Did Batman Begins live up to the hype?

[dduardo]

I saw the movie last week and didn't like it one bit. I'm suprised the yahoo rating for the movie is so high. Not only was the acting terrible but the science was completely out of wack.

A microwave device that turns the water in the sewer line into steam? Who came up with this brilliant idea?

 

[brewnog]

Ignoring the science (and let's face it, you really have to), it's an amazing film! Much better than I was expecting it to be. Quite an interesting story (as far as Batman goes), and some interesting little twists and nuances.

 

[whozum]

I agree with dd, I didn't like it. The other ones were much bettre.

 

[dduardo]

The super close up fight scenes in the beginning made me sick. Couldn't they have panned out just a little. Also, I'm not too familiar with the actual comic book series, but wasn't Joker the one that killed Wayne's parents?

 

[Moonbear]

I haven't seen this one yet, but if you're critiquing the science, you're not going to enjoy Batman. It's a comic book, it's supposed to be outlandish and unreal. I had heard this one is supposed to be much darker than the others, more in keeping with the original comic books, but really haven't heard much about it at all, so have no idea what to expect.

 

[The_Professional]

I love it. They revive the entire Batman franchise. Bale is the perfect fit for Batman and Nolan really did a great job directing.

The only part I didn't like was people clapping their hands after the movie. Total cheeseball.

 

[SpaceTiger]

This is honestly the first I've seen anyone say they didn't like it. I thought it was a fantastic movie in virtually every regard.

 

[neurocomp2003]

damn i need to see it this weekend.

joker wasn't the joker when he killed wayne's parents if memory serves me correctly.
He only became the joker after(i think the first time he met batman.)

 

[Danger]

He only became the joker after(i think the first time he met batman.)

I can't recall from the comics that the Waynes' killer was ever found or even identified. Wasn't Joker an industrial worker who went crazy criminal after his accident?

 

[Jameson]

I thought Batman Begins was so much more plausible. The other movies were so cheezy. You want to talk about bad acting? Remember Two Face and the Riddler? I can't believe that movie made it into theatres.

I think the story had a major ideal going on which the other Batman's lacked - Batman's real personal sacrifice in order to do what is right.

I hope another one comes out.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

The super close up fight scenes in the beginning made me sick. Couldn't they have panned out just a little. Also, I'm not too familiar with the actual comic book series, but wasn't Joker the one that killed Wayne's parents?

No, that was Burton's addition to make it somewhat more... stupid. Wayne's parents' killer was just a nameless thug. Like many vigilante comic book heroes, part of the thing that keeps him going is that he will never actually bring the one criminal he got him going to justice, but just carries on anyway. Kinda like Memento, then.

 

[kaos]

I saw the movie last week and didn't like it one bit. I'm suprised the yahoo rating for the movie is so high. Not only was the acting terrible but the science was completely out of wack.

A microwave device that turns the water in the sewer line into steam? Who came up with this brilliant idea?

I haven't watched it yet but i can't be as bad as the punisher. That movie suxed .

 

[dduardo]

I just read that they are indeed doing a squeal minus katie holmes. I'm glad the executives have some common sense. Her performance was the worst out of all of the actors. I wonder who is going to play the joker. Mark Hamill? Jack Nicholson?

 

[neurocomp2003]

jim carrey! let's hope he plays a better joker than what was scripted for the riddler. Thought Jack or michael keaton would be good actors. mmm hopefully they won't go the way of the comic like the other movies but of the graphic novels.

 

[FredGarvin]

I read a review that said "If you like Batman (the movies) you won't like the new movie. If you like Batman (the character) you'll love this movie." I think this is proving that viewpoint. I hope to see the movie this weekend.

 

[loseyourname]

The action sequences are lackluster. The ending is anticlimactic and the beginning drags a bit, with too much footage of his training. I agree with duardo that they could have panned out for some of that fighting, too. Watching a guy's face as he fights is not half as satisfying as seeing the actual fight.

Other than that, though, I loved this movie. The character actors are terrific. Seriously, who can beat Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman? Cillian Murphy is the creepiest villain yet as Scarecrow, and Christian Bale is terrific. He portrays the constant internal struggle and isolation from society that is Bruce Wayne perfectly. If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting tale of action/adventure, you'll be disappointed. This film is a backstory. Granted, some of the exposition could have been condensed, but the point isn't to awe; it's to fascinate. This is a character study, and a very good one.

Things I would change:

-Katie Holmes is out of place and it's hard to believe Bruce Wayne would ever have had any real interest in her. Rachel was meant to be a strong character; she needed a stronger actress.

-Focus on the Scarecrow more. There were too many villains in this movie, and he was the best. Ultimately, it is his own internal demons that Wayne is conquering in this film, but even so. More of Dr. Crane. I didn't like that they made him a pawn.

-I'll agree with duardo that microwaving the water supply was a difficult to believe plot. I don't care if its bad science (this is a comic-book superhero movie, after all), but the evil plot is a bit overblown for what was otherwise a wonderfully controlled movie that avoided the over-the-top antics that brought down the original Batman franchise.

All in all, I'd give it three out of four stars. I'm looking forward to the sequel. I think Bale makes a great Batman and Caine an even better Alfred. Nolan and crew do a great job of explaining Wayne's motivation as well as the most pressing question as asked by the Joker in the first Batman film: "Where does he get all of those toys?" They even made it fairly plausible, if you're willing to plunge yourself into a world where these kinds of things can happen.

 

[DaveC426913]

It did add 2 items to Batman canon:
1] The apprehended vllain on the spotlight was cool, origin of the Batman beacon
2] The manifesto of The Legion fo Shadows was cool.
3] Batman's "backup" forces was a cool idea, though it doesn't count as adding to canon as apparently, it was in the comics first.

Other than those things, I found it disappointingly forgettable. It was little more than the (better) movies that went before.

 

[Knavish]

This movie was enjoyable; much better than I expected and much better than the trailer suggested.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Just saw the movie last night.
I'm going to have to agree that considering we are watching a movie based on a comic book hero we shouldn't be too terribly worried about the science of what is happening.
I thought it was great. I agree pretty much with everything that Loseyourname said. I thought what they did with Scarecrow was awesome and was disappointed that he played such a minor role.
From what I understand of Batman's history he was one of the original costumed comic book heros. As far as I know when he showed up in Detective Comics they hadn't really given him a backstory. It wasn't until later when comic books stories started to gain more depth that they gave him one. I think his history has been done a few times now and hasn't ever been quite the same but the murder of his parents has always been pivotal. I think they did a good job this time around. They staid relatively true to the comics (apearantly more the graphic novels) and although the lead in kinda dragged I think they wove it together and wrapped it up rather well.
I liked Ras and think that making him his mentor was an interesting idea for introducing the character. I liked the way they leave it open to guess whether or not he really is immortal (they didn't really play it up much in the movie but in the comics Ras is supposed to be immortal for those that didn't know that). Also the way he chided Batman for taking him too literally I thought was funny.
I didn't care for the love interest much but I guess it's considered a necessary component for any movie any more.
Alfred was great. Gorden was great. Some of the story elements seemed a bit too convenient but I think they kept that to a minimum.
The way they keep changing the Batmobile has been pissing me off. This time it wasn't so bad but it still made me think "Bat Hummer". At least it wasn't quite that obvious.

The Keaton Batman wasn't bad in my opinion but all the others really pissed me off. Especially Val Kilmer. The one with Clooney was a joke but I still don't think he did such a terrible job as Kilmer.

Oh and it's true, as far as I know, that the Joker wasn't the one who killed Waynes parents. I think El Hombre summed that up pretty well.