Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Dark and ominous, interesting and informative, just the way The Dark Knight should be seen...
One of the biggest surprises in cinema that said year, `Batman Begins' proves to be everything one could ask for in a superhero movie. It's got some breathtaking action scenes, some great fight scenes and some amazing special effects. What takes this film over the edge though, making it far removed from the previous efforts is that the script is tight, the acting is superb and the characters are so well fleshed out that they become three dimensional. We, the audience, feel like we know Bruce Wayne inside and out and we understand where he's coming from. We don't get that feeling from the previous films. Christian Bale does such a brilliant job with his character that I'm tempted to say he was snubbed come awards season. He truly did deserve some recognition for his work here. He took a character that has been played before with no real depth and transformed him into someone we could relate to and cheer for. He did for Batman what Daniel Craig did for James Bond.The film may start on the slow side of things as has been commented on before. It's a general retelling of The Dark Knights origin so it's bound to be a lot of story telling versus an over abundance of action. The action does come, just not right away. I actually enjoyed watching Wayne's story slowly unfold. It's very interesting to see where he got his start since the concept has not been pursued in any of the Batman films before this one. The film explores the training Wayne undergoes after his parents are murdered and he flees the country. Upon returning some years later to a city overrun by criminals Wayne makes it his personal agenda to rid Gotham City of the waste and filth that permeates the streets. After returning though, and donning the cape, Bruce finds that struggling to keep a firm grasp on his two personas may be his biggest challenge.Like I mentioned, Bale does a fantastic job with tackling both Bruce Wayne and Batman, two separate characters who both need delicate attention. He's cocky and self-sure, doubtful and reserved, distant and egotistical, responsible and afraid, all of these things and sometimes all at once, and he handles his emotions so effortlessly he completely sinks into his character and becomes the Bat. Another standout performance comes from rising star Cillian Murphy who devours his role as Jonathan Crane or better known as `The Scarecrow'. He's splendidly evil, the type of character that gets right under your skin and festers. He's perfectly cast. Michael Caine is perfectly cast (and I was skeptical) as Alfred, the family butler and Liam Neeson is always good, and as Wayne's mentor Henri Ducard he's especially effective. Katie Holmes is decent, but her role is somewhat thankless, as is Morgan Freeman's but he still delivers. And let's just say that while Ken Wantanabe kicks butt as Ra's Al Ghul he's no where near as awesome as Neeson as the film comes to a close.So, with all this talk of actors pulling out the stops I need to mention the brilliance that was and is Christopher Nolan who was, I'm sure, very close to Oscar consideration for his direction here. He effortlessly staged this entire film and delivers wonderfully, from his script to his finished product. The set pieces are fantastic, the action scenes are well choreographed and the pace of the film, the editing is all fantastic and close to perfect. The props, everything from gadgets to the new and totally improved Batmobile, are brilliantly modernized and dare I say "oh so cool". The film deserves our attention and will garner repeat viewings. I'm tempted to say it's better than Sam Raimi's `Spider Man' Blockbusters, but that's open to speculation. With a cast this huge, and equally impressive, and a director this in tune with his subject, `Batman Begins' never falters and remains one of the best films of 2005.