Batman Begins [Blu-ray] [2005]

Now I will have nothing bad said about the older Batman films, they are fondly remembered as incredibly good fun and well worth the occasional watch, especially Batman and Robin, despite what is said about them. They are however films that were made to be entertainment; focusing on action and `jokes' rather than character development and plots, they were simple, more about popcorn stuffing than existential thought which isn't always a bad thing and not something to moan over (unless you have to pay today's popcorn prices that is) with Batman Begins we have a game changer as Batman gets clever, Batman gets psychological.Batman Begins is all about the birth of the Dark Knight, for the first time he has depth, rather than just being a faceless superhero cipher. Batman is given an edge, he walks the line, in this film it is not as simple as him jumping in on the bad person and beating him up anymore. It is only accidental circumstances which prevent him from being the bad person. This contributes to the thrill of the film; we are on the edge with him or the whole time and we become invested in the choices that keep Bruce Wayne a man who uses the monster for justice rather than a monster who is merely a force unchecked by will, if that puts you off don't worry there is a load of action as well.Batman Begins is gritty in a way that the older films never were and it really benefits from it.If there is one problem with the film it is that perhaps the Scarecrow villain was a bit underused, he seems to be there to pad out certain parts of the plot and it feels like he could have been a rather interesting and quite deep character had he been more fully explored. In the grand scheme of things its only a small gripe.Camera work does the job nicely enough, it is not overly spectacular or overly introspective but it fits in well for a big blockbuster; nothing too complex, just enough to make it a good watch, it never gets in the way and with films like these (that is designed to make money rather than be an artistic piece) that is what counts.This film stands as a truly great comic book adaptation well worth multiple views and well worth spreading the news about.

Well, feeling that Joel Schumacher had effectively killed off the Batman franchise with the camp nonsense that was 'Batman and Robin,' I was somewhat surprised to hear there was a reboot a few years later. Of course, reboots are everywhere these days but just a decade ago it was still a fairly new concept. So, not really knowing what to expect, I sat down to watch this film and was mightily impressed, though not just by its scale, its heart thumping action scenes and its gorgeous visuals but also by its storytelling and performances. Finally, we were given some background and psychological insights as to why Bruce Wayne became Batman, all thanks to director Christopher Nolan's and writer David Goyer's intelligent screenplay. What was also impressive was how they managed to take a comic book character and make not only him real and plausible but also the outlandish gadgetry he used too. Casting was also key, with Christian Bale perfect as both Bruce Wayne and the titular crime fighter, while ably supported by such stalwarts as Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer, Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman; as well as rising stars, Cillian Murphy and Katie Holmes.In the decade or so since its release, comic book films have largely turned away from the dark seriousness that this film seemed to enshrine as the way ahead for such movies and have injected far more fun, which is understandable as gloomy introspection can be a little dull after a while but for those who like the darkness and the more realistic approach to such fantastical characters, you really can't beat 'Batman Begins' and its two sequels. So, Christopher Nolan, I salute you!

A great explanation as to how he got his physical skills and how/where he gets his ever increasingly clever gadgets from...and what else can be said about The Tumbler! I really enjoyed watching this film and it is great on Blu-ray. A surprise was the amount of good extra material that didn't feel like it was quickly thrown together to take up disc space. It is both interesting and entertaining and I haven't thought that about extras on some of the Blu-ray discs I've bought even recently. Very pleased with the purchase (and it arrived early!)