A Fresh Breath to the Franchise

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2005)

Christopher Nolan has never disappointed me. He has a strong sensibility for film noir detective stories as evidenced by Following, Memento, and Insomnia. Each of these films follows a troubled protagonist who must overcome personal adversity to accomplish a goal-- in most cases, revenge. Nolan, it seems, was the most logical choice of current directors to tackle the new Batman franchise.
From the get-go we are thrust into Nolan's world of quick edits, skewed time frames, and clever back-stories. We absorb a large amount of information about Bruce Wayne's life in a relatively short time spanwho he is, what he wants, and most importantly, how much butt he can kick. The first half of the film plays like a traditional Nolan film with strong character development and solid storytelling. As if that weren't good enough, it soon takes a turn for the betterBatman quite literally begins.
The great thing about this film is its possibility for widespread appreciation. Comic book aficionados will no doubt welcome the careful attention to Batman's history (as told through the original graphic novels, not other Batman movies, cartoons, or TV shows). But being an uber-geek isn't necessary to enjoy the movie. If you suspend your disbelief enough, you can almost fathom a scenario in which a rich man like Bruce Wayne could make this transformation. Like in the first Spiderman movie, we come to see depth of character rather than just a guy in tights and a mask.
This is by far the grittiest of the Batman films, if not the darkest. Where Tim Burton did a good job of creating a Gotham City full of exaggerated shadows on a sound stage, Nolan uses real streets of Chicago and camera tricks to create the Dark Knight's home. The two styles are different, but this one ultimately feels more real. I recommend Batman Begins to theatergoers who are willing to follow moderately complicated plot lines in addition to great fight sequences and car chases.