Batman Begins!!!

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2009)

"There is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me" No, I haven't lost the plot or something; this is some of the immortal words said by none other than the legendary, Dark Knight of the comic book world - Batman. A question one might ask, why Batman? Why a character who's last few movie costumes (Batman forever, Batman and Robin) had nipples on them. Well, because the time has come for one of the most infamous fictional characters in history to get the movie adaptation it deserves. Enter the latest and greatest edition to the Franchise - Batman Begins. Set in the fictional city of Gotham, USA (usa is a real place though :) -not written is caps because IMDb considers that shouting :( ), Batman tells the story of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), billionaire industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. As a child, Bruce witnesses the murder of his parents (physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne), at the hands of a mugger. He is driven by anger and hate, but soon realises that the greatest weapon one can use, is fear itself. Unlike other Batman movies, Batman Begins takes us deeper into Batman's past, explaining how he, as a person, evolves into a vigilante and why he chooses the mantle of the Bat. In fact, most of the time you never actually feel like your watching a superhero movie. In many ways this movie is more about Bruce Wayne than it is about Batman. It delves deep into Wayne's family, love and vigilante life, yet there is a surprisingly good balance between action and drama. Christian Bale's performance is amazing as the cape crusader. He has already caused quite a stir in the world of cinema after his roles in American Psycho, Equilibrium and The Machinist. In Batman, he once again takes his performance to a higher gear. When Bruce Wayne dons the mantle of bat, he becomes a completely different person. Christian Bale has been able to show this with such intensity and charisma that each time he wears the mask; the viewer actually feels he/she has become Batman. Christian Bale isn't the only casting miracle. A host of great actors have made this movie well above the rest. There's the legendary Michael Cain who plays the humble, lovable butler Alfred Pennyworth. Cain gives a tremendous performance as the butler who has great love for Wayne and tries to make Wayne walk the path of good that his deceased father once walked on. The cast consists of a host of great actors including Liam Neeson (Star Wars Episode One) Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption). Batman Begins is a movie that would make Frank Miller (responsible for Batman's dark persona), Bob Kane (creator of the Batman), Tim Burton (Director of the first two –"good"- Batman films) and fans of the character proud. Let's hope Christopher Nolan who has directed this project can bring the same cine-magic to the upcoming sequel (The Dark Knight 2008). The only, and I mean the only thing I found bad about this movie was the camera work/ editing job done on some of the action scenes (especially the hand-to-hand combat scenes). They suffer from the now usual contemporary split second shots which sort of ruin not only the moment but also also the hard work that the stunt men and the actors themselves put in it. In conclusion: This is a movie that will be enjoyed by movie goers and comic fans alike. Heck I actually cried at the end of this movie, it is that good!