Product: Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (2005)
Rating: 5.0
Becoming Batman...
This is a serious action film with an arthouse touch. As is well known, it was a majority consensus that the last two film's in the series were cheap parody's of the original comic series, that the caped crusader came dangerously close to becoming the "campy crusader", lost is some post modern haze. The last instalment (Batman & Robin) with George Clooney as the Batman almost brought Warner Bro's million-dollar Batman industry to a complete standstill. For some strange reason, Batman, even in the hands of capable filmmakers, lost its way, that is, until now.Christopher Nolan as director and co-screenwriter, known otherwise for his "thinking" films (Memento) has brought his cerebral sensibilities to the project, resurrecting Batman and presenting the character in the true light he deserves.Nolan approached the subject matter with the seriousness that is appropriate to Batman. He is a dark character, bordering on evil, using fear to combat evil. What Nolan has done is to give the audience the necessary background on Bruce Wayne, his seven year sabbatical in the mountains of Tibet, his training with the League of Shadows and his creation of the Batman, returning to Gotham city to fight the forces of evil.What makes Batman unique compared to other superheroes is the fact he does not have super powers but trains himself to do amazing feats, Wayne's incredible will to extend himself towards excellence, in the creation of an ideal, is truly inspiring. As Bruce Wayne has unlimited funds as a billionaire, he is only limited by his imagination, creating the ultimate "vigilantly", a dark force to be reckoned with in the battle against crime.The film has a league of excellent actors from Morgan Freeman to Gary Oldman playing a young "Commissioner Gordon"; this would have to be the first "good guy" that Oldman has played in over twenty years, and as expected, as one of the best character actors in the business, put in a stellar performance.Chris Bale as Batman soars above previous performances in the long series, making the character memorable and inspiring.One cannot write about this film without mentioning the "Bat mobile"; this car is simply astounding, zooming over the rooftops of the city. What one would give to have that car?I had high expectations for this film before walking into the theatre and found that it exceeded those expectations - without question this is a five star film.