Trailer:
“Bats frighten me. It’s time my enemies share my dread.”
Though many may drool over The Dark Knight as the greatest Batman film, and by many standards as the greatest superhero film ever made, I am among the few who still views Batman Begins as being equal too if not superior. Now before the hordes come to tear out my throat let me explain the simple reason why. This is the ONLY Batman film that really focuses on the character of Batman rather than distracting with the villains.
How does it focus more on Batman? Simple. It finally delivers a film that gives a little background as to his origins and delves more into his alter ego Bruce Wayne. Why would a billionaire choose to dress up like a bat and fight crime? It is a question dodged or only loosely answered in every other film to this point. Yet the film is more than just that, it is a character journey to overcome fear. The thing is Bruce Wayne actually feels like a pivotal character for once.
The film opens with Bruce Wayne locked up in jail in some foreign country. He is set free with the appearance of Henri Ducard, who instructs him to go to a temple high on the mountain. There Wayne is trained by the league of shadows in martial arts and ninja skills. It also goes into detailed flashbacks on the death of his parents and his fleeing from the corrupt city of Gotham.
Finally when the time comes for Wayne to join their ranks, their leader Ra’s al Ghul tells him of their plan to destroy his home. Wayne betrays them and kills Ghul, destroys their hideout but saves his friend and mentor Ducard. He then returns to Gotham intent to save it from itself by becoming a symbol of fear and justice.
The film is very well scripted and brings back an element to Batman that has been lost sense the comics and animated series. Notably Batman working as a detective. Unfortunately, unlike The Dark Knight, the “mystery” and those behind it are pretty easy to figure out and guess as the viewer. Still it’s fun to see Batman work his way through it.
Taking up the mantel of Batman is Christian Bale. Michael Keaton had been the main face of the caped crusader up to this point but though Keaton made a fine Batman, he never was given the chance to nail down the character of Wayne. Bale does marvelous in this aspect. He is relatable, believable and convincing as both a pretend playboy by day and dark defender by night. What really seals the deal is the help provided by the script by giving him a fantastic character arc. Bruce struggles between his own fears and guilt and the story deals a lot with these themes in and outside the main protagonists life. It makes it all the more believable when he decides to turn his fears against his enemies.
Unfortunately Bale isn’t as great a Batman as Bruce Wayne. By no means does that mean he is bad though. He is still intimidating and convincing in the roll but many time his “Bat-voice” can come off as over the top. Also due to the chunkiness of the first costume, a lot of his movements (mostly around the neck area) seem unnatural. In this regard Keaton might still be the superior Batman even if Bale does a pretty good job of it.
Michael Cain does a phenomenal job as Bruce’s guardian, friend, father figure, and most importantly…butler. Alfred really doesn’t just feel like an obligation and plays a large roll in the movie. Morgan Freeman is also a welcomed addition as Lucas Fox. This gives a more realistic explanation for Batman’s gadgets than saying “well besides being a super ninja detective, he’s also a super inventor genius!!!!”. Not only that but he’s fun and offers quite a bit of comedic relief.
Lots of people like to complain about the casting of Katie Holmes in the film. Yet I personally like her more than Maggie Gyllenhaal. For some reason I could buy Holmes as a cold b*tch attorney where Gyllenhaal made me keep thing, “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SMILING ALL THE TIME!!! STOP IT!” Though make no mistake. Though I didn’t dislike her, Holmes did have the worst performance in the film. Yet I have to give Jake’s sis credit where credit is due. She does have better chemistry with Bale than Holmes did.
Actually looking at the story there was no need for a romantic relationship between the two as they are just friends in flashbacks, never shown as lovers. The romance almost feels forced at the end. As a result it is no surprise that there wasn’t any chemistry between actors when the script failed to support it. Then again Nolan films are notorious for having weak female character next to well developed male characters.
The movie is also action packed despite being story and character heavy. This is due to the long running length of the film which never drags or feels it. The down side is that a lot of the time you cannot tell what is happening because the filmmakers go for a shakey cam style. Hey guys! News flash! This is Batman not Jason Bourne. Yet not all the action scenes are like this and some (such as the great Batmobile chase) is downright breathtaking.
The movie does a good job balancing a collection of villains. Where most films crumble and fall apart under the weight of three villains, good ol’ Nolan knew how to balance and prioritize them. Best of all we hadn’t seen any of them on screen yet. Ra’s al Ghul, Scarecrow, and Carmine Falcone where each brilliantly played by there respective actors and brought a layer of menace to the film.
Best of all the movie manages to have high stakes unlike most origin stories where usually the superhero gets his powers, the villain gets his powers and then they fight until one of them is dead. This is many times why superhero sequels are better than the first film. Batman Begins manages to mix the origin with a dynamic story and give it more of a purpose than just “showing where they came from”. There are real stakes and real issues that must be confronted.
In the end it is hard for me to compare The Dark Knight and Batman Begins and say which is better. Batman Begins stands as a fantastic example of a classic styled superhero origin that manages to mix in both story and a large complex character arc. The Dark Knight on the other hand is more of a stylized crime drama. Both are phenomenal in their own right but I have always been a sucker for stellar characters and this is the film that really delivers that.
FINAL RATING: 9/10- (90%)
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