Batman Begins
Released in: 2005
Produced by: Warner Bros.
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 84%/A-

Personal History

I saw this movie over at the Heights theater when it came out in 2005 (by the way, if you're ever in town you might want to give it a visit, they've completely re-vamped it since when I went there as a teenager, it now resembles more of a classic theater...at least inside the main theater anyway). At the time I went to go see it, I had been intrigued by some of the things I had seen and heard about it. Plus, add to the fact that Batman is one of the most bad ass crime fighters in comic book history and that I grew up on the Tim Burton movies (I'm not even going to acknowledge the Joel Schumacher ones, because quite honestly I think they're BOTH dumb). Also, Batman was really the first superhero that I got to know through "The Case of the Laughing Sphinx" (which I don't have anymore, though I do remember bits and pieces from reading the book while listening to the audio tape). So naturally, I wanted to go see this movie and perhaps I will also get to the Tim Burton Batman movies sometime...if I can find them

Basic Storyline

The movie is more or less an origin story that gets the most important details of why Bruce Wayne became Batman accurate, seeing how his parents' deaths brought about his desire to seek revenge at first, but as time passes his will to bring justice to Gotham overtakes the revenge motive. Once Batman makes his appearance, he eventually uncovers a plot to release a hallucinogen upon Gotham using the city's water supply by the very same organization that trained him to be the crime fighter that he was. However, unlike them, Batman believes that the city is not beyond saving and proves this by confronting his former instructor and preventing the city from descending into madness.

What works with this movie

+: The humor (especially between Bruce and Alfred...there were several moments in this movie where I laughed. Although to be fair, a few of the jokes are somewhat predictable)
+: The story (For the most part, it kept me interested...though there was one problem with it which I will address shortly)
+: Morgan Freeman (Much like Samuel L. Jackson, his presence in just about any movie makes it a lot more awesome)
+: The cinematography (Many of the scenes in the beginning of the film are quite interesting and once Batman comes to Gotham it does a good job of invoking a dark and gritty atmosphere to the scenes that need it)
+: Alfred (As I mentioned before, many of his interactions with Bruce are humorous and he does invoke a sense of wisdom as well, sort of like what a father would do for his son)
+: The hallucinations (there were many times in this movie where I really wish that I could do THIS)
+: The ending (While it is an obvious set-up for a sequel, it does an excellent job of doing it, setting us up for the introduction to one of the most famous comic book villains in existence...The Joker)

What didn't work in this movie

-: The first 40 minutes of the movie (Don't get me wrong, the story itself is great, but the part where Bruce was training with the League of Shadows seemed to drag on and on for far too long. The flashback scenes helped to reduce the pain and bolster the story, but I felt that this could've been told a lot quicker)
-: Batman's Growly voice (I already mentioned this when I covered the Dark Knight, but I do not really like the voice Christian Bale uses when he's Batman. Granted, Batman is supposed to have an intimidating voice, but I get the same feeling from it as I got from Christopher Lambert as Raiden in Mortal Kombat...in other words "this ain't right". By the way, I'll likely be getting to that movie at some point too)

Things that have me asking questions in this movie

?: If Batman is supposed to bring justice to Gotham, then why is he deliberately throwing obstacles and potentially lethal devices at police squad cars. (Yeah, I know the reason for the chase, the police think he's a menace and Batman wants to elude capture, but it seems like he doesn't really care for the lives of the officers who are following them. I would like to believe that even if the police were chasing him that Batman would at least feel some sense of remorse for endangering innocent lives)

CONCLUSION: This movie is still as entertaining when I watched it in the theater as it is now (the first 40 minutes notwithstanding). Personally, I think it's a little bit better than The Dark Knight, but that may just be me.

Story Grade: A- (the overall story is strong, though the first third of the film drags on for too long)
Entertainment Grade: A- (Again, the first 40 minutes takes away from its full potential, but there is still a lot of entertainment value to be had in this...especially towards the last third of the movie)

OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): A-
(A highly entertaining origin story for one of the most celebrated characters in comic book history. Even if you've never heard of Batman, you'll probably like this movie)

This is the final review of the cycle...next week I will be starting a new suggestion drive for the next cycle (it will also be when the suggestion drive for new video game reviews will resume, seeing how the baseball season is almost over). When the suggestion drive starts, I will also release a list of five movies of my choosing that I intend on reviewing.

Also, on a related note...I have Netflix now, which means I have more access to movies I didn't have before so it might be easier for me to find certain ones and it may also mean I might adjust some of the rules for suggestions at some point. But as of right now, that will remain unchanged.