Batman Begins (HD DVD, 2006)

Finally someone got it right...after the last couple of outings, I seriously thought the Batman franchise was beyond repair, but then Hollywood is a land of re-invention, and, in the right hands, miracles do happen...

After watching this film, I couldn't decide if I liked it so much because it was just a great movie, or if it was due to the fact that it was so much better than the last few Batman movies, but then I realized it was a combination of both. Thankfully Nolan and Goyer recognized the state of disrepair the franchise was in and smartly avoided tying themselves to that which came before. Much like Sam Raimi did with Spider-Man, here we see a real understanding of the importance of aligning the film to that from which it came, the comic book (graphic novel, if you prefer), and focusing on adapting to the screen the essence of the characters, rather than trying to `fix what ain't broken'. There's a reason why some of these comic book characters have endured as long as they have, and fans don't appreciate someone coming along and monkeying around with the formula. The first half of the movie focuses on the background of Bruce Wayne, and how he finally came to donning the suit. This may seem like a good deal of time, but it worked for me in terms of fleshing out the characters, and detailing the motivations extremely well. I felt this was time well spent, and an investment that paid off later on...it is true Bale doesn't don the suit until about an hour in, and a great deal of the action is in the back end, but there's enough up front to keep things moving along at a strong pace. One aspect I found particularly interesting was the involvement of the character of Alfred in the story, played by Caine. He was a much more interesting character than in the past, as in prior films he seemed more of just another set piece. Here, he provides a sort of anchor for Bruce, one that doesn't let him slip off into the deep end of his alternate persona. I thought Bale did really well in his role, backed up by a very strong cast. I thought Murphy was excellent as the Scarecrow, exhibiting a quiet quirkiness one would expect from such an odd villain, but never going over the top, which would have felt out of place here, but not in the previous films. I would have liked to seen a little more of his character, but I guess it was better to leave one wanting more than to get too much. Also, I thought Oldman also did very well, bringing to life the character of Jim Gordon, the one, truly honest cop in a force besieged with corruption. I'm always amazed to which the levels Oldman goes to put himself within a character, especially here given the limited amount of screen time he had...I thought most everything on this film was done really well, from the sets, location shots, the overall feel, the strength of the characters, the writing, the pacing, the action, the stunt work, the gritty atmosphere, progression of the storyline, casting, effects...I really dug on that Bat Tank, especially during the exciting chase sequence with the police...you will believe a Bat Tank can fly...and we finally get to see where Batman gets those wonderful toys from...all in all I have to say Nolan and Goyer did an excellent job in bring the characters to life, and I hope the next film continues on the same track. Is this the birth of a new franchise? If the quality, excitement, and fun here are present in future projects, then I hope so...