Batman Begins (2005) (Movie Review)

      Following up on my last review of the classic 1989 "Batman", is the film that not only jump started the series again after a long hiatus, but also like it’s late 80’s predecessor is an important benchmark for comic book movies to aspire from. After the cancellation of the previous 90’s series, Batman was put to rest for the first half of the 2000’s. Then in 2005 came “Batman Begins”, which also became the launching pad for Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy”. Not only did this make Batman a force to be reckoned with for a second time, but it also highlighted just how valuable a film reboot could be. “Batman Begins” was by no means a direct remake of Tim Burtons classic, just a needed revamp for the series, and one that had its own strengths that separated it from anything that came before hand. In my opinion, 1993’s animated film “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” was the first truly great Batman movie, but “Batman Begins” was the first truly great live action movie. Yes, I’ll always look back at the 1989 “Batman” as a classic in its own right, but that was more of a great “experience” then it was a legit superhero story. Over the years, I think "Batman Begins" has gotten less attention living in the shadow of its infamously more iconic sequel, but I don’t think it should be ignored, or forgotten. This really is one of the decades defining superhero movies, and the reason why comic book adaptions have gotten better over the years.  

     As you’d expect from the title, this movie told the strait forward origin story of how Batman came to be. We see the young Bruce Wayne, how he tragically lost his parents at the hands of a desperate criminal, and even more dramatic is that Bruce has always blamed himself for their deaths. As a teenager, he exiled himself from the world and became a pickpocket on the streets. One day he was approached by the leader of a secret organization called the league of shadows, who offer him a chance to make something of himself, and liberate his home city from crime. 

Through some intense training, Bruce finally concurs his guilt, his fears and returns home to save his doomed city from the corruption of crime. Unlike Tim Burton’s Batman, who went out into the night to battle his own demons, this Batman was born because his city needed a hero. Both are great representations of the character, neither is really better than the other, but at the end of the day I’ll personally always be cheering for a costumed crime fighter that is by definition … a hero. Now previous films had shown brief flashbacks of the characters origins, but there had never been a movie covering his origins from the ground up, and because of this I feel a closer connection to the hero then I did in the other live action films. This is also a rare case in which I was just as interested in the journey of Bruce Wayne the man, as I was in his costumed alter ego. Also, there were enough changes to Batman’s origin that help separate this from other films. For example, in the original 1989 "Batman", the criminal who killed Batman’s parents would go on to become The Joker, but in this film, it was just an ordinary pick-pocket, which I actually prefer.   

     Perhaps the most important thing with this films portrayal of the character is that it establishes Batman’s moral codes. While he’s still dark and maybe a little dangerous, he still has his limits. He will never use a gun, and he will never take someone’s life, as that's the line which separates him from his enemies. My favorite scene of the whole movie is near the end of his training with the League of Shadows, he surpasses their expectations and proves to be their greatest student, but there’s one last test … he has to take the life of a criminal. This is the moment when Bruce Wayne became a hero, not by dressing up like a Bat, but by refusing to kill, and turning on those who would do so without hesitation. When Bruce betrays the League of Shadows, I was cheering for him, and I knew this was going to be the film that got the character right. While he isn’t as mysterious as Tim Burton’s version, we can still get excited from the reactions of everyone else in the film who just have no clue of either who or what he is. Christian Bale is also excellent in the role, and while perhaps not the absolute best portrayal of Batman, this is my favorite performance of Bruce Wayne. He just feels the most human in this film, and its Bales devotion to the role that makes it work. Now, as for the costume ... well, I don’t hate it, but it’s far from classic. I think the head piece is to balky, the ears aren't sharp enough and the bat symbol on his chest isn't as noticeable, but that’s just me nitpicking.

     Another welcome change was that this film didn’t market a popular villain, it was sold on its story, and the hero’s journey alone, which is the sign of a superior installment. Having said that, the actual villain in this movie, while one of the least popular, is still in my opinion one of the absolute best from any of the films. The great Liam Neeson plays Ra’s Al Ghul, who leads the league of shadows, and was Bruce Wayne’s personal mentor. 

