Batman Begins (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  Christopher Nolan had already proved he could do characters and dialogue and in this latest reinvention of the classic comic book character, he proves emphatically that he can do action too. Taking cues from Tim Burton's previous attempt to bring the character back to its dark… More
  Christopher Nolan had already proved he could do characters and dialogue and in this latest reinvention of the classic comic book character, he proves emphatically that he can do action too. Taking cues from Tim Burton's previous attempt to bring the character back to its dark roots, Nolan's vision is so gritty and believable it makes Burton's film seem as comparatively camp as the Adam West TV series that preceded it. This origin story has no radioactive spiders or associated sillines; just an intelligent examination of a man's guilt and desire for revenge and the psychology of fear. This combined with unlimited resources that wealth can provide, Batman is born utilising some brilliant production design that not only looks fantastic, but also looks plausible. Bale was the perfect choice for the role, bringing a single-minded intensity to the character and is just as convincing in his pimpernel-esque role as billionaire playboy. The supporting cast of genuine actors including Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman add a lot of dramatic weight and the script is cleverly fleshed out. Possibly the only flaws are the fact that although Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are both great it lacks a focal villain (something obviously rectified quite spectacularly by Heath Ledger in the sequel) and Katie Holmes is a bit of a dead zone but these gripes are insignificant compared to Nolan's achievement in bringing Batman to believable life. For me, this is the best superhero movie ever made and it stands up handsomely to repeated viewings. A future classic.

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Christopher Nolan proves here that he understands the symbolism and importance of Batman in this reboot of the franchise. His direction and script is amazingly smart, but if one thing's for sure, I just… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Christopher Nolan proves here that he understands the symbolism and importance of Batman in this reboot of the franchise. His direction and script is amazingly smart, but if one thing's for sure, I just cannot resist smiling at the sight of Gary Oldman driving the batmobile. Christian Bale's charisma, charm and voice brings The Dark Knight to life and really makes the character study work well. It's an extremely dark comic book adaption and unlike any Batman film before but it's also original, exciting and filled with thrilling action sequences. Essentialy, it's an entertaining and deeply mature art house film about ideas, with a budget.

• Albert K

  
  The character development/theme/plot all mended together so well. In my opinion, better than iron man. Great movie.

• paul o

  
  Its a great introduction of a darker batman from director christopher nolan. Truly a treat!

• Mike S

  
  Just saw this for about the fourth time now and it's still as fantastic as ever. Although <i>The Dark Knight</i> has pushed it down to a runner-up position for all-time best Batman feature, it's still a masterpiece of a comic-book film, that I hold in very high… More
  Just saw this for about the fourth time now and it's still as fantastic as ever. Although <i>The Dark Knight</i> has pushed it down to a runner-up position for all-time best Batman feature, it's still a masterpiece of a comic-book film, that I hold in very high regard. My utmost admiration for Christopher Nolan, who took the mythos of the character and made him the coolest, most believable superhero to have ever existed on the big screen. Thanks to his amazing genius, we finally got the Batman movie of our dreams. One that gets everything right and leaves you with an imminent desire to watch it again.

• Matt G

  
  Batman Begins is a visual masterpiece. It isn't much of a comic-book film, but a crime saga. Christian Bale gives an exceptional performance as the rich Bruce Wayne. Despite 'The Dark Knight' having a clear superiority to 'Begins', by no means does that put… More
  Batman Begins is a visual masterpiece. It isn't much of a comic-book film, but a crime saga. Christian Bale gives an exceptional performance as the rich Bruce Wayne. Despite 'The Dark Knight' having a clear superiority to 'Begins', by no means does that put this film down, they are both the best Batman films made and the greatest films by Christopher Nolan. While this is no 1989 Batman, there are still some very impressive and well-excecuted action sequences, but the film succeeds as a crime drama more than an action film, which is what makes Nolan one of the best directors in the business. Highly recommended.

• danny d

  
  the best sound and cinematography Ive ever seen in a movie. a great restart to a film series about this figure of american mythology. every actor delivered leaving me salivating for the next films in the series. the training sequence was brilliant and the development of the… More
  the best sound and cinematography Ive ever seen in a movie. a great restart to a film series about this figure of american mythology. every actor delivered leaving me salivating for the next films in the series. the training sequence was brilliant and the development of the character bruce wayne was as complete and interesting as one could have hoped for.

