Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Surprisingly powerful film
When Batman first attempts one of his stunts in the truly remarkable Batman Begins, the thought flashed across my mind "He's going to hurt himself." That's the level of immersion into the world of Bruce Wayne that this film is capable of.Sometimes titles really do indicate the subject matter of works, and this is one of those occasions. This is not the story of a man with a dual identity, like the first Batman, who has difficulty balancing roles that were thrust upon him by cruel fate. This is the story, first, of how a traumatized boy almost threw his life away in blind revenge, and, granted a reprieve, turned his back on his wealth to experience another world. (It is the story of Batman as American ninja, as cheesy and offputting as that might sound, the movie does it right.) This is not a Batman of chopsocky fights and kung-fu bad guys standing in a line for a chance to fight the hero. This is a Batman who lives veiled in shadows and who employs terror and misdirection as his weapons, not brute strength. This is the story of how Bruce Wayne forges himself into Batman and it is a powerful story, even for people far beyond the normal gravitional pull of the world of comics.I found a criticism here to be on point: asking the question Why did Bruce's parents exist through the side door instead of the front? (setting up their murder). A fair question, but not one that occured to me while watching the movie. And, a great number of such questions may occur to us after the end of this film, but I suggest that very few indeed will occur while we watch it.Another fair criticism is that the end is overblown. It is, it is, but that is partially the disappointment at having this film end.I must also note that this is a scary movie. I don't want to give more than that away, but it is a scary movie, in part because of the effective special effects and in part because it is so good at making its characters real, so that we truly feel their pain.Note about casting: The film is also exceptionally well cast, not only in the main roles, but in such minor parts as Bruce Wayne's father.A note about the direction: Sure, it's a far more conventional story than Memento and some Nolan fans may be bitterly disappointed for that reason, but if this is the conventional, it is the perfect execution of the conventional and that is really good enough.Note about vagueness in the review: I apologize for the vagueness in parts of the review, I didn't want to give too much of the movie away. The one spoiler there is discussed elsewhere in reviews here and should come as no surprise to anyone conversant with the Batman story. I hope you watch this movie, it really is good.