At Last, Batman Soars Again

Rating: 9/10 (3 May 2008)

In the hands of some directors (Brian Singer, I am looking at you) a "realistic" approach to a comic book property means draining it of all fantasy and joy and grounding it in a mundane, gloomy realm of blunt topical references. Thankfully Chris Nolan does not take this approach. There is plenty of fantasy and awe-inspiring spectacle in Batman Begins, but all of it is well-motivated and well-explained. We've got ninjas, flying heroes, super-fast tanks, and Bond-villain-esquire weapons of mass destruction, but all of them feel an organic part of the heightened universe masterfully created in this film. We've seen big vistas before in Batman movies, but they always had a back drop feel to them and the action of the films was relatively confined. Here, a Gotham truly epic in scope is painstakingly created and explored. This city only exists in miniature and on computer but it feels like somewhere we can genuinely go. These are all high points of the storytelling itself. The movie would still fall flat if it weren't support by a near-endless string of knock-out performance. Christian Bale's Bruce is stoic, introverted and tormented, but Bale still manages to keep us engaged and interested even as he's holding it all in. Michael Caine is the perfect Alfred, warm, drily witted and endlessly loyal. Gary Oldman plays against type as a likable and to all appearances fairly normal cop and Morgan Freeman imbues what little time he has with pure charisma and charm. Liam Neeson also plays against type, showing a cruelty one wouldn't expect out of one of the screen's most charming actors. The real surprise is Cilian Murphy who, though cast in a supporting role as a fairly minor villain in the film's considerable rogues gallery, manages to leave a deep impression upon the viewer. He is thoroughly creepy and disturbing, even without a particularly impressive costume. Batman Begins also succeeds in delivering those comic book essentials, action and intrigue, in consistent amounts, rather than falling to that bane of franchise beginning films, the endless setup. True this is an origin story, but Batman's origin is so riveting that we hardly miss the Bat until his appearance halfway through the film. And even then, there are at least three major action sequences and plenty of stunts to go. Though you can't complain about the level of action, some argue that the frenetic, murky style in which the action is presented is rather off-putting. On the contrary, the flash frame editing serves to punch up the impact of the fights and even if the viewer is sometimes lost in the melee, he never loses the sense of brutality that Batman brings to his battles. We are left as bruised and battered as the numerous foes of whom Batman makes short work. All in all, a fantastic effort, both as a franchise beginner and a stand-alone epic.