• Daniel L

  
  A great Batman movie that was released after years after the abysmal Batman and Robin. Batman Begins discusses Batman's origin and delves deep into Bruce Wayne's psyche. The only negative points against this movie are the zoomed in fight sequences and the lack of the… More
  A great Batman movie that was released after years after the abysmal Batman and Robin. Batman Begins discusses Batman's origin and delves deep into Bruce Wayne's psyche. The only negative points against this movie are the zoomed in fight sequences and the lack of the "Scarecrow" character.

• Daniel M

  
  The words 'substance' and 'blockbuster' are rarely found in the same sentence. Nor indeed are the words 'auteur' and 'commercially reliable'. But Christopher Nolan is living, breathing proof that the two can come together and make astonishing… More
  The words 'substance' and 'blockbuster' are rarely found in the same sentence. Nor indeed are the words 'auteur' and 'commercially reliable'. But Christopher Nolan is living, breathing proof that the two can come together and make astonishing work. Having won over mainstream audiences with Memento and Insomnia, Nolan uses his particular blend of non-linear storylines and visual hyper-realism to breathe new life into a long-dead franchise. With all the acclaim being accorded to The Dark Knight (most of which it deserves), it is easy to forget just how good or how strong Batman Begins is. It's not just good by Batman standards, or by prequel standards; it has its own, stand-alone identity, a headstrong independence which defies and ignores all that has gone before it. Gone are the Gothic spires of Tim Burton's Gotham City, or the day-glo camp of Joel Schumacher's costumes. This is a new whole new world, in all its meticulous and frightening glory. All of Nolan's films are stunning to behold, but Batman Begins takes his craft to new heights. He is famous for not using a second unit, allowing him to supervise and construct every shot just the way he wants it. This means there is no jarring difference between the film's dramatic scenes and the external effects designed to show us the city. Even in the most effects-heavy parts of the film, we never question who is behind the camera, guiding these scenes and determining their significance. Nolan has the same gift for visual verisimilitude as Ridley Scott, whose masterpiece Blade Runner was a major influence on the young filmmaker. Both directors are able to construct seamless, immersive worlds on screen which are simultaneously strange and familiar. They have a beauty which both comforts and surprises us, allowing the filmmaker to play with the clichés and always come up with something new. But while several of Scott's films are truly style over substance (Legend, Someone to Watch Over Me), Nolan has yet to make a film which forsakes narrative substance for the sake of visual splendour. What makes Batman Begins so rewarding, so gripping, and arguably so radical, is that there is a constant and unrelenting focus on the story. No matter how much we jump back and forth in time, or how many bad guys get hit, we never doubt that the movie is in control of itself and is yearning to move on to the next important piece of character development. The fact that we have to wait an hour before Christian Bale even dons the bat-suit is a clear sign that the filmmakers want to do this properly. They have avoided falling into the trap of either the original films, which often put the narrative on pause for a kid-friendly set-piece, or the Star Wars prequels, which waded through years of turgid back-story for a few minutes of vaguely dark action. Mark Kermode once described this film as "a little independent, weird, art movie, trapped within the body of a $140m blockbuster." And he wasn't far off. Batman Begins is much less a superhero film per se than it is a detailed philosophical examination of the nature of fear and morality in a chaotic world. Both our protagonists and his many enemies have fear and intimidation as their source of power -- the former by their bribes and weapons, the latter by stealth and an incorruptible desire to do good. But rather than keep it as a straight fight between good guys and baddies, the film questions the motivations of our hero on a frequent basis. The supporting cast, particularly his old flame, push him on his motivation for doing what he does, in the way he does, regardless of how little they actually know. This is a film in which the desire to do good can so easily be blurred into the desire for power; in which the lines between justice and vengeance are frequently re-drawn; and in which the triumph of good over evil is neither complete nor reassuring. In the film's closing scenes, Gary Oldman warns Batman that he is potentially doing more harm than good; this enemy may have been extinguished, but a darker menace lurks on the horizon which will be harder to defeat. At the centre of all this is the idea that to defeat evil, one must understand it and even adopt part of its methods if the ends justify the means. The League of Shadows, headed up by Ra's al Ghul, are a symbolic forewarning to Bruce Wayne of what he could become should he fully embrace his fear. Liam Neeson's character is a Nietzschean figure, who has channelled his desire for justice so purely that it has consumed all his remaining humanity. Bruce Wayne should if anything be more brutal, since he wishes to atone for the death of his parents. But when he is asked to slay the farmer, his humanity intervenes and he refuses. This pivotal scene confirms Wayne's incorruptible nature; he may become feared, but he will never let the fear become him. One criticism of this film from some quarters is that this new emphasis on darkness and philosophical soul-searching has taken all the fun out of the character. In fact one of the pleasant surprises about Batman Begins is the extent to which humour still resides. Not only do we get impressive popcorn-worthy action sequences, but we also have a script which grows more sarcastic and playful as all the battle lines are drawn. There aren't any laugh-out-loud moments, but that's not why the film exists. The film is inhabited by one of the best all-star casts outside a Robert Altman film. Christian Bale is brilliant as Batman, drawing on his great work in American Psycho to make Bruce Wayne totally three-dimensional. He plays Wayne with a tortured intensity which makes his pain all the more palpable. The supporting cast is completely solid, with the best performances coming from Cillian Murphy as the chillingly creepy Dr. Krane and Michael Caine as the affable father figure Alfred. Special mention should also go to Gary Oldman as Gordon and to Liam Neeson, who gives one of his best performances in years. The only real flaws with Batman Begins come when it attempts the widest possible appeal. The last twenty minutes, is completely over-the-top and rather cavalier on the part of the director. It's not so much a punch in the face as a flick on the nose; not especially painful, but you still feel annoyed that it happened. Moreover the opening scenes, before Bale reaches the monastery, are very jumpily edited so that only the most devoted will be pulled in. Nonetheless, Batman Begins is a really great film which does not deserve to be neglected in the wake of The Dark Knight's success. It is a stunning combination of style and substance which avoids all the pitfalls of its counterparts and predecessors. Together with The Dark Knight, it has become the gold standard against which all subsequent superhero films have been measured, and more often than not come up short. It may not be Nolan's best film -- that remains Inception -- but it is a fantastic demonstration of how art and money are not so easy to separate.

