An Honorable Beginning
Main Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Director: Christopher Nolan
And so it begins… packed with story and a nice balance between dialogue and action, Batman Begins “starts” the series off with a bang.
When we first meet Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) he is far from Gotham and rotting in a dirty prison. He also takes on a handful of thugs, apparently just for kicks. Well, this sorry state of affairs is brought to a halt when the mysterious Ducard (Liam Neeson) pays a visit and springs the young millionaire from the joint. He gives Bruce a puzzle he can’t refuse, and soon he is high atop the mountain learning how to be a silent killer.
The training comes to a halt when Bruce learns something disagreeable, and he hastens back to Gotham. He is met by Alfred (Michael Caine), loyal to him even after all these years. Bruce then, for reasons of his own, takes up the fight against crime, sometimes against the wishes of his old friend Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), who is now an assistant DA.
The story, after some backtracking into Bruce’s past, moves along briskly, detailing a threat to the entire city. Batman to the rescue! The motivation for said chaos may be a bit batty (of course the main bad guy is certainly insane), but the movie doesn’t really need a solid plot to move from one action scene to another. It does so better than most, certainly.
Overall this a solid entry into the Batman franchise, with Bale doing a fine job as the brooding hero. Both Caine and Morgan Freeman lend a touch of gravitas, and Neeson always shines as a strong but introspective force. Batman Begins is a good find for all Batman fans, and darn good for just action-loving folks.
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