The dark knight returns - Batman Begins Reviews

For the first twenty minutes of the film, I was fairly certain that, once again, my favorite DC comics' character would be slaughtered by Hollywood. Christopher Nolan, director of "Memento," and master of the flashback, somehow seems to falter here - maybe he'd temporarily forgotten how to direct. Having looked forward to this film for almost five months now, my expectations were admittedly high; but the back story seemed rushed and over-dramatic, with much of the films' worst dialogue appearing in rapid secession. But not all is lost. Once past the tedious beginning, the movie picks up to an almost-perfect pace, replete with intense action, snazzy gadgets, and a surprisingly satisfying Batmobile. This is all, however, with the help of a great supporting cast. From Bruce's training with mentor and perfectly cast Liam Neeson, to an excellent first encounter with a pathologically distorted Scarecrow (played to a tee by Cillian Murphy from 28 Days Later), everyone does a perfect job in keeping things moving. Christian Bale, as well, turns in a very believable and intense performance as Batman, further proving his versatility. Hopefully we'll see him stick around for the inevitable sequels. Katie Holmes, the films' striking weak point, who plays a newly fabricated love interest to the best of her fabricated acting ability, is the only exception. Overly-gaunt and under-expressive, she seems to wander through the film speaking only in cliche. Combined with her complete lack of chemistry with Bale, she would have been better left out of the film altogether. The only other notable disappointment was the soundtrack. Boasting little more than the typical "emotional" string swells and synthy action beats, I found myself longing for the days of Danny Elfman's disturbed exuberance and character. There was no real comparison here. Regardless of the other problems, the plot was solid. The lighting, direction, editing, and cinematography are all top-notch; and with some of the most innovative scenes out of any Batman picture, I found myself completely engrossed in the majority of the film. Sticking points or no, I enjoyed it much more than I didn't. What really works is, despite the dramatic, grandios nature of the story, Nolan somehow manages to keep it very "real" feeling. I'll definitely be watching this film again. All in all, it appears that once again the Batman franchise is off to a splendid start - just make sure nobody tells Shumacher.