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Directed by: Christopher Nolan Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes  Since his first appearance in 1939, there's been many incarnations of Batman in the comics, from silent vigilante, to master detective, wisecracking goofball, and dark brooding bastard. The Superfriends cartoons and the 1966 TV series handled the campy side of Batman just fine, but the movies just never seemed to get the serious Batman. I had high hopes for Tim Burton's 1989 crack at the legend, but the horrible casting of Michael Keaton, the unbearably awful Prince soundtrack, and major loving with the core origin left me disappointed. Jack Nicholson's show-stopping performance as The Joker at least made it worthwhile. Too bad the sequels got progressively worse to the point where they became the same campy bullshit the film series tried to get away from. By the time the fourth installment came out, there was just no way they could continue making the films without wiping the slate clean and starting all over again. Hardcore Batman fans could at least be thrilled by the incredible Batman The Animated Series, which as a cartoon, captured what many feel is the true essence of Batman better than any other moving media incarnation of the character ever did. But deep down, I always wished for more. Why couldn't they make a movie as good as those cartoons? Why couldn't the same thrill I got reading Frank Miller's "Batman Year One" or Grant Morrison's "Arkham Asylum" or the O'Neil/Adams stuff from the 70s be translated to the screen. I came to tonight's screening of Batman Begins with an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Too many years of hoping for a perfect Batman movie, only to walk out with a giant checklist of things they got wrong. I'm thrilled to say, the only thing on my list is a note to see it again as soon as I can. This is the Batman you've been waiting for. I was excited to learn that Christian Bale was going to play the role. After seeing him own every inch of the screen in American Psycho, the possibilities of bringing that twisted inner fire to Batman was intriguing. I thought the same thing about Val Kilmer, however, so I wasn't 100% sure it would work. Within minutes, all my fears were dispelled.  The first hour of the film is essentially the origin story. We get the classic falling into a Bat-cave as a child, and the tragic murder of his parents, but with new angles and insights that even the comic books never presented. For the first time, you see Thomas Wayne as a real man who loves the hell out of his son, not some well dressed prop that takes a bullet to motivate his son to fight crime. With continuity jumping flashbacks masterfully presented by a director that knows a thing or two about that sort of thing, we see a grizzled Wayne in an Asian prison purposely getting in fights to work on his fighting skills. Not knowing quite how he got there. A giant ogre of a man, ready to kill Wayne, tells him, "You're in Hell...and I'm THE DEVIL!" to which Bale growls back, "No...you're practice". He's taken away to a holding cell, not for his protection, the guards stress, but for the other prisoners, who lie in a heap as he's dragged off.  Soon Wayne is on a quest in the mountains of Nepal which brings him to sanctuary where he is taught how to fight by Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson. I wasn't sold on this casting, as Neeson has played one too many wise mentor fighter characters in recent years, but this fresh and darker take on the master role works out nicely with truly unexpected surprises. After completing his training, Wayne takes his destiny into his own hands and returns to Gotham to clean it up. I love this version of Gotham City! Unike the shadowy and monolithic version designed by Anton Furst in the Burton original, it's shiny and amazing and glowing up top, like a full color version of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. The buildings are an architectural explosion of creativity with designs that somehow look new and familiar at the same time. But the ghetto area of "The Narrows" hides the crime and scum that eats at Gotham like a cancer, as the true depression of the real flesh and blood of the city exists. It's a jam-packed cityscape that is unlike anything you've ever seen before. Michael Gough was a great Alfred in the original films, but Michael Caine has a sour and hilarious charm to him that makes you never look back. This is the wisecracking Alfred that Frank Miller brought to life so well in his "Dark Knight" series, and he had several lines that made the entire audience bust up. Katie Holmes is actually pretty damned good as well, finally pulling off the impossible task of being a female lead in a Batman film that's got an interesting character. And hats off to Holmes for picking up the "Superhero Girlfriend With Gratuitous Pokey Nipple Scenes Baton" from Kirsten Dunst with some chillingly sexy shots. If you loved Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, you'll love his take on Wayne. After getting coached by Alfred to start behaving more like a carefree playboy during his civilian hours, he turns Bruce Wayne into a cocky super pimp that brings to mind a twisted Adam West. In one scene, he needs to remove hundreds of guests from a party at his mansion, so he pretends to be drunk, and insults them in such shocking and horrifying way, it's almost jaw-dropping. In a rare turn as a good guy, Gary Oldman is perfect as the younger James Gordon, one of the only non-corrupt cops on the force. The relationship he establishes with Batman seems very solid and real, and makes me look forward to seeing them work together in the sequels.  