Huge Improvement!

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2005)

60s: We saw the introduction of a huge popular TV series with comic-style, camp humour. The success lead it to an embarrassing (that's a positive comment) movie with four of Batman & Robin's top villains 70s: (none) 80s: A hugely successful & brilliant movie directed by Tim Burton & starring Michael Keaton (Batman) & Jack Nicholson (The Joker). 90s: Another great Burton film, Batman Returns , again with Keaton & also with Danny DeVito, Michelle Pheiffer & Christopher Walken. Joel Schumacher takes over as director & makes Batman Forever which is a fairly good film but his next one, Batman & Robin was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE letdown!!!!! 00s: Batman Begins..................
I adored this film when i saw it. Excellent! Full of everything. This film has made an enormous improvement comparing to that damn Batman & Robin tip! I find it quite amazing how it leads on to something completely different to at the beginning of the movie.
(spoiler (maybe)) It starts with Bruce Wayne falling down a ditch full of bats, as a youngster. Soon after, his hugely successful & rich parents are shot & killed. As an adult he joins Henri Ducard who works for the suspicious Ra's Al Gul. But after Ducard & Ra's train Bruce well he does not accept the culture of execution which go by their way of life. I'm not telling anymore (end of spoiler)
Great cast. Freeman, Murphy, Bale, Caine, Homes, Wilkinson, Watanabe, Neeson love em' all! Great characters. Batman is good & Alfred is far better than the last one. Rachel is the good female part (typical action romance). Mr. Fox was a very good character, the sort of typical nice guy that Freeman plays. Alfred has a lovely accent, good old Afred. Oh & don't forget those crafty villains. This time we have one of Batman's greatest foes (sometimes considered "the" greatest although we all know who most people consider the greatest), Ra's Al Gul. I thought he was excellently played by the actor that played him (if i said who was acting him I'd sort of give the story away, don't be confused). Secondly we have Scarecrow who is probably the scariest Batman villain ever. He was brilliantly played. Christian Bale is wonderful & he has a good change of voice. As Bruce Wayne he has more of a clever, happy voice but as Batman his voice is much lower.
This film will grip you to the max! It's tension is remarkable & the use of drama and acting will blow you away. The atmosphere of Gotham City is amazing & dark. That's what we need from batman. Darkness. But light as he's Bruce Wayne. It's great how the icy mountain contrasts vastly in comparison to Gotham City. A good variety of scenery & setting makes this film ultimate!
Batman's costume is very good & the material is much better & doesn't show off it's "rubber-ness" so much. The car is amazing. Apparently not much effort was made on it. So what, it's mighty! The bat-cave I love. Much more naturally located. Bruce's house is nice but I could've sworn it was filmed in the UK!
I have read many magazine's about this movie such as empire & have also been on many websites about it. Most of them say that this is a prequel to the Burton/Schumacher movies. They are wrong! Christopher Nolan has decided to start a whole new set of movies. I prefer it to be that way because I hate it when prequels are made afterwards. Most of them are frowned upon e.g. Star Wars, The Phantom Menace (very successful but i hated it) & the extremely unsuccessful Exorcist: The Beginning only to name a few. I'm glad that Batman hasn't made the same mistake. Phew!
In conclusion this was a brilliant movie which i can't help but love! Nolan, you have been wise.