Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Engaging and relevant: a worthy part of the Batman mythology
Around two years past it's debut in theaters, I finally decided to give Batman Begins a chance (despite diehard fans shunning it's realism).I remember watching it during a late night, and liking what I saw, but my memory was fuzzy when I tried to recall specific scenes.Another year passes - I am purchasing art supplies on Amazon when, by chance, I see Batman Begins now available in Blu-Ray. Having bought a PS3 over the summer, and wanting to test the supposedly superior audio/video capabilities of this new format, coupled with my curiosity concerning why I enjoyed this film in the first place, I decide to add it to my order.---$17.95, 140 minutes and The Dark Knight later, I am happy at the way Christopher Nolan has managed to elevate Batman and Gotham into the modern world and yet retain a grim tone that is undeniably fantasy in nature.Begins starts off with a look at a child Bruce Wayne and his growth into the determined young man that becomes Batman. I didn't know anything about actor Christian Bale prior to his turn as the Caped Crusader, but I quickly respected his intensity and believability as Gotham's prince on a mission to rid his city of evil.Some feel the first half is a little too drawn out, but, with this being an origin story, you can't expect the action to take center place throughout the entire movie. The pacing was handled very well: Nolan knows when to introduce a montage, and when to focus exclusively on one scene for an extended period of time.After a crisis of conscience, Bruce leaves Gotham on a quest to find himself. Soon, we're introduced to Henri Ducard (masterfully played by Liam Neeson) - a mentor that takes Bruce and teaches him the methods of stealth and war which will eventually become a part of his Batman skills.But not all is as it seems, and soon Bruce will have to make some difficult decisions regarding his once firm belief in black and white notions of good and evil. Once he returns to the states, we enter the second half of the film where we see him regain his position amongst the wealthy of Gotham...and slowly flesh out his Batman persona.The action sequences here are generally good, though some are a tad *too* dark (there's a marked difference between representing Batman's use of ambushes and making all of the action we as viewers are supposed observe, obscured). Of course, we're introduced to a variety of new personalities.Michael Caine plays Alfred, Bruce's loyal adviser and butler. Caine's portrayal is a bit more relaxed and casual than Michael Gough [of Batman (1989) fame], and despite not being entirely sold on this Cockney accented version, he manages to pull off the wise confidant to his master's secret well enough.Next up is Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. She serves as the moral vehicle that spurs Bruce to reconsider his actions and leave Gotham until he's mature enough to return. I found Mrs. Holmes's acting to be rather lackluster and easily forgettable. Thankfully, her role isn't that vital later on.Gary Oldman, as Sergeant Gordon, was one of the few actors along with Bale that managed to impress me. You'd never guess that he was English by his accent and mannerisms - and his believability as the morally unshakable officer that aids Batman never falters.Morgan Freeman rounds out the good guys as Lucius Fox, Bruce's "Q" (provider of gadgets and various technology) and true friend within Wayne Enterprises. While Freeman's role in and of itself wasn't lengthy in terms of screen time, he does prove to be crucial towards the end and delivers my favorite quip of the entire movie.The score is proportionally moody and fast-paced to the visuals it accompanies. It isn't quite as memorable as Danny Elfman's work [Batman (1989)] but does an admirable job of never being intrusive.My only real criticism is that we don't get to see much, if any, of Batman's detective side - he generally relies on contacts to get ahead. Still, I can't fault it too much given the amount of story we're supposed to take in.On a technical note, I am exceptionally pleased with this Blu-Ray version. While I don't own an HD TV or an expensive speaker set, the image and sound quality is much better than comparable recent DVD releases. There's also a bevy of extras that were in the two-disc DVD version of Begins, though admittedly I haven't viewed any of them.Entertaining, brooding and with morals that everyone can live by, Batman Begins is a keeper.