Batman Begins

In light of the release of the much anticipated Batman film, The Dark Knight, in a few months, I have decided to write a review on its predecessor, Batman Begins.

So what did I think of the movie?

READ ON!

NOTE: This is a repost of a review that I have previously written. However, the site move was not kind to it. So, it needed to be reposted. But for those of you who have not read it, here it is in all its glory.

This movie was such a great movie, on so many levels. I don’t think anyone could walk into this movie without really admiring the genius that is to be had from this movie. I certainly loved it. I loved it, not only as a comic fan, but a moviegoer, as well. I don’t think I could say enough about this movie and possibly give it the justice that it deserves. But I shall try . . . 

Now, I went into this movie, thinking it was a direct Batman prequel, and there was gonna be one movie and that would be it. Boy, was I wrong, because a few months after I had seen the movie, I found out a sequel was in the works. I couldn’t have been more excited, as I had loved this first movie so much, I hope the sequel can live up to it. 

This movie was directed by Christopher Nolan, who has directed some great films such as Memento and the Prestige. I think he did a great job of translating that dark gritty feel of Gotham that so many of us remember from the Batman comics onscreen. I don’t think we had ever seen a Gotham quite like this before onscreen, especially after the last two Batman films.

I think another thing that really stood out for me in this movie was how many comic book characters they were able to integrate into the story so wonderfully. Some examples included of course Batman, Alfred, and Sgt. James Gordon, of course. But others were Lucius Fox, Joe Chill, Henri Ducard, Ra’s Al Ghul, Carmine Falcone, Jonathan Crane (“Scarecrow”) and many others. It amazed me how many times when a character was introduced; I could pick them out from the comics. I think the only character that didn’t have roots in the comics was Rachel Dawes, whom the writers confessed was written especially for Katie Holmes. 

Another thing that struck me about this movie was how close to home the characters hit me. The main iconic characters really seemed to be how I remembered them from the comics. The way Batman was portrayed in this movie was exactly Batman in the comics and in the animated series as a kid.

Now, I don’t think it is possible to mention Batman’s portrayal in this movie without mentioning his portrayer in this movie, Mr., Christian Bale, who since this movie has become my favorite actors to grace the screen. I really thought that the actor really nailed all the facets of the character down, and made the character journey throughout the movie really interesting. It is no wonder that Mr. Bale has been pegged to do loads of movies since this one. 

This movie, like I said, struck me as a prequel at times because you really got the sense of Bruce Wayne trying to find himself as a man (or Bat Man) throughout the course of the movie. One thing that interests me is watching this transition from this broken man at the beginning of the film to this wonderful hero at the end. I think as more movies develop, we will be able to see more of this hero’s journey for Batman, that we really haven’t seen in any onscreen portrayal for Batman before, whether it be movies or animated series. 

Something else that I really enjoyed about this movie was how character-driven it was. In Batman movies of the past, the question was “What stunt character can we use in this movie?” In this movie, the question seemed to be “How can this character move the character of Batman forward on his journey?” That’s what made this movie so flawless to me, as everything that happened to Bruce Wayne in the movie helped to shape him to be the hero (or anti-hero) he was going to end up becoming at the end of the movie. 

Another example of this is the Bat-Gear and Bat-suit. In previous movies, you went into the movie, knowing who Batman was and that he had all this cool stuff, and it just jumps you right in. But I loved how Bruce Wayne was able to use his own company to move his technical journey along, and this way it flowed very well. You not only saw an evolution of the character emotionally, but you saw the evolution of a guy spelunking off rooftops to a Batman who was sailing through the sky like a giant bat. 

One piece of Bat-gear that is worth mentioning is the new Batmobile AKA the Tumbler. I have to say that that Tumbler was awesome. I really thought that it gave Batman a very gritty look that really seemed to mesh with the feel of the film. On the other hand, it was what we have come to expect from Batman’s Batmobile in all the interpretations of the character. In every movie, series, or comic book, the Batmobile has an expectation to it, that if you don’t deliver, you disappoint. That’s what I think people generally remember most about Batman is his Batmobile (especially in the sucky Batman movies like Batman and Robin). 

One thing this movie did was play with your mind and your expectations a bit, especially when it came to the villains of the piece. In previous Batman movies, the whole movie revolved around the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. It seemed the writers of those movies felt that the murder had to bring the movie full-circle. But making the Joker or Two-Face the killer of Bruce’s parents is just tacky in my eyes. I liked how they stayed true to that origin story that was in the comic, and when you thought that the killer was going to be a mainstay in the movie, he was killed about 30 minutes into it. 

Another way that the film played with your expectations a bit was on the case of Ra’s Al Ghul. Now, if you weren’t familiar with the comics, you would not have seen it coming. I liked how they first established Ra’s Al Ghul as somewhat of a sympathetic character and somewhat of a father-figure to Bruce. But I have to say his death in the first act of the film kind of threw me. I sensed he might’ve been coming back, but I did not expect Liam Neeson’s character of Ducard to be Ra’s Al Ghul. Although looking back at the movie, I see how they were leading up to that reveal, especially with the way Liam Neeson’s facial hair was positioned. 

