The Best Batman? In a Word, Yes!

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2005)

Having just seen "Batman Begins" for my third time (the other two were during its theatrical run), I must say that the hype is true. It is the best overall effort yet in bringing Batman and the world he inhabits to the screen. Christopher Nolan brings shows us EVERYTHING we wanted in a film about Batman's origins.
Bruce Wayne's descent into the caped crusader is handled with care and grace. The script is based on several different Batman comics from over the years, which makes its story very well-rounded. It's a script that's emotional without being sappy and funny without being stupid. Also, it has one of the best casts ever assembled and each member shines in every line they deliver.
The design of Gotham City is amazing and the special effects are not over-reliant on CG images (which is a problem for big-budget movies these days) and are comprised of many different elements, including very realistic miniatures. To sum it up, the feel of the movie is dark, brooding, shrewd, and refreshingly pragmatic.
That's not to say the film has its share of blunders. The music is less than impressive. It sucks to think that a film this great has a musical theme comprising of TWO NOTES. Maybe some people see its effectiveness, but in my mind, it causes only disgruntlement. And to boot, "Batman Begins" had TWO great composers working on it. That's ONE note for each guy credited with the score! I give their effort a D. Another nit-picky problem I had with it is in it's rather fast-paced editing not only during action scenes, but even when there are only talking heads. It's just a little nerve-wracking.
But these are small problems when compared to the whole movie package. The fact that I'm complaining about such small details only exemplifies the film's success as a whole. What else is there to complain about?!? I would recommend that any self-respecting movie lover buy the deluxe DVD. You'll be making a great and worthy addition to any collection.
PS.....Being that the Tim Burton Batman movies were very influential and special to me as a kid, I personally LIKE them better than Nolan's film. But regardless of my personal preferences, I of course acknowledge "Begins" as a better display of Batman's universe. I'm just a sucker for those Burtonesque visuals set to Danny Elfman's amazing, beautiful music. And no, I don't shop at Hot Topic.
PPS....There's no point in even mentioning the horrible Batman Forever. Not even Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones could save that one. And Batman and Robin is such a festering abomination that rationalizing its existence is a futile aspiration.