Batman Begins (possible spoilers)

[Ghoulish Delight]

[Disclaimer: Forgive me, and please correct me, if I get anything wrong regarding the history of the Batman story and what is and isn't in the comic books. My knowledge is limited, mostly to the animted series. It was always my understanding that the animated series followed the comics relatively faithfully, but I could be wrong]

We saw Batman Begins this weekend, and I loved it. Batman is back! This really needn't be a long review. Just a quick rundown of the pluses and the small handfull of minuses.

The pluses were many. I thought all of the actors and all of the characters were great. I thought the look and feel were awesome. And, most importantly, the writing we excellent. This movie involved two of my favorite villains, Ra's Al Ghul and the Scarecrow, and they did justice to them. Scarecrow's role was minor, but it seemed to be left open for a future return, which is fine with me. And, from what I know of the comic books, they took some liberties with the story by combining the Scarecrow plot with the Ra's Al Ghul plot...and it was done masterfully. There was purpose to both characters and didn't feel cobbled together in the least.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. I have a short list of things I didn't like. Fight scenes, models/cgi, and one really bad round of plot convenience playhouse.

Fight scenes: One of a growing list of movies where the fight scenes are shot too dark, with too many short edits, and too close. And everyone's wearing black. You have no idea what's going on, who threw the last punch, or who is winning the fight. In this case, there was a creative purpose to this as much of the movie had to do with fear and confusion. Good idea, bad execution. The should have been able to get the "fear and confusion" across without confusing the audience.

Models/cgi: Not so much from a technical standpoint, they looked decent enough (though one or two bits stood out as "hey look, it's the cgi bits"). But mostly, the overall setting was uninteresting. Gotham didn't wow me.

Plot convenience playhouse: One really bad awful moment where no amount of suspension of disbelief should have allowed what happened to occur

As the police are shutting down an entire section of the city due to the most violent criminals in the city escaping a mental institution, the DA chick walks up to the police and literally says nothing more than, "I'm from the DA's office, let me through," and they just let her through. Retarded, and completely unecessary. All they had to do was have a crowd of people trying to get through, distracting the police, and have her slip through in the confusion. That line was ridiculous.

That's it. Everything else was a-ok with me. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Not only do I think it's the best Batman movie ever made, I think it might be the best superhero movie ever made. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I nearly wet myself with excitement. And all those Brits types doing the BEST U.S. accents I've ever heard?! Holy CRAP, Tom Wilkinson is amazing. Gary Oldman never went crazy once. He was just shy and sweet and tender hearted and good, and I totally love watching him evolve into the eventual Commissioner Gordon. Liam Neeson gave one of his best performances and was so effin' good locking.

Cillian Murphy was a marvelous and terrifying Scarecrow, I thought. And I love how they did the effects for the gas.

Christopher Nolan just gets is. I give him major, major kudos.

Gotham City was beautifully done. Loved the Asian influence.

Ah, me. I loved this movie. I might have to go see it again before it's out of the theaters. Maybe with my Dad.

"And, from what I know of the comic books, they took some liberties with the story by combining the Scarecrow plot with the Ra's Al Ghul plot...and it was done masterfully."

Ditto.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Gary Oldman never went crazy once. He was just shy and sweet and tender hearted and good, and I totally love watching him evolve into the eventual Commissioner Gary Oldman is the ultimate chameleon. I never recognize him from role to role. It's like he has plastic surgery between every job.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I saw The Scarlett Letter because he was in it. Afterwards, I asked myself, Was he out of his fvcking mind? Drunk? On drugs? Fvcking Demi Moore? WHY WOULD HE BE IN THIS COMPLETE PIECE OF DOG ****E!?

Then I read an interview with him a couple of years later where he said he was drunk the entire time he was on set, and the movie was filmed before he went into rehab.

So I was right.

Have you ever seen a very strange movie he filmed with Lena Olin, Romeo is Bleeding. Straaaaaange. And neato.

[libraryvixen]

Then I read an interview with him a couple of years later where he said he was drunk the entire time he was on set, and the movie was filmed before he went into rehab.

So I was right.



Hee hee... you're a movie psychic. Though... for a drunk performance, it was better than some "normal" acting (see: Hilary Duff)

[CoasterMatt]

Sorry, when I first read the topic, I read

BATMAN BEGUINES

I could see Baz Lurhman making that film :p

[Motorboat Cruiser]

We were most pleasantly surprised with the movie. I'm not a huge Christian Bale fan but he played the role better than I imagined he would. Loved Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman. I agree about the Gotham thing, didn't really do it for me. Still, a fun time and can't wait for a sequel.