But I do want to say that the choice of going with a less iconic villain to be the central antagonist of the movie was an interesting one, at best. I thought it was smart, but still an interesting one. When I initially saw the movie, I was intrigued when Liam Neeson mentioned the name “Ra’s Al Ghul” in the first few minutes of the movie. 

Another less iconic villain that was introduced in this movie was the character of Jonathan Crane (AKA the Scarecrow). He is iconic to some fans but iconic to the general population. I really loved his role in the movie as somewhat of a middle man helping to pull the strings in an already decaying Gotham. I also thought he was portrayed quite creepily in the movie by Cillian Murphy. I hope we have not seen the last of his character in this particular series of movies. I don’t think we will, especially with the way he was left at the end of this movie. 

Another thing I want to mention is the supporting cast of characters that was integrated well into this movie. Like with Superman, the supporting cast of characters is just as intriguing as the main character. This movie was no exception to that. 

One supporting character that I think really was a departure from other interpretations was the character of Alfred. Alfred has really struck me as somewhat of a father figure to Bruce Wayne and Batman. That was something you saw in the comics, but not so much in the movies. In Batman and Robin, they seemed to force it a lot. But in this movie, it really felt natural. From the getgo, you definitely felt somewhat of a father-son relationship between Bruce and Alfred. I also think that Michael Caine was a perfect casting choice for this role. He was really able to bring the wit and the emotion of Alfred from the comics onto the big screen. It was really cool to watch. 

Another supporting character that seemed to step right out of the comics was the character of James Gordon. This character really went through an evolution of sorts through this movie. As with Bruce and Alfred, you really felt a solid connection between Gordon and Batman from the getgo. I loved the little instance where Gordon tried to comfort young Bruce after his parents had been killed. It really established that character as, to quote Batman in the movie, “one of the good cops.” Also, you were able to see Gordon really come into his own at the end of the movie, when he piloted the Batmobile for a short moment. It was a really great moment for his character. I can only imagine that we will see more and more of Batman and Gordon in this series of movies in the future.

Another supporting character that is not as well known as the previous two is the character of Lucius Fox. In the comics, he has been an ally to Batman and Bruce Wayne in the past. But I do not remember him from any past interpretations of Batman, aside from the comics and this movie. I was pleased to see him brought to life on the screen, introducing to Bruce all the little gadgets and suits and Batmobiles he would need to do his job as Batman. Fox was like Batman’s own personal Q. But I think what makes Mr. Fox so memorable is Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of the character. He really brings a loving father sense to the role. Now, I have not seen Mr. Freeman in much other than this movie, but I loved him in it. 

One supporting character that I didn’t particularly care for is the character of Rachel Dawes. Like I said before, she was one of the few characters in the movie that didn’t stem directly from the comics. I know she was brought in as a love interest and foil for Bruce in the fact that while Bruce was crime-fighting on the streets as Batman, she was figting crime in the court in her own way. Now, I think this could’ve been done with the character of Vicki Vale, or maybe another less known character from the comics. Another thing that I didn’t like about the character was the portrayal of Katie Holmes as the character. I don’t think she was meant for this role. So I actually am kind of glad that Maggie Gyllenhaal will be playing her in the next film. We’ll see how it plays out, I guess. 

This film had some crucial main themes running through it. One of the main themes that ran through the course of this movie that I’d like to touch on is the subject of fear. Fear was the message of this film. Conquering your fear among other things. I think fear had to be the main subject of a Batman film because that is what Batman does: he instills fear into the hearts of men everywhere. I think Bruce conquering his fear of bats in order to instill that fear in others was also quite nice. I will be anxious to see what the theme of the next movie will be. 

One thing I kind of noticed about this movie was near the end, it almost seemed like the end of a series pilot. I can see how WB would take advantage of making a longtime series out of this movie. One plot thread that I think could’ve been carried over into a series would be a villain-of-the-week scenario, as at the end Scarecrow releases thousands of inmates at Arkham and they’re running free. I am interested to see how this is handled in future films. I hope we can see more of the villains that we know from the many Batman comic books in this respect. 

One thing that surprised me that was done in this movie was the burning of Wayne Manor near the end of the movie. I think it was a clever gamble by the writers and producers of this film to do that, just in case this movie was not well-received, they could wrap up everything that they needed to. 

One thing that that I like about this movie was that it was the perfect model for how an origin story should be handled onscreen. I think the origin story is a delicate beast that you have to treat tenderly or it might not work as well. One example of a badly constructed origin story is the Fantastic Four movie. I didn’t think that origin story was constructed well at all. I think with this origin story, you started the characters at a certain point and at the end they are at a really great point as characters. There is that evolution there. I think Batman Begins did that in spades. Bruce Wayne was just where I thought he should be, CEO of Wayne Enterprises and part-time crimefighter. I think everything is well laid out for the next movie. 

So, all in all, this movie was an enjoyable one, as I’ve said. I think I can be so bold to say that it is my favorite comic book movie to date. I think it just nailed everything about the character that you could have in a movie. I think everyone involved did a fantastic job with everything from the set design to the action. It was a perfect comic book movie. I, for one, cannot wait to see what is in store for our Dark Knight in The Dark Knight.

RATING: 10/10

This entry was posted on 29. April 2008 at 23:52 and is filed under Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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