Batman Begins

Starring: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkerson, Rutger Hauer, and Ken Watanabe

Written by: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Given that I’m going to see the Dark Knight tomorrow night, I thought it would be a good time to go revisit Batman Begins. I will eventually go back to all of the older Batman films, but I’ll start here. There was quite a bit of hype over this one, albeit not as much as Dark Knight, but quite a bit and was it deserved? Certainly. While the approach is not going to win over everyone, the methodically paced orgin story for the Caped Crusader was engaging, entertaining and as true to a character as a comic movie could be…save perhaps J Jonah Jameson in the Spidey saga.

I can say that from the get go, what drew me in was the unique starting point of the character. We first see the young Bruce fall into the well that will become so important. Then we jump to a pre-Batman Wayne. Bruce is a dark man looking for a purpose. Honing his skills amongst the prisons and warriors of the east, when he is confronted by a man calling himself Ducard (played skillfully by Liam Neeson in an almost Qui-Gon gone evil sort of way). Bruce is recruited to join the legendary League of Shadows who have a plan to exterminate evil.

It is then we are forced to see Bruce’s fears, and the well known tale of the mugger killing both his parents. In an interesting twist, Jim Gordon is the officer who calms him. But Bruce wants his revenge even as Michael Caine’s charismatic Alfred takes charge of the young man.

Jumping back to the present, we see Bruce trained in multiple forms of martial arts until he is almost in Batman form.

However we also jump back to learn that vengeance was not to be his as he planned. He planned to murder the thug who killed his father but someone beat him to it due to what the thug was planning on ratting out crime boss, Falcone. Instead he drives a wedge between himself and Rachel Dawes, a girl who grew up in Wayne Manor with Bruce before his parents were killed. Played by Katie Holmes, she is the token love interest, but I’m not certain I love her origins.

Bruce confronted Falcone but knew he wasn’t ready to become what he needed to be. Thus his trip to the Far East.

At this point I have to admit it is a bit long winded and that could certainly turn some people off, but it is not an anchor on the film at all. In fact, I enjoyed the rare look into the Batman psyche as the films usually focus more on the villains.

Instead we focus on how Batman does not become a villain. As he trains with the League of Shadows, he runs with them until he is asked to make a hard choice. To kill a murderer and rid the world of his evil. In a test of morality, Bruce refuses, and thus is the difference between true good, and believed good.

He challenges the whole League of Shadows including his friend in order to make good on this morality, and destroys the temple and nearly everyone, but risks his life to save Ducard. Bruce makes his first true step into becoming the man he will be and then returns home.

Upon returning home we are introduced to Dr. Crane, who has been testifying that many of Falcone’s thugs are insane. Bruce was gone for seven years and declared dead, so he doesn’t announce his return. But when he comes back he faces his fears in a literal way by exploring the well and finding the caverns that will become his future crimefighting home. It’s great that we get to see the beginnings of the Cave, again something we don’t usually get to see.

Bruce makes contact with Jim Gordon after a quick scene that shows he is one of the good cops. We are then introduced to Lucius Fox, who worked with Bruce’s father. Played by Morgan Freeman, Fox is quite different from is comic book version. He is recast as Q to Batman’s Bond. And a sarcastic one at that.

After getting all sorts of wonderful toys, Batman is born by taking down Falcone and his thugs on a big shipment of drugs.

It’s a great visual sequence…almost a horror film but he’s a good guy.

The music is also very well scored. It is subtle yet evocative and anthemic.

Crane takes Falcone out using his “special” mask which is his scarecrow gear. He induces him with fear gas.

As the movie develops the pace certainly quickens but unlike a lot of action movies, Batman Begins doesn’t sacrifice story for that action and Batman’s first failure is a great example of that. As Batman gets gassed by Scarecrow, he falls, out for days.

Dawes becomes the typical damsel in distress as she goes to lash out at Crane. Batman has to folllow and with the antitdote created by Lucius Fox, he is able to rescue her just before the cops show up. It turns out that Commissioner Loeb wants the Batman taken out as well.

Gordon, having met the Batman goes into Arkham anyways to find out what he can find out. With help from Gordon, Batman is able to escape the cops and lead them on a merry escape with the Batmobile throughout Gotham.

On his birthday.

Unforunately for Bruce after all this, Henri Ducard shows up and destroys Wayne Manor all to further his plan with Scarecrow to destroy Gotham and rid the world of it’s evil, hoping to rebuild in a purer image.

The final climactic battle is fast and furious and worthy of the epic movie that it became.

Even more important is the battle Batman has with himself. With Alfred’s help he can’t help but almost lose himself in the process. Who is Bruce Wayne? Is he a vigilante looking for personal vengeance, or is he through people like Rachel Dawes able to look past personal satisfaction and into true justice.

It’s very well done.

Batman Begins had the unenviable task of making viewers forget Batman and Robin. And it certainly did. Only the 1989 original Batman could measure up of previous cinematic Caped Crusader movies. And from what I hear Dark Knight is better. I’ll find out soon enough.

A-