The Great Beginning to a Darker Bat

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2018)

Batman is back in black! Last seen about 8 years ago in the disastrous Batman & Robin, Christopher Nolan took it under his wing to reboot the franchise in a darker, fresher manner-- he showed the crew Blade Runner before shooting to give an idea of what he wanted to do. Now it's the norm for superhero movies to be darker and more realistic (and James Bond films for that matter), but Batman Begins is where it starts.
It's not until after an hour into the film where we truly see Batman in all his glorious armor. What was going on beforehand? An amazingly told origin story in typical non-linear fashion from (my favorite director) Nolan. The film starts with hundreds of flashing bats, and from there we are transported into a world with a Gotham we haven't seen before. Wayne Towers is at the center of this crumbling city as the Waynes do their best to help however they can with such acts as building a cheap train that loops around the city. We also travel to the beautifully cold Tibet where Bruce Wayne trains in ninja-fashion to not just overcome his childhood fear of bats, but to embrace it under the guidance of the superb Liam Neeson, a mercenary following orders from Ken Watanabe's Ra's al Ghul.
Christopher Nolan hails from Her Majesty's nation, and he brings plenty of actors with him. Christian Bale utilizes the new tone with a unique Batman voice that may put some fans at unease, but a voice that I believe perfectly captures the idea behind the franchise. And on that note of an idea, what marvels (sorry, wrong comics) me is how Batman is approached. He is so much more than a vigilante in a mask-- he is a symbol of hope for the citizens, and of fear for the criminals. This carries through the fear-driven film and throughout the trilogy to unseen levels of depth in a superhero story. But back to the characters, Michael Caine is the most charming Alfred imaginable (but I do look forward to Jeremy Irons), and Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman provide trustworthy allies in Lucius Fox and Jim Gordon, respectively, that drives the franchise past the shortcomings of even Tim Burton's Batman with his fat, pointless Gordon. I will admit, Rachel becomes much better after Katie Holmes departs after this film. And I must include mention of Cillian Murphy, playing as Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, who brings such energy and crazy charm with his hypnotizing blue eyes (seriously, Nolan made him take off his glasses whenever he could just to show off his eyes).
The scenes are well-developed, especially Batman's drug bust and capture of Falcone. With the fight scenes, the super-fast editing shows the quickness and stealth and blink-and-you'll-miss-it aspect of Batman, but it also makes it quite difficult to understand what's going on. While I understand what you were going for, Mr. Nolan, I do appreciate that you dropped this technique for the sequels.
Outside of the fight scenes, what you can depend on Nolan for the most is the excellent dialogue. I have complimented previous films for the subtlety and what is said without saying anything, but with Nolan helping out with the script as he normally does; we are treated to lines that are never wasted and complimented by awesome one-liners (utilized better in the sequels too).
I think there has been some lost appreciation due to films later like Iron Man, and of course The Dark Knight. The failing, light-hearted, toy-heavy franchise truly came to life in this reboot. It is not the best from Nolan, Hans Zimmer, and regular actor Michael Caine, but it set the bar and the tone to scramble the gears of how these films were perceived; and thus setting up not only one of the best superhero movies, but one of the best ever in The Dark Knight. But do not overlook the clever first entry in The Dark Knight trilogy.