Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 4.0
The story finally done right- 4.5 Stars
I don't want to be critical of Tim Burtons "Batman" with Michael Keaton as the first caped crusader, which was fresh, dark and engaging when it first hit the screen, but this is better.Christian Bale brings vehemence to the role not seen before in my opinion, and although the story suffers (like all first installments) of a good deal of story explanation the end result is arguably the best Batman flick to date.Bruce Wayne, as the story goes, witnesses his billionaire parents being murdered and after finding no peace through adolescence into young adulthood sees what slender grips he has on truth and justice vanish as their murderer looks set to walk after an early parole.Disillusioned with the rising crime and general lawless mob rule in Gotham, he seeks anonymity and sets off to the Far East to witness the criminal mind, and lifestyle first hand, ending up embittered in a hell hole prison somewhere in the middle of nowhere.Enter at this point Liam Neeson (in another mentor role) who takes the raw and angry Wayne and subjects him to a tortuous training regime high in the mountains, in the hopes to enlist him into the "League of Shadows" a group of Ninja exponents thinly disguised as vigilantes, with some rather extreme methods and ideas on justice.After completion of his training, Wayne however, turns Neeson and his goons down and returns to Gotham to set about administering his own brand of justice to the decadent masses. With the help of his butler Alfred (played very ably by Michael Caine) and Morgan Freeman as a scientist working for Wayne Industries, he creates Batman, and then the story really begins to unfurl.This is a very good movie, and considering the talent on display is not (I'm happy to say) a CGI festival or cartoon revenge story. Gary Oldman, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe as well as those already mentioned are well cast in their respective roles, and there is a real polished feel to the whole picture.If I had to make one complaint it would be the new techniques used in close quarter fight choreography that seem to be the norm these days. Very quick and choppy, may be realistic, but it does nothing for the eye, and in some ways reminds me of older movie special effects that were always filmed in low lighting to hide the stunt work.Other than that, just about everything is here, villains a plenty, the necessary love interest, and the whole story told anew, with a fresh approach that seems to stay faithful to the DC comics creation. I actually forgot about the other Batman movies while watching which is testament to the production here. Will Batman thwart the bad guys and save the day? - you'll have to see for yourself. I for one can't wait for the next installment. Great Movie! - Enjoy!