Cillian Murphy, from 28 Days Later, is equally well suited to play Jonathan Crane, who's alter-ego The Scarecrow, has a gas that can bring out your worst fears. When Batman is first exposed to this, his already nightmarish face starts dripping with maggots as bats fly out of his mouth in a truly horrifying moment. Other nightmare visions througout the film are equally chilling, including one with a black face Batman threatening a criminal while black tar oozes from his hellish mouth. The costume is still the all black version I'm not the biggest fan of, but there's a flexibility and fluidness to the getup that has been sorely missed in the previous films. There's even token beauty shots of him standing on the top of buildings with the dawn approaching that look like the best Batman pin-up artwork come to life. The props and weapons are fun, and the crazy looking new Batmobile has a maneuverability and style to it that's very exciting to watch. And the Batcave itself, though still in its infancy, has the makings for being the coolest hideout of them all. The story, dialogue, acting, and direction are all top notch, which means Batman Begins doesn't have to rely on CGI and stunts to thrill the audience. In other words, it aspires to actually entertain adults and doesn't rely on your love of a pre-existing legacy to enoy the film. You could walk in to this film and know absolutely nothing about Batman, and it'd still kick your rear end. I can't wait to see it again. RATING: 5 PROS: Finally, the Batman movie you've been waiting for CONS: How certain is the cast for the sequel? This magic could fall apart so easily... ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/
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Jun 7, 2005 14:19
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I saw an early screening tonight, and I can only reiterate the praise given in Liquorhead's previous post. The environment is top notch, Bale is top notch, and even Katie Holmes was top notch ( and she had some fine rear end titays). I can only look forward to the sequel, well as long as the same people who worked on this film stay on it. edit: 5/5 Optimus Subprime fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Jun 14, 2005 |
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Jun 14, 2005 06:14
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Wow, I too just saw the advance screening at the movie theater I work at. This movie completely blew all my expectations out of the water. Every single actor put on a strong performance, and I really liked how Bruce Wayne and his father were humanized in this movie. His motivations are clear and understandable. Furthermore, the new Gotham was surprisingly vivid and stunning, and I really liked the change. Honestly, I have trouble thinking of a single thing I didn't like about this movie. I suppose if you're a fan of the camp/humor of the other movies, you might be a little disappointed with this one. However, everything else about the movie more than makes up for it. I haven't been so impressed with a movie since Sin City to be quite frank. liquorhead, I couldn't have said it better myself. RATING: 5 PROS: Top-notch cast, badass ninjas, awesome setting, and a faux-drunken Bruce Wayne diatribe CONS: ? PS - The Scarecrow was absolutely awesome in this movie. Also, the hint of a sequel was just too good. 4EVA fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Jun 16, 2005 |
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Jun 14, 2005 07:23
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This movie has many flaws, but it packs enough character and style to make you look over them and enjoy the ride. I don't mean to imply by that that the movie simply tries to distract the audience into an explosion and shiny flashing lights induced stupor to hide a plot written at a fourth-grade level, as most action pictures these days tend to do; Batman Begins depends as strongly on plot, character and atmosphere as it does on action. Director Christopher Nolan provides a fascinating take on Gotham city as a gargantuan, oppressive, Kafka-esque metropolis, where the poor are driven to crime by desperation while the rich try their best to ignore the problems around them. Christian Bale provides the perfect balance for a darker and more complex portrait of Batman; he is brooding, but has a strength of character