Snippitts of Illusions

My Review of Batman Begins, a retrospective.

Batman Begins marks a reboot for the Batman franchise on film. The previous franchise had two well done films (though still very grounded in the realm of the comic) and two films that... well, to be frankly honest were abominations to the character.

Batman Begins is fresh. It's settled in realm of realism that lends a bit of legitimacy to the idea of the character. Christopher Nolan first came into the limelight with his film Memento, a psychological labyrinth where the audience remained as lost as the character until near the last 10 minutes of the movie. It wowed people. Made folks stand up and take notice of this up and coming director. With his next film Insomnia he created a remake of a Swedish film (of the same name) that also delved into the psyche of the mind. That he would tackle the Batman franchise is, in many ways, a boon. He wanted to keep it real, wanted it to be easy for the audience to suspend their disbelief (and for the most part he succeeded.) But most of all it would seem he wanted to get back to the roots of the character as a detective (a detective in a cape sure, but a detective never the less.)

Batman Begins, while being very different than the other comic book films that had been released before it (and for the most part since) is still very much a first film in a series of comic book films. It deals with the hero's origins. What made him what he has become. Why he fights the way he does. Who are his friends (and enemies) and why. The movie does this in a fairly unique fashion (especially when compared to the Hulk, or Spiderman or even the Punisher) but it still follows the tropes that have been set down before it. We see the training sequences with the League of Shadows and we believe it. Not because it's realistic (far from it) but because the characters seem so invested in what they are doing. That's the secret in making a successful comic book film. It's why Iron Man works, it's why the first two Spiderman films work. The characters believe it, and because they do, you as the viewer also do as well.

After the first half hour we get Bruce Wayne creating the Batman bit by bit, culminating with him taking down Falcone at the docks. Now the criminals and the citizens know this guy is out there, but of course we learn of a bigger plot. Nolan loves to weave his plots into an intricate fabric. Memento does this, as do all of his other films since (I cannot speak of the one he made before Memento as I've never seen it.) Learning that Dr. Crane (the Scarecrow) has been smuggling drugs into the city for another purpose, and that purpose seems quite sinsister (more so than simply making a buck.) We learn that the main villain Ra's al Ghul, thought to be dead after Bruce Wayne destroys his mountain fortress, is alive and well (he lied about his identity) and is going to unleash chaos on Gotham City. The only thing.... all of this is almost expected. Not who the villain may be, or what the plot is, but the fact that there's something more going on. Many similar films do this (both comic and simple action films.) It's a cliche, yet I don't entirely mind that it's a cliche. We the audience have come to expect it.

Yet.

Burning down Wayne Manor and the fantastic action sequence on the train takes the film over the top. Still firmly grounds it in the realm of the comic book. In many ways, that's actually a good thing. For a first film as part of a larger franchise you want this. You want it to still feel like it's something from it's source media. You're playing to fan boys and folks who liked the original Batman movie by Tim Burton. They need that firmly grounded comic book reality, especially by the films end (it doesn't hurt making it a Hollywood summer action flick either.) Butwhy though? Well honestly it lets us the audience know that the franchise is 1) in good hands with somebody who respects the source material and 2) gives us a good footing for the inevitable sequel.

Batman Begins at the time of its release was probably the best comic source film made. It has been surpassed by its own sequel The Dark Knight and Iron Man, but it's still a fun romp, a wild ride worth watching. The film is dark, but not too dark. It has crazy action sequences but doesn't get carried away really until near the end. It has a memorable villain and plays to the tropes only enough to ground itself in the source material, but otherwise makes it easy for the audience to suspend their disbelief.

Worth owning in my opinion.

Labels: Christopher Nolan, Comic book films, Movie Reviews

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 12:18 AM