DVD | Batman Begins

Batman Begins is, as you’ve probably heard, the Batman Movie that the fans have been hanging out for. Well, I’m not fan, but compared to what has been done before, I’d say that this was the best, and could almost make me into a fan.

But for a comic book movie, it doesn’t really feel like a comic book movie. The real emphasis is on building the character of Bruce Wayne and his ascent into his alter ego Batman.

The movie starts off with Bruce as a little boy, falling into a well and waking up a cave of slumbering bats – it’s a defining moment in the movie, of which there are several. Another such moment is when bat-like characters in a play his Parents and himself are attending freak young Bruce. He convinces them to leave early, and its here that the defining tragedy occurs, a petty thief murders his parents.

Pretty soon we see Bruce as a man, bent on revenge, but it’s not until he finds a shadowy group of vigilantes who help him overcome his fear and train him to be a fighter for justice that he realises his true calling.

Along the way Bruce has to make many decisions, and it’s how he grows through these decisions that we see a man transformed from a vengeance is mine kind of guy to the honourable, lets do what’s right incarnation of Batman.

Batman Begins is a dark movie, set in the dark underworld of a city going to the dogs. Organised crime and conspiracy is rampant, and whilst Batman uses truth to bring light to the world, the movie it’s self is aided by some appropriately humours moments curtesy of the ever capable Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. The funny thing is these two veterans seem more at ease in there roles that Christian Bale does in his. Maybe it’ just me, but sometimes when he’s playing the part of Batman, she’s not always that convincing. Maybe I’m too cynical, and it’s only a minor point.

Another minor point is that the movie ends about 5 minutes too late, and finishes on a very un-needed cheesy moment. That along with more time needed for focussing on his training are my only two gripes about this movie. But now I’m just being picky.

A fantastic movie, with some great themes, set on a very dark backdrop of despair.