Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
They finally got it right!
This is, hands down, the finest movie I have seen in years. To compare it to other *good* films in recent memory, it has the visual depth of Harry Potter 3, twice the emotional resonance of Spidey 2, and enough total satisfaction to have me seriously consider burning my Batman DVD collection of the Burton/Schumaker films in effigy.I remember all of the hype leading up to Batman in '89, only to leave the theater feeling disappointed in a movie that had less to do with the title character and more to do with his arch-enemy. When it came out on video, the AV place where I worked kept it in the VCR 24/7, and I quickly realized how annoying the movie became in the second hour with Vicky Vale's incessant screaming (this from a woman who supposedly photographed smouldering bodies on the front lines of war). I remember hating Batman Returns upon its release, only to gain some respect for it over the years as I've grown to appreciate Tim Burton's visual style. And with the revolving door around the man in the cape and cowl, I watched the franchise ultimately descend to B&R;, the biggest pile of garbage in recent movie history, hated more than Battlefield Earth because it ruined characters that we were already connected to.In a rare move of genius, the WB suits allowed the filmmakers to reboot the whole franchise with this film. The result is a film that isn't bound to established rules. It stands on its own and shines in its darkness.Batman Begins ranks with Superman: The Movie as the greatest comic adaptation of all time. But it transcends being a comic adaptation. It's a stellar movie all on its own.Hans Zimmer's is simple, riviting, emotional. A score can make or break a film, and Zimmer once again does not disappoint. It underscores how weak Danny Elfman's Spider-Man scores are, and it even eclipses Elfman's Batman scores. Accomplishing what Elfman can never seem to do, it heightens the tension and manipulates the audience's emotions, invoking the proper emotion for each scene.Nolan is more than an auteur -- he is an artist, and this will be the pivotal moment in his career, much as Jaws was for Spielberg. The press leading up to this film noted that Nolan effortlessly pulled the whole thing together, turning in the film on time and on budget, as though already he had years of experience directing big budget epics. Clearly his confidence and lack of pretentiousness allowed the actors to deliver pitch-perfect performances. If the cast isn't strained, that comes through in a film.Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne in a fresh way, with a youthful vigor that the "older" character hasn't shown, and yet much darker and scarier. This is the Batman you don't want to meet in a dark alley.The supporting cast is rife with talent whose names preceed them -- but this has been true of every Bat-film. What makes this cast stand out from the films of the past is that they have checked their egos at the door, and clearly showed up to act. None of the performances are phoned-in here.Regarding Katie Holmes, as one who never watched an episode of Dawson's Creek or any of her previous films, I was able to judge her performance in this film quite objectively. She rose to the challenge of her more seasoned costars, delivering an excellent performance that hopefully will result in her character's return in future films. Having a female interest who returns in a Batman film is a chance for Bruce Wayne to truly develop emotionally. And it can even lead to the catalyst for the much-wanted Batman vs. Superman. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.I reiterate, this is the finest movie, end to end, that I've seen a long while. We have come to accept mediocrity in small and large doses in recent cinema, but I experienced not a single cringeworthy moment in the entire film. Not one. I have not been so throroughly entertained at the movies in years. The Matrix sequels, The Harry Potter movies, Lord of the Rings, the X-men movies, the Spider-Man movies ... these are all films that I've loved in this decade and watched again and again. But Batman Begins blew them all away for me. If those movies were home runs in their own right, Batman Begins is a grand slam.