From Batman’s point of view, this was the man who helped him become a hero in the first place, so there’s more of an emotional connection between the two that we don’t get from his other foes. On the flip side, Ra’s Al Ghul doesn’t even see himself as a villain, in his mind he’s enacting justice, but with no moral principles. He views Gotham as a city that’s beyond saving from crime, and the best thing to do is destroy the city itself so it’s evil can never spread. Granted, he has a very comic bookish plan to poison the water and set lose a chemical agent that will make everyone go mad, but it’s the motivations behind the character that make this work. Liam Neeson naturally shines in the role, and it was kind of a daring departure from his usual film roles. One minor annoyance is that he goes by the name Henri Ducard throughout most of the film, and there’s always a decoy on screen taking his real name, which can make it really confusing for non-Comic book fans that don’t know the character. Also, it's a complete waist of the great Ken Watanabe, as he barley makes more then a cameo as one of the decoy's. 

     The cast in general is all very solid, and it’s arguably one of the best ensemble casts I’ve ever seen in a comic book movie. Michael Caine is outstanding as Alfred, and makes him a father figure, but is also very active in aiding our hero. The scene when he runs into the burning mansion to rescue Bruce is one of the characters greatest moments ever put to film. Morgan Freeman plays Mr. Fox, who’s an inventor banished to the basements of Wayne Enterprises, and secretly supplies Batman with all his tools, gadgets and vehicles. I love this aspect of the film, as it sells the believability in how our hero can acquire all his state of the art weapons. Morgan Freeman also has that natural charisma of a lonely inventor who’s overjoyed to give his tools to someone who not only admires his work but finds something useful for them. My favorite of the new supporting characters is Commissioner Gordon, who's played very well by Gary Oldman. He’s an extremely talented actor and he makes everything feel natural, but also gives it a little extra wait. Having Gordon as a main character was a dream come true, because he’s never gotten the chance to shine in a movie before, and I loved seeing someone from inside the police force so involved and devoted to aiding our vigilante hero. It was also cool to see him do big things like actually drive the bat-mobile. That in of itself was a real treat, because it shows Batman willing to both trust and work with people that don’t even dress up in superhero attire.

It's also the first Batman movie to feature organized crime-lords, with Tom Wilkinson playing a Mafia boss called Carmine Falcone. While not a main villain, it's still cool to have that criminal element present in a Batman film. Then we have a secondary villain called the Scarecrow played by Cillian Murphy, who is downright chilling in the role, even before he puts on his mask. Cillian Murphy has a very natural talent for playing creepy guys like in Wes Craven's 2005 movie “Red Eye”. It was a real treat to finally get a darker and scarier villain then all the cheesy, colorful bad guys of before. He wasn't loud or goofy, he didn't crack jokes and instead he was calm, sinister and kept in the shadows. His best parts are when he sprays people with his fear inducing gas that makes people see their worst fears. The imagery and visuals of the Scarecrows fear toxin are the closest the film gets to feeling like a comic book movie, but it works in the context of the story. While all the creepy visuals are great, I personally think they could have been a little more creative. The downside to Scarecrow is that he isn’t present enough in the film. In fact, he doesn’t even do much during the climax, and has no real confrontation with Batman at all. Instead it’s the girlfriend of all characters that takes him out. I actually like that, because we don’t often see girl friends in superhero movies take out villains, but it does still undermine the Scarecrow as a worthy foe for Batman.

    Rounding up the cast is the new girl friend named Rachel Dawes, played by the very cute Katie Holmes. This character is a mixed blessing, and the one thing that fans point to as a weakness in the film. On the one hand she's devoid of common clichés, as she doesn’t run around in a hot dress, she can take out a super-villain like the Scarecrow, and the chemistry between her and Bruce feels natural. Rachel even teaches the hero important morals like “it’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”, which makes her a decent role model. The down side is that she’s just not that memorable, and Katie Holmes, despite her best efforts just doesn’t feel right in the role. She just looks and feels too much like a high school student rather than someone working in a District Attorney office, and she certainly doesn’t look like someone who’d get paired with Batman.

    Of course, I can’t continue without praising writer/director Christopher Nolan. Now days he’s recognized as one of the greatest filmmakers in the business, but back in 2005, he’s wasn’t as well known. He had some great films on his resume, but “Batman Begins” is when he became a force to watch out for. His approach and direction for Batman was such a welcomed breath of fresh air, and it was a departure from the norm that the series needed. Nolan basically separated his trilogy from previous Batman movies by making them feel more grounded, and closer to earth, even with something as ludicrous as a man dressing up in a bat costume before fighting crime. Gotham City still had the same personality of its comic book origins, but it felt more like a real-world city and less like a comic-book setting. The scenes were filmed in Chicago this time as opposed to the Warner Brother backlots, and that helped convey its more realistic atmosphere. Nolan also has an eye for cinematic details, and as a result, this film has some of the best film-making on display. At the Academy Awards, "Batman Begins" was nominated for best Cinematography, which makes sense as the aerial shots in this film are unforgettable. I love that one shot with the camera spinning around the building with Batman perched on top. 

