Rent Batman Begins (2005)

Dark, Exciting Origin Story - Batman Begins review by GI

With the ability to watch this afresh having seen the entire 'Dark Knight' trilogy this origin picture of the iconic superhero is actually a clever, intricate action adventure film with some interesting themes behind it. Director Christopher Nolan effectively shifted the superhero genre into a more darker and adult oriented movie experience by returning to the roots of the character as a rage filled avenger whose morality is constantly being questioned. The choice of Christian Bale to play The Batman has been one that has divided audiences but, with the wisdom of hindsight, he does feel exactly right for the role and made the character his own. There is no doubt this first of the trilogy tests younger viewers as Batman doesn't appear until nearly an hour into the film as the story focuses on what drives the young Bruce Wayne to become this character in the first place. It's the murder of his philanthropic billionaire parents that pushes young Bruce, filled with hatred, anger and a desire for vengeance, to leave his luxurious life and disappear. He finds himself taken under the wing of a mentor, the leader of The League of Shadows, an organisation that it claims is there to right wrongs. But disillusioned Bruce eventually leaves the umbrella of the League to create the Batman, designed to instil fear in criminals in his home city of Gotham. But he soon finds that the League have designs of Gotham and the Batman must take them on to prevent the city being destroyed. The action set pieces are fast and creative with the vehicles and gadgets given the veneer of being real so the film feels like it's grounded in the real world rather than being obviously comic book and/or science fiction. The topnotch cast are all on great form and include Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Rutger Hauer, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson and Morgan Freeman. This is essentially the superhero film made for grown ups and it's well worth a revisit if you weren't convinced the first time. It's a very different film for example from the MCU styles films, and of course the trilogy was yet to produce the best of the bunch.

excellent - Batman Begins review by CP Customer

nice action

Great Blu Ray - Batman Begins review by CP Customer

You can see Nolan working out his formula for the Batman franchise, that would pay massive dividends with the next instalment. This is a good blockbuster but nothing more. Lavish sets, fancy toys and big bangs hide the little substance on offer. For a film with such a sizeable running time the characters lack depth or development. The initial training prologue and prison needed trimming. However Blu Ray owners will enjoy the wide range of extras and the excellent visual detail, with a booming soundtrack. Making for an ideal night's entertainment.

OK Film - Batman Begins review by Peter

Not Bad, but with a lot of film of this genre, is that it has too many quick cuts to make the action look fast.

The platonic ideal of a live-action Batman film - Batman Begins review by Christopher Chiu-Tabet

A sincere and poignant origin story, Batman Begins was a welcome distraction in 2005, especially after the 7/7 London bombings that occurred shortly after the film’s release: I vividly remember, after that tragedy, wanting to know why we had terrorists, but not anti-terrorists like Bale’s Batman. (15 years later, I still wish we had a law enforcer like him, to strike awe and hope in all of us by expressly rejecting lethal force and firearms.) The film also stands out visually from the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy, from the grotty, rusting, Blade Runner-inspired setting of the Narrows, to the Scarecrow fear gas effects, and of course, the swarms of flying bats. None of the imagery here may be as profoundly realistic as the brightly lit streets of The Dark Knight, but I’m still grateful we got to see Nolan’s take on a comic book Gotham.

Full retrospective here: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/longform/batman-begins-15/

A masterful, flawless & incredible start to the Dark Knight trilogy & still to me the best of them - Batman Begins review by TB

I adore Batman Begins. It is an incredible, highly detailed & perfectly scripted masterpiece, looking at the origins of the Caped Crusader & Bruce Wayne's evolution from a lost & emotionally ripped apart orphan to the avenging protector & saviour of Gotham. It is still, even after the monumental hype of the Dark Knight, the best of them in my view. The reason for this is because not one thing isn't perfect.

We are given a magnificent opening, then the film settles & gently takes it time, via flashbacks, to show you the journey of Bruce Wayne. As much as some of the weapons are pure fantasy, the effort to shoot as many of the stunts as possible without CGI, as well as making a real-life, fully working Tumbler, pays dividends.

The cast is also perfection. Front & center of this is Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. One amusing fact about the lead up to shooting this film, which is referenced in the special features, is that the film he shot before Batman Begins was The Machinist, in which he lost a horrific & shocking amount of weight in order to play the protagonist. He then had put all this weight back on & more to play Wayne. The transformation he achieves is nothing short of staggering. But his characterisation is so much more than a muscle-bound body.

Bruce is an incredibly vulnerable man who wants to make a difference to the horror & violence around him & in the city he loves. But he also has a vast wealth which means he can actually put these plans into action. From training to be able to fight multiple men at once through to flying through the air in a custom-made suit, he never anything less than believable.

But that doesn't mean for a second that other characters are sidelined. As Alfred, Michael Caine is quite simply the living embodiment of what you would want your carer/father figure to be. Caring, fierce, stern & loving, Alfred is magnificent. Other roles also click perfectly: Liam Neeson brings genuine menace & villainy, Katie Holmes great as Bruce's unfulfilled & determined love interest, Tom Wilkinson as the moss boss from hell.

And marshalling all of this craziness is Christopher Nolan, along with his incredible DP Wally Pfister & brother Jonah on scriptwriting duties. There is simply no better comic book trilogy than this. And I have no doubt the reverence towards it will continue for all time.

A flawless first chapter