*** Official BATMAN BEGINS Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

Just got back from our theater's employee screening of Batman Begins.

Quick review: GO SEE IT.

Long review: GO SEE IT NOW.

But seriously, this film was amazing. If you completely ignore the campy TV show, the previous bright-colored movies, and the idea that Batman is just for kids, then you'll love this movie. I'm not completely sure how accurate it is to the comics (though many say its close to Batman: Year One), but its still a great film (Batman or otherwise).

Aside from what you'd expect from the movie, there are things you wouldn't expect. There's one HUGE twist that only a few people probably saw coming, but I'm not going to explain anything about it here. To say more could ruin it.

The beginning is slow and it effectively builds up the character of Bruce Wayne. Without this, we'd be completly lost on the impact of what Batman is.

Where I felt Spider-man 2 had it's only shortcoming (not utilizing the bad guy to his full potential), I feel Batman Begins has succeeded. Both of the bad guys in the film are used to push the story and have a greater influence on the rest of the film instead of just being the current antagonists.

Visually the film is great. Gotham city comes off more realistic and less comic-based (remember the opening scene of Batman Returns? Don't expect anything like that from this one). Frankly, I like it more and I like how they used it. I'm interested to see how they could use it for future Batman films by using the bad guys in more realistic ways.

Overall, there was nothing about this film I didn't like. There were some ugly spots on the print for the first reel, but that's about it. I'd recommend this to anyone.

 

[Patrick Sun]

No major spoilers:

"Batman Begins" is "Batman Done Right". The opening 1st act covers of Bruce Wayne's training, and the backstory of his relationship with his father, and search for his identity after witnessing the traumatic childhood murders of his parents in that fateful, dark, alley. The tone of the film once Bruce returns to Gotham is just right, and the flow of the film is steady and exciting, and then it gives the viewer a chance to breathe, and embrace the world of Bruce and Batman, one that is rooted in a realism that belies its comic book origins.

The film is very good at providing the logistics of being Batman with the resources of billionaire Bruce Wayne at his disposal, and the production values are top-notch, and just plain fun to see on the big screen as proper respect was paid to them.

The inner character study of what drives Bruce Wayne towards the Batman persona is handled well, and the natural progression makes for a believable character arc, and his somewhat strained relationship with the world, and even his closest childhood friend, Rachel.

The villains are good, and provide more than enough of a challenge for Batman's initial foray into super-heroics. The dark humor present in the film is just right, never getting so dark and somber as to suck the life out of why a man would be driven to save people from the criminals who rely on society's indulgences. There are out and out laughs at key points that belie the turn of events to good effect.

The cast was uniformily good, even Katie Holmes' Rachel had enough of a moral compass and guts to be courageous in the face of heavy odds. Gary Oldman really "got" Gordon and he and Bale had a good give-n-take going on. Michael Caine as Alfred was a nice casting choice, not only good chemistry with Bale, but their relationship was based on family, not just of the servant-master dynamic. Morgan Freeman's turn as Lucius Fox provided some depth and charm to man who provides Batman with his wonderful toys. Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are also good in their roles, and drove the plot along very well. Besides some ancilliary characters, I couldn't complain about the cast at all.

So far, Batman Begins was the best movie viewing experience of 2005 for me. The audience was into the film, they laughed at the right moments, and were awed by some of the really nutty second unit footage that was pretty entertaining to watch. And to top it off, they applauded at the end as well.

I give it 4 stars, or a grade of A.

 

[ThomasC]

What a rush!

:star::star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star:

 

[ZacharyTait]

This is the best superhero/comic book movie ever made. I thought that Spiderman 2 was terrific. This one beats it. It's the first superhero/comic book movie I would call a masterpiece.

Christian Bale IS Batman. No offense to the other 4, but Bale blows them away. The supporting cast is outstanding, especially Caine, Freeman, and Oldman.

Gorgeous cinmeatography as well as production design, music, everything. I can't wait to see this one again.

