Batman Begins

It's been eight years since we've seen the Dark Knight and the city of Gotham on the big screen, and given how regretfully bad the last two Batman movies were, many would say that's a good thing. Batman has been overdue for a good revamping, and that's just what he's gotten in Batman Begins.

This time around the camp has been thrown out and the slate has been wiped clean, giving notable director Christopher Nolan the ability to reshape Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Gotham as he sees fit. And the results are not half bad. Nolan's previous films; Following, Memento, and Insomnia, have been complicated and noir-drenched, making him perfect for this movie whose title character is filled with mental anguish and angst.

The film's first forty-five minutes or so focuses on Bruce Wayne, played wonderfully by Christian Bale, struggling to get over the trauma of his parent's death. He's disappeared from Gotham, where he is the heir to a powerful company and a massive fortune, and has ended up in a far away and desolate prison. Here we see how troubled the man is, and we can begin to understand how and why he becomes Batman. He's soon introduced to Ra's Al Ghul and trains with him and a clan of mysterious warriors to gain the moves necessary to combat crime. It is this man that becomes Bruce Wayne's major enemy in the film.

When he finally arrives to Gotham the many characters that help to flesh out this movie are introduced at a fairly rapid pace. Michael Caine plays Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler and the man who never doubted that Wayne was alive. Katie Holmes plays Rachel Dawes, the love interest in the film that likes to fight crime the legal way. Finally, Morgan Freeman playing Lucius Fox, gives Bruce Wayne all the toys necessary to become Batman, including the ultra-cool new Batmobile.

It's when Bruce Wayne dons his mask and cape that this movie begins to lose its edge. There's just something about Christian Bale in the Batman suit that doesn't seem right. There's also a problem with the fight scenes. The camera gets too close, making the picture unclear and the fighting muddled and sloppy. Given that this is an action movie, that is a big problem.

What continues to make this film dark and entertaining are the characters, not the action. For instance, the arrival of the Scarecrow, Batman's other enemy in the film, brings a new level of fear. His hallucinogenic dust causes the characters in the film, as well as the audience, to see some disturbing images. He's a deadly and fearsome villain worthy of Batman.

Despite the disappointing action sequences, this is a promising new beginning to the Batman saga, and a welcome relief to the generally brightly colored comic book movies that have been coming out recently. It sets the tone for more Batman movies to come, and even hints at the possibility of seeing old villains return in a new light. This is a movie worth watching for any action movie or comic book movie fan.