Summer Filmic Gorging 2005, Week 2

This is the make or break franchise and movie for Warner Brothers this summer, and the make or break movie that'll set the tone for the rest of the Summer as well. Critically, Batman Begins is already a success, but the litmus test of how the fans react is really where it will be remembered. Does Christopher Nolan have what it takes to pick up where Tim Burton left off to create a singular vision for a most iconic character? Does the franchise move beyond the aberration that are rubber nipples? My opinion: most definitely.

What did they get right? Tone-wise, this has to be the most dedicated to a character exploration of a superhero since the first Spider-man film. It's not just Batman who's fleshed out, but everyone from Bruce Wayne to Alfred has enough character to spin off their own franchise or television show. Anchored by Christian Bale, who does a pitch perfect acting job (we'll get back to that later), the rest of the cast is either extremely well-directed, or just supremely talented. I'll go for a little of both. From Cillian Murphy as a particularly schizophrenic Dr. Jonathon Crane to the always excellent Gary Oldman as an up-and-coming Sgt. James Gordon, this cast makes the movie sing. No one does a better job, however, than Christian Bale. Michael Caine gets close with a very earnest portrayal of Alfred, but the spotlight is the shaded and complex portrayal of an obsessed man Mr. Bale burns into celluloid. As a man obsessed, both body and mind, he brings the fierce intensity of Batman to the screen, but also manages to color his Bruce Wayne with enough Patrick Bateman to make the dichotomy terribly believable. Is it believable? Well that comes next.

This isn't the first truly modern superhero film. Spider-man will always be the test of films that follow it for quality and synergy, X2 was the movie that blew it all wide open, but Batman will be seen as that which really raises the bar for dramatic effect. Batman isn't the colorful figure who carries "bat-anti spray" in his utility belt or the man who dances the "Bat-tusi," but a fearful creature of the night who prays on the fear of desperate criminals. We don't' see all his actions, because that's how it should be. Stealthy and mysterious, Batman evokes a fear and wonder that can only be expressed through experienced motion and technology. His tools are based in reality, his skills are learned and not gained, and he definitely is only human. We see him fail, we see him succeed, and that's why we care as viewers. Who wants a perfect hero nowadays anyway? Although Batman is the central focus, without the villains, he'd be useless. So what about them?

What about them indeed. Without giving too much away, Ra's Al Gul is more than he seems in the movie. The actor portraying him does a very unique job demonstrating power and a twist on his general wisdom with the precious screen time he has. The stand out villain though, is Scarecrow. Cillian Murphy (of 28 Days Later fame) His light portrayal of the good doctor Jonathon Crane at first is stilted enough to make you wonder where his mind is. When he asks "Would you like to see my mask?" You know something is seriously wrong. The effect of the gas, the monstrosity of the voice and mask turn Scarecrow from a sideshow villain into something truly frightening. Is it a good thing? Yes, oh yes. It drives the film into completely new territory for its genre: horror.

It's really the feel of the movie that sets it apart. It isn't the colorful manic joy of Spider-man, nor is it the cold futuristic glint of X2. It isn't even the perpetually dark and gritty Daredevil. On its own, Batman Begins stands as a modern skyscraper laden with gargoyles and a silver spire. It's an utterly realistic launching pad for the onslaught that will be Superman Returns next Summer.

Great movie. Period.

Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars