Batman Begins

Batman Begins

Believe the hype!

Between 1989 to 1997 four Batman movies were released with three different actors (Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney) portraying the caped crusader. We were also treated to a slew of over the top villains including the Joker (Jack Nicholson), the Penguin (Danny DeVito), Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger). But, after 1997’s “Batman and Robin”, it seemed as if Bruce Wayne hung up his cowl and left Gotham behind. That was until this year’s “Batman Begins” was released.

As the movie begins, we find Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) in a prison far away from his family’s home. This is where he catches the eye of Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), who takes Bruce under his wing and brings him into the fold of Ra’s Al Guhl (Ken Watanabe). During the time of Bruce’s training, we also learn a great deal about his past including the murders of his parents, his fears and his relationship with Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). However, when Ra’s Al Guhl’s true plot for Gotham is revealed, Bruce Wayne decides to return to save his beloved city.

In the meantime, Gotham has fallen into the clutches of some sinister evildoers. Crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) has the city under his thumb. Add to the mix Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) whose seemingly normal patients (mostly thugs of Falcone’s) are quickly diagnosed as insane. However, there is more than meets the eye about the good doctor and it eventually becomes clear that he is only a small part of a bigger sinister plot. Can Batman save the day?

While some people may have been hesitant about Christian Bale portraying Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman, he seems to be a good choice to fill the shoes of the caped crusader. Not only does he make the character come across as somewhat realistic but also flawed.

Co-stars Michael Caine (Alfred), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) and Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon) are excellent as Batman’s allies. The same holds true for Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy (who originally auditioned for the title role) as one of Batman’s nemesis. When these actors appear in a movie, you expect a good performance and each one delivers with “Batman Begins”. This is especially true of Michael Caine’s performance that shows more of the bond that Alfred has with Bruce Wayne.

The plot of the movie is also plausible. It takes you away from the comic book feel of the previous Batman movies and seems almost realistic. This time around, with much of the movie filmed in Chicago, the city of Gotham even looks lighter with more of a metropolitan feel. Two nice touches to the movie are the explanations of why Bruce Wayne decided to call himself Batman, how he found the Batcave and where his weapons and the Batmobile (a lot different in this movie than in previous films) come from. It’s also good to see that Batman isn’t secondary to the villains or special effects in this movie.

“Batman Begins” was good but there were some parts that were lacking. It didn’t seem that Bruce’s relationship with Rachel added much to the plot of the movie. This probably could have been dropped altogether or maybe some extra time might have been added for a little more chemistry between the two characters. It would have been nice to have known a little more about Henri Ducard, who’s more than he appears to be, and Earle, the character portrayed by Rutger Hauer.

Plans are already underway for another Batman movie with most of the cast set to reprise their roles. The end of “Batman Begins” should give you a clue who the villain will be in the next film. While this isn’t the greatest movie to ever come out of Hollywood, if you’re looking to escape into the theater and be entertained for a couple of hours, then you won’t be disappointed!

"Batman Begins" movie goofs!

This movie is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Half.com.

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