Batman Begins [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of Batman Begins [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: A Triumphant Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
8 Years after the abortion of Batman & Robin, Christopher Nolan decided that he must bring back the dignity of Batman. In order to do that, he must forget anything even portrayed in the previous films. He must recreate the character and place him in a real world where everything isn't just cheesy puns and costumes with nipples. He did all that, and more with the help of some of one of the best movie actors today. Christian Bale, in my view can play almost any role but even I had my doubts about his ability to play the Batman. My worries were quashed when seeing the almost destroyed soul of Bruce Wayne portrayed brilliantly in the very first scene. My review will be separated into three sections, which I do for most movies that give me a lot to talk about. Those three sections are the story, the characters and the review.
The Story: One day whilst playing with his friend Rachel, a young Bruce Wayne falls down a well disturbing a swarm of bats. The bats become the ultimate fear of Bruce's and eventually become his inspiration for wanting to strike the fear in others. While at the opera, Bruce asks his parents can they leave. After leaving through the back of the theatre, Bruce and his parents are encountered by a thief wielding a gun. His parents are shot which leaves Bruce angry, bitter and out for revenge. Through a series of events Bruce ends up in the Far East. He is approached by a man named Ducard (Neeson) who's employed by the ninja cult leader, Ra's Al Ghul. Ducard approaches Bruce with an offer to teach him how to fight and to overcome his fears. Bruce accepts the offer of Ducard. We are taken through the training sessions and given a further insight into the tortured soul that is Bruce Wayne. Bruce eventually finds his way home and endeavours to rid Gotham City of the criminal underworld. He must find a symbol which would help strike the same fear into the criminals that the bats did to him. The Bat becomes his symbol and with the help of Alfred (Caine) and Lucius Fox (Freeman), Wayne starts to put together the first bat suit. There is corruption within the police force thanks to mob boss Carmine Falcone (Wilkinson). Falcone employs the help of psychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane (Murphy) who finds Falcone's men clinically insane in order to prevent them going to jail. Falcone can't trust Crane, however, as we find he's employed by someone else and is producing an inhalant toxin which strikes fear into those who inhale it. Crane, when spraying his enemies in the face with this toxin places on a mask and becomes one of Batmans biggest foes. The Scarecrow. Bruce Wayne must not only fight to find out what Cranes plans are, but he must also try to find out who he's working for before it's too late.
The Characters:
Bruce Wayne: Played by Christian Bale, I think most Bale fans will agree that this is one of his best roles. He not only plays the tortured soul of Bruce Wayne brilliantly, but he also plays the Batman incredibly well.
Ducard: Played by Liam Neeson, I've never been a fan of Neeson's work but have to admit he surprised me. At 53 years of age the man is in great shape and if he didn't use a stuntman for most of the fight scenes, then I applaud him. The character is the one that creates Batman and it actually becomes quite ironic as Ducard turns on Wayne at the start.
Rachel: Played by Katie Holmes. I must be honest and say that the Rachel character altogether was instantly forgettable and I think the whole movie could have been just as great without her. I think they were aiming to create an unrequited love story, in which the movie goers would root for the characters to come together. It didn't work, and quite frankly was the only drag on this movie.
Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow: Played by Cillian Murphy. Murphy is someone else who's work I've never really been fond of but he really turned my opinions in his role as Crane. He gave a truly menacing facade and was someone who really made the hairs on your neck stand upright.
There are obviously a number of other characters that I could talk about but it would honestly give away the entire movie plot.
The Review: Well. What can I say? This movie is incredible. I don't think I could put it any more plainly. Nolan set out to give us a Batman re-invention, some people were skeptical and some people were optimistic. I, simply loved the entire thing. The film kept its pace throughout, it told the story of Bruce Wayne in detail and made us understand the torment the man was going through. It also managed to give us new villains and give us the finale without any part of it feeling rushed or any sacrificing of relevant dialogue. It was truly a triumph for Nolan and was something that has now lead up to the record breaking The Dark Knight. Buy it, I promise you'll love it.