that many dark heroes lack. Cillian Murphy also hits a difficult balance as The Scarecrow: he is amoral and stylish without ever seeming silly or tongue-in-cheek. The movie seems to forget itself at times, though, and throw in cheesy one-liners ("You need to... lighten up!") that feel extremely out of place. The morality of Batman's character seems very strange, at one point near the beginning, he refuses to execute a man even at swordpoint, only to blast the house that that man and several others are in to smithereens as he escapes. Well, gee, thanks Batman! At another point (I'm spoilering this even though I'll try not to give away any specifics), he is standing with a villain in a crashing train car, and says "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you" and jumps out of the train before it smashes the villain into a very dead splotch on the wall. What really got to me was that the main villains of the story have a motivation that is so ridiculous and dumb that they might as well have just skipped the long explanation of it and said "We are going to blow up your town. Try and stop us." What matters, I guess, in a movie like this, is that at least it takes itself seriously enough to make the viewer willing to suspend disbelief. 4/5 EPS fucked around with this message at 11:18 on Jun 14, 2005 |
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Jun 14, 2005 11:12
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I fell for it hook, line, sinker. Near-perfection, if not full perfection. This concludes my brief review. Go see it - it's AMAZING. 5/5
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Jun 15, 2005 09:19
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Jesus, this movie was awesome. I loved it. I didn't believe that Gary Oldman could play a GOOD guy so well, but he surprised me. I didn't think that Bale could pull off an intimidating Batman, but he scared the poo poo outta me. This movie is one of the best superhero movies ever. 5/5!
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Jun 15, 2005 09:45
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My first words after the movie ended were "holy gently caress!" I couldn't think of a single flaw as I left the theater. This movie did right what so many movies have failed to do. The atmosphere was perfect; I shivered during the scenes with the bats. It was beautifully dark. Easily one of the best superhero movies ever, easily the best movie I've seen this year. Top notch. 5.5/5.
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Jun 15, 2005 21:33
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I can't think of anything worthwhile to add to these reviews. I'd just like to agree with everyone who said it was flawless. I've never felt the way I did during any other movie. This movie was just perfect, even the ending. I look forard to the sequel. 5.5/5 Edit: Bale is the best Batman ever. His voice was extremely intimidating.
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Jun 15, 2005 22:58
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This was a solid film. The extreme darkness of the film (both in terms of setting and material) is exactly what I think a Batman movie should be like. The entire cast did a great job, even Katie Holmes, whom I'm not all that crazy about. Two complaints: (1) The jokes were funny, but felt out of place in a film this dark. (2) I wanted more establishing shots. The entire movie struck me as melted together; it flowed a bit too well. I guess I just wanted ten seconds every now and again to catch my breath and orient myself. Both of those complainted are extremely minor. The film was really very good and if they make a sequel (God, please let them make a sequel!) with the majority of this cast, it will be amazing. 4.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 00:31
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The other Batman movies are embarassing now. I mean really embarassing. The buildup to Batman's first appearance was great; there was no sense of anything dragging on in this movie. Bale pulled off not just an awesome Batman but Bruce Wayne as well, and the fear gas scenes were freakin' sweet. In fact all the actors did a drat good job, and there's lot of little easter eggs too. I'm going to be seeing this movie a lot. 5.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 01:17
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I was hoping this would be on par with the original. This beat the poo poo out of it. Enough said. 5.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 01:42
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5.0/5 I liked the first Batman so much. It's one of my favorites. This one surpassed it in many ways, but felt inferior in others. The direction was slightly blockbuster, where Burton's felt less Spider-Man and more... Batman. However, this is a very close #2 to the first Batman, and even beats Spider-Man 2 in kickassitude. It was a great way to wipe the slate clean, and the cast was too perfect for words.
