World Famous Comics: Batman Begins [HD DVD] HD DVD
Batman Begins [HD DVD] HD DVD
Starring: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: HD DVD Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen Label: Warner Home Video Number of Items: 1 Release Date: October 10, 2006 Running Time: 140 minutes Theatrical Release Date: June 15, 2005
Description: Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.
Amazon.com: Batman Begins discards the previous four films in the series and recasts the Caped Crusader as a fearsome avenging angel. That's good news, because the series, which had gotten off to a rousing start under Tim Burton, had gradually dissolved into self-parody by 1997's Batman & Robin. As the title implies, Batman Begins tells the story anew, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) flees Western civilization following the murder of his parents. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard (Liam Neeson in another mentor role) and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it. But are there forces even more sinister at hand?
Co-written by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan (Memento), Batman Begins is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a great debt to the graphic novels that preceded it. It doesn't have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of Spider-Man 2 (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like most "first" superhero movies. But it's certainly the best Bat-film since Burton's original, and one of the best superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton brought to the character. Michael Caine provides much of the film's humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. Also featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane. --David Horiuchi
THIS is the quintessential Batman film. Batman Begins is exactly what Batman should be. Realistic, gritty, and the story of how a man decides to dedicate his entire being to stop from happening to others what once happened to him. I applaud the choice of Nolan to use Ra's as the villain, instead of just going with the usual Penguin or Catwoman or something that could easily be done. Ra's is Batman's greatest foe, and was done great justice in this film.
I choose this film over The Dark Knight for one reason, really. The Dark Knight was a little TOO realistic. Batman is a comic book character, after all, and Gotham city is a fictional city, filled with fantastic villains as well as the normal real life problems that plague everyone else. In Batman Begins, the city of Gotham feels like it could be a real city, but it also gives you a view of twisted places like The Narrows that remind you of the fantastical portion of the story. The Dark Knight, on the other hand, just looks like it takes place in Chicago. I didn't get that fantasy feeling from it at all. I guess it is more just a personal preference, but I feel like Batman Begins had the perfect balance of reality and fantasy, without catering to either one more than it should.
Both Nolan Batman movies are exactly what Batman should be, but I just feel that this one got it MORE right the first time.
Being born between ice and fire That's a typical prequel. After a certain number of films about and with Batman and his adventures, the saga felt the need to have an origin, a beginning, and a prequel came out of the box. This prequel really has all the necessary qualities to make it interesting, plus a few extra kicks. Of course the childhood of the dear Bruce. He fell into a well, which was not a well but it looked like one and he frightened thousands of bats who attacked him on their way to some escape. That's his fear. Then he is the witness of the double assassination, or murder, of his father and his mother, and then we jump to his young age when he runs around the world and ends up in some Tibetan ninja-monk-hostel where he meets with some crazy guru who wants to make the world right by killing everyone in Gotham as an example to the world. Our Bruce refuses and comes back to Gotham and tries to set things right, to set crime right, to bring criminals to court and to have them severely convicted and sentenced. It's when the guru comes back and tries to put his plan in action. Batman will stop him of course, and at the same time he will settle his family business right by re-buying the shares of it and taking the control of it directly. Plus a crazy doctor, or mad doctor if you prefer, plus his girl friend from far away, Rachel, and a little bit of sentimental honey. You have it right. It must work if you create fear and panic. As for that the film is superb and the special effects are so special they nearly look natural though abnormal. Of course the formula is not new. I could quote films and books with the same elements, maybe not all at the same time in one book or one film, but all in Stephen King, Anne Rice and many others. The lessons that are behind that story is that you cannot make people happy if they don't want to be; that you cannot trust any unregulated free market economy because there are also some human beings who will negotiate all obstacles to make a bigger profit, and embezzling and corruption will bring the system down; that there is no justice if there is not a court, a trial, a conviction, a sentence, and the possibility of parole; that people need a dream, a symbol, a vision to be set on the right road and to stay on it. And a few other goodies, if you read between the lines and behind the punctuation. Quite great fun all together and if you don't like the philosophy, you can always get detached and fly to some kind of nirvana, even if it is artificial.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, CEGID
Great Movie If you like movies based on comics, well this movie is for you! I had this on DVD an now on Blu-ray.
Better than "The Dark Knight". As the title says, I for one liked this film much more than its sequel "The Dark Knight". I feel that it stayed more to the "superhero" theme whereas The Dark Knight was more of a crime thriller (no harm in that of course). Liam Neeson's portrayal of Ra's al Ghul was excellent. Katie Holmes also played her part brilliantly. Christopher Nolan's story of the Dark Knight has gotten off to an excellent start with this film. This film helped me in an ethical/moral sense as well. Certain statements by the characters has made me think and act for the better (as the legend of the Dark Knight should). One of my favorite quotes from this movie as spoken by Batman....."It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me."
Definitely see this movie.
Great Movie I love this movie. It's a great beginning to a franchise. I'm still debating whether this movie is better than the sequel or not.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
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