Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 2.0
Batman Deserves Better
Ok, it's been awhile since we as an audience have been treated to a darker, edgier Batman...and as I sat down to watch BATMAN BEGINS, I was excited to finally have that chance. If only the folks involved in the writing process had tried to come up with a stronger, more seasoned script.First, I felt very bad for poor Liam Neeson, who was left to spout a few forgettable Yoda-style lines. What a waste...when you have honest acting talent like Neeson, USE IT! And Christian Bale did a good job with what he'd been given, however, I've never seen a Bruce Wayne who was as clueless and stupid as the one this movie delivered. (His on-screen flame, a character played by Katie Holmes, seemed to have more common sense). The best performances really came from Gary Oldman (who, I'm convinced, couldn't turn in a bad performance in any movie) and Cillian Murphy (unfortunately, his character was given -what?- maybe five minutes of actual screen time).Don't get me wrong: it is nice to see a Batman who isn't surrounded by ice-skating snowmen/burglars or spinning neon lights (as in the horrible Joel Shumacher outings). But really...a sonic machine that attacks the town's water supply? A group of secret assassin ninja spies who want nothing more than to leave Gotham City in ruins? Although almost everything was there: all the elements to make a really good, really dark movie for the Dark Knight, it's the "almost" that leaves me wishing I had seen a better film. It only needed a strong story (with a blelievable, credible threat for Batman to face) to carry it all through, and sadly, that's the one thing the movie didn't have.