4 Stars.

 

[Adam_S]

Batman Begins - :star::star::star::star:
35mm
06/15/2005

DO I LOOK LIKE A COP TO YOU!

This may very well be my new favorite superhero film. It's just so damn good on every level. The way the backstory, training, creation of Batman, the villains, and evil plot are woven together is just so damned artful it's breathtaking. It balances a fine line and never really steps into the super-villainy the way other films (particularly the prior Batman series) did, instead it offers up deceptions and misdirection and before you know it the ride's over and you're ready to hop on again.

In the great comic book tradition of wiping the slate and starting over for a new generation of readers, writers and artists, Batman has been successfully reborn, and this time he's real, dark and a badass, there's only hints of fantasy at the edges of gadgets and hideouts. It's definitely not a ludicrous toy fest worthy of the Power Rangers with no possible connection to reality.

Well done. Neeson may say, "this is not a dance" but the filmmakers certainly swept the audience across the floor with ease and grace.

One of the best of the year, up there with Sin City and Millions.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Batman Begins". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.

Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!

If you need to discuss those type of issues then I have designated an Official Discussion Thread.



Crawdaddy

 

[Brandon Conway]

Reposting my impressions from last Friday morning in this thread:

Was lucky enough to have a friend that works at the Warner Studio invite me to a screening this evening.

My reaction to the film, in short: 10/10

It's a nearly perfect movie. My only - and I mean only - misgiving is that on a couple occasions a few lines of exposition by background/side characters is overstated and not needed, but that's it. And such a complaint is so overwhelmingly swallowed up in the whole that I feel somewhat ashamed in mentioning it, but I had to explain my lack of perfect feeling. Still an excellent, excellent film. It gets the whole world exactly right. It tells the story of the film beatifully, and it suggests things to come in future films in ways that do not detract one bit from the current story.

Wonderful film.

See it, and see it often.

 

[Alex F]

I went into this midnight showing tonight with very, very high expectations and I am so incredibly glad to say that they were all met (with of course, a few nitpicks aside). It's been said a million times, but it must be said again: this is Batman done ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. The Tim Burton film, while an entertaining little movie, is not Batman. Compared to what Nolan has done here, it is pure fluff, and I'm happy to say that it can now be completely forgotten and swept away in the magnificence of BATMAN BEGINS.

First and foremost, the cast. Oh my lordy, the CAST! The casting in this film was, in short, perfect. Probably my personal favorite casting choice was Gary Oldman as Gordon. Is that an inspired decision or what? He was perfect (I'll probably be using that word a few more times here, so bear with me). And we have Cillian Murphy who was just.... perfect for the role he played. LIAM NEESON. Oh my, this may be one of my favorite Liam Neeson performances ever, and that is saying quite a bit.

Of course I can't talk about the cast without mentioning Christian Bale. His performance was just so true to the character and completely inspired. I will say that he looked and sounded slightly awkward when he first donned the mask (the one with the pointy ears, I mean) but within a few minutes I was used to it and it was no longer an issue. Going into the film, the one cast member I had qualms with was Katie Holmes. I wasn't too sure of her ability to put in a convincing performance and I almost half-expected something like we got from Natalie Portman in STAR WARS, but I was happily mistaken. While still probably the weakest performance of the film it was still just perfectly fine and I didn't really have much of an issue with her. And she's so purty. love

Ken Watanabe was deliciously evil in the small role he had, as was Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine gave a truly heartwarming, fatherly performance that was really just... perfect. Also, Tom Wilkinson I thought did a TREMENDOUS job as Carmine Falcone. His scene with Bruce at the restaurant where he is pointing the gun at the college boy Wayne was a brilliant display of acting on his part. So it's pretty safe to assume that I APPROVE of this cast! Well done, kudos to EVERYONE INVOLVED.

