Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Fantastic, but what's up with that costume?
So here is Warner Brothers attempt at reviving the Batman franchise after the ridiculous cartoons that were Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. When the original movie with Michael Keaton came out in 1989 I was a bundle of overexcited 11-year old joy. I was a huge comic book fan as a kid and Batman was always my favorite character. I loved the Tim Burton version with Keaton, but I recognized that Burton's Dark Knight was slightly different than the detective Batman of the comics, not to mention the difference in the costume. As that original series progressed, both the costume and the character of Batman devolved into silly cartoon caricatures of the dark, conflicted character of DC Comics. Fastforward to 2005 and Nolan's rebirth of the franchise with Batman Begins. Nolan understands more about the Batman mythos than either Burton or Schumacher, and the film is a thrill ride that doesn't forget to focus on the interesting internal dynamics that make up the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman. It reminds me of the fantastic Batman: Year One graphic novel in that we get to see Batman as he develops, from concept to crimefighter, in all its arcane and sometimes clumsy detail. That being said, I still feel that Nolan's Batman is slightly different than the DC Comics character. The costume still isn't right (again) and we still see very little of Batman the detective. But I don't suppose that matters a whole lot, since the heart of Batman - the conflicted yet noble idealist Bruce Wayne - is still there. The action is great without being too over-the-top, and the villains are believable and they don't take center stage over the title character as they often did in the Burton and Schumacher versions. By the way, if you want to see what a more authentic film version of a Batman costume would look like, hunt online for a fan film called "Batman: Dead End" by Sandy Collora. You'll be glad you did.