[mistyisjafo]

I saw it too. It was so awesome. The best movie this summer by far. Course it's been a crappy summer but who cares! Batman Begins was fantastic. I mean I loved the original movie by Tim Burton and even #2 but this movie was so much better and darker.

Did I mention that I liked it at all??!!!

[scaeagles]

We actually had a babysitter tonight and went to see it. Simply remarkable. I agree with Eliza - could be the best super hero movie ever made.

What was amazing to me was thay Batman became someone who was believable. Spiderman getting bit by a radioactive spider and mutating into Spiderman? Nah. Good movies, but nah. Superman the space alien? nah. But this - I could believe that this Batman was real.

The set up for his evolution into the caped crusader was masterfully done. The flashback scenes combined with his training and mentoring, and his refusal to join the league of shadows involved excellent story telling and dialogue with superb acting all around.

I am someone who knows nothing of Batman in the comics - so the plots intertwining various villians meant nothing to me and couldn't have ruined the movies.

I was just glad this wasn't as stupid as any of the other Batman movies, as I really thought the others sucked.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I am someone who knows nothing of Batman in the comics - so the plots intertwining various villians meant nothing to me and couldn't have ruined the movies.
Actually, it very well cold have. Because the danger lies not in, "I'm a geek and know those characters don't go together, therefore it sucks." The danger lies in, "WTF was that plot about? Why the hell are those two villains working together? What is this contrived bs?" It's happened before (Batman Returns and, even worse, Batman and Robin, for instance). You don't have to know the comics to recognize bad writing and poorly pieced together gimicks.

[scaeagles]

Well certainly, GD. I just meant that I have no knowledge of how the villians in the comic books have acted or alligned themselves, if at all. I would have no frame of reference to say "The scarecrow working with the Al Guhl guy? No way!".

It was well done - unlike the earlier Batman flicks you mention. I was glad that the villians weren't all altered from falling into some chemical as seemingly every villian in the other batman flicks were.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I was glad that the villians weren't all altered from falling into some chemical as seemingly every villian in the other batman flicks were.That's actually a hallmark of Batman villains. Even the Scarecrow. Notice at the end of the movie, he refers to himself as the Scarecrow after being exposed to his own drug. That's when he becomes truly maniacly evil, not just greedy and corrupt.

[mousepod]

We also loved the movie. I appreciated what Tim Burton did with the first two flicks, but this one just worked as a film, without the constant reminder that we're watching a comic book come to life.

A couple of points not mentioned so far:
- The fact that such a cast of stars could be in a movie and not overwhelm the script is a testament to good filmmaking. Simple as that.
- The "Rachel Dawes" character did nothing for me. I hear Katie isn't coming back for the sequel. Big deal.
- Like the comics and Batman:The Animated Series (out now on DVD! Buy 'em all!), the villains don't die! That's the way it ought to be. Introducing and killing the Joker in the first Tim Burton flick really pissed me off.

Heady from my experience with Batman, I was all ready to plunk my money down for the FF movie. Then I read the reviews. Looks like a bargain matinee for that one - or maybe I'll wait for HBO...

[Cadaverous Pallor]

the villains don't die! That's the way it ought to be. Introducing and killing the Joker in the first Tim Burton flick really pissed me off.
They killed off Liam Neeson though.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

off.
[/SPOILER]
Heady from my experience with Batman, I was all ready to plunk my money down for the FF movie. Then I read the reviews. Looks like a bargain matinee for that one - or maybe I'll wait for HBO...

Or its widescreen DVD release. Heh.

Poor Katie. She was really good in Pieces of April and The Gift. I think it was just a lame character, and boy did I hate her speech:

"You're not the man I used to love. You know, the one I slapped because he was angry and feeling sorry for himself, and taking advantage of the people who loved him. Now you're together and your Batman, and that's just not good enough for me. I'm sorry."

No idea if they plan on having a Ms Vale. I'm only interested in Catwoman. Man, Michelle P. was a fantastic Catwoman.

Who do you think should be cast as the Joker?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm going to be stubborn and say I'm bummed they are going to redo the Joker and probably Catwoman at some point. :( The Burton versions are still "the real ones" in my mind.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I loved Burton's vision.

But Nolan's is his own thing, and those characters will be different in his hands. I'm nothing but excited!