Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Batman At His Best
The movie franchise that started with Tim Burton's "Batman" in the 1980's slowly transitioned from gothic thriller to an uneasy mix of Adam West camp and Bob Kane comics. It was a wise decision for Warner Bros. to pretend those four movies never happened.The result is Christopher Nolan's wonderful "Batman Begins", which explains Bruce Wayne's childhood, his quest for answers, his training to become a crime fighter, and his discovery of the tools that would make him into Batman in perfect detail. The movie is darker than the Joel Schumacher Batman films were, undoubtedly, but a different type of dark than the Tim Burton films. Instead of being gothic, the film is now a gritty, stylish noire, complete with sneering mob boss and corrupt cops. Gotham City now resembles contemporary Chicago.The cast is perfect. Christian Bale is the best actor to step into the role of Batman so far. His Bruce Wayne is believable and human, and his transition into the altar ego Batman is almost seamless, though he has a tendency to gargle a bit too much when slipping into his menacing "Bat voice." Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman bring much needed comic relief as butler Alfred and gadget-master Lucius Fox, respectively. Michael Caine brings back fond memories of that OTHER Michael from the previous Bat-films. Katie Holmes, like Kim Bassinger, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman before her, is talented and absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, her character is given precious little to do.The true stars of the Batman films have always been the villains, though, and "Batman Begins" is no exception. Cillian Murphy may not have the star power of Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, or Jim Carrey, but he delivers the stand-out performance of the movie, playing psychotic psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Crane. It helps that Murphy auditioned for Bruce Wayne. He's perfect as the hero's doppelganger, ranging from charming to oily to completely deranged. As the villainous Scarecrow, he makes a simple burlap sack creepier than should be possible. Liam Neeson, whose bold, commanding voice is second only to James Earl Jones', plays a character in the gray area between hero and villain.There are a couple of drawbacks to the film, though. First off, Nolan makes the action sequences too artistic for his own good. The fights are montages of extreme close-ups and quick cuts. Sure, it captures the mystique of the Dark Knight, but it's not so fun to watch.My second complaint is the same that I had with Tim Burton's first Batman film. In the comics, Bruce is forever motivated by the unsolved murder of his parents. In both films, the murder of the parents is solved. This time the killer of Bruce's parents is caught and killed before Bruce even becomes Batman. As a result, Bruce's motivation to become Batman takes longer to explain than absolutely necessary.Those minor quibbles aside, "Batman Begins" is the most human, and most entertaining, Batman movie so far.