BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

SHORT REVIEW: Proof that even superheroes hate to go to work everyday. First, I have to say that I really enjoyed this film. It is a great Hollywood adventure. It is refreshing to see adults making movies again. Director Christopher Nolan has shown that even if you have your hero dressed up for Halloween, it doesn’t mean you have to play down to your audience. This is easily the best version of Batman to be produced and may be the best superhero film of all time. Where the Tim Burton line of Batman films were comical and goofy, this one is brooding and serious. I believe the latter is more suited to this hero. Batman is a guilt-ridden anti-hero, he’s not Superman. Nolan was very smart to take this opportunity to explore the underside of the conflicted post-modern hero. Exposing the darker side of the Batman character is an interesting choice because he is essentially a god (notice the lower case letter.) Today’s superheroes are much like the pantheon of Greek gods of yesterday. They are a stopping point between us and God (notice the upper case letter.) The superheroes (gods) are super human but sub-God. The Greek gods were powerful and controlled the fates of men but were flawed with lust and greed like man. It is interesting to see one of these fallen gods (Batman) be troubled with this situation. This film takes the fallen hero’s humanity very seriously and that makes this film worth the investment. There is much to be said about this film technically. It is a pleasure to watch and Christian Bale is perfectly cast as the grumpy hero. Bale (Reign of Fire, The Machinist) is one of those guys who can read a phone book and make it seem intense. This guy is very good and I’m thrilled to see him in a large role. I hope this will lead to more large-scale work. It’s time we started getting better talent in our leading roles. I appreciate that Nolan and David S. Goyer, who wrote the screenplay, have left us with a perfect set-up for the sequel. I won’t ruin the ending but with Gotham left in the state that it is in, the rise of The Joker is perfectly logical. The ending of the film is a far better beginning for The Joker than having him being dipped in a vat of goo as they did in the Burton version. Overall, this is a top-notch film that has more brains that a majority of films released today. Nolan has already proven himself to be one of the better directors of his generation, this film simply increases his stock value. I highly recommend this film but would caution people with small children. While this is a superhero movie, there are some rough scenes that may frighten smaller kids to death. Be warned. RELATED REVIEWS: Other superhero films The Fantastic 4 (2005) Spiderman II (2004) Categories: film, movie, review, Batman, superhero, Christian Bale