Batman Begins

As a massive fan of superhero films, Batman has always been the character I’ve never been sure about. Whether it is due to his lack of powers and reliance on gadgets, or whether it is because the films are known to have slightly darker tendencies than your average superhero film, I’m not sure. But I will be the first to admit that Christopher Nolan does an absolutely spectacular job with his 2005 adaption of the masked vigilante. After his parents are murdered, billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) lives a somewhat meaningless life, his desire for revenge making him no better than the criminals that are running Gotham. No one is brave enough to stand up to them, police and lawyers being corrupted and bribed, or killed if they refuse to play ball. Until, that is, Bruce is taken under the wing of an organisation that trains him for one role alone – bringing the order back to chaos. But while he trains under the mysterious Ducard (Liam Nesson), Wayne finds out that they are just as violent as the criminals he wants to stop, taking into account only their own desires rather than the implications regarding the thousands of innocents they are planning to catch in the crossfire. Determined that he is going to not only save the people of Gotham, but that he is going to put the justice system back in place again, Wayne becomes the one thing that he has always feared. The Batman. The masked crusader; the dark knight of Gotham cleaning up the streets from the mobs and the gangs. But he can’t do it alone. Instead, he finds assistance from his old butler (Michael Caine) and the technological aids he needs from an old employee of his father’s (Morgan Freeman). But will his adventures be enough to finally win the heart of his life-long friend, Rachel (Katie Holmes)? With such a fantastic cast, it came as no surprise the performances were extraordinary throughout the whole film. Bale performs the switch between playboy millionaire to vigilante trying to save the world superbly and his whole character is given a believable depth by the supporting actors. Caine especially provides an outstanding performance Alfred, bringing the much needed humour and touch of light-heartedness into an otherwise serious film. Despite the few moments of the characters themselves having to literally explain what is happening due to multiple subplots coming together to wrap up into the main story arc, this is a film that certainly proved my expectations wrong. It had the fast paced action sequences that are always needed in such a big hit, but the amazing scenery and believable characters added another dimension to the film. For someone who was initially doubtful about the film, it certainly has made me want to watch the others just to see how Nolan continues this story arc and whether he can keep up the intensity found within this film. A far cry from the original Batman and Robin portrayals, but a deep and expertly executed film.