Dark, Brooding and Stunning.

Rating: 9/10 (17 June 2005)

Batman Begins, the much hyped, much publicised 'reboot' of the Batman franchise is finally here and boy what a treat it is! I was a big fan of Tim Burton's take on Batman, his portrayal of the dark knight as a brooding and reluctant bringer of justice, I always felt fit perfectly with the imagery of the comic books and gave a great feel to the whole Batman mythology. The following outings of Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, were less than splendid though. Over-blown campy nonsense with two-dimensional characters being upstaged by a campy over the top rouges-gallery of villains.
So here is the re-boot. The beginning. Batman begins breaks from the convention of other comic book films. The first act of the film is told through flashbacks and does not follow a linear editing style. It gives a fantastic insight into Bruce Wayne's feelings towards his origins and his motivation for becoming the Dark Knight. It traces his path from young boy, to troubled young man; unable to vent the anger he feels for injustice he has suffered at the hand of the criminal element.
Bruce Wayne attempts to confront his demons head on, but soon realises he is just one man in a corrupt and frightening world. The film takes us on the journey Bruce endures in trying to find what it is he needs to do to come to terms with his past and to guide his future. He travels the world and seeks out a means to better himself both mentally and physically. He trains with masters of martial arts, to learn the fighting skills and mental strength he will require to bring justice back to Gotham. This all provides the very convincing back-story of the transition from Bruce Wayne to Batman.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Bruce travels back to Gotham and begins his quest for justice. It shows how he equips himself and the conflict he has within when dealing with the criminals of the city. It also shows what other Batman films have failed to show. The trouble of living a double life when you are a billionaire playboy. Bruce has to find balance between his public image as Batman and his public image as a rich, businessman and socialite.
The film climaxes with an awesome final act, showcasing immense fight scenes, brilliant use of the new Batmobile, gorgeous sets and intense acting. The final scenes set the film up perfectly for any sequels and all the while maintains the sense of realism and down to earthiness that Nolan promised.
Batman Begins is well written, well-shot and combines amazing special effects, set design and acting to form a perfect final package. This is without a shadow of a doubt, the best comic-book movie I have ever seen. Christian Bale puts in a sterling performance as Bruce Wayne, often reminiscent of his role as a businessman in American Psycho. He is also very convincing of a man driven to fight injustice, a man with a troubled past and a man seeking what he must do to come to terms with it. He is also entirely convincing as the all-action hero Batman, disposing of criminals with his expert martial arts training enthusiasm for justice.
The supporting cast is perfect. Michael Caine is an inspired choice for Alfred. There is good chemistry between him and Bale and you are left convinced that they have a quasi-father/son relationship and that Alfred genuinely cares for his young master. Gary Oldman plays a brilliant Sgt Gordon, the last honest copy, torn between misguided loyalty to the force and an honest will to protect the innocent. Cillian Murphy plays a reserved, but entirely psychotic proto-super villain and Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson, as always provide strong character roles. Holmes was a fine leading lady, but I couldn't help feeling she didn't really have enough to do in this film, however only a minor criticism.
Batman Begins is a dark film, centred on strong themes of fear, over coming demons of your past and the fight for justice in a corrupt world. Unlike many comic book films, this film is not in anyway aimed at children. It is not strictly adult in nature, but follows intelligent character development, adult conflict and complex portrayals of the characters. Most comic book films introduce your hero as good because he wants to save the world and the villain bad because he wants to take over the world. Then the action begins. This is not the case with Batman Begins, it gives insight into each character's motivation and reasons for their actions, it does not expect the audience to blindly accept anything on face value.
Well done to Goyer and Nolan for producing such an awesome movie. When I left the cinema, everyone in the audience was grinning at the end of the film, knowing they had just seen the beginning of something rather special. Bring on the sequels!