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Jun 16, 2005 04:10
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Absoutely amazing. Christopher Nolan brings to us what Batman should have always been. It's dark, but not quite as gothic as Tim Burton's vision and thank gawd it's nowhere near Joel Shucmacher's Homo Erotic Dance party. What really sets this movie apart is that it's believable. I mean, to take the basic concept of a man dressing as a bat to fight crime and make it a serious movie is in a sense itself a challenge, but Nolan does it beauifully. From Scarecrow, to Ras Al Ghul (sp?) to even Gordon...this movie packs a wallop and I hope and pray that there is a sequel with everyone involved. 5.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 05:00
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The action sequences were kind where they're cut-up randomly and confusing and boring. The character development didn't work for me. I didn't like this movie very much, but then again, I don't like most superhero movies. I went against the grain and thought The Hulk was awesome. I'm not the target audience, but if you're like me, you might as well stay home. 2.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 06:16
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Incredible movie. Christian Bale manages to play both Bruce Wayne the playboy and Batman flawlessly. The way he transforms his voice when playing Batman is just creepy... which is exactly what it's supposed to be like. No Batman's not supposed to be the suave Bruce Wayne like the other movies made him out to be. Great character interaction between all the characters that made it seem pretty beleivable and thank loving god they kept the love story poo poo to a minimum/non-existant. Easily the best Batman movie to date. The only thing I didn't like was the feel of Gotham City, felt too modern day and generic. 5 J-Pak fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Jun 16, 2005 |
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Jun 16, 2005 06:18
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Excellent film, easily the best of any of the Batman movies. The cast was perfect, the sets and architecture were great (I loved Wayne Manor and the Batcave, and the city of Gotham as a whole) and everything was actually pulled off in a convincing manor. The only thing that didn't sit well with me was how fast the movie seemed to go by at times, shots seemed to zip by without giving you a chance to fully absorb what you're looking at. 4.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 06:25
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Batman Begins, and he stars in the best film of our time. If this grosses any less than $400 million, and gets anything less than 4 stars from critics, Batman will seek ways to fight that injustice. Quite frankly, there's never been a more gripping film. Its a character-driven masterpiece, clocking in at two-and-a-half hours. The story is top notch, every cast member gives the performace of their career. Gotham city makes for an astounding backdrop that no real city could top. The soundtrack, despite the lack of Danny Elfman's classic theme and cues, is terrific. The action, while regarded by some as chaotic, is perhaps the most thrilling blur of action ever unleashed on the big screen. Its intoxicatingly intense. This movie thrilled me from beginning to end, and likewise for everyone I know. Oh, and this Batman is angry. Are you ready to begin? 5.5/5 PsychoGoatee fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jun 16, 2005 |
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Jun 16, 2005 06:25
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This has got to be one of the best action movies i've seen in a long long time. Despite the minor flaws, the story was incredibe. The acting, special effects and everything else was right on cue. Easily, like i said, one of the best action movies i've seen. 5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 06:38
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There were absolutely no flaws in this movie. 5.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 06:42
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Best Batman movie ever. Saw it twice today, going again Friday. 5.5 / 5
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Jun 16, 2005 06:45
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I had the distinct pleasure of seeing this on a nearby IMAX screen. If you can do that, don't miss out. My expectations were essentially through the roof on this one - I really love the works of both Bale and Nolan, and good lord did they ever come through with this. I was just floored at so many things in this film...the dark and gritty settings, the fleshing out of Bruce Wayne for the first time was handled brilliantly, the fights were exciting, the effects were exceptional and for the most part not blatantly there for you to gaze at. The cast was stellar and unexpected in many places (Cillian Murphy was awesome as Scarecrow) and just really worked well together. I can't wait to see this again - I don't know if anything can even come close to this baby for the rest of the summer. This movie resuscitated Batman, perfectly. 5/5 rating.
