Batman Begins (2005)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA):

Bob Kane (characters)
David S. Goyer (story)

Release Date:

15 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

The story of how Bruce Wayne became what he was destined to be: Batman.

Plot Keywords:

Batman | Gotham | Fear | Bat | Ninja

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 38 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 10

5:00 PM

AMC

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Bruce Wayne / Batman
Michael Caine	...	Alfred
Liam Neeson	...	Henri Ducard
Katie Holmes	...	Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman	...	Jim Gordon
Cillian Murphy	...	Dr. Jonathan Crane
Tom Wilkinson	...	Carmine Falcone
Rutger Hauer	...	Earle
Ken Watanabe	...	Ra's Al Ghul
Mark Boone Junior	...	Flass
Linus Roache	...	Thomas Wayne
Morgan Freeman	...	Lucius Fox
Larry Holden	...	Finch
Gerard Murphy	...	Judge Faden
Colin McFarlane	...	Loeb

Also Known As:

Batman 5 (USA) (working title)
Batman Begins: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
Batman: Intimidation (USA) (original script title)
The Intimidation Game (USA) (fake working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Indonesia:Dewasa | Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | India:UA | Malaysia:U | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:12A (original rating) | Chile:Y7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Denmark:11 | South Korea:12 | South Africa:13V | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12A | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:10 | Greece:K-13 | Philippines:G | New Zealand:M | Czech Republic:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Canary Wharf, Isle of Dogs, London, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Marilyn Manson was considered for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Rachel slaps Bruce in the car outside Falcone's, his hair is messed up; the next shot it's nicely combed; and the next it's messed up again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bruce Wayne - age 8: Rachel, let me see! Can I see?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Deliverance (#6.15)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday To You

The Batman film I've been waiting for...

Finally, after the previous 2 outings of the caped crusader, the Batman franchise is back on track. Having been a big comic collector over the years and a long time fan of the Dark Knight, I was especially disappointed by 'Forever' and 'Batman and Robin'. To me, these film lost the essence of what drives Bruce Wayne to do what he does and turned Batman into more of a pop star than misunderstood hero.

Thankfully though, Nolan has gone back to the roots of the character, portraying a confused and angry Bruce Wayne, who ultimately rises to become Gotham's greatest champion. Don't expect to see loads of shots of Batman in this film though. It is the story of Wayne and focuses mainly on his years of training and preparation for becoming Batman. You are almost teased throughout the first half of the movie, waiting to see the excellent Christian Bale in the costume, as it keeps holding back to keep you in anticipation. When Batman does finally turn up on screen, it is well worth the wait. In my opinion, Bale was born for this role and for the first time when watching a Batman film, I enjoyed the scenes of Wayne being Wayne as much as Wayne being Batman.

One of the strongest features of the film, is the way that it manges to suck you in believe that a 'Batman' could be a reality one day. The technology is current, with no use of silly OTT weapons and gadgets, again making the film work by today's standards. Plus, we are not allowed to forget that Batman is still just a man under the costume and there are times when he gets a bit of a kicking and shows that he can be vulnerable too, something we sometimes forget when watching a superhero flick. Gone too, are the silly villains!!! Jack Nicholson was the perfect Joker but from there it went downhill. Thankfully, in this movie the bad guys are actually fairly 'normal' and manage to be menacing at the same time.

Which finally brings me to the cast. I always had high expectations for this film when the cast was announced. Let's face it, what a line up! Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katy Holmes, Ken Watanabe and Tom Wilkinson are not to be sniffed at. Even an old favourite of mine makes an appearance: Rutger Hauer! Awesome. Actors of this calibre would never have gotten involved in this project if they didn't have faith in Christoper Nolan's talents and thankfully they took the leap...

For the comic book fans out there, waiting to see this movie, let me assure you that you won't be upset. Imagine the darkness of the 'A Death In The Family' and the 'Year One' story lines. I have never met a fan of Batman who didn't love these books. Well, this is the kind of Batman you can expect from Bale: Dark, brooding and tortured by his past, yet the hero we have come to love. For those of you who are not comic fans, then just look forward to seeing how Batman should be. This film is a credit to Bob Kane's original vision and a testament to all the talented artists and writers who keep the legend of the Dark Knight alive in the comic books today....

Thank you Mr. Nolan and thank you Mr. Bale. In fact thanks to everyone who worked on this film. Batman finally Begins from here....