Review of Batman Begins (2005) by Barney O — 19 Jul 2017

WHAT I LIKED: 'Batman Begins' is often overlooked because of how radical its successor was, but it is important to note how much of a game-changer this first film is. Yes in fact to me here Nolan shakes up the comic book genre with arguably the most steady balance in the trilogy as he stays true to some of the investing character stuff and exciting action you might expect, whilst delivering a grittier vibe and touching on many ambitious ideas too.

As a result this is not only a rewriting of the rule-book; it's also one that takes into account the merits of the genre and its source material to bring an investing yet exciting and fresh take on the Batman. From there Nolan is able to craft a brilliant origin and a scattering of heady themes to get the audience on board, and in the end you get a very engaging, exciting and interesting movie that sets its own ground-work and builds on it in its own right.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the more clichéd, genre-standard stuff does stand out, and that's particularly the case in the more explosive third act.

VERDICT: If it wasn't for this - the most balanced Nolan Batman movie of all - we wouldn't have got the trilogy. It's a very strong film, and a very engaging one at that.