Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Holy revived franchise!
Although he is one of the most popular and recognizable comic book superheroes in existence, Batman has usually struggled whe translated to film. The 1960s series starring Adam West was funny, but was a very campy divergence from what began as a serious character. Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, while popular, were so different from the source material as to be nearly unrecognizable. And Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were two of the worst superhero movies ever made. Following the bomb that was Batman and Robin, the film franchise went on hiatus for a while. Upon its return, we finally get a faithful and interesting adaptation of the Dark Knight courtesy of Christopher Nolan.Unlike previous Batman movies, which concerned themselves primarily with the superhero, this film delves deeply into his alter ego as Bruce Wayne. Batman himself doesn't show up for almost the entire first half of the film. Instead, we see Bruce Wayne build his persona, watching his journey from the moment his parents died through his travels around the world so he could understand the criminal mind. When Batman finally appears, we see him not as someone in a costume but as an embodiment of Bruce Wayne's wrath as he finally finds a way to bring justice back to the streets of Gotham.Unlike his predecessors, Christopher Nolan pays significant attention to the comic book source material, drawing from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and other sources. It is not an adaptation of any one story, but the film captures the spirit of the Caped Crusader. This is Batman: dark, fearsome, and unrelenting. This is the film version that fans have waited to see.The film is aided by an all-star cast that brings a great deal of depth to the people around Bruce Wayne. Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne himself, and succeeds in showing a clear divide between who he is when he's pretending to be a billionaire playboy and who he is when he puts on the cape and cowl. Through Bale's acting, we finally see that Batman is not the alter ego -- Bruce Wayne is the true mask. The supporting cast also includes Michael Caine as Bruce's butler and confidante Alfred. Caine succeeds in making Alfred more than a butler, turning him into a mentor, friend, and Bruce Wayne's last connection to his dead parents. Morgan Freeman pitches in as Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman provides an excellent rendition of Jim Gordon. The only weakness in the cast is Katy Holmes as Rachel Dawes, but even she hollow acting isn't enough to do much more than dent this excellent film.Batman Begins is an excellent reboot of the Batman franchise, done with faithful attention to the source material, a cast full of talent, and a commitment to quality that has been unmatched in the previous franchises. It is an excellent film that will make Batman fans smile and will even entertain those who know nothing about the Dark Knight of Gotham City.