Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
It's What You Do That Defines You -- The Bat Begins!
What a great start to a new franchise!The previous Batman films were getting a bit hokey, kinda like the camp of the Adam West sixties TV show (of which I was an avid fan) but not nearly as entertaining.Christopher Nolan and Dave Goyer came up with a new origin story with a mix from the comics' origins. Let's take Bruce Wayne, we'll keep the tragic loss of his parents shot by Joe Chill (thank you Bob Kane) and mix a little Ras Aghul (from the 70s comics) and throw in some martial arts.The League of Shadows, the cult group that pulled Wayne out of the suicidal funk he was in, found and purged his fears but wanted to use him as a pawn to bring down Gotham just as it brought down other civilizations over thousands of years. Not agreeing to their methods, Bruce destroyed their camp, but in the process saved Neeson, who himself carried on the LOS name and mission.The Falcony gang continues unopposed to rule Gotham, with its Mafia standards. Batman puts a crimp in his style. The Scarecrow, aka Dr. Crane, with his own methods of insanity and destruction, also a pawn in the LOS game.Chase scenes, a bit of James Bond utility devices and a real, character-driven story that surpasses earlier attempts at telling the story of the Bat. Katie Holmes is not too bad as the kinda sorta girlfriend of Bruce -- could have been a little more emotional, but that's hard when the Bat gets in the way. Like MJ and Spiderman, the Bat or the Spider get in the way.Recommended!Other Bat Stuff:Batman (Two-Disc Special Edition)[the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton version, not bad at all]Batman - Holy Batmania[Adam West years, Bam! Pow!]Batman - The Complete 1943 Movie Serial Collection(The original 1940s series)Batman - The Complete Animated Series(a Must-Have!)