If this were by any other director it wouldn't have been as disappointing.

Rating: 3/10 (26 June 2006)

Where Memento was psychologically deep and engulfing, Batman Begins is shallow and repetitive. Chris Nolan's breakout masterpiece Memento showed us that he could tell a story that keeps us riveted and constantly guessing through unique editing and story telling techniques. However, Batman Begins flowed poorly. I commend Nolan for not using the quick flashy editing techniques of directors like Guy Ritchie, but his more subdued style failed to engage me. The placement of the flashback sequences were jarring, and failed to move the plot forward in an interesting way.
Unlike the Spiderman films, Nolan failed in creating sympathy for both the hero and the villains. The story is a classic battle between good and evil, but I found it too simple. The film attempted to engage us in a good dialog about the reasons for crime and corruption and how poverty is both a symptom and a cause of both. Unfortunately, it was grossly simplified for the sake of mass consumption. I do not believe this is Nolan's fault as I doubt he had final cut status for the film. In general, Hollywood underestimates the intelligence of the movie going public and tends to just throw explosions and nudity at them in place of good plot. Though there was no nudity in this film, I feel that this film did not fulfill it's full potential for the sake of more action. A good discussion about crime and evil would have given Bruce Wayne believable motivation for becoming Batman. The whole "a burglar shot my parents" motive could have been done better. I had a hard time empathizing with Bruce Wayne as a result.
The acting in the film was as good as the dialog allowed. I always find Liam Neeson's acting rather poor, and this film was no exception. Neeson's character in this was only slightly different from that of his character in Star Wars Episode I. I found his character and the whole "league of shadows" very cheesy.
In general I would not recommend this movie to anyone.