Batman Begins

Batman Begins
Cast: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rating: 8/10

CORPORATE LINE: Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight’s emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

THE GOOD: Christian Bale is brilliant as the caped crusader. It’s too bad someone didn’t tap Bale for the role before Clooney got his hands on the rubber suit. Brilliantly Bale has the looks of an all-American but couldn’t be further from perfect. In fact its Bale’s scary, almost American Psycho, character that makes Batman so unique and troubling.

Batman Begins is quite honestly the only Batman that gets it right. The beauty of Batman Begins is that it tells the origin of Batman and doesn’t jump us into a story where he is chasing a villain only to move us along for two hours. There is much more meat here than the usual Batman films. Best of all it explains those things we’ve probably all wondered about at one time or another.

Bale doesn’t have to carry the movie alone. The character actors are for the most part—great. Cillian Murphy, who was originally to play Batman, is one creepy villain. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Rutger Hauer all contribute in their own wonderful ways. Even Gary Oldman, playing police detective Gordon, turns in a nicely understated performance.

THE BAD: Batman Begins is still a summer blockbuster and it often steps down into that mold. On occasion the film tries too hard to be epic and it frequently hurts the film. The fight scenes are messy and there are times when you can’t tell who is doing what to whom.

Unlike Spider-Man there is no ray of hope—if it’s Katie Holmes then it doesn’t work. Gotham is bleak and it occasionally hurts the film. Often watching Batman Begins you wonder why anyone would even choose to stay in a city without sunshine and hope.

FRANKLY: The batmobile is easily the coolest vehicle Batman has ever driven. I only mention this because it’s symbolic of Batman Begins. For its subtle weaknesses and vulnerabilities the entire unit is solid.

+ Charlie Craine


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