    Nolan also knows how to wright characters with sharper dialogue, but with just enough comedic levity to balance out. One little detail I’ve admittedly hatted about Nolan’s trilogy is that we don’t have any opening credit sequences or even title cards. One of my favorite charms from all the previous films were those lengthy credit sequences, with their riveting music, and those awesome title cards, which always got me excited to start a new Batman venture. I will admit, I at least liked seeing the new Bat logo before each film, which did help tie this trilogy together. This movie also introduces yet another iconic musical score for Batman which stands apart from the others. Danny Elfman’s score had the most personality, and Shirley Walker’s score conveyed the most haunting atmosphere, but it’s composer Hans Zimmer, who’s score got me pumped for the action. Seriously, whenever a situation goes down, this score just has me riveted.

     The action scenes in general suffer from some messy edits, and shaky cam, but the context behind the action keeps me engaged. I think Batman’s method of fighting are best represented in this film then any other. He’s more like a ninja moving in and out of the shadows and disappearing just as quickly as he arrives on scene. Seeing him extend his cape and glide through the sky was also riveting and something I’ve always wanted to see the character do more of. I also love seeing Batman use a sonar device to call on a flock of Bats as “back-up”. Now, I personally didn’t care for that new bat tank, as it just seemed a little too over the top, and distant from what the bat-mobile should look like. With that said, the car chase in this film is a great spectacle and it’s a genuine thrill to see Batman avoid capture from the police by bouncing his car on rooftops. 

     The Climax features one of my favorite action set-pieces of the whole franchise. Batman battles Ra’s Al Ghul on a runaway train which our hero needs to stop before it reaches a crucial destination, and it’s just a wild roller-coaster ride of a finale. As that’s going on, Scarecrow has unleashed his fear toxin, and has also released all the criminals from prison, so there’s lots of high stakes and excitement going on. The fighting then builds to one of Batman’s most epic closing lines, “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you” and Ra’s Al Ghul gets an explosive death. The film ends with a nice little indication that The Joker will be the villain of the next film, and boy did that get me excited.

     In my last review of Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman”, I described its greatest strength was creating an experience through atmosphere and presentation. Rising to the next level, I think the strength of “Batman Begins” was the journey and everything we experienced along with the hero. The arcing theme of the film is concurring your fears before you can concur your enemy, which is conveyed very well here and plays more to my emotions. In general, “Batman Begins” is a very emotional journey, as I love watching a character go though the peaks and valleys of his life, while still being engaged in an action-packed superhero story. Without a doubt, “Batman Begins” holds up as one of the best Batman movies, and it’s easily one of the greatest superhero movies of it’s time. It’s a smart film with great character structure, and it’s one of the best comebacks from a once dead film franchise.  

Thanks for reading my review of 2005's Comic-Book classic “Batman Begins” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love. 

Batman (1989) (Movie Review)

 Every legend begins somewhere, and for Batman, while he'd been in the public conscience sense his comic book debut in 1939, his real fame began, and public perception took shape with the classic 1989 motion picture “Batman”. It technically wasn’t the very first theatrical Batman picture, but it is the classic movie that set the template for the franchise moving forward and is still a benchmark for Superhero movies to aspire from. I must admit, I wasn't too fond of this movie back when I was a kid, but my feelings for the movie have sky rocketed sense then. I still don't view it as the absolute best in his long running film franchise, but it's arguably the most important. Fans who grew up with this film couldn’t praise it enough, and often it gets regarded as a favorite movie in cinema. I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it's certainly one of the most important game changers of the superhero genera. I still wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but obviously I love it, and I think has only gotten better with age. Before this film, Batman was just part of the campy 1960’s pop culture, which had its place, but this was the film that shaped his dark, complex, awesome factor that fans have come to love. 

 The opening credit sequence is one of the best of the whole series, with the camera traveling through dark tunnels and sculptures, the music builds and then in a big pull back shot it’s revealed to be the Batman logo. It gives me chills every time, and the classic score by Danny Elfman is one of the greatest music themes ever composed for a superhero movie. It fits the character perfectly, and it’s one of Elfman’s greatest achievements. 

