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Batman Begins (Frank's Take)
01/09/2005 . Source: Frank Ochieng 
It has been an astounding eight years since audiences last saw the Caped Crusader roam the gothic landscape in search of vengeance on the big screen, says Frank. Of course moviegoers were previously treated to distinctive versions of the Black Knight courtesy of the artistic whims by noted filmmakers Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. While Burton chose to delve into the dank and sardonic surrealism of the courageous Costumed One, Schumacher delivered somewhat of a flexible frivolous take on the classic comic book hero. Buy Batman Begins in the USA - or Buy Batman Begins in the UK  Batman Begins (2005) Warner Brothers
2 hours 21 minutes. Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy, Rutger Haue. Directed by: Christopher Nolan.
In director/co-writer Christopher Nolan's breathtaking fantasy action adventure Batman Begins, the stakes are higher as Gotham City's "guardian of the good" returns with the right amount of sure-fire angst and redemption that should please Batman-loving enthusiasts from all walks of life. Nolan's magnetic entry into our hooded hero's consciousness is delightfully disturbing in its sombre skin.
Relentlessly moody, colourfully chaotic and symbolically transfixing, Batman Begins is definitely a new chapter of good conquering evil that's instilled in the same old reliable book. Armed with a notable star-studded cast and a brooding energy that elevates the film's toxic turbulence, Nolan's explosive examination of a complicated man marred in cynicism and self-righteousness certainly gives this particular movie franchise its guaranteed resurgence.
At times, Batman Begins can be perceived as atmospheric and its tendency to add clutter to the script by juggling three wavering plotlines instead of concentrating on one main story is occasionally distracting. Nolan and fellow screenwriter David S. Goyer (Blade) felt liberated in displaying the assortment of guilt and despair that consumes the conflicted Bruce Wayne/Batman by demonstrating the connect-the-dots approach to his tattered psyche. The necessity is somewhat warranted in watching the interchanging phases of the vulnerable orphaned billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. For one, showcasing his transformation into his legendary cowl. Secondly, the ability to parlay his personal pain and pathos into a constructive philosophical triumph. And thirdly, his challenge in finding the love and affection that seemed to have abandoned him. There's too much on the table to swallow these ingredients in one setting. Still, the forum does allow for us to marvel at a heroic lost soul that must come to grips with his haunting demons in order to experience his own growth as a perplexed individual at the crossroads.
Naturally the background foundation for the tormented Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is widely known to avid followers of both the comic books and the film series. Tragically, a young Wayne bears witness to the senseless execution of his beloved parents by a common street thug. Since being left alone to fend for himself without the guidance or support of his dearly departed folks, an understandable void has been left inside this empty shell of a human being.
A lonely figurehead with sorrow and rage wrapped up so convincingly tight in his gut, Wayne must learn how to use his endless materialistic resources and mental rigidity to overcome his inherent fears and defeat the wicked element in society-the same vermin responsible for his perished parents years earlier. No doubt that the wealthy and charming but no nonsense Bruce Wayne is out to settle a score and leave a mark on the sordid environment that exposed him to such a numbing existence.
As time passes on, we find out that Bruce rubs against the wrong shoulders with Gotham City's top-notch criminal mastermind Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkerson). Feeling the need to confront the likes of Falcone and his undesirable ilk, Bruce must depart the city and take some sort of reflective retreat to replenish his confused thoughts and figure out how to contend with his non-addressed, pending issues. More important, he needs to tap into the criminal mind in order to prepare for his return to Gotham City where he can help eradicate the scumbags such as with his heated dealings concerning a menacing Falcone.
While frequenting the remote mountains somewhere in Asia he finds solidarity in an ancient Chinese organization known as the League of Shadows. The founding father of this outfit is revered ninja master Ra Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe from The Last Samurai). However, most of the training that is provided for Bruce is done by Ghul's capable protégé Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). The meditative martial arts sessions between Wayne and Ducard may recall the mentoring connection that was so essential in the Obi Wan Kanobi-Anakin Skywalker partnership from the Star Wars flicks. And as Bruce Wayne gains the disciplinary upper hand in strengthening his mind, body and spirit, Batman is soon able to emerge on the scene and ensure the protection of Gotham City once and for all.
As Wayne/Batman revisits the hostile hamlet that he left behind for purposes of adopting an edgier advantage, he finds that his adversaries are running amok like never before. While mob boss Falcone is consistently true to despicable form, Wayne has to consider the other slimy playmakers that figure into the precarious puzzle. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) is the devilish pusher behind the airborne drugs that heightens the paranoia in his victims' sketchy illusions. From a corporate standpoint, a Wayne Enterprises CEO (Rutger Hauer) is a seedy son-of-a-gun that looks to the shady side of business that clearly is not in the best interest of Bruce's holdings and his impeccable business-like reputation.
Batman Begins has the needed potential to jump start the aura of our famed costume-wearing caretaker whose overwhelming woes and sense of urgency dictate what a three-dimensional dynamo this fearless flying rodent really is in the scheme of things. As the emotionally wounded but determined Batman, Bale is thoroughly outstanding and dons the cape with indescribable vitality.
It is easy to overlook the previous cads that assumed the masked face duties (Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney) since Bale brings his notable spin on a comic book fixture injured by life's unpredictable nastiness but rejuvenated by the compulsion to savage his self-destructive tendencies. Through exacting his concept of fair play among the evil-doing scoundrels that threaten an honest man's livelihood, Bale's Batman is a misunderstood renegade that lingers on in a universe that invites all kinds of temptation.
The histrionics and other references that cater to the Batman mindset are reserved for the most die hard of fans. Nolan and Goyer stay faithful to the animated gadgetry that's part of the caped crime fighter's folklore-the tongue-in-cheek usage of the Batcave, the Batmobile and the famous signifier of all…the Bat Signal. We are even granted the privilege of meeting the masterful inventor behind such elaborate toys in the person of resilient Batman associate Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Also, it's refreshing to see Batman's ultimate behind-the-scenes partner in the presence of trusty manservant/guardian Alfred Pennysworth (Michael Caine). More than anything else, Nolan and Goyer never lets us forget the on-going agony that is the hidden tainted armour of this dark prince of personalized pain.
The only regrettable omission in Batman Begins is the lack of substantive villains to compliment the constant suffering of our protagonist's self-loathing. Whereas Jack Nicholson's over-the-top and nihilistic Joker brought out the sulking magnificence that was Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman, Bale seems to be doing his moping balancing act without the benefit of a robustly viable foe that can draw out more of his Batman's inner strife.
Unfortunately, there's not enough screen time devoted to fleshing out the corrosive aspects of these lacklustre baddies. In the supporting role as Batman's estranged girlfriend in Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes, Katie Holmes is sufficiently effective and shares an uncanny emotional distance much like her superhero suitor in the film. Yet, you also get the feeling that Rachel's pursuit of the lawbreakers in court is every bit as significant as the riff raff her precious Batman battles in the mean streets of Gotham City.
In its full scope, Batman Begins is an exhilarating and grand piece of popcorn entertainment. Visually, it has a vibrancy that percolates beyond expectations. Spiritually, it is a morality tale of going against the grain and trying to survive despite the ambivalence of one's clouded convictions. In many ways it has a contradiction about its vibes that's very telling-a comic book characterization that has been around for nearly seven decades gets another chance to introduce itself in its creative infancy.
Thank goodness for Batman's new cinematic beginning because it's inconceivable to even contemplate its eventual ending in the winding tunnels of pop cultural consideration.
Frank Ochieng
(c) Frank Ochieng 