Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
The Greatest Batman Film
It wasn't always the case that a comic book adaptation could draw Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. Fortunately, comic movies are "in" right now. And, more fortunately still, they made this movie while they could.This is the Batman movie we've all always waited for. Now, don't get me wrong: Burton's Batman was a lot of fun, and Schumacher's slightly less so, but still enjoyable in a way. But they never really captured the feel of Batman or the depth of the mythology. They concentrated too much on the gadgets and the costuming, and not enough on the people behind them.This movie is about Bruce Wayne, and how and why he decides to dress up like a gigantic bat and fight against the scum of the earth, when he *could* be living it up as a billionaire playboy. Sure, we all know that his parents were killed and that this is his "motivation" but it goes deeper than that. This film shows us this.It sets Batman up against two of his famous nemeses--Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow (and shows a third, Mr. Zsasz, who doesn't feature prominently)--as he also tries to work out his personal relationships and assume the Wayne family mantle.This movie is a treat, exciting from start to finish, and is maybe the best comics "origin" film that we have thus far. The sequel is already slated (for 2008) and hopefully it will continue the strong quality established here.