Absolutely breath-taking. Batman Begins has stormed movie theatres across the globe in an effort to bring life to a new franchise and erase the taunting images of the films before it. Now comes the question: Does this film accomplish these ultimate goals? The answer is an affirmative yes, Batman Begins fulfills all expectations and gives all audiences more than they ever dreamed of. With Schumacher gone and along with him the rubber nipples, George Clooney, and defaming movies that ruined Batman 'forever', Batman Begins revives the DC character from the grave and not a moment too soon.
At first glance some naive moviegoers may confuse Batman Begins with the mediocre Batman films of the 90's. Though one can immediately point out that those films were perhaps at best "kid movies". That is definitely not the case with this film as it pushes the upper limits of it's PG-13 rating and is targeted much more towards adults than five-year-old children who enjoy flashy colors. It will not be very difficult to realize that this is the beginning of a more complex and mature film franchise and not the continuation of the insulting Batman that was created by Joel Schumacher
The film perfectly balances all the elements required for a film of this nature and yet it brings new ingredients to the table which have never been used this way before. Nearly each gadget and object used by Batman is given meaning and reason unlike any film before it. Also, for the first EVER Batman is actually scary and dark, he genuinely seems like a character that would really strike fear into a criminal, thug, or any person in general. The story, plot, setting, characters, etc. are all done in a believable and realistic manner that immediately makes the audience forget that they are watching something entirely fictional. If you are anyone who is even slightly interested in how Batman came to be then this film will undoubtedly satisfy your needs for a well-developed and in-depth story on the caped crusader.
An integral part that helps push this film to sheer greatness is the perfectly cast ensemble roles. Christian Bale is unbelievably convincing as the Dark Knight as he effortlessly seizes the complete attention and belief of the viewers. Michael Caine (Alfred) and Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon) also bring new meaning and life to their characters making them both entertaining and three dimensional. Although Katie Holmes is clearly not on the same level of these acting legends her performance does not alter an otherwise amazing film. Top notch performanes are also delivered by Oscar nominated actors Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson, and Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman. Neeson flawlessly supplies the qualities necessary for the critical role in the film and Freeman brings some well appreciated humor and tone.
Director Christopher Nolan completely conveys the raw realism and gritty darkness of Gotham as well as that of the characters who inhabit this great city. Gone are the cartoonish settings of before and enter a new realistic, plausible, and believable film environment. Nolan and writer David Goyer genuinely seem to understand the multi-layered character of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman which results in a accurate and ideal adaption of the iconic DC comic book. All in all, this film is outstanding and the most credible comic book film ever created, perhaps in history. Batman is finally headed in the right direction......
Final Grade: A+
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