One of the most inspiring moments of the film is a "fake-out" opening, in which we see a family mugged by some crooks. This was a great way to tease the audience into thinking we were watching a flashback to the death of Bruce Waynes's parents, when really, it’s present day, and the hero is already in costume. While I like my origin movies, it's cool how this first movie begins with Batman already in costume. Even if you’re not a fan of Batman, you’re probably familiar with his backstory on some level. He was the son of two billionaire parents, who were tragically killed by criminals, which left a traumatizing impact on the young Bruce Wayne. Now as an adult, he tackles the night as a costumed vigilante called Batman, who is either setting out to protect the people of Gotham City or maybe he’s just venting out his personal demons with no real care for anyone else. His test of character is soon challenged when the city is terrorized by a colorful villain calling himself the Joker. 

 Batman is famously played by Michael Keaton and was initially best known for his comedic roles in comedies like "Mr. Mom", or zany roles like in Tim Burton's “BeetleJuice”. There was actually a good deal of backlash over this casting at the time, but Keaton pulled out a surprise performance and not only knocked it out of the park, but many still view him as the best live-action Batman by far. 

As Bruce Wayne he was sly, unassuming, but you can always see that little twitch, like he's hiding some personal pain. As Batman he was intimidating, and just plain cool. The costume also looked really good, fitting the classic image of Batman, while still looking very threatening. While the character regretfully doesn't have much of a story arc, I feel this portrayal of Batman is truer to the spirit of the character than any other rendition. When he goes out fighting crime, he's really battling his own personal daemons, and when he enters a room ... the fights instantly over, he just hasn’t done anything yet. There's also a confidence and mystique to the character that thrills me every time he's on screen. While most versions of Batman venture out into the night because the city needs it, this Batman dose it because he needs it.

 It's interesting to note that this is the only Batman movie to date to only feature one villain and surprise, surprise ... it’s The Joker, played in this film by Jack Nicholson. 

Unlike Michael Keaton, this was a very obvious casting choice, but Jack is still great in the role. He’s completely crazy, entertaining, unpredictable, funny, delivers quotable lines and has a captivating screen presence of his own. It may seem strange that a clown is Batman’s greatest enemy, but if you think about it, they’re a perfect pairing. One is virtues, yet hides in a dark, monstrous form, while the other actually is a heartless monster that hides in a bright and colorful form. Sense he’s the only villain, there’s a lot of room for a good hero and villain rivalry, which for me comes off as a mixed blessing. It’s a very standard setup with Batman learning Joker killed his parents, while Joker in return is angry at the hero for ruining his plans and former life. Personally, I find it kind of a cheat to make Joker the same killer of Batman’s parents, as that makes him our hero’s nemesis by default, and not because of a built rivalry. Having said that, it all balances out by having Batman unintentionally create the Joker, because now we have the duality of the hero and villain forging their own greatest enemies. I find that very intriguing indeed, and it leads to one of Batman's best lines ... "I made you, but you made me first". Unfortunately, one of the films biggest missteps was giving more focus, and even a bigger character story to the Joker then our main hero. With all that said, Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker can still be regarded as iconic in its own right, and he definitely has his shining moments. I think his most memorable kill is with the hand buzzer that he uses to electrify one of his enemy's. Not only does the guy get reduced to an electrified skeleton, but he also talks to his fried corps afterword and then strangles it with a necktie for good measure … now that's crazy! 

 The supporting cast is small but functional, and each player adds a special ingredient to the film. The butler Alfred is played very well by Michael Gough and continued his iconic role for three more Batman movie outings. Pat Hingle also continued his role as Commissioner Gordon throughout the 90’s Batman movies, but while the actor is good, he just doesn't stand out as anything more than an extra most of the time. The late great Jack Palance is given a small role as a crime boss, and while not in the movie for long, it's somehow one of his most memorable roles. One cast member that really doesn't get enough credit is Robert Wuhl as a reporter named Alexander Knox, who is externally charismatic, and brings some needed levity to the film. Billy Dee Williams, whose best known for playing Lando Calrissian from the Star Wars series, makes select appearances as Harvey Dent. This is the man who would later become Batman’s arch foe Two Face. Unfortunately, the actor became less and less popular, and for whatever reason he never returned to the series. There's also this very random moment with Harvey Deny giving a speech in front of his own promotional billboard, which is a visual call back to "Citizen Kane", but what's the point when the character amounts to so little. 

  At last, unlike Superman or Spider-Man, Batman has never had a stand-out girlfriend, in fact the girl friends change in every movie, much like the James Boned women. 