Movie Review: Engaging and relevant: a worthy part of the Batman mythology
Summary: 5 Stars
Around two years past it's debut in theaters, I finally decided to give Batman Begins a chance (despite diehard fans shunning it's realism).
I remember watching it during a late night, and liking what I saw, but my memory was fuzzy when I tried to recall specific scenes.
Another year passes - I am purchasing art supplies on Amazon when, by chance, I see Batman Begins now available in Blu-Ray. Having bought a PS3 over the summer, and wanting to test the supposedly superior audio/video capabilities of this new format, coupled with my curiosity concerning why I enjoyed this film in the first place, I decide to add it to my order.
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$17.95, 140 minutes and The Dark Knight later, I am happy at the way Christopher Nolan has managed to elevate Batman and Gotham into the modern world and yet retain a grim tone that is undeniably fantasy in nature.
Begins starts off with a look at a child Bruce Wayne and his growth into the determined young man that becomes Batman. I didn't know anything about actor Christian Bale prior to his turn as the Caped Crusader, but I quickly respected his intensity and believability as Gotham's prince on a mission to rid his city of evil.
Some feel the first half is a little too drawn out, but, with this being an origin story, you can't expect the action to take center place throughout the entire movie. The pacing was handled very well: Nolan knows when to introduce a montage, and when to focus exclusively on one scene for an extended period of time.
After a crisis of conscience, Bruce leaves Gotham on a quest to find himself. Soon, we're introduced to Henri Ducard (masterfully played by Liam Neeson) - a mentor that takes Bruce and teaches him the methods of stealth and war which will eventually become a part of his Batman skills.
But not all is as it seems, and soon Bruce will have to make some difficult decisions regarding his once firm belief in black and white notions of good and evil. Once he returns to the states, we enter the second half of the film where we see him regain his position amongst the wealthy of Gotham...and slowly flesh out his Batman persona.
The action sequences here are generally good, though some are a tad *too* dark (there's a marked difference between representing Batman's use of ambushes and making all of the action we as viewers are supposed observe, obscured). Of course, we're introduced to a variety of new personalities.
Michael Caine plays Alfred, Bruce's loyal adviser and butler. Caine's portrayal is a bit more relaxed and casual than Michael Gough [of Batman (1989) fame], and despite not being entirely sold on this Cockney accented version, he manages to pull off the wise confidant to his master's secret well enough.
Next up is Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. She serves as the moral vehicle that spurs Bruce to reconsider his actions and leave Gotham until he's mature enough to return. I found Mrs. Holmes's acting to be rather lackluster and easily forgettable. Thankfully, her role isn't that vital later on.
Gary Oldman, as Sergeant Gordon, was one of the few actors along with Bale that managed to impress me. You'd never guess that he was English by his accent and mannerisms - and his believability as the morally unshakable officer that aids Batman never falters.
Morgan Freeman rounds out the good guys as Lucius Fox, Bruce's "Q" (provider of gadgets and various technology) and true friend within Wayne Enterprises. While Freeman's role in and of itself wasn't lengthy in terms of screen time, he does prove to be crucial towards the end and delivers my favorite quip of the entire movie.
The score is proportionally moody and fast-paced to the visuals it accompanies. It isn't quite as memorable as Danny Elfman's work [Batman (1989)] but does an admirable job of never being intrusive.
My only real criticism is that we don't get to see much, if any, of Batman's detective side - he generally relies on contacts to get ahead. Still, I can't fault it too much given the amount of story we're supposed to take in.
On a technical note, I am exceptionally pleased with this Blu-Ray version. While I don't own an HD TV or an expensive speaker set, the image and sound quality is much better than comparable recent DVD releases. There's also a bevy of extras that were in the two-disc DVD version of Begins, though admittedly I haven't viewed any of them.
