Batman Begins Review (day late and a Penny short)

Batman Begins

It’s been many years since there has been a Batman movie. Thanks to Joel Schumacher and WB, the last one was complete and total crap. Well, many years have passed and a new team of creative people has come in taken charge of the project. These people seem to understand the long history behind Batman, and they respect that rich history. And, you can tell these people are fans of the comic books, unlike Tim Burton and Schumacher.

I went saw this movie again a few weeks ago. The movie was even better the second time around. Unlike the 89 version of Batman, this movie is an origin story. In a way, it’s more about the growth of Bruce Wayne, than about Batman. David Goyer (writer of the Blade Series) weaves a dark tale of how Bruce Wayne comes to believe the things that he believes in. Goyer has one central theme to his story, and that theme is fear. Many reviewers hated the early 89 movie because Bruce wasn’t really a character in the film, because the Joker outshined everything else. Well, that’s not the case here. This is a Bruce Wayne movie.

Director Christopher Nolan has to get as much credit as Goyer. His directing style is very sweeping, yet he has knack for directing action well. He seems to keep the camera moving at all times, which is something Tim Burton didn’t do (can’t do?). For a director that’s really only done about six movies, he’s off to a good start.

Christian Bale is Bruce Wayne. He just fits the role of Bruce unlike the rest of the actors that played Wayne before him. I only had a problem with his voice for Batman. Michael Caine as Alfred plays him warm, charming, and funny. Gary Oldman is great as Jim Gordon, even though there isn’t that much of him in the movie. Liam Neeson is outstanding playing yet again another father teacher role, but that doesn’t it really matter. Morgan Freeman is one of the best actors we have today on screen and he owns the role of Lucius Fox. Every scene he’s in works because of his straight-face wit. The only bad actor in this all-star cast is none other than Katie Holmes. She seems to be taking classes from the School of George Lucas with Wooden Acting 101. I give her this though; she plays being stoned very well. (Been doing research I guess.)

James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer wrote the music for this movie. At first, I really didn’t care for the score. Zimmer seemed to really like his Last Samurai score so much, that he brought it back for this movie’s opening scenes. Yet, the more I heard of the score the more I begin to like it. Please note, I like Zimmer much more than I like James Horner.

In conclusion, great story and great acting. This is a Batman movie to be proud of. I will be buying this DVD when it comes out.

Grade A

Things to Look For

~At first, I didn’t like the design of the Batmobile. However, now I actually like it, it’s a completely different take on the concept. It has a tank quality to it. Strangely enough, this car also seems to ride on rooftops like the other version in the older movies. I kind of like that tip to the old movies, except this one isn’t goofy. There’s a great car chase that only a good action director could conceive, luckily this director has that skill.

~The teaching montage was nicely done, with sweeping shoots of the snow tipped landscape. You have to give credit to the director for the moving shots. Every movie has to have a montage!

~One of the central themes besides fear, is using one’s power to help people less fortunate than yourself. The Wayne Family has a long history of using their money to help people and influence others to do good for others. A nice touch is the fact the Wayne family was involved in the Underground Railroad movement.

Bruce Wayne’s father helped create a Rail-system so people with less money could get around the city. It was father Wayne’s dream. In order to save the city, son Wayne has to destroy it, to destroy his father’s dream.

~This movie is base on the work of Frank Miller’s Batman Year One.

~Unlike Tim Burton’s version, this Batman doesn’t kill. That always bothered me about the 89 film.

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