"That's a nice-a donut."
Monday, June 20, 2005
Batman Begins
In Batman Begins, acclaimed director Christopher Nolan has tried to infuse new life into a once blockbuster movie series that has been lying dead for eight years since the dud that was Batman and Robin. Forget Jack Nicholson's Joker, or DeVito's Penguin, or Jim Carrey, Ahnuld, or the bat nipples... this one starts the classic DC Comics series all over again. Bruce Wayne (played as an adult by Christian Bale) is a young boy from an obscenely rich family. His parents are shot dead in a dark alley and Bruce is then raised and cared for by Alfred the butler (Michael Caine). He has much guilt over their deaths and eventually ends up in a prison somewhere in Asia, before being trained by Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) and a man named Ducard (Liam Neeson) to become part of a team of vigilantes who seek justice against criminals like the one who killed his folks. He ends up returning home and decides to fix Gotham City, which has become overridden by corruption and crime. To do this, he of course he needs a symbol, and a costume to hide his identity. Soon enough, he must battle the forces of a vicious crime lord, Ra's Al Ghul, and a poisonous-spray wielding character named the Scarecrow in order to save the city.
Bale is fine in the lead role, though I actually preferred him as Bruce Wayne than in the costumed role of Batman. The supporting players are where the casting really shines though. I especially liked Cillian Murphy (he played the lead in the zombie pic 28 Days Later) as the slimy Dr. Crane. I don't know whether this says that Cillian is a great actor with range for a wide array of parts, or whether he is simply fantastic at playing villainous scoundrels, but without a doubt he needs to start being on more short lists. Gary Oldman also gives a good, solid performance as young police lieutenant Jim Gordan, in fact I didn't even realize it was Oldman until the end credits - though certainly the bushy moustache helps to disguise him. There are plenty of other recognizable faces including Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman and Tom Wilkinson.
The cityscapes and art and set direction of the new Gotham City are a delight. Nolan's Gotham is just like a real city in the modern world, but has just a hint of fairy tale to it that tells you that it is most definitely from the comic world. I liked the design of a train line that went through the city and becomes a focal point to the story. The Wayne mansion is swell looking; even better is the "origin" sequence that, among other things, details how Wayne built his secret cave. Well-placed flashbacks to Wayne's childhood (including a scene with bats and a cave) help bridge the gap to the present.
Not everything is peaches and cream though. My chief complaint is the overlong sequence in the first half that establishes Wayne as a sort of vigilante. More specifically are the scenes in the mountains of Asia and training with the mysterious Ducard - I couldn't wait for these limp, boring scenes to end so that we could get to the meat of the story. It seemed as if Nolan was trying to explain too much about the origins of the caped crusader. In general, it is when the movie diverged from the main story that it was weakened. Rutger Hauer as the evil CEO about to liquidate Bruces's stake in the company founded by his father? This cliche reminded me of a Richie Rich plot. And the obligatory love interest is a total waste and more or less a throwaway to the pulse of the movie. To top things off, the "Batmobile" (though I don't believe it is actually referred to that in the movie) is a real disappointment. It only fits in with a Hummers and oversized SUVs world of masculine-compensation, and does not recall the Batman mythos at all.
For the most part, these complaints are nitpicks. They are more along the lines of what I would get rid of, or focus less on, if I were making it. But then again, I'm not Chris Nolan and I'm fairly sure that the film wouldn't have turned out as well. This is an enjoyable movie. It is a nice departure from most of the brainless action films that Hollywood continues to throw at us. I can't commit to saying that I would like to see more sequels - because if there is anything that the movie industry needs fewer of it is remakes and sequels - but I can say that I will most likely be in line for tickets when it happens.
The Verdict: B+.
Michael Bentley 12:41 PM
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