• Michael E

  
  Batman has always been one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time (my personal favorite superhero,) because of how he is the fine line between a superhero and a villain because of how he actually questions his morals and decisions and if he should be a hero or villain, and this… More
  Batman has always been one of the greatest comic book heroes of all time (my personal favorite superhero,) because of how he is the fine line between a superhero and a villain because of how he actually questions his morals and decisions and if he should be a hero or villain, and this film definitely shows this. Christian bale does a fantastic job as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and this film is much more dark than the past films, and one of the main reasons for this is because of the villain Scarecrow, for exposing people to their fears and all those scenes almost make this film a horror movie to me, as well as the character himself. Liam Neeson also does a fantastic job as Ra's Al Ghul, But theres not much to say about this character aside from that Neeson does a great job and does a good job at developing this characters motives. The side characters are good too Katie Holmes, though not being in the film for more than 20 minutes, does a good job, as well as Michael Caine as the butler Alfred and Morgan Freeman as the friend to Bruce. The only real complaint I have with this film is that the action is all shot in close ups and is hard to tell whats what when the fists are flying, and the slow pace is also not helping the film either. But overall this is a good comic film but mainly for Batman fans

• Alexander D

  
  Really, all there is to say is that BATMAN BEGINS is a fair enough start to Christopher Nolan's three-part take on Batman. Why is that all? Because the 70% of this movie that isn't boring leaves you completely speechless.

• Eric A

  
  Liked it alot, but would've added more things to it if it was up to me. Great way to start a franchise none the less.

