Batman Begins Exactly As It Should

Batman Begins Exactly As It Should
by Martell

Of all the types of movies in the world, I would think that the prequel would be the easiest to write. It's the only one where the writer knows with certainty how the story is going to end. Just start from the beginning of the original and work your way backwards. Easy.

Despite this simple roadmap, prequel writers and directors still manage to find ways to screw things up. Even the Star Wars prequels are riddled with inconsistencies, and supposedly those were actually written in order. There must be something about making a sequel that isn't in chronological order with its predecessor that confuses even the most gifted cinematic minds. So what is a producer to do when faced with this "time continuum challenge?" Evidently, bring in the master of the genre.

I have to believe that the excellence of Batman Begins starts with director Christopher Nolan himself. His breakthrough film Memento is the ultimate in non-chronological films—taking us through the story directly from back to front—yet it ends up seeming as if that was exactly how the story should have been told. In Batman Begins, Nolan again shows off his mastery, seamlessly moving the film around in time and in memory without losing his audience. In his hands, the technique works perfectly.

As for the acting, the cast is solid from top to bottom, and once they get together, the whole is even more than the sum of its parts. Christian Bale is the best Batman ever, bringing a depth and complexity to the character that hasn't been seen since the Caped Crusader left the comic books for the big screen. Liam Neeson as Ducard is just an enormous presence, the master of all senseis. He is like Morpheus from The Matrix, but without the vulnerability and self-doubt.

In support, Michael Caine is an excellent choice for Alfred. He brings a touch of personality to his role, subtly adding emotion to a heretofore stoic character. Katie Holmes holds her own as Rachel Dawes; though I still can't separate her from Dawson's Creek, I think her performance here will help that to happen. And Gary Oldman as Officer Gordon seems to be just an average guy, the Everyman that the world is populated with, but with an integrity and inner strength that quietly explain why he eventually becomes Commissioner.

There were several other excellent performances—Morgan Freeman and Tom Wilkinson, to name two—but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Cillian Murphy's work as Dr. Jonathon Crane. In my opinion, his performance puts this film over the top. He captured the essence of the "mad scientist" perfectly—you could feel his intelligence whenever he spoke, his utter lack of fear, as well a ruthlessness resting quietly beneath the surface. Though Murphy was also excellent in 28 Days Later..., I think his work in Batman Begins is on another level. He's just that good.

But Batman would not be Batman without the toys, and boy, have we got toys. The Batsuit, the Batmobile, the Utility Belt, the cape—they all are upgraded for the 21st century, but credibly so. This is science fiction like Jules Verne used to do it—fictional scientific products that seem plausible, with enough explanation to make them believable but not so much so as to try and prove their existence. That most of the products were developed for military purposes adds credence to how they could exist without the general public knowing about them. The new Batmobile is unbelievable—a blazing fast, agile, utterly indestructable piece of equipment—but I especially love the new cape. It finally has a purpose.

And all these bells and whistles wouldn't be much without a good script, and we've got that here too. Nolan, along with writer David Goyer, focuses more on character development than on witty one-liners, which were a staple of the entire Batman franchise (not to mention every other action film of the last 20 years). There is still humor, but it is real humor, the kind of things that people might actually say in their everyday life. And when the time comes for Bruce Wayne's self-examination, it comes across as much less cheesy than expected, probably because it takes place on a mountain in Tibet while he is training to become a ninja. I mean, if self-examination can't take place there, where can it take place?

In the end, Batman Begins is an amazing work. It takes the Batman history and fills in all the blanks, perfectly setting the foundation that this epic franchise deserves.

Martell can be reached at martell@babblog.com.