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Jun 16, 2005 06:49
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This movie did have flaws, but they were extremely minor. The most major one isn't even worth mentioning -- just a forgivable pseudo-science plot device that wouldn't work the way the movie claimed. Everything else is almost perfect. I underestimated almost all of the actors beforehand and was soundly humiliated. Even Katie Holmes, who I thought must be the boobular love interest tacked on as a cliché, turned out to be a good actress carrying a worthwhile character. I was afraid that the overly gravelly voice in the trailer wouldn't be as ridiculous as it seemed and it wasn't. It felt a lot more in place in the movie and I could understand Bale's Batman genuinely scaring people. As much as I love Burton, this is the definitive Batman. Burton can be weird and creepy, but Batman is gritty and dark. The movie was two and a half hours long, but I didn't check my watch once and I would have paid $1000 if I could have watched the movie keep unfolding for hours to come. 5.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 07:35
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I think I enjoy the Batman story more than other superhereo stories because Batman is a real person, so I come into this a bit biased I guess. This movie was fantastic. It felt real, it felt true, and the sequence of events was very believable. This was much more entertaining and enthralling than any other superhero film I've seen! Although I feel like we were robbed a bit of better camera work on the fight scenes, the dangling of a seqeul at the end of the movie has never had me more excited. I give this 4.5/5 , there are only a few things I would've liked to have seen changed.
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Jun 16, 2005 07:42
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When I first heard about this movie coming out I will admit I was skeptical, but after watching it, I was impressed. The way Batman was portrayed was much better than any other live action version of Batman. Any complaints I had about the movie before watching it were justified e.g. Batmobile. If you like anything about Batman, or if the last two movies turned you off from the series, then I recommend this movie. I give it a 5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 09:12
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Just got back from seeing Batman Begins. It was an incredible movie, with superb direction and great acting. I've always been a fan of Batman myself, but really, even people who hate all things comic related could not possibly not find Batman as a character himself to be loving awesome in this movie. They portrayed everything correctly, tied his origin together in a very interesting way, and they were able to make so much of it so very BELIEVABLE. 5/5 easily.
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Jun 16, 2005 09:36
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This movie kicked rear end! I've never really seen any other Batman films and I know if I have, I would have understood a lot more. I loved how they showed how his costume and Batcave came to be! 4.5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 09:41
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This movie was so good I think I might go and see it tomorrow. This is how Batman movies should be, dark, scary, violent. The special effects with the scarecrow made me shiver, and Bales voice as Batman was terrifying. The ending has me wet with anticipation as well. 5/5
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Jun 16, 2005 09:41
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I enjoyed it for the most part. My main gripe was with how they wrapped up Scarecrow's part. He comes in riding a horse that breathes flames and then Katie Holmes takes him out with a stungun??? Lame. At that point I was so ready for him to actually DO something, and then he gets beat so easily that I couldn't believe they would take such a cop out just to leave room for a sequel. Also, they didn't even try to explain how they got rid of the gas cloud in that part of the city and how they cured all the people, because there was not enough antidote at that time to get it done quickly. Also, I am sick and tired of the action scenes that are shot up close and really jittery so you can't really tell what's going on. 3.5/5 for dumb summer fun, but it could have been so much more.
