Batman Resurrected
New Film Breathes New Life Into Dark Knight Saga

The evolution of movies based on comic books has been slow and steady in modern cinematic history. From the tortuously bad Superman: the Movie in 1978 to the two recent superbly rendered Spider-Man flicks, the genre has had its share of ups and downs in the past quarter century.

If Spider-Man 2 raised the bar last year on the “cinematic event” aspect of the comic book movie, Batman Begins is up the challenge on many levels. It has some darkly comic moments, dead-on casting, and it blends real action effects with computer-generated images in an exciting, seamless manner.

Best of all, the creators of Batman Begins capture the spirit of darkness and vengeance that was key to the hero’s character from the very first comic book.

For those who haven’t been following the Batman movies over the years, the caped crusader’s cinematic history included some Saturday matinee movies in the 1940s and 50s plus a film version of the campy television series in 1966 before it was shelved for two decades. Director Tim Burton revived the movie with two impressive movies featuring Michael Keaton in the title role: Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). After Keaton and Burton exited the series, it limped along with the pathetic Batman Forever (1995) and the horrible Batman & Robin (1997).

Like the title implies, Batman Begins goes all the way back to Bruce Wayne’s boyhood, when he sees his doctor-philanthropist father and his mother gunned down by a smalltime crook. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento), the film’s first hour jumps back and forth between Wayne’s early years and his training in the mountains of Nepal under the tutelage of a group of anti-corruption martial arts masters known as The League of Shadows. Instructed by the mysterious Ducard (Liam Neeson), Bruce (Christian Bale) learns all manner of deadly combat techniques while finally facing his fear of bats. When he learns that the group plans to destroy his corrupt hometown of Gotham, Wayne leaves the Shadows and sets off to save Gotham by himself.

The second half of the movie concerns the dark heart of Gotham and Wayne’s transformation into Batman. Set somewhere between The Great Depression and the future, Nolan’s Gotham is the urban love child of New York City and Ridley Scott’s vision of Los Angeles in Blade Runner.

Casting is always important in action adventures and in this regard Batman Begins is a clear winner. The second half of the movie introduces us to Wayne’s butler Alfred (Michael Caine), Detective Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Wayne Enterprises corporate director Earle (Rutger Hauer), R&D man Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and assistant district attorney Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). Two relatively unknown actors—Cillian Murphy and Tom Wilkinson—add some twisted charisma to the heavy characters Dr. Jonathan Crane and Carmine Falcone, respectively.

If there’s one aspect of Batman Begins that doesn’t quite compare to that of the Spider-Man films, it is in the chemistry between Bale’s Batman and his love interest Rachel. The two are supposed to be chums since childhood, yet there is none of that instinctive communication that you often see between people who have known each other a long time. And it doesn’t help that they will inevitably be compared to Spider-Man’s Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire, a couple whose on-screen time together fairly sizzles with sexual tension.

Where Batman Begins soars, however, is in the character development, action scenes, and thoughtful exploration of themes. The theme of fear and intimidation and how those forces shape people’s lives is explored at length as is the sometimes subtle difference between justice and revenge.

The action scenes are terrific especially the early hand-to-hand combat sequences and the ones featuring the new Batmobile, The Tumbler. This is not your father’s Batmobile and it is a testament to the special effects team (and the makers of the actual vehicle) that all of the scenes featuring the Tumbler look so realistic.

In a summer that appears to be dominated by the action-adventure genre, Batman Begins sets a new standard for presenting the comic book movie with thrills, drama and emotional gravity.

Batman Begins is rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements. It is currently playing at Regal Cinemas in Boone.