Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Not Reinventing the Wheel, But Improving It
Definitely spend the extra bucks for the 2 disc set This set comes with a really cool bonus disc and a great digest sized comic compiled with some of the great comic book stories that inspired the writers on the film. The bonus features are great, but I'd have liked some of them to be a bit longer--such as the history of Batman featurette. Great documentary on the pre-production and stunts as well as the fight choreography. Unfortunately the only cast member they interview in any depth is Christian Bale (such a shame considering the enormously talented cast this film has) and NO director's commentary or any commentary for that matter. Personally I'd have loved a commentary with the cast and writers.As for the film: this is most certainly a film about Batman. Who he is, how he came to be, and why he believes what he believes. Basically this film is blissfully nothing like the last two Batman films starring Val Kilmer & George Clooney in the title roles. I loved how the relationship between Gordon & Batman grows over the course of the film and the explanation given for their friendship/partnership is pitch perfect. A very important character to the comic book universe is introduced (Lucius Fox) and Alfred is given new life and a more sardonic sense of humor by actor Michael Caine. I'm not sure why every single Batman flick has him revealing his secret identity to at least one person (a sad tradition started in the first Burton film), but at least here it's much more plausible. The only disappointing aspect of the film is that Batman's detective skills aren't really shown to exist let alone given a chance to shine. Hopefully that's something they'll rectify in the sequel. And hopefully that sequel will be made with the same talented cast and crew. I'd love to see a true Batman onscreen trilogy. It would be wonderful to see Batman start out at one place and have him end in another over the course of 3 films with the same actors in key roles. It seems to be what Raimi is doing with Spider-Man and what Singer almost did with The X-Men. I think the Batman character deserves to be handled with respect and a truly definitive cinematic saga shouldn't be too much for fanboys to hope for. If such a saga is to come, then this film is the perfect place for it to begin.