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Jun 16, 2005 19:05
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I don't know what happened, but somehow I was out of step with Batman Begins. I don't know if it was the theatre, or the people around me, but that shouldn't explain it since everything was fine. I always thought Batman's crime fighting training was much more extensive than just learning to be a ninja, but they didn't show anything else. And he doesn't come off as a genius detective at all. At one point he asks for a translation of technical jargon! Any time somebody was fighting it was lovely. It's so frustrating, because I'll bet there were some cool fights put together in there, but I didn't see anything. Just a lot of closeups of a blurry abdomen or bicep or some other random non-fist whipping by. And it's not like the director was covering up lovely fighting either. The one clear, non cutup sword fight was pretty decent. A good opportunity was missed. I was just put off by Bale's Batman voice. Again, maybe I was just out of sorts, so take it with a grain of salt. It was kind of goofy to me, even though it was a good idea, and I have no idea how else Bale could have possibly done it. It's Batman, he's gotta be a scary motherfucker. But it ended up coming off as a little silly to me, especially when he gets REAL intimidating. I thought the Batmobile was the best part of the movie, but that's probably just because I could tell what the hell was going on. Batman Begins was a great movie. Very faithful to the character, and unlike Burton's version, it tackled the reason why Batman does it, which is probably the most important aspect of the character. Unfortunately for me, some bad fighting and minor details threw me out of the fantasy. I want to see it again to see if that fixes it, because the same thing happened for Fellowship of the Ring. 3/5
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Jun 16, 2005 19:58
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Some friends and I caught the late show of Batman Begins last night and it was excellent. Christian Bale pulled off both a full fleshed out Bruce Wayne character and a scary cool Batman that you could believe was really the same person. He had a lot of help from a smart, well-thought-out script that explains who Batman is and why he does what he does. Actually, a lot of the movie is explanation, as you would expect from a good origin story, and it maintains a good balance between showing and telling. Batman in action is great fun to see. Previous movies made him a slow "tank" that couldn't even turn his head. In Batman Begins we see him as he should be seen -- a criminal-terrifying ninja that strikes from the shadows and moves back so he can strike again. He has his gadgets, to be sure, but the man using them is far more important. Gary Oldman is, of course, great as Seargent Gordon. I can't think of a time I've ever disliked his acting, even in movies I haven't liked. Katie Holmes does well in a difficult job -- the love interest in a comic book action movie. She's believable, tough without forcing it, and most important acceptable in a movie genre where the love interest typically instills cringes in an audience. Liam Neeson is excellent as Henri Ducard, a nasty mentor to the pre-Batman Wayne, and the training sequences are cool, though a little reminiscent of Highlander in spots. Cillian Murphy (of 28 Days Later) makes a great creepy Scarecrow, deftly avoiding overplaying the creepiness which simply makes him more creepy because you know something is up with him but you can't quite figure it out. I normally don't notice sound design in movies but watching Batman Begins in a DTS theatre I couldn't help but note how great everything sounded, especially the "Batmobile". It somehow sounded exactly like it should but also like a roaring lion. There were several other times throughout the movie when I thought "Wow, that sounds great!" so kudos to the sound team. Anything bad about the movie? Well, being an origin story with a lot to tell it had a few pacing problems, but nothing major. Overall I give Batman Begins an 4.5 Batarangs out of 5. Definitely the best Batman movie ever.
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Jun 16, 2005 20:49
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Totally awesome movie. I miss the weird campy touch of Burton, but it's hard to deny how good this movie was. Christian Bale did a decent job, but the surrounding cast really drives the movie. The story was interesting and well thought out. The villains were handled very well. When I heard they were going to use the Scarecrow I was wary, because he's a pretty stupid villain, but the way they handled it was creepy and awesome. Liam Neeson is always awesome. I can't verbalize how much I loved this, so just trust me and see it.
