Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 2.0
Doesn't live up to the hype
I really wanted to be awed by this movie after reading the rave reviews. Finally, a great Batman movie, but it was not to be.I found the plotting predictable and formulaic.Aside from the always wonderful Michael Caine, the acting is lackluster. I love Gary Oldman but he was given little to work with. Bale's portrayal was stiff and forced and the overly-fake dark, tough-guy voicing was unintentionally funny.If fear is a central tenet of the movie and the character, the movie did little to evoke that emotion.The scenes early in the film with Liam Neeson reminded me so much of the old Kung Fu TV series, I half expected Neeson to refer to Bale as "grasshopper".Aside from some interesting outdoor mountain footage, the cinematography is not particularly exciting. Whereas movies like Dark City and Sin City broke new ground with their distinctive looks, Batman Begins' Gotham City doesn't have any distinguishing characteristic beyond that really cool overhead train. There is nothing particularly dark and ominous. For a city that's supposed to be like a modern day Sodom, it looked better than most American cities.If you are a fan of the comic, you'll probably love the film as it is much more true to the spirit of the series than the silly "sequels".It's not a bad film by any stretch. Just not great, either.