Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Unusual mix makes it work
Batman Begins is a slow starter. It goes into great depth about Bruce Wayne's history with flashbacks inside of flashbacks. This is done early on in the movie to such a pain staking degree that some people may think it was a mistake to expect this to be an action movie. People may chalk it up to a boring movie and stop watching before giving it a chance.Batman Begins may start slow, but it builds momentum so gradually that by the end you're on a roller coaster ride going breakneck speed and your not even sure exactly at what point the true ride started. Instead of being numbed by the non-stop, start to finish barrage of action, you're left with the thrill of having been taken through a progressive ride.Batman Begins also makes an unusual choice in using some of the more obscure villains. Most writers would typically go for the big names: Joker, Riddler, Catwoman et al. This movie goes for villains that you wouldn't probably recognize without being a fan. Sure anyone who has seen the animated series knows who Ra's Al Ghul and the Scarecrow are. But this has some appearances by some villains even more obscure than that: Zsasz and Joe Chill for starters.While the character selection may seem to limit the audience to long time Batman fans only, what it really does is open the movie up to being taken to a place that most people have never seen Batman before.There are several little nuances that make this Batman stand out from any previous incarnations. Newcomers can follow it. Fans can appreciate it. This is said with all possible respect due to the amazing movies done by Tim Burton. Batman Begins truly is the best of the Batman films out there.