The script was tight as a freakin' drum, however I did have issues with some parts. I was wondering what happened to all of the people of Gotham who were infected with the Scarecrow's poison... it seemed like we just forgot about them after the train was stopped in front of the Wayne building. Not much resolution there, but maybe I just missed it. Another problem I had was with the "demise" (so to speak) of the Scarecrow. It seemed a very, very anticlimactic end for such a great character. On the other hand, the demise of Ra's Al Ghul was just beautifully done. The way Liam shuts his eyes and has a moment of calm before his death was... perfect.

Speaking of Ra's Al Ghul, I went into this movie (like I suppose a lot of people did) thinking that Ken Watanabe was going to be Ra's Al Ghul the whole time. Apparently this was not so. What a well done plot twist that was!! Excellent writing there, perfectly executed.


(Admin note - Please use spoilers so that you don't ruin the viewing pleasure of others. Thanks)

If I had to pick another issue I had with it, it would have to be some of the editing, especially near the beginning. I felt that it just was moving TOO QUICKLY. There would be cuts occurring what felt like way too soon. I guess I was hoping for a little more meditation on some of the things going on in the beginning of the story. For the action scenes I thought the editing was just fine, for the most part. The methods used by Batman necessitated the use of quick cuts and shaky action sequences, but I sort of felt that in the fight scenes between Batman and Ra's, it would have been nice to really SEE what they were doing. It wasn't always too clear.

But these are just pure nitpickings. This was a fan-****ing-tastic movie that I will see over and over again. And you bet your ass I had an enormous smile on my face when Gordon gave Batman that Joker card at the end. BRING IT ON. I can only imagine it will get better. The psychological possibilities with the Batman/Joker relationship are endless. I'm just waiting to see who they cast.
:star::star::star::star:

(Admin note - again, please use spoilers!)

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Wow.

I've been following this project (though not the story thankfully) for quite some time. I remember actually feeling giddy when Christian Bale was cast. Not just to have his talent and dedication as a part of the film, but because it eschewed the Batman decisionmaking of old. No Hollywood stars (or make-a-star) needed. They clearly wanted a film to be taken more seriously. The remainder of the cast list was met with a huge smile. It's not off the mark to say Batman Begins boasts one of the finest ensembles ever put together.

Wow again.

I had high expectations for the film. But reasonable ones, I thought. I merely expected a very good film.

But I got a great one. A GREAT film. With surprising (and not so surprising) performances. I won't get into the nitty gritty like I usually do. I'll just point out some things I liked, or that surprised me. No spoilers.

- Michael Caine played Alfred one half of the conscience of Bruce Wayne. It was a fantastic take on the confidante.

- Cillian Murphy was a real treat. Incredible blue eyes as well...my wife will be pleased.

- Katie Holmes played the other half of the conscience, and while the film needed her the least, she was a plus, not a minus. That surprised me.

- Gotham City was a character. Not because it was overdesigned, as in the other four (which are now resigned to the dustbin of film history), but because it was given a geography, a heart, and a past. Batman needs Gotham to work.

- The origin was smooth and intriguing, and most importantly, elements of it pay off in interesting ways.

- Linus Roache brought a tremendous presence to his few moments. And by tremendous, he brought an emotional weight that I did not expect when I was watching the film. The most tragic moment in Bruce's life hit home, because previous moments had shown what he truly lost. I was surprised, elated, and moved by this sequence.

- I appreciated the look at the themes of the character and his "family". The film never forgot the central character for the action.

- Christian Bale

The other outstanding actors were excellent as expected. I do have minor nits, but further excursions into Gotham should fix that. I'll discuss more in that thread. I can't wait.

In short, I expected to find a film that I would like and respect. I ended up finding a movie that will ease into my Top 20 comfortably, thanks to a director, crew, and cast that respect the American Myth that is Batman.

10/10,
Chuck

 

[TerryRL]

10/10

Finally! WB has finally delivered an incredible Batman movie. I sincerely hope Christopher Nolan returns to the director's chair for the sequel because he has easily delivered, in my opinion, the best big screen superhero flick since the first two Superman movies.

