Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan, USA, 2005, 141 mins

"Are you ready to begin?"

After the debacle that was Batman & Robin, it was almost inconceivable that the Dark Knight could ever return to the big screen and be taken seriously. And yet, just 8 years later, Batman Begins arrived to overwhelming critical praise and box office success. The key to this surprising turnaround? Simple - forget about Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's efforts, this is the first true Batman movie.

Combining a hugely talented director in the shape of Christopher Nolan (Memento), a writer who loves the material (David S. Goyer) and an astonishing ensemble cast led by the ever-excellent Christian Bale, Batman Begins is not only a great blockbuster but also a superb film. Wisely choosing to ignore the first four films entirely, Nolan has gone back to the very beginning of the Batman story, chronicling Bruce Wayne's long and tortuous journey to become the man that all criminals fear. As such the title character is not actually seen until an hour has passed, but this time allows for levels of depth and character development that are almost unheard of in comic book films. When Batman finally does make his first appearance, the film moves up a gear into a spectacular action epic, as our hero contends with mob boss Carmine Falcone, the Scarecrow (a creepy psychiatrist-turned-psycho), and other mysterious villains intent on destroying Gotham city.

Any worries that Nolan didn.t have the ability to handle action are quickly dispelled with brutal fight scenes, an explosive finale and what must rank as one of the greatest car chases ever committed to celluloid, as Batman desperately tries to evade the police in his super powered tank-like batmobile. But ultimately it is the story, the characters and the acting that make this a winner. Bale is ideally suited to the duel personalities of Bruce Wayne and Batman, and the likes of Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and especially Michael Caine (as Wayne's butler, Alfred) demonstrate their full acting talents. This is without doubt one of the best blockbusters of the decade and is a movie experience that should not be missed.

Review by Iain Jackson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2006