Batman Begins

Humble beginnings

Lover: Taken from IMDB
“I got a chance to see 'Batman Begins' just this past Friday evening. I must say that before seeing the film, I felt in my heart this is the 'Batman' film we've been waiting for. Within ten minutes into the movie, I turned to my date and said to her, "This is it! This is the movie!" I just can't believe that after all these years, Warner Bros. finally got it right. For me the most intriguing part of the film, apart from the great script, and great acting, was Christopher Nolan's decision to base the film in reality. Deciding that Batman could really exist in our universe and our world was a stroke of genius. Another aspect of the film that's so refreshing is that instead of the focus being on the villain, Batman is the film's star. And rightly so. It's amazing what can happen when a studio leaves a respected director, and the creative team alone, and allow them to make the best movie possible. The only two negatives that I can think of is Katie Holmes and the fight sequences. Holmes does indeed look like a teenager playing grown-up. Her performance isn't bad per SE, it's just that you really don't buy her as an Assistant D.A. As for the fight sequences, I felt the cameras angles were too tight on the action, edited too quickly, and lit too dark so that you really couldn't tell what was going on and determine who was hitting who. Maybe we can attribute this to the fact that Nolan is not an action director. Hopefully the next film will open up the fight sequences so we can actually see Batman use the martial arts skills he developed during his exile. But apart from those relatively minor quibbles, the film is excellent, and I'm definitely going back on opening day June 15th, and seeing it a second time. A third and fourth viewing is definitely not out of the question.”

Exactly right, this was the Batman film that we were waiting for and was brilliant because it focused on who is a very complex character; Bruce Wayne. Unfair on Katie Holmes, she did ok for what was a largely under written role and the action does get better in the second.

Hater: Taken from IMDB
“This new take on Batman just doesn't seem to work quite right. Nolan tries to basically get Shakespearean with the character and completely ignore the first four films. In some ways that works but in other ways it veers off into a Batman universe that makes no sense and becomes basically a movie that seems like he's attempting to have Batman seem more realistic to being like a person in our real universe. This is where Nolan fails. The magic and fun of Batman evaporates quickly. A man dressing up as a bat and fighting crime has a humorous element to it that Nolan completely ignores with this incarnation and everyone in this universe acts really dumb about it and their reactions to it make little sense especially Gordon's character. A lot of what Gordon does lacks logical sense and he never seems to really question the mental state of the person he first sees dressed as a bat. He's portrayed like some idiot willing to eventually put complete trust in someone he knows practically nothing about running around in a bat suit. His reasons for being so trusting are never clear. Does he know something everyone else doesn't? Bale's performance was pretty average but not as compelling as Keaton or Kilmer. He also tries to have a Batman voice that sounds ridiculous. The only reason for this film's critical success is that it struck a cord with the comic book fan die hards. It certainly didn't do that impressive box office numbers. Now with news that Nolan is going to present The Joker in a sequel, I see a potential disaster waiting to happen.”

The point was the he completely ignores the first four and quite right to for the third and fourth god awful instalments. Compare this Batman and Tim Burtons and tell me which one makes more sense, I could go on for hours about how idiotic this review is however they’ve done it themselves, I quote “that Nolan is going to present The Joker in a sequel, I see a potential disaster waiting to happen.” I think even if this guy hated it, the box office numbers pissed all over this comment.

What I thought:
After watching The Dark Knight, you should go back and re watch Batman Begins as it makes the film a whole new viewing experience! Take it as a journey and when you know where the character is going it only makes Bruce Wayne’s Transformation that much more exciting! The development in all of the characters that remain in the story is carried forward and developed. Let’s take Alfred’s point on the plane back to Gotham; he mentions how if you’re going to be using new techniques to fight crime doesn’t that mean that those criminals will also adapt? Did he not foresee the joker then, was it just well placed dialogue?

The ending and when the insane escape from Arkham only tantalise those taste buds, never has a comic book adaptation sequel been so well thought out and developed than this. It also brings to attention what the Dark Knight improved on, the cinematography only got larger. It made it more of a spectacle and opened up Gotham in all its glory. The Dialogue also smartened up, gone are the cheese ball lines that made you wince “I gotta get me one of those”, and in its place sharp and witty lines that complete the realism.

Now I feel like watching the Dark Knight...