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Jun 17, 2005 00:48
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Batman has been a favorite comic franchise for many years now and this is not the first Batman movie. To be honest, when I first heard it being advertised, I was pretty bored of the idea. I said to myself, do we really need another Batman movie? As it turns out we did. In fact, this movie so blows away its predecessors that I am electing Batman Begins as the actual first Batman movie. From start to finish, this is a polished and well-crafted film. The actors all did a superb job, but then what do you expect from Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman. Gotham City looks drat good in all the shots, as well. It feels like the gritty and unforgiving city we remember from the comics or the cartoons. Every inch of this movie is stylish and intense. But then, what do you expect from Christopher Nolan? He makes producing pitch perfect thrillers look easy. The only negatives about the movie are few and far between. Some people may not like that there is very little tension relief in the form of comedy. The characters do have their funny lines, but there is very little to laugh about in this movie. Batman centers around rage and dark thoughts, not light-heartedness. Katie Holmes, while gorgeous, looked out of her depth standing next to the rest of the veteren cast. I would say she phoned in her performance, but then, I don't know if she's actually capable of measuring up to the rest of her co-stars. Beyond that, while other's lines were sometimes a little off-sounding, most of Holmes' dialogue seemed a little contrived and over-played. We're supposed to catch on to the fact that she is an idealist, which can't be avoided when every other line of hers is pointless idealism. One line in particular stood out to me. Driving thru Gotham, Bruce Wayne is talking to Rachel Dawes and basically confesses his desire for street justice for the man who killed his parents. Rachel swings the car into a trashy vagrant-filled area and pontificates for awhile, culminating in this gem: "Justice is about harmony!". I suppose I know what the line was supposed to mean, but it just sounded so strange and unintuitive. This highlights the other problem I had with them film: Awkward moralizing. Gotham City is presented to us as an icon of Urbanism, filled with the poor and desperate, teaming with criminals willing to slit your throat for ten bucks. The depravity of the average criminal or even the "super criminal" is very clearly outlined for us. There is no doubt in the viewer's mind that these people are terminally evil. And yet, the heroes of the story won't use lethal force at all, even on gun-toting maniacs. We're basically told that it's never okay to take another life, that it "lacks compassion" to do so. Meanwhile, Gotham is ripped apart by gangsters and other unsavory characters and our hero goes out of his way not to kill a single person. I suppose that is just his character, but I don't like that his "aggressive pacifism" is presented as the enlightened model for crime fighting. I want my heroes to have compassion and understanding, but I also want them to have the guts to take a life if need be. Despite Katie Holmes and an irritating philosophy, this film is still great. It is two and a half hours, but I was on the edge of my seat and didn't want it to end. The pacing, the acting, the story, the effects, the scenery... it all sucks you in and keeps you enthralled for its duration. I can't recommend this movie enough. This truly is where the Batman franchise Begins. 5/5
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Jun 17, 2005 03:18
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This film has all its toads on the log and all its ducks in a row. Everything was done incredibly well. See it twice! 5/5
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Jun 17, 2005 04:55
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I just got back from seeing Batman Begins, and I must say I am amazed. I had EXTREMELY high expectations for this, and I can not find a single thing that bothered me or anything that I could change. All the acting was wonderful. Bale loving owned, as did the minor characters, such as Fox and Alfred. Let's talk villians. Scarecrow was loving freaky. Honestly, they could make a horror movie about his character alone. Also, Cillian Murphy gave a superb performance. He was just as crazy and complicated as Scarcrow is suppose to be. Liam Neeson did outstanding, just as I suspected, as well. A lot of people didn't like the batmobile prototype, aka, the Tumbler. Well, it gave me a woody. When it smashed the first police car, I turned to my friend and faked an orgasm. I also loved the very extremely low use of CG in this. That's one of the things that really sticks out among movies these days. The score was perfect, and I also liked the fast pace of going from scene to scene. At times, only one line would be delivered then it would cut to another scene. This makes it seem more like a comic book. I really enjoyed the effect it gave. I can not find one thing wrong with Batman Begins, so I am giving no Cons, and everything a Pro. Rating: 5.5/5 And I mean it from the heart.
