Batman Begins – Movie Review (Slightly Spoiler free)

With so many comic based movies being made or re-hashed, one could be excused for thinking that this one is another one of those formulaic, money grabbing, special effects laden, script-less piece of mindless junk. Oh, forgot about the romantic angle thrown in for the important human relationship angle. Superheroes are human too, y’know.

Well, this one isn’t all that.

From the opening scenes, you know that this will explore the psychology of the protagonist, who we all know so well. Or do we? From the beginning, Batman has been an anomaly to the superhero genre. He doesn’t have any super powers and neither is he an alien or mutated in any way. He does have all sorts of gadgets and one hell of an awesome car. So what drives him? Is it the need for justice? Maybe revenge? Either way our hero is one complicated cat … or to paraphrase a line from the movie, anyone wearing a bat suit must have some serious issues.

And it is these issues that bring this movie to life. The previous Batman movies have only touched on the issues that drive the caped crusader, using the loss of his parents as the crux of his motivation. Batman Begins, however, provides an in-depth look into all the surrounding issues that drive a billionaire playboy into donning a bat suit and getting down and dirty with the criminal elements. And it works. This is the most rounded characterization of Batman yet.

Character

From the onset, the themes of fear and its consequences are enacted, leading to the death of the parents of a young Bruce Wayne. Christian Bale is believable as the tortured and vengeful young heir who doesn’t have a care for his fortune. Micheal Caine is excellent as Alfred, the faithful butler. He has some great lines in this movie and his words of advice, delivered in a muted cockney accent, are absolute pearlers (Yoda, eat your heart out.)

Katie Holmes plays Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of Bruce and the assistant District Attorney in Gotham City. The cynic in me was waiting for the same uncomfortable “I-have-feelings-for-you-but can’t-admit-it-because-I’m-a-superhero-but-a-wuss-in-real-life” crap ala Spiderman 2 but thankfully this didn’t happen. Instead, her character portrayed the judicious, incorruptible, law abiding and socially conscious ideal that is usually the first casualty in a society run by fear and intimidation. Even when she finds out that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same, she doesn’t fall head over heels (contrary to what the movie posters might be depicting) but instead makes an allusion to how she always loved the real Bruce Wayne, not the billionaire playboy or the caped crusader.

The supporting cast is excellent and all play a part in shaping the Batman persona. Flashbacks show Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s father, as a kind, compassionate doctor who has a deep sense of duty to the community, a true philanthropist. It’s these traits that keep Bruce from becoming a murderous vigilante which attracts the ire of Raz Ul Gul played first by Ken Watanabe and then by Liam Neeson, whose tutelage turns Bruce Wayne into a multi-discipline (Jujitsu, Ninjitsu etc) martial arts expert. The whole master vs apprentice touch was subtly done.

Neeson was entirely believable as the tough as nails, egomaniacal Ducard. He has a knack for playing the flawed mentor type. Think Qui Gon Jin from Star Wars Episode 1, but with about a years worth of nandrolone coursing through his veins. The whole League of Shadows conspiracy also fit into the story well, giving the whole notion of crime a global feel as opposed to just with Gotham City.

Storyline

The way director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia), unfolds the tale is surprising given how well the story is already known. Showing a bearded and ragged Bruce Wayne in some sort of an Asian prison camp throws you. Wayne is a billionaire, so what’s he doing in prison? All these questions are answered over the course of the movie. Nolan’s attention to detail is meticulous and gives the whole movie a sense of being based in reality rather than fantasy.

The story itself traces the young Bruce Wayne’s journey through fear, despair, horror, guilt and anger. After seeing his parents murderer freed, frustration leads him to confront the underworld kingpin Carmine Falcone (played by Tom Wilkinson), who boasts of owing half the city through corruption. After being intimidated and warned, Bruce decides that the only way to beat ‘em is to join ‘em. So to understand the criminal mind, he becomes a criminal. Which explains why he’s in prison. Cool huh?

The story then follows through to his training by Ducard and his return to Gotham City. The city is stunningly large and reflects the depression era in which the Batman comics were born (circa 1939). Its when Bruce returns to Gotham and decides to clean up the city, that the story really starts moving. It explains how the Batcave came about, the acquisition of the bat suit, the making of the bat-arangs and of course, the modding (if you will) of the Batmobile (can i get a "fully sick").

We are also introduced to Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) the head techie at Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences division. Look out for the tongue-in-cheek dialogue exchanges between Bruce and Fox. We also get to meet Jim Gordon (a very believable Gary Oldman), the only honest cop in Gotham.

Nolan does a good job in keeping the story moving and the action scenes are punchy and not at all forced (as in all the previous Batman movies). There aren’t any campy or over-the-top moments or drawn out emotional interludes. Personally, the script, acting and directing of this movie was so good that my disappointment with Star Wars Ep. 3 was forgotten. This is how movies should be made.

Score: 4.5 out of 5