Haunted by his parent's murder, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) leaves Gotham City to find distraction. While in Asia, Wayne is challenged to face his fear and begins training with the mysterious League of Shadows under Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). A disagreement in philosophy pulls Wayne back to Gotham City to find it governed by corruption and its citizens living in fear. Returning home, Wayne crafts a new identity with the help of Alfred (Sir Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), determined to rid Gotham's citizens of fear.
Christopher Nolan directs this reboot of the beloved superhero. Gone is the camp, replaced by a solid origin story that builds a frame work for more. Nolan combines key elements of action, dialogue, CGI, and cinematography to create pure entertainment with teeth.
Casting is top-notch. Christan Bale delivers as solid performance as Wayne and his alter ego. Bale tempers his superhero with a nuanced uncertainty that allows Caine and Freeman's characters to shine. Michael Caine's Alfred is better than any other. Freeman plays Batman's very own Q. Not to be overlooked, Gary Oldman in a faithful portrayl of Jim Gordan.
Cillian Murphy takes a turn as comic book baddie, Dr. Jonathan Crain/Scarecrow. His storyline is marginalized alongside Tom Wilkinson's crime boss Carmine Falcone and the League of Shadows.
The production is slick. Under Nolan's direction, Batman Begins takes on fresh attitude. Sure it's moody, but it's more than that. Batman Begins feels raw and gritty. The action is explosive, the drama engaging, and the story real. In the midst of all this, is a natural evolution of the character. From the suit to the cave, Nolan's production team has left nothing behind. The opulence of Wayne Manor, the machine that is Wayne Enterprises, each gadget--it's all very grounded.
As I see it, Batman Begins is perfectly executed. Nolan successfully revitalized a dead franchise to create a superhero more interesting than we remembered.
For more on the franchise, see The Dark Knight review.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Batman Begins (2005)
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2 comments:
Wow. No mention or love for Liam Neeson?
The obmission was purely a mistake. You and I both know that Neeson is hardly a footnote here. As Ducard, he is perfectly enigmatic. Ken Wantanabe was a waste, though.
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