Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 4.0
"There is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me! "
"Batman Begins" is a great vehicle for the super-stardom for which Christian Bale seems destined. I was a child in the 80's when the first Batman film appeared. I loved it! I even had the pajamas! I was a fan of the later films in the series, except for the one with George Clooney!Of all the comicbook superheroes, Batman always appealed to me the most. Between the original Batman film and the fantastic, dark, gothic cartoon series on Fox when i was growing up, I couldn't escape looking up to the "caped crusader"!That being said, I really appreciated the first half of the film, which fleshed out in great detail, the origins and early biograpahy of Bruce Wayne, Batman's doppelganger. The other films only hinted at Bruce Wayne's childhood with short, simple, and heavy-handed scenes that told only the barest of details. Unlike the films created by Tim Burton, which were very stylized and had outrageous sets, Batman Begins has a much more realistic feel.The villian in this film was certainly not my favorite in the Batman pantheon, but it seemed suitable for an introduction and a better adversary for a superhero still on his training wheels, so to speak. I think Katie Holmes' weakest acting was in the Bat Cave. It was rather painful. And the whole time I couldn't help but think she may have escaped in this film but now Tom Cruise has got her locked away in his own cave! I thought Christian Bale's acting was spot-on, though some of the playboy scenes made me think of his outstanding performance in "American Psycho."I love Chicago and really enjoyed the shots made in the city. It appears the Windy City is finally getting its due as a great filming location.Batman was a fine action film. It was a competent and entertaining film within the genre it lives. It is no Oscar-contender and doesn't try to be, [...]I look forward to seeing the next Batman film--hopefully, with Christian Bale again!