Our lead girlfriend in this film is Vicki Vale played by the lovely Kim Basinger. She’s a surprisingly likable, albeit a cliched damsel in distress, always in need of rescuing, always losing her shoes and always screaming. However, despite being such an obvious cliché, she could still stick up for herself, she was supportive, had her limits, and it just made her a really fun character to have present. As for the girl always losing her shoes, Kim Basinger was actually the tallest person on set, so she always had to go around either bare foot in order to appear shorter than either Michael Keaton or Jack Nicholson. One side note, I really like Vale's wardrobe, as most of Batman’s girl friends are always in black attire, but Vale was always in white, which I find a much cooler contrast to both Batman and the dark, Gothic surroundings. On a random sidenote regarding Batman's female co-stars, this film and just about every Batman movie to follow through the 90's would make reference to "Beauty and the Beast" ... I don't know if it was intentional, but it's something I took note of. 

 Equally as important was dark visionary director and mastermind Tim Burton, who did movies like no other. He's never been one for telling a layered story, but he is one for delivering an experience, with a presentation built on amazing visuals, strong atmosphere, and in this regard the film works. Not only was the darker side of Batman brought to life in this movie, but every classic trademark of the character was perfected in this film. 

“Batman” rightfully won the Academy Award for best art direction, and even though the effects are dated by today’s standards, there’s still a charm from seeing all these models that brought the city to life. Gotham is grand and larger than life, with buildings that look like they can reach the stars. The bat-mobile also looked slick, cool, dangerous, and in my opinion it’s the greatest portrayal of the Batmobile on film. Another tradition that took shape with 1989's "Batman" is the mandatory Batmobile car chase. This first car chase is good, but looms in the shadow of the majority of great car chases to follow. Another staple to follow was seeing the hero crash through sky lines. The bat cave was also perfected in this film, with less technology on display, and more of a massive cave appearance. There are bats flying around, and every detail is just right on the dot. 

 Then there's the Batwing, which Batman uses to fly through Gotham city, and it looked amazing. That shot of it flying in front of the moon is something I’ll always remember, honestly even more memorable than in “E.T. The Extraterrestrial”. Of course, every superhero movie worth it's sault has something special to offer, whether it be thrilling action spectacles, compelling characters or the hero's journey. For me, the greatest strength of Tim Burton's 1989's “Batman” is the overall experience. No other Batman film makes me feel this submersed in a comic book world, with a strong atmosphere, and such creative visuals. My favorite scene of the movie by far is when Batman and Vicky Vale are riding in the Batmobile to the cave. There are hardly any lines, the shots combine with the music beautifully, I love those skeleton trees in the background, and it just feels like we're descending into a mysterious place. It's a moment that represents the power of film, and it once again highlights this movie as an experience. 

  The movie builds to a reasonably strong climax, in which after the Joker fails to kill Gotham's people with his toxic gas, he takes Vicky Vale to the top of Gotham’s cathedral, and an injured Batman follows close behind. Even though this finale is short on action, it still feels like a spectacle, with a striking mood and growing tension as each scene gradually builds on top of the other. In many ways, this climax is like a classic medieval adventure finale. Batman is a metaphorical Knight climbing a tall tower to rescue a girl, while Vicky Vale in her white dress resembles a princess, and the Joker is the evil that needs to be slayed. My only real issue with this ending is that the actual showdown between Batman and Joker isn’t that riveting, in fact Batman never once feels like he's rising against a challenging adversary. Still, the movie makes-up for it was a satisfying and drawn-out death, in which the Jokers falls from a helicopter, and plumets to his death. Obviously, it’s one of the most common cliches to have a villain die from dropping like that, but the Batman movies actually make a tradition of it. Finally, that closing shot of Batman on top of the building with the bat signal in the background is one of the most triumphant closing moments to any superhero movie I've ever seen.   

 

 While this movie doesn't quiet reach my "favorite movie status", it's certainly a film I enjoy, and I feel the strengths of the film have only gotten better with age. I have plenty of other Batman and Superhero movies that deliver better character stories and superior action, but this film has a personality all its own, which makes it stand out with its own unique flavor of cool. As stated above, I love experiencing all the visuals, the sets, the music, the clichés, the film noir, and just the whole artistry of how the film is brought to life. It doesn’t need a strong script or intense character depth ... it already makes for a worthwhile film on its own technical merits. Even the characters ... simple as they are ... can leave a memorable impression and are strong enough to anchor the technical strengths of the film. Again, I can't call this a masterpiece ... Tim Burton himself has even referred to this movie as "More of a cultural phenomenon, then a good film". Regardless, I still look back on this movie as a classic, a great start to an outstanding franchise, and it still did its job making an icon out of this character.

                                                   

Thanks for reading my review of the 1989 Sci-Fi and Superhero classic “Batman” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!