Review of Batman Begins (2005) by Stephen Z — 26 May 2016

After Batman's last few cinematic outings, I feared The Caped Crusader was doomed to mediocrity for good. So I was relieved to learn that "Batman Begins" would be a much-needed reboot. "Batman Begins" tells Batman's origin story through the use of cleverly-placed flashbacks that mirror his present-day situations.

This rebooted Batman is a polar opposite of its predecessors. Gone are the days of the colorful, goofy Batman in tights, who fights even goofier villains. This new Batman is dark and gritty, just like the Batman I've always wanted to see. There are also no supernatural or superhuman elements to "Batman Begins". Even Batman's suit becomes rationalized, with every piece of Batman's wardrobe - from his cape to his pointy ears - receiving a rational justification. The result is that "Batman Begins" is the most grounded, realistic comic-book film I have ever seen, and I commend the film for that. So don't get me wrong! Though it is dark, "Batman Begins" is still a fun movie, with little sprinklings of humor here and there, and a really fun scene with the Tumbler (which is by-far Batman's coolest toy yet!).

Another great aspect of "Batman Begins" is its great villains, who like Batman, benefit from being made gritty and down-to-earth. The main villain, Ra's al Ghul, is one of Batman's least-flamboyant rogues and a perfect fit for this new franchise. The character's plot to destroy Gotham is original and his motivations are clear; both things that many previous supervillains have lacked. Perhaps even better than Ra's is the film's secondary bad guy, Scarecrow. I have high praise for the costume designers of this film for all of the costumes, but none more so than Scarecrow. They did a magnificent job! That mask is both cool and terrifying at the same time, playing well into the film's overall theme of fear and the grim tone of this world.

But none of these great characters would be possible without the fantastic performers portraying them. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman finally gives me the Batman I've wanted. He is great as Bruce Wayne, and even better as The Bat. He is the best Batman to date, even topping Michael Keaton. Katie Holmes, who plays Bruce's love interest Rachel, is a decent leading lady, though she unfortunately falls into the old trope of being just a damsel in distress. Another performance I really enjoyed was that of Gary Oldman as Sgt. Jim Gordon. Oldman really looks the part and fills the role nicely. And who better to play Batman's mentor than Liam Neeson. Neeson has some really excellent lines, and delivers them flawlessly, so that he is believable as this wise teacher. I should also mention the excellent supporting roles of Michael Caine as butler Alfred Pennyworth and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

"Batman Begins" is a game-changer. It is something more than a comic-book film; it is an examination of human guilt and fear. By grounding its characters and its world, the film has made superheroes a plausible thing, and what could be more fun than that?!