film what Nirvana did for music, it changed the formula while keeping some of the better aspects.