Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
If not the best, it ranks up there!!!
The marriage of comic books and the movies has had a stormy relationship. From the serials of the early 40's through the campiness of the 60's "Batman" to the big-budget opuses of the past quarter century, the comic hero as movie attraction has been topsy-turvy. Successes have included the first two "Superman" films, the first two Tim Burton-directed "Batman" films, the X-Men movies, and the Spiderman films, while the duds have included "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "The Hulk," "Spawn," "Hellboy," as well as last summer's "Fantastic Four"."Batman Begins" belongs to the success category. Revamping the Batman mythos somewhat, director/screenwriter Christopher Nolan has a genuine respect for the character and does a superb job of crafting a tale that makes Bruce Wayne an even more tragic individual whose obsession with fighting crime is only equaled by his drive to prove himself as a man worthy of his family's name and reputation.Christian Bale, late of so many critically acclaimed (yet not mega-hits) films, is deserving of a wider audience and the popularity of this film has gotten him noticed by filmgoers that may not have seen his other films. He assays his role wonderfully and can only be better in the subsequent sequel.The film can't lose with a supporting cast as brilliant and talented as Oscar nominees/winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Liam Neeson. Chameleon actor Gary Oldman gets to be a "hero" as he portrays a young "Jim Gordon," the character that would later become Batman's ally in the police department. Perennial villain Rutger Hauer is also on hand as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and his limited screen time is well spent.Cillian Murphy's "Scarecrow" is so frightening that it would be great to see him as the chief adversary in any future Bat-film.The great dialogue in the script allows each character to deliver at least one ZINGER line, something that was sorely missed in the first X-Men film.The "look" of the film, though reminiscent of the Burton films, has enough of an individuality that makes it refreshingly new.And the new Batmobile??? At first, I thought it hideous, but when I saw it in action, I found it to be the perfect tool for "The Dark Knight".All the extras on the bonus DVD, as well as the comic book contained within, are worthy of multiple visits.If the makers of the new Superman film do half the job that Nolan, Bale, and company did on this one, they should have a winner of their hands.