Entertaining, brooding and with morals that everyone can live by, Batman Begins is a keeper.
Movie Review: That's What I Call a Re-Launch!
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's the conventional wisdom regarding the Batman film franchise: Sometime in the late 80s, Tim Burton made a brilliant masterpiece from the Batman mythology, followed it with an equally impressive Batman Returns, then left the franchise in the hands of Joel Shoemacker, who proceeded to give Batman nipples, a sidekick and tons of neon. The audience rebelled; the lucrative franchise died.
Here's how I see it: The franchise was crap from the very beginning! Tim Burton had a vision, granted. But it was a vision that had nothing to do with Batman. The first film had some admirable art direction and some memorable moments, but it's no more a definitive portrayal of Batman than the `60s TV series was. Why? Because Burton didn't care about delving into the dark psyche of his main character, choosing instead to focus on the operatic villains and the mise en scene. I'll even go out on a limb here and defend Joel Shoemacker (one time only!) and say that Batman Forever was closer to a real Batman movie than either of the Burton films because it, at least, made some small effort to deal with the motivations behind Bruce Wayne's obsession. And don't even get me started on the casting. Michael Keaton is a wonderful actor, but Batman. Come on! Slight, un-athletically built, and wearing a hairpiece that somebody swiped from the set of TJ Hooker, Keaton didn't sell being Bruce Wayne, and Bruce Wayne is the key to the whole thing.
Well kids, that's where Batman Begins gets it just right. Christopher Nolan's low-key, realistic take on the mythology is a lesson on how to reinvent a franchise; First, throw out everything that came before and start fresh. Second hire a writer who knows something about the character (David Goyer, in this case). Next, cast it right. Finally, stick with what's important - your main character's story arc. The concept here is deceptively simple; how did young Bruce Wayne work up to becoming Batman? And unlike so many superhero origins, this horse has not been beaten to death. In fact Batman Begins benefits greatly from being able to craft a new take on the events leading up to Bruce putting on the cowl for the first time. I've read my share of Batman comics; but the first act of the film is phenomenally fresh and inventive. Managing to be both familiar and utterly original at the same time.
As the film progresses, something even more interesting happens; the whole thing gets smarter, deeper, even more engaging. The film keeps deconstructing Batman; his past, his motivations, his psychology... and then reconstructs him fresh. So - for example - we don't simply get cool gadgets, we get the concept behind the gadgets, how they work, why they look the way they do. This is both clever and interesting. Batman Begins also benefits greatly from a wonderful cast: Liam Neesen, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer, Gary Oldman, and the great Michael Caine. Wow! And nobody here is just collecting a paycheck either; the performances are great across the board. One of my favorite scenes is between little Bruce and Oldman as Jim Gordon. Bruce's parents were just murdered; he's in shock and the only kindness he gets is the look on one cop's face. That look, folks, is worth the price of admission alone, and it perfectly exemplifies the level of acting and drama in this film. And, of course, most of it would fail if Bruce Wayne himself was not brilliantly rendered by Christian Bale. This is, bar none, the best lead performance in a comic book based film, ever (sorry Chris Reeve)! Bale is smart, brooding, and deep. There are levels upon levels to his character and as those levels are peeled back, we grow to relate to a man who, frankly, is difficult to relate to. And when he puts on the Bat suit, Bale is scary. That's right, really scary the way Batman is supposed to be. And that's the way the action is handled too: things happen mostly in shadow with lightening speed. This is both true to the comics and dramatically potent. Batman is a night creature who uses stealth and misdirection and this film is the first to capture that on screen.
There are minor problems here: some logic holes in the plot and some action set pieces are less than spectacular. For my money too, the romance between Bruce and Katie Holmes is bit dull. But these are minor qualms and every weakness is countered by consistent brilliance. Not everything works, but the important things do. You believe in Wayne, you believe in Batman, and you buy the whole thing. Kudos to Nolan, David Goyer and the cast and crew. Batman Begins is the best (live action) superhero movie ever made.