Big props also go out to the film's cast, especially Christian Bale. Bale is now, again in my opinion, the definitive Bruce Wayne/Dark Knight.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for BATMAN.

When I was a kid, my love for the Batman television show led me onto a long path that included discovering great comic books and films that captured the four color page's excitement, even if the film itself wasn't based on a comic book. The 1989 Tim Burton BATMAN was the most anticipated film of my life, and even though I now enjoy it, it was pretty disappointing on opening night. I've been dreaming about that perfect Batman film for years, but after three more disappointments, I began to believe I would never see it.

Well, my dreams were fulfilled today.

BATMAN BEGINS may become my favorite movie of all time. Everything I love about the character was distilled into this marvelous film, with Christian Bale finally showing the world who Batman really is. The film had my heart racing, my pulse pounding, and even brought tears to my eyes at times.

There's a lot more that could be said, but I need to see it again(and again!) and need to think about what I just witnessed. But it's so nice to see at least one lifelong dream fulfilled.



:star: :star: :star: :star: /:star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Just got back from the 7PM showing. I was a bit dissapointed at the turnout, I did'nt expect Star Wars but it was pretty empty in my theater. I expect word of mouth will fuel this as there was litle buildp and I think alot of People are expecting a continuation of the original series and not a redo. Anyhow it's the best version of Batman on Film 2nd only to the Animated Series and if you want to compare apples with Apple "Mask of the Phantasm" I just think the animated series strikes the right chord, however BB is only a slive away. Bale is fantastic as Bruce Wayne finally the character gets depth that Keaton, Kilmer and Clooney just could'nt Muster (Although Keaton came close he lacked the physical Prescence) Bale is good in and out of the cowl. The supporting cast is equally great and the movie focuses on Wayne/Batman and not the over the top villians as the other series. The movie also gets the Batman/Gordon relationship. That's an intrical part of the Mythos missing in the previous series. Gordon is the closest thing Batman will have as a friend and it starts off well here, I like how the film establishes their relationship early on. If there is a Flaw it's in the fighting scenes. An intergral part of Batman is when he kicks some serious criminal ass. The camera however is so close to the action it's often hard to see what is going on. I don't know if it's Chris Nolans unfamiliarity in the action Genre or maybe it's the costume does'nt lend itself to rapid movements, it's less stiff here than in the previous films, still I imagine it's hard to move around in.

It's really my only complaint in otherwise a very fond portrayal of the character. And I like the tip of the Hat to another Batman Foe at the end.

4 Stars

 

[Will K]

I think it's a foregone conclusion Christopher Nolan is now a major filmmaker. I've never been a huge Batman fan and was never terribly fond of those freakish Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher films, but this movie chews them up like Bruce the Shark and leaves them gurgling in the dust.

Batman Begins is one of those rare films that is almost perfect on every level. Christian Bale is intense and menacing, evoking the rage and heartbreak going on behind his eyes. He's surrounded by a classy, formidable cast who take the material seriously and leave the ham at the deli. It's also great to see Gary Oldham play a nice, non-psycho for a change. The writing is witty at the right moments without being cheesy or asinine.

On the heels of You Know What: Episode III, this is truly the Summer of Darkness. Staying true to the source mythology, this film is both visually and thematically very dark, quite easily dispelling the notion comic book heroes are just for kids. There are moments where I thought I was watching a horror film, including a startling vision of Batman as seen through the eyes of a villian who is getting a taste of his own medicine. Not exactly fare for small children.

I rarely see films a second time in theaters. This one I will.

10/10

 

[AJ Johnson]

This movie was the first Spider-man all over again. Great set-up with the character scenes in the first hour only to become a generic action movie in the 2nd half.

What BB got right...

I liked how Bruce's story was told through flashbacks and seen through the different periods of his life.

