Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
THIS is the quintessential Batman film.
Batman Begins is exactly what Batman should be. Realistic, gritty, and the story of how a man decides to dedicate his entire being to stop from happening to others what once happened to him. I applaud the choice of Nolan to use Ra's as the villain, instead of just going with the usual Penguin or Catwoman or something that could easily be done. Ra's is Batman's greatest foe, and was done great justice in this film.I choose this film over The Dark Knight for one reason, really. The Dark Knight was a little TOO realistic. Batman is a comic book character, after all, and Gotham city is a fictional city, filled with fantastic villains as well as the normal real life problems that plague everyone else. In Batman Begins, the city of Gotham feels like it could be a real city, but it also gives you a view of twisted places like The Narrows that remind you of the fantastical portion of the story. The Dark Knight, on the other hand, just looks like it takes place in Chicago. I didn't get that fantasy feeling from it at all. I guess it is more just a personal preference, but I feel like Batman Begins had the perfect balance of reality and fantasy, without catering to either one more than it should.Both Nolan Batman movies are exactly what Batman should be, but I just feel that this one got it MORE right the first time.