Batman Begins (2005)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson

Synopsis:
Bruce Wayne is trained by the League of Shadows and returns to Gotham to fight crime as Batman.

Impressions:
After Joel Schumacher poisoned the well (okay, it wasn't entirely his fault, but he's the one who's been made the scapegoat), you'd be forgiven for not having much enthusiasm for another cinematic outing of the Caped Crusader. Happily, Christopher Nolan wipes away Batman & Robin like it was nothing more than a bad dream. Christian Bale makes a good Bruce Wayne, but as Batman he's a little more contentious, particularly given his "Batman voice", which comes off as rather strained compared to, say, Kevin Conroy or Michael Keaton. It works in short bursts, but with longer stretches of dialog it just sounds silly. (This is more of a problem in the sequel.) I like how the theme of fear is woven into the story, which allows the Scarecrow to be blended into the main plotline featuring Ra's al-Ghul and the League of Shadows. Speaking of the Scarecrow, Cillian Murphy makes a delightfully slimy Dr. Crane. I also particularly liked Michael Caine as Alfred, Liam Neeson as Ducard, Gary Oldman as Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. The score by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer deserves a lot of credit for perfectly setting the tone for the kind of film this is (and by extension, the rest of the Dark Knight Trilogy). It's a grittier, more realistic take on Batman than the films that came before (or the current DCEU incarnation), which may or may not appeal to you depending on your preferences. I quite enjoyed the film and definitely think it has a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It