Batman Begins Review

Going into this review there are a few things about my point of view that need to be mentioned so you'll understand my take a little better. My love for superheroes goes back as long as I can remember. My older brother, who died when I was young, loved the original Superman movie by Richard Donner. I guess all little brothers want to be a little like their older brothers, I was not different. So, growing up I loved super heroes. I didn't get into comics until I was in 6th grade, but I always loved the Superman movies (even Superman 4), Superfriends, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, I LOVED the Incredible Hulk with Lou Ferrigno, I watched the George Reeves Superman television show whenever it happened to be on, and I would watch the Adam West Batman series when it was on (both of the latter in syndication of course).

When I began collecting comics, I was a Marvel guy. My favorites being the Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. So I missed Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" and Batman: Year One. However, when Tim Burton released his version of Batman, I was stoked. It was so cool as a young geek to see the Bat-symbol everywhere. I made my way to a theatre and thrilled to Michael Keaton as Batman. I remember telling my sister that I was surprised to see Michael Keaton in a serious role after his comedies. She replied, "This is a serious role?" To which I said, "Well...YEAH!!!" I really loved Batman. Then came the sequels. I may not have been a DC fan, but I knew the Penguin was supposed to be more suave and business like. Batman Forever brought a new style that, in my opinion, ruined the look of Gotham as it had been presented by Burton. While I like Jim Carrey's Riddler, I thought Tommy Lee Jones played Two-Face too much like the Joker. I won't even begin to rip Batman and Robin, I get ill thinking about it. I knew that George Clooney and Joel Schumacher had killed the Superhero movie genre.

Through the following years, I continued collecting comics, then one day in 1996 I saw Grant Morrison's JLA on the shelf at my comic shop. Seeing that team made me nostalgic for the Superfriends. I picked it up and was hooked. I began to get my hands on back issues of comics featuring the members of the team. Particularly Batman and Superman. I learned to love Batman, and I also learned just what was wrong with the 50's Batman show and even Tim Burton's first Batman. Once again, I was saddened by what I perceived to be the loss of the superhero movie...especially with some of the stuff I had heard about a Superman movie in production limbo.

Then a few years ago, I read a blurb on one of my favorite sites about a new Batman movie. I cringed. Scarecrow? Scarecrow was gonna be the villain. Had the big wigs at Warner Brothers lost their collective minds? I don't have anything against Scarecrow, but I had a real problem with Warner Bros. making a new Batman movie...they just didn't get it...ever. Unless, they learned something from a few little superhero movies that had been released in the past few years. (X-Men, Spider-Man, you know...little films)

After months of rumors leaking and learning of casting and then seeing pictures and videos that had leaked, I had a new hope.

Fast forward to opening day.

Christopher Nolan showed the world that day that not only can he make a good movie, he can make a good Batman movie.

I won't bore you with details of the plot. (Everyone's seen it...if you haven't...WHAT?!?)

The first thing you notice is that this is not the Batman of the 90's. As the bats converge to form the Bat Symbol, wee see a symbol that has none of the flash and smoothness of the yellow target that Michael Keaton wore. This is gritty, this is rough.

Nolan does a fabulous job of revealing the journey of Bruce Wayne through flashbacks early in the movie. In fact, when we are introduced to Bruce Wayne as an adult he is awoken from a nightmare about his childhood, and he is a long way from the life of the billionaire that we expect to see.

We get to see the training Bruce undergoes to hone his already considerable talent, all the while coming to learn how it is that he wound up in a jail in (is he in) China (?). This type of storytelling is one that Nolan loves to employ. (See Momento, or more recently The Prestige.) It is also a device used in many comics. It works so well because it takes the viewer into the mind of Bruce Wayne. Every flashback is a result of something he's talking about or a dream he is having as opposed to just watching the story of this guy lose his parents and take the road he did.

Once he's out of the Himalayas, we are on board for a ride that culminates in one of the greatest comic book cinematic moments ever.

We meet characters like Jim Gordon, played incredibly well by Gary Oldman. The look of Gordon was so good that I didn't see Gary Oldman, I saw only Jim Gordon.

Then there's Michael Cane's Alfred. While I was a little surprised by the accent Cane used (I expected something more formal), I loved the characterization. This isn't an Alfred who knows about Bruce's secret and unquestioningly helps, this is an Alfred who is emotionally invested in Bruce. He cares about this man as a father would a son. He wasn't just Thomas Wayne's employee, he was a friend. Therefore, to see Bruce do the things he's doing causes Alfred some heartache. But he understands. Amazing.

While we're on the subject of Bruce's parents, I liked the fact that as a viewer, you are introduced to Thomas Wayne beyond here's a man and his wife with their son in an alley. You actually feel Bruce's loss after getting to know Thomas better.

Christian Bale did a masterful job of playing Bruce Wayne. We watch a guy try to secretly develop this entity that he will become as Batman, and the entity that he shows the world to throw them off his trail as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. AND HE PLAYS BOTH WORLDS EQUALLY WELL. But this isn't about the characterization of Bruce, which was great, this is about Christian Bale pulling it off. First, as silly as it seems, any time a British person pulls off an American accent, I am impressed. I don't why, I just am. Therefore, to pull off the accent and do two different voices...consider me blown away. His Batman was wonderful. The line delivery of, "SWEAR TO ME!!!" was delightfully scary. Contrast his method of questioning criminals with his silently kind treatment of the little boy and you have a hero.

Liam Neeson as Rhas Al Ghul? If you've got a problem with Liam Neeson, you've just got problems. Period. He always does a great job in the mentor role. On top of that, he embodied the self-importance and regalness that Rhas always had in the comics. And he looked the part too.

The only low point to me was Katie Holmes. I had no problem with her as a friend and love interest to Bruce, I just didn't buy her as a tough Gotham District Attorney. If anything, the creators of the movie missed a great opportunity to introduce us to a young Harvey Dent.

The plot of the movie was a classic comic book plot. You've got the origin of the character, the plot of the villain, and the plot being thwarted by the hero...barely. One of the things that worked so well about the story was the realism. Everything was so grounded in reality, that you had no problem with the plot holes inherent in a microwave emitter blowing out water pipes but not the water that is 85 percent of all the people around it.

The cinematography was brilliant. From sweeping shots of the the Himalayas to the tight shots that bring the viewer right into the chaos of the fight scenes, you felt what the director wanted you to feel because of the look of the film. And while the film had a dark gritty look to it, it was never too dark or colorless, rather, there was darkness with just the right amount of hope imbued.

Then there's the music. The music has a tense feel to it at points, and a hauntingly peaceful feel to it at others. Sweeping and powerful when it needs to be. It never overshadowed the film, and while we didn't get that great theme we were all hoping for, I do from time to time find myself humming music from the movie which is an indicator as to how much I really like it.

Ultimately, this was the best comic book adaptation to date. I have friends who aren't comic fans who absolutely love this film. To me, that's a great indicator of how good the movie is as a movie. By and large, though, you'll have a hard time finding comic fans who didn't love this film. And as I said, the ending is wonderful. At almost every screening I saw, people cheered when Batman flipped the card over to reveal the Joker.

As we begin to get bits and pieces of rumors and information about the sequel to this little piece of wonderfulness, I think we can rest assured that "The Dark Knight" will be everything Batman Begins was and more.

So my final assessment is, if you haven't seen this film, pick up the DVD. If you don't own this film, pick up the DVD. If you have seen it and you do own it but haven't watched it this week...what are you waiting for, go put it in.

Thanks,

Steve Glosson