• Brad W

  
  Batman Begins is a genius piece of filmmaking. Bruce Wayne (Christain Bale) was young when his loving, riuch, and successful parents were killed by a mugger with Bruce watching the whole time. He soons grows up with his butler and good friend Alfred (Micheal Caine) and the comfort… More
  Batman Begins is a genius piece of filmmaking. Bruce Wayne (Christain Bale) was young when his loving, riuch, and successful parents were killed by a mugger with Bruce watching the whole time. He soons grows up with his butler and good friend Alfred (Micheal Caine) and the comfort of his best friend Racheal (Katie Holmes). When the mugger is released from jail when Bruce is an adult, Bruce plans to kill him in revenge, but before he can another man shoots him instead, Bruce then travels away to Far East and for a few crimes he is sent to jail, there he is met my a mysterious man named Henri Ducard and offers him the power tobecome the ultimate warrior, Bruce accepts, travels to where they are, and they train him to be what Ducard promised. But when they ask him to murder a man, he refuses and escapes them. He then travels back to America to Gotham City, where he was born and raised. He decides to help the city and become a warrior, a Dark Knight. Christain Bale and Micheal Caine are amazing in this film, I don't care what people say I think Bales version of Batman is amazing. The plot is dark, twisted, and takes a new twist on the comics that works amazingly well. The effects, action, and music were all perfectly done by the genius Christain Bale. I love this movie and im happy it has a high percentage from both Critics and users.

• Zach B

  
  The history of Batman, in terms of film, is somewhat of a shaky history. For starters, you have the disgraceful Adam West & Burt Ward's Batman: The Movie which was an insult to the original character, then you have the respectable TIm Burton films (Batman and Batman Returns),… More
  The history of Batman, in terms of film, is somewhat of a shaky history. For starters, you have the disgraceful Adam West & Burt Ward's Batman: The Movie which was an insult to the original character, then you have the respectable TIm Burton films (Batman and Batman Returns), and we do not talk about the Joel Schumacker films. So, when this film came out, and before I watched it, there were little hope that this film would be any good at all. Well, after seeing this film, I can safely say that I was wrong on my judgement. This is the Batman film for those fans that want a darker, more serious Batman that has an understanding of the original idea beyond the Bat and not a cartoony hunk of crap. So, let's get down to the details. For Nolan, this was my introduction to the director and, I must admit that he shows promise. The only real problem I have is that at times it does get rather slow paced and should hurry up. But, the idea of having the film more realistic, a more human characters, and just for the tone of the film to be like how it is, I think was brilliant on his part. For acting, there were a few performances I liked, but plenty that could have been better. One of these performances was that of Christian Bale. Watching this film, I appreciate that he tries to make the character different and unique, but the main fault is that he allows his persona from AMERICAN PSYCHO to intervene with his acting too much plus, more importantly, that idiotic voice. I mean, I get that he is trying to be threatening and hide his true voice, but that grow is just ridiculous and should not have been there. At all. Next the score. I will admit that I did find the score okay. There was nothing that stood out too me, but it was not completely terrible. Personally, looking back on the other scores that were great, the ones for this film, I wish, could have been more memorable. But, sadly, it is not. Finally the script. Now, I have seen plenty of Superhero movies, and I will say that the script for this film was better written then others. The problem with others is that they never take themselves seriously. This film does take itself seriously and that, I will say that it does help the film. But, the only real problem is that it does analyze itself a little too much and not have the characters be more human like. Now, I know that nothing is suppose to be realistic at all, but sense they have taken the trouble of making the sets realistic and the scenarios, could they at least made the dialogue better? Overall, this is a pretty damn good Comic book film that I recommend to people who do not care for comic book films.

• Melvin W

  
  Alfred Pennyworth: Why bats, Master Wayne? Bruce Wayne: Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread. Before Christopher Nolan dove into the superhero genre with Batman Begins he was already an established director with three good to great movies already in… More
  Alfred Pennyworth: Why bats, Master Wayne? Bruce Wayne: Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread. Before Christopher Nolan dove into the superhero genre with Batman Begins he was already an established director with three good to great movies already in Following, Memento, and Insomnia. Batman Begins resurected Batman after Joel Shumacher single handedly destroyed it. Ok, Arnold may have had something to do with it too. Nolan brought a great amount of darkness and intensity into this film and really makes the movie shine. The movie shows us the backstory to how Bruce Wayne became Batman and the difficulty of balancing both his life as Bruce and as Batman. The film features two really cool villains in Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul. The cast is phenomenal, the cinematography and music are great, and the writing is smart and explosive. All of these are trademarks of a Christopher Nolan film. He always puts the right people around him. Wally Pfister is a great cinematographer and has been doing Nolan's films ever since Memento, Hans Zimmer is always outstanding, and Nolan's trusted cast members never fail. As a start to the trilogy, it's perfect and I like aspects of this movie better then The Dark Knight, even though The Dark Knight is my favorite movie. Obviously Katie Holmes isn't amazing, but I do like her more then Maggie Gyllenhaal. I also like Bruce Wayne aspect of this movie more than in the second, but it was much more important here. Ultimately Nolan has a chance with The Dark Knight Rises to possibly make the best trilogy ever or at least rival the likes of The Lord of the Rings. This my second favorite superhero movie ever and the other one is The Dark Knight.