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Jun 17, 2005 06:15
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I loved this movie. I can't think of one thing that should have been changed. I really liked how when Christian Bale was in a suit and tie, he acted a lot like Patrick Bateman. Christian Bale totally kicked rear end. 5/5
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Jun 17, 2005 07:43
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I thought this was an excellent film, though not without its flaws. The way Gotham was portrayed was excellent -- Burton's Gotham always struck me as trying way too hard to be dark, but here the idea of a once-great city falling into decay (exemplified by the monorail) worked very well. My only complaints have already been covered: the shakycam-driven, quick-cutting fight scenes that are all too common in action movies now where it's impossible to tell who's hitting who, and the fact that Batman completely lost the "genius detective" element and became more or less just a billionaire who knows some martial arts and has access to cool gadgets. However, it's not hard to set those aside and enjoy the hell out of this movie. Oh, and Michael Caine as Alfred was awesome. 4/5
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Jun 17, 2005 16:04
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I'm gonna make this quick - Just saw it this morning. Greatest Batman movie, by far, and it now resides in my top 3 movies. Excellent performances all around, and Scarecrow seriously freaked me out. I remember Nolan saying that when they were making the movie they wanted ther audience to be terrified the first time they see Scarecrow in action...well, they definitely succeeded on that one. Can't wait to see it on IMAX. 5.5/5
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Jun 17, 2005 21:19
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I went in with low expectations, I'm not a big fan of the recent spat of comic book films, and even the supposedly good ones like Spiderman 2 did very little for me. Despite that I very much enjoyed this movie, partly because it bothered to build a stable base in the first hour with more in depth characterization than usual. The first 2/3 was particularly well written, and the obscured shaky-cam fighting didn’t bother me given the inky and clouded feel of the film. It felt appropriate considering the re-occurring theme of fear. I also particularly enjoyed the horror tinged moments in the film. The last 1/3 wasn’t quite as strong, the shaky-cam in the final showdown being more of a distraction. The writing took a bit of a dip too, the main bad guy by this point had still hardly been fleshed out at all and his motivation was extremely skimpy. The obligatory love interest also had a pretty weak resolution. The acting from the mainly British cast was excellent, plus Morgan Freeman providing rock solid as usual support, and Katie Holmes being more convincing than I would have given her credit for beforehand. The score was dark, powerful and rumbling, and I thought it added a lot. All-in-all I was pleasantly surprised and very satisfied I had gotten my money’s worth. Probably the most enjoyable thing I’ve seen recently, better than the hyped up Sin City. 4.5. whirlwind! fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Jun 17, 2005 |
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Jun 17, 2005 22:50
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This movie has revitalized my interest in Batman. I remember being a young 16 yr old and seeing the first Batman. I was in awe, it was the best thing I had seen. This blows it away. Now as a grizzled 31 yr old, I have that same feeling of awe for Batman. This time they did it right, and the new Batman movies have enormous potential The entire cast is solid. Everyone from a young master Bruce to Alfred and Gordon are played perfectly. Katie Holmes was a little miscast, she looks like she is 18. But her role in the movie isnt that big so it doesnt bother me all that much. Christian Bale is perfect. Whatever he got paid for doing this movie it wasnt enough. They better lock him up for at least 2 more movies. He effortlessly plays Bruce Wayne and Batman. And he plays a pissed off Batman, just as he should. Batman is not a nice superhero, he won't hug a child and play paddy cake. Batman beats the hell out of criminals almost to the point of death. This is the Batman movie for true fans. They did us a great justice with this one 5/5
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Jun 18, 2005 03:02
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Best Batman film by far. The beginning was excellent, and the character development was superb. The only gripes I have are with some of the fighting sequences (possibly less shakeycam, and more epic longcam fighting was needed -- maybe we'll see that in the sequel). The acting was on task, but I thought some of Katie's scenes were a little bland (though, her face slaps are hot). The ending action scene was loving epic, maybe one of the top 3 best action sequences in the history of cinema; just the race to Wayne tower, with a classic Batman sabotage, then flying out the back of the train with epic music in the background -- perfect. The best movie I've seen in a while. Thank you Nolan, finally somebody knows how to make a loving comic book movie. 5.5/5 fx fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Jun 18, 2005 |
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Jun 18, 2005 06:49
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