Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Batman the way it was meant to be
This is an excellent adaptation of the Batman comic book series and in my mind is the best in a series of recent adaptations of the Caped Crusader. (Keep in mind, however, that I only found the Michael Keaton Batman and Val Kilmer's Batman Forever mildly diverting while I found Batman Returns and Batman and Robin to be virtually unwatchable).The basic story of the film is explaining how Bruce Wayne (played surprisingly well by Christian Bale) became Batman. The story is familiar - Bruce Wayne's parents are cut down in the course of a crime and Bruce devotes his life to justice. However, what makes Batman Begins superior to the previous entries is that is shows how the path to justice could easily have veered into vengance and vigilantism. Indeed, early in the film Bruce is confronted by Ra's al-Ghul, a Bhutan-based martial arts master who has taken the second, darker path.The viewer needs to keep in mind that this film falls outside of the timeline of the previous four Batman adaptations; thus, for example, the killer of the Wayne parents is different in this film than it is in the Keaton Batman series. That said, the story is well told and flows logically; by the end of the film the main questions of how Bruce Wayne became Batman will be answered.The dichotomy between vengence and justice plays throughout the film, which is dark in nature but not in its ultimate message. That said, Batman Begins is a film that takes itself seriously and is not a film that has been punched up with a witty sidekick or other comic relief. That the film is not overwhelmed by its seriousness is a tribute to both the director and a superb cast of both main and supporting actors. The only moment when the film starts to veer out of the control of director Christopher Nolan is an overly long car chase sequence. That said, this film flies by (no pun intended) for a movie that clocks in at 140 minutes.The cast is very strong and includes Morgan Freeman as gadget man Lucius Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Sergant Gordon, Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard, Rutger Hower as Wayne Enterprises CEO Earle, and Ken Wantanabe as Ra's Al Ghul. Katie Holmes shows that she is more than Mrs. Tom Cruise with a well-rounded performance as love interest Rachael Dawes. Given the star power in the supporting cast, I'm a bit surprised that Christian Bale, a relative unknown, got cast in the title role. I was pleasantly surprised by his range in this role, which is likely to vault him into super-stardom.Special effects in this film are nothing remarkable, though the shots in Iceland (which plays Bhutan in this film) are beautiful cinematography. The score by Hans Zimmer is outstanding and reflects the dark and serious nature of the film instead of veering into a comic book sensibility.The single-disk DVD is extremely basic - English and French soundtracks and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Other than that the only feature is a trailer. If you are someone who likes DVDs that are tricked out with commentaries and other bonus features then you should probably look at the two-disk Deluxe edition.That said, if you want to see one of 2005's best films and a new standard for the Batman series, this is the film to watch.