Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies share my dread.

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2006)

Enter the world of Batman, or rather, Christopher Nolan's Batman. The genius behind "Memento" has taken an unexpected turn in his film career by directing a movie franchise that was previously shot down with titles including "Batman Forever" and the dreadful "Batman and Robin". It would take an immense amount of work to revive the franchise and to rid the audience of the image cast on them through previous batman films.
Nolan does just that. Completely rebooting the franchise from scratch, he tells the story of Batmans origins; what drove a billionaire heir to his fathers throne from riches to becoming his city's greatest protector. Nolan immerses the audience into emotional depth by telling the story that had yet to have been told. In previous incarnations of Batman, the villains are the interesting characters. Their stories are told. This film is different. Batman Begins tells the story of Bruce Wayne.
Nolan's version is one that was never thought of. Who knew that all a Batman movie needed was more character depth and less action and special gadgets? Though this movie focuses less on the action, the action that is in it is intense. The fight scenes are incredibly realistic and not special dancing that are seen in kung fu movies. Gadgets used by Batman are not only conceivable but current experimental technology.
One question I always had about Batman since I was a kid was "Why would someone who wants to fight crime just wear a bat costume?" Although Batman comics and the Batman: Mask of the Phantasm addresses this issue, Begins takes it into a new level and makes it to the point where it's no longer a mystery as to why bats, but it's point blank obvious as to why he chose bats. "Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies share my dread." An exceptional cast makes the story all the more compelling and epic. Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Cilian Murphy, Ken Watanbe and (of course last but no where near the least) Christian Bale act with great conviction and devotion, creating the emotional feel for their characters.
The twists and turns in the movie leave the audience surprised and amazed. The choice of telling the story in a non linear fashion was perfect. The movie is without competition in it's franchise.
Superhero movies have finally grown up. Batman Begins deserves every bit of praise it gets.