Batman Begins

Most comic book geeks have been holding their breath ever since they heard rumblings of Warner Brothers’ plans to reintroduce the Batman franchise, but it’s finally safe to breathe again; “Batman Begins”..was AWESOME. My wife and I saw it last night.
Thanks to director Christopher Nolan and writer David S. Goyer, they finally got it right this time, and now fans can finally experience Batman the way it was meant to be seen. While Tim Burton’s original version of the film boasted a much darker, gothic look at the man behind the mask, his two films contained only a sliver of the darkness that Nolan manages to squeeze into “Begins,” which plays out much more like a film noir crime thriller than your average cheesy summer action movie. I was not much of a fan of the first, though I know many are..and the rest of the series..well, I prefer not to even think about them. But “Batman Begins” oozes suave intelligence and excellent action, and finally gives comic book fans a much-needed faith that their favorite hero can indeed soar again.

Especially darker and grittier than past trips to the Bat Cave, “Batman Begins” focuses on the emergence of Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale) alter ego vigilante through a series of three different time periods in his life: at age eight, twenty-two, and thirty. Loosely based on Frank Miller’s innovative graphic novel, “Batman: Year One,” the story finds Bruce Wayne far, far away from the safety of Gotham City in a third-world country in the winter, where he has taken pilgrimage inside of a prison with the purpose of understanding the criminal mind. After being imprisoned for some time, Bruce is invited by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), a follower of Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), to join the cult leader’s infamous League of Shadows, where he is promptly trained in a number of martial arts and stealth tactics. Ducard personally trains Bruce to encounter his own fears, namely the frightening memories of his parents’ murder and, of course, the mysterious bat cave he fell into as a boy.

Upon returning home to Gotham City, Bruce vows to rebuild his father’s empire by eliminating the rising crime, and imposing fear in criminals and the corrupt. With the help of the family butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and Wayne Industries researcher Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Bruce creates Batman as a symbol of justice and hope. Fighting crime by night and playing the role of billionaire playboy by day, Bruce quickly discovers the overwhelming effects of his dual life, especially when protecting childhood friend and love interest Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) from a crazy psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), and his own disturbing alter ego The Scarecrow, who uses airborne hallucinogens to evoke paranoia and fear from his victims.

“Batman Begins” is a visual rollercoaster that begins and ends with its flawless production design. If you were a fan of Burton’s gothic environment, or even Joel Schumacher’s vibrant neon world, you’ll be pleasantly stunned by the simple, yet incredibly detailed Gotham City. Nicely complementing the film’s harsh atmosphere is a fantastic A-list cast born for their respective roles. As much as Michael Gough seemed the perfect fit during his time on the previous four Batman films, Michael Caine is Alfred Pennyworth. Gary Oldman, one of my all-time favorite actors, also is Lt. James Gordon, and Morgan Freeman turns in a wonderful performance as one of the newer additions to the Batman universe.

Equally remarkable is Liam Neeson as Bruce’s master and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) as the scary-as-hell Scarecrow, but what’s most important about this film is its lead star, Christian Bale. Bale has been, without a doubt, one of the better actors of his generation (American Psycho, Laurel Canyon, Captain Corelli's Mandolin). Unlike past actors who have donned the cape and cowl, Bale is not only an ideal Batman, but also the best Bruce Wayne that has come around. Stealing a tint of his performance as Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho,” Bale offers the insecure reserve of Bruce Wayne’s dark past in his unforgiving eyes.

Essentially why “Batman Begins” is such a success is because the story finally focuses on the hero for once, instead of the villains. It’s nice to finally have a succinct background to Bruce Wayne/Batman that fans can refer to. While future films may eventually hand the responsibility over to the featured baddies, at the end of the day, it’s Batman that everyone has gone to the theater to see, and Christian Bale does a fantastic job with one of the most demanding gigs in the industry.

Aside from the annoying teenagers checking their text messages on their phone every 30 seconds, this was an absolute treat to see last night and I highly recommend it.