Christian Bale IS Batman/Bruce Wayne. He has that role locked now. His Batman voice worked in some scenes but not in others but I can live with that. He simply nailed this role a lot better than I could have ever hoped. There were some great Bruce Wayne moments (the rage he feels at Chill's hearing, playing the drunk at the party, anytime he interacts with Freeman, etc). The ONLY thing that annoyed me was that dopey smile/expression he got every single time he talked to Rachel.

Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine brought class and just the right amount of subtle humor to this movie. It was a joy anytime they were on screen. I hope both are back for the sequel.

Tom Wilkinson was great as Falcone and made me hate him. Too bad he was wasted. I wish he could have had more screentime because he was the best villain in the movie and the only one with a true motive.

The cinematography was excellent. I loved gritty and dark look of the city as opposed to that fantasy/neon stuff Burton and Schumacher liked.

I loved the effects of the fear gas.

The ending dialogue between Batman and Gordon made me smile. It's the only thing about Gordon's character I liked really. The Joker reference was a very nice set up for the inevitable sequel.

Where BB went astray...

After all the great character moments there's no payoff. Action-wise Batman Begins is EASILY the worst edited movie I've seen in a long time. Not only were the fight scenes choppy and shot terribly (even worse than I saw from the HBO special) but every action scene turned out like that including the Tumbler chase and that god-awful train sequence. I never got a sense of speed with the Tumbler. The way Nolan shoots the scene it could have been going 30 MPH for all I know and honestly that's the way it looked at times.

The villains. Not one villain is properly developed. Other than Falcone they just seem to be there for the hell of it and none of their motives are really worth a damn. Cillian Murphy wasn't given enough time to make an impact on me. And the way Scarecrow goes out...blah.

Gordon was developed no better than the villains. He says all the cliche things to tell the audience "I'm a good cop" and that's about it. You never really get to know the guy. Watching him operate the Tumbler was cringe-worthy. I had the same feeling watching little Anakin accidently blow up the space station in Phantom Menace.

In summary, if the action scenes were handled right and certain elements (namely character development and pacing in the 2nd act) were better this could have been the ultimate Batman AND superhero movie. It had potential but ran out of gas half way through.

 

[Mike Graham]

This film is HUGE. The scope of it completely blows the doors off of the previous films. Theres a nice mix of humour thrown in just the right places to make the film even better. Each supporting part is so perfectly cast, particularly in the case of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, that their brief screen time is even more enjoyable. As soon as we meet both of these characters, they're instantly likeable.

Yes, the action is poorly shot and edited during the hand to hand combat, which is perhaps the only disappointment. Nolan's previous films were masterfully edited so that the viewer clearly understood what was going on no matter what, but here the shots are so tight and short that the viewer is barely able to keep track.

Nolan's style is evident particularly in the flashbacks, which have the same hand held look that the memories shown in Memento and Insomnia had. Nolan approached the script as an adventure film, and its this mentality thats right for the material: the excursion at the beginning of the film to an Asian country is the perfect setup for the story, and the return to Gotham even more meaningful.

As for the villains:
the League of Shadows reminded me of the Millennium group from the Chris Carter TV series. They thought their evil influence actually served a greater good, when in fact they were no better then the criminals they believed they were fighting against.


