Review of Batman Begins (2005) by Moviepastor — 14 May 2020

As far as first entries go, you couldn't ask for much better. This movie redefined Batman for a new generation, and it largely hit all the marks. Christian Bale is great as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Michael Caine is an EXCELLENT choice for Alfred! As a comic book enthusiast, I was a little upset with the combination of Ducard and Ra's, but I can appreciate the attempted fake-out by the filmmaker of the "friend turned foe" at the end. I also love Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow. He truly embodies Dr. Crane and plays the role to a tee. All in all, it was time for Batman to embrace being a DARK Knight after having some pretty campy portrayals in the 90s. He finally felt like the character the comics created.

My one complaint is a complaint I have with most Batman origin movies, and that is the attempted connection of the Wayne's murder to the main villain. Let Joe Chill just be another nameless/faceless bad guy! Batman doesn't have to have some personal vendetta that traces back to that one incident for the villain to mean something. Ra's Al Ghul is menacing enough, especially had they really played up the immortality card.