Saw ‘Batman Begins’ on Saturday.

Loved it.

The original Superman with Christopher Reeves is still my favorite comic book movie, but this one is definitely in the top 5.

What I loved so much about this movie is that it didn’t feel like a comic book movie. As much as I loved Tim Burton’s vision, this version wasn’t out there or campy. Christopher Nolan (who directed Memento, one of my favorites) made Batman human, someone real, someone believable. He takes the little known past of Bruce Wayne and gives him a purpose, gives us a reason to believe that yes, a guy gliding around in a cape can be very real.

There were pretty solid performances all around, from Christian Bale’s tormented hero, to Michael Caine’s patient, loving butler, to Liam Neeson’s stern mentor. Katie Holmes was ok, as well. Not great, just ok. Bale, of course, stood out, giving Bruce many layers.

This incarnation of Batman is much darker than the others, and definitely something is a little more adult. The plot itself is so-so, the main highlight to me is Bruce’s internal struggle, how he comes to terms with his fears, anger, and need for revenge. To tell the truth, I enjoyed the movie more when he wasn’t in the batsuit than when he was. My one annoyance with the movie was the way Baled talked when he had the batsuit on. It was annoying.

One thing about the movie got me as giddy as a little schoolgirl - it was filmed in Chicago, and it was exciting to see my beloved city turned into the dark, menacing city of Gotham. Lower Wacker made for some exciting chase scenes, and there were point in the movie where the panned right over the building where I work. Like a geek, I whispered to Dave, ‘There’s my building, that’s so cool!’

Overall, an excellent movie. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the previous movies. It’s definitely the best of them all.

Tags: Reviews //