Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Well-Told Story of Darker Hero with Impressive Cast -- and Actions Are Also Good
Christopher Nolan's version of DC Comic's Batman takes itself very seriously -- it's far from Adam West's TV version in the 60s. There is no "Robin" and no "Batgirl" for that matter. It is about how Bruce Wayne becomes the Caped Crusader, and the film has enough actions to be called a summer season blockbuster (which it is) though the tone is slightly darker than any other previously filmed versions.But David S. Goyer/Christoher Nolan gave a decent script for the film, in which we see Bruce as young boy of emormously rich family has to confront his ultimate fear when his parents got killed -- but if you don't like this rather serious 'looking into abyss' part, just forget it. It is another story about one discontent youth looking for the meaning of life, which turns out being a superhero. And you know that part before watching the film.After wondering in Asia, being trained by a mentor Liam Neeson (again, like in "Episode I"), grown-up Bruce (played by Christian Bale with no British accent) comes back to Gotham City, the city of crimes and injustice.[BATMAN IS THE HERO] Of course he is, but in the previous films Batman (or Bruce Wayne) was a curiously umimpressive figure, for the villains like Joker or Riddler stole every scene. In 'Batman Begins,' Nolan is very careful in making Batman the center of the film. It is his film, and Batman is always there, in the middle of good action scenes (including that of souped-up Batmobile).Two interesting things. One is that the film repeatedly refers to 'falling' (many actions involve vertical movement one way or another), a clever metaphor used by Nolan. The other is the cast, among whom you see only two Americans -- Morgan Freeman and Katie Holms. Londoner Nolan's choice is quite unique -- Jim Gordon is played by another Londoner Gary Oldman; Alfred is by Michael Caine (again, born in London), Falcone by Tom Wilkinson (English), Ducard by Neeson (Irish), Dr. Crane (aka Screcrow) by Cillian Murphy (Irish), Earle by Rutger Hauer (Dutch), Ra's Al Ghul by Ken Watanabe (Japanese). Even the homeless guy is Rade Serbedzija (Croatia). Where is Amreican actors?The film might be a bit too serious at times, but that is exactly what this new version is trying to do. But the seriousness does not weigh down the whole film, which has effective actions that do not rely on CGI techniques. In this sense, and with all name actors, 'Batman Begins' is like Christopher Reeve's 'Superman' -- it takes itself seriously, and very entertaining as well.