• Bethany M

  
  Christian Bale is outstanding! Even though it was really long I watched it without thinking that it was. A must see!

• Drake T

  
  A fitting title, Batman Begins is really the theatrical origin story of Bruce Wayne that comic book fans were all looking forward to and the masses deserved. A vast improvement on Batman &amp; Robin, this film delivers the seriousness that the dark knight was always meant to be… More
  A fitting title, Batman Begins is really the theatrical origin story of Bruce Wayne that comic book fans were all looking forward to and the masses deserved. A vast improvement on Batman &amp; Robin, this film delivers the seriousness that the dark knight was always meant to be portrayed but rather than Burton's artistic approach of this fantasy world Nolan chooses to bring Gotham into our lives more realistic than ever. It hardly breaks new ground in the Superhero genre but the tone and gritty approach is certainly an improvement on other origin films hitting Hollywood.

• Kase V

  
  A great reboot of an awesome franchise. Nolan is such a brilliant director. I love Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson, but the villains needed a much more commanding presence. That's what made Dark Knight great.

• Jeff "

  
  After the travesty that Joel Schumacher delivered with Batman & Robin, the future of Batman was unclear. I mean Batman & Robin is possibly the worst superhero film, and is one of the worst films ever made. Schumacher turned one of the best superheros into a joke. However… More
  After the travesty that Joel Schumacher delivered with Batman & Robin, the future of Batman was unclear. I mean Batman & Robin is possibly the worst superhero film, and is one of the worst films ever made. Schumacher turned one of the best superheros into a joke. However Warner Brothers took a smart move and hired Christopher Nolan to helm this much needed reboot of the once great franchise. Nolan's vision of Batman is one thats dark, atmospheric, gloomy and melancholic. He knows what makes Batman great, and he uses every trick he's got to create the best Batman film since the Tim Burton days. Batman Begins starts the story, as you might have guessed at the beginning. The film chronicles the humble beginnings of how billionaire Bruce Wayne became a capped crusader. Christopher Nolan brings a renewed energy to the franchise. He is the perfect director to helm the reboot. Nolan's vision is unmatched, and truly delivers a film of epic proportions. Not only that, the villains in the film are more realistic than the laughable villains in Batman & Robin. Sure the villains in Batman & Robin are part of the comic, but in Schumacher's film they were given the crappy family friendly version of what a batman villain should be. Batman Begins erases the memory of Batman & Robin, in fact I watch Batman Forever and Skip right to this film. Batman Beings is one of the greatest superhero films, only topped by it's sequel, the astounding epic, The Dark Knight. A very well done film with believable action, this film is incredible and brought back hope in the life supported Batman franchise.

• Marc L

  
  (Relativley short review) Batman Begins is not the BEST superhero film I've ever seen, but it's certainly a good one, and one of the more intelligent ones out there. There is certainly an improvement from the 1 million dollar mistake known as Batman and Robin. Christian… More
  (Relativley short review) Batman Begins is not the BEST superhero film I've ever seen, but it's certainly a good one, and one of the more intelligent ones out there. There is certainly an improvement from the 1 million dollar mistake known as Batman and Robin. Christian Bale, as always, did a fantastic job. He really got Wayne's personality down, all aspects of it. Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman did even better. They played there roles to a hilt, especially Liam Neeson, who does a great job as the menacing and complicated character Henri Ducard. The girlfriend did a nice job too I guess. What makes this movie so amazing is how deep it goes into the origin. By the time Batman finally completes his phase from Bruce Wayne to the Dark Knight, we know pretty much everything there is too know about him, from his days of childhood, do his training with Ras-Al-Ghul, too his return to Gotham, to the completion of the Caped Crusader. Christopher Nolan obviously really cared about the story and it's character, unlike Joel Shumacker. The special affects were pretty good too, particulary the batmobile, which looks less cheesy and more tough than the previous 2. Bottom line, behold, this my friend is a superior and fun film.

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