Easily on par with Spiderman 2 and Episode III. A

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Batman Begins is, to put it bluntly, the best film I've seen the year. The promise I'd seen in every other incarnation of the character, be it the mediocre preceding films or the very solid but episodic animated series, is realized here. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman all provide the definitive portrayals of their respective Batman supporting characters. While Batman himself is probably too big for any definitive portrayal, Bale is the best actor in the suit, and the second behind Kevin Conroy for best voice for the role. Like Reeve for Clark Kent/Superman, Bale creates essentially two extrodinarily different characters for the lead. The movie spends nearly the entirety of its running time bringing us into Bruce Wayne's life, so that we understand and symapthize with him by the end. We never see Batman from Batman's point of view. Only through three characters' eyes do we even get to see him clearly - Sgt. Gordon, the last honest cop, Rachel Dawes, assistent D.A. and Wayne's childhood friend, and finally a little boy, who comes from a broken home and takes inspiration where he can get it. The rest of the characters who encounter Batman are criminals, and they see only the legend behind the man. A flash here, one bad guy's gone. Turn around, the other guy just disappeared. You're next, living a horror movie and Batman is the monster.
Unlike the previous movies, where the villains overshadowed Batman in presense as well as screentime, Batman hangs over the Gotham underworld like the Shadow over Lord of the Rings' Mordor. One of the great achievements is that this Gotham HAS an underworld, among everything else you would expect of a fully fleshed-out city. It strikes a completely opposite take from the previous Batman saga, where Gotham was cramped and repeditive but never comprehensible. This Gotham FEELS huge, yet the movie takes the time to paint all of the proceedings into a coherent urban geography. This is the Narrows, mob boss Carmine Falcone (masterfully played by Tom Wilkinson)'s domain. That is Wayne Tower, at the center of upscale downtown. Each location has it's cast of key players, who fit in like extensions of the set. It is essential that each be placed instantly as their given piece of the puzzle, because this film is ambitious - no less than six signature villains of various types and inspirations, all interconnected in a complex exchange of affairs.
If Clark Kent had the conflicting influences of Johnathan Kent and Jor-El to help shape his adult identity as Superman, this film gives Bruce way the conflicting influences of Thomas Kent and Henri Ducard to help shape Batman. Batman, as conceived in this film, could not exist without either. Thomas Wayne gave Bruce his idealism and his drive to see Gotham towards safety. Henri Ducard gave him the cruel brutal means and tactics through which to suceed. Bruce Wayne lacks super powers, so it is through Ducard's training that he becomes more than a man. The clash of ideals between Thomas Wayne's mission of compassion and Ducard's unyielding quest for vengeance is at the heart of this film. Both play into what Batman is, and each provides the check against the other that allows Batman to suceed where both ultimately fail. Justice unhampered by compassion is as criminal as the acts which required justice in the first place. Yet compassion without consequence for failure is neither sustainable nor ultimately desireable.
Finally all the pieces fall into place in a single medium and in a single story: how a scared and tramatized boy grew up to fight back against the darkness. The tenuous relationship between justice and the law, personified through Batman's relationship with Gordon. The full dimension of the relationship of between Bruce Wayne and his butler - which is not only involving narratively but striking emotionally as well. The fantastic criminals, like the Scarecrow, are placed in a greater tapestry of Gotham's criminal underworld, and pleasingly, the real villains wear suits and ties rather than halloween masks and garish costumes. The whole thing builds to a cohesive whole, creating a world no less complete or innovatively conceived than the Star Wars saga. We may get a portrayal of Batman this good again.:star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[ChrisMatson]

Wow!

I just got back and I am not disappointed. Batman Begins succeeds on all levels. As others have said, there are few minor gripes here and there, but overall this movies stands as one the greatest Superhero/Comic Book movies yet.

I give it an easy 10/10.

I plan on seeing it again--soon.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Batman Begins Rules! Awesome, awesome flick! What a cast - from Bale, Neeson, Caine, Oldman, Freeman, Hauer, and Holmes. They all deliver.

The movie almost borders on being a horror flick at times. The Bat is scary and he scares the crap out of the bad guys. Highly recommended and I cannot wait to see it again!

 

[James_Kiang]

I left some comments in the Discussion thread. I'll just add here that this is my most enjoyed movie of the year and easily the best Batman movie I've ever seen. I will be spreading the word to everyone I know that this is one not to miss.

10/10

 

[Travis_S]

An easy 4 stars to me. Finally, the REAL Batman shows up on screen. I must say that it was (almost) worth Batman and Robin to make sure that this movie got made. I can't wait for the sequel!