I Expected Too Much, And It Came Out Better Than Expected

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2005)

I am a fantasy fan, first and foremost. While I've read my share of comic books, I'm certainly not a big fan. So you can believe me when I say it came as a surprise that Batman Begins went right up there into the top 3-5 list of the best movies I've seen in my life. Something even LoTR couldn't do, even if they too are near-perfect.
Everything about the movie is top-notch. Acting is superb. Although I was sceptical of Katie "the ever-teen" Holmes, she actually performed perfectly. She didn't even look like a teen to my eyes. Christian Bale wasn't really a surprise, as I've seen several of his movies before. He was perfect, and I mean perfect in a way that obviously there's not a person alive who could've done a better job. All the familiar actors from Michael Caine to Liam Neeson to Gary Oldman (and obviously Morgan Freeman) did their roles well enough for me to see no room for improvements. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the good IL' action star Rutger Hauer's very peaceful and civil role. Seeing him actually made me think that he might take the place of these other older legendary actors about to leave the movie business for good, he has the sort of calm authority and presence I'd not really noticed before. Cillian Murphy was the one guy I had never heard of before, and considering he looked every bit as much a teen as Katie Holmes normally does, he performed perfectly as Dr. Crane. Too bad I can't draw a comparison to his other roles from before.
Hans Zimmer's music goes beyond its usual supreme quality. Last time I enjoyed music of his this good was in The Rock, and this was actually better. It's a good thing, considering many of the modern movies have actually disappointed with their soundtracks, which is something I despise. Music is a *HUGE* factor in creating the right kind of feeling and immersion for a movie, and I'm glad it was well understood and appreciated with Batman Begins.
Most noticeable of all the things in this movie however, is the constant realism. And it goes deeper than what you would normally expect of a movie. The sound-effects, you see, are better here than in any other movie I remember. As someone who's been in the army, I feel I can definitely say that the gunshots and explosions here are extremely realistic. Not the usual soft bass sounds you have in Hollywood films, but the real strikingly hard ones. This same trend applies to everything. I actually felt a chill go down my spine just from the sound the tyres of the bat-car were making... something different from your usual "screeeeeeech!". When places and cars start breaking apart, it won't be the usual dumb explosions where there should be none. This world is like it really should be, in ways you can't imagine before you see it. And on an unconscious level, it adds immensely to the immersion.
The way Batman moves using his equipment is done in a manner that's not only supposed to look "cool", it's actually supposed to show the audience how it all works. Batman Begins gives its spectator two purposes: First, it constantly gives you information on what Batman does, how he does it and why, to make the world believable. Second, it uses all that information it's given you to draw you in and understand how frightening, how real Batman really is. It makes you see the world as if you were watching it from within the movie. And this works amazingly well.
But I must give a word of warning. If you're unable to immerse yourself with movies in general, you might have trouble with this. The difference with Batman Begins and your typical movie is that everything here serves a purpose. From the somewhat confusing battles to the overly dramatic "acting" played by Bruce Wayne as Batman, it's all intended. And if you are immersed as you should be, you'll understand their purpose and why it is indeed realistic for these things to be as they are in the movie. If you are immersed, your enjoyment will only increase with these features. Some however have found them disturbing. But then, I could never understand why someone should go see a superman movie only to then start complaining over how they didn't like the fact that the hero was actually flying.
My short conclusion is this: I went to Batman Begins, waiting for something big. As Memento seemed a tad bit too simple (read: not to inspiring or challenging mentally) considering the type and style of the movie, I didn't know what to expect of Christopher Nolan. I was however happily surprised. I don't cry in movies, ever. But when I left the theater after watching through the ending texts, I found my eyes moist. This is definitely one of the best movies ever made, and *the* best superhero movie ever made. The only reason I gave it a 9 instead of a 10, is because nothing is perfect (main plot), even if this was the closest of everything I've seen thus far.