Director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale have come to save us from the nightmare of what the Batman movies had become in this new, darker, cooler, better, Batman film.
What better time to reignite the long since faded Batman film franchise? Comic book movie adaptations are kicking butt right now, and the success of the Spider-Man and X-Men movies has finally taught the studio heads that you can make a more serious superhero movie with a genuine auteur behind the camera, and still have it be a populist film.
Which is exactly what they have done with Batman Begins. The action is there, the gadgets are there, the villains are there, but the filmmakers also take the time to set up Bruce Wayne as a fully rounded character with a convincing psychological motivation and place it in something resembling the real world.
The first act of the film presents a section of the Batman story that has remained more or less unexplored in both comics and film - just how he garnered the skills necessary to fight crime on the streets of a large modern city. Dropping out of college, the aimless and angry Wayne has wandered the grimier parts of the world for many years, seeking outlets for the vengeance that consumes him as a result of the violent death of his parents.
When Wayne returns to Gotham City, he has been absent for some time. Finding his city of birth overrun by crime, he sets about acquiring the material means (i.e. suit, car, animal metaphor) to take on a corrupt city.
Then he puts his plan into action.
Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia), does a decent enough job directing large scale action for the first time, but what surprised me was how the action wasn't what I responded to most in the film - it was the character moments. It was being right there with Bruce Wayne as his life's mission come into focus.
Nolan (along with co-writer David S. Goyer), ground the film not only by giving us actual characters, but by demonstrating the practicalities of Batman's, er, job. It's a lot of fun watching Bruce Wayne try out his suit and gadgets for the first time. And there's a real satisfaction in seeing a bruised and battered Bruce Wayne treat himself to a sleep-in after his first night on the streets.
The presence of plenty of fine acting talent classes up the film, very much helping with the suspension of disbelief, which can be an issue in a superhero film. Actors like Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Tom Wilkinson and particularly Morgan Freeman help bring the more fantastic elements of the film down to earth.
And Bale does a fantastic job. Physically suited to the role, he also brings along his trademark intensity without ever seeming over the top. Believing Batman's motivation really came down to how Bale put it across in his face - and he very much pulls it off. The costume may have looked slightly awkward in advance photos, but looks great on screen, allowing Batman to effectively slide in and out of the shadows.
Before I saw the film, I cynically perceived Katie Holmes' presence solely as a means of broadening the appeal with a little romance. But I am happy to report that her character isn't entirely superfluous and she plays an important role both in the plot and in her interaction with Bruce Wayne.
Another prominent aspect firmly placing the story in the real world is the design of Gotham City. Moving far away from Anton Furst's award-winning, outlandish designs for the Tim Burton Batman films, Nolan's Gotham is made up of parts of Hong Kong and Chicago with other parts created fresh for the film. It takes on a real world identity, and feels very "street".
Although this is a stated restart of the Batman series with no connection to the last four films, it was wise of the filmmakers to use villains not before presented on screen - Ra's Al Ghul (The Last Samurai's Ken Watanabe) and The Scarecrow (28 Days Later's Cillian Murphy). And while these baddies are well executed (particularly the potentially ludicrous Scarecrow, well played by one time Bruce Wayne contender Murphy), they thankfully are not the focus of the film.
What's so cool is that Batman isn't even the focus of the film - it's Bruce Wayne. And he just happens to spend a lot of time dressed up like a bat fighting crime. I never stopped appreciating how far the film was willing to delve into Bruce Wayne as a character.
As much as this is a serious, dark, emotional film, it should appeal to a broad (ish) audience. There are cheesy lines they clearly couldn't resist, but this will provide relief to those who are looking for something lighter.
Some of the less patient audience members may grumble that Batman takes too long to appear, but there is plenty of action to tide the quibbler's over. And it's so much fun watching the story unfold, anyone who complains about this shouldn't be at the film in the first place.
This really is the Batman film the fans - and everyone else, if they know what's good for them - have been waiting for. Plus the ending will leave you desperate for the sequel, which thankfully all the principals have expressed an interest in doing.
Highly recommended.
Dominic Corry