Movie Review: Master Your Fear
Summary: 5 Stars
The Good Things
*Some good action scenes, especially at the end. Special effects are very unique.
*Excellent filming style and cinematography. It's a little choppy and weird, but also very detailed and vivid. Also very dark, moody, and realistic.
*Storyline is great, and makes perfect sense as long as you pay attention.
*Less emphasis on outlandish bad guys and gadgets and stuff and greater emphasis on fighting crime on the streets and doing actual police-type work.
*What gadgets Batman does have are realistically introduced. There is a logical explanation for everything he has and where it all came from.
*Characters are phenomenal. Bruce Wayne's evolution from a fightened boy to a hardened fear-inspiring crime fighter is very convincing and deep. Acting is good.
*In conjunction with the characterizations, this movie also has very strong themes about fear, destiny, and human preserverance. This film was way heavier than I would have ever thought.
*Excellent music.
The Bad Things
*A little slow for the first hour or so.
*Some fight scenes are so choppy and fastly-cut that they are hard to really see (but it is a more intense style).
*If you're looking for the classic campy Batman, this is definately not it. May be too dark and serious for some people (but this is probably more closer to what Batman was originally like).
This is the darkest, deepest, most serious version of Batman yet. It is also closer to what Batman should really be like, and above all, has some very deep meaning in the character that I would have never caught onto before (Bruce using his own fear to instill fear into others; fear is a very strong theme throughout). It is surprisingly complex, but the dialogue and acting makes it all very understandable. And of course, the plot is great and ties everything together into one complete circle. Combined with a strong visual style, this is definately one of the best superhero movies made to date.
If they keep this up, I seriously hope that they will turn the "Knightfall" comics into a movie too...
All versions of this movie have good video and audio quality (great on Blu-ray, naturally). The one-disc version has a trailer. The two-disc has a bunch of featurettes and a funny MTV movie awards skit. The Blu-ray disc has all of the same plus the first six minutes of the "Dark Knight" (filmed with an IMAX camera!).
Movie Review: A much different look at the Batman franchise
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great new direction for Warner Bros' Batman series. It's much edgier and realistic than the previous films, and lacking much of the campiness found in "Batman and Robin." Christopher Nolan's incredible direction certainly shines through on this film as we see a more human side to Batman, and we explore the difficulty of managing two lives.
There were only a few flaws with this film, but they were pretty major ones. The romance between Wayne and Rachel (Katie Holmes) seemed too forced and wasn't developed enough. It was given may be 5 minutes' time in the movie and I just didn't care enough about her character or their past because I didn't know anything about it. I don't even recall them kissing in the film. This could be setting up for future films but she just felt like a character that could have been left out.
The action. There just weren't enough scenes of Batman. He was in costume for maybe 10 minutes of the movie, if that much, and it just wasn't the Batman we're used to from the comic books. Granted, this was an origin story and he's not supposed to be proficient at crime fighting, but I would like to see more of it.
Lastly, the enemies were very sub-par. Scarecrow was not very evil, and went down very easily. Ras didn't impress me much either. I don't want over-dramatic acting from Jim Carrey or Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I would like a little more evil in the film. This wasn't what I would call a "Superhero movie." It was more of a gritty action film that happened to have the main character in a cape some of the time.
Even with these "flaws" as I consider them, maybe this is why I enjoyed the film so much. It's much more believable than the past films, especially when we see Batman falter while trying to use his new gadgets or become accustomed to his new skills. This isn't a Batman that can easily get around any situation, so I respected him more. If you want a huge Bruckheimer/Bay Summer popcorn movie, you'll probably have to wait for "War of the Worlds," but if you like some decent writing and want a new look at the Batman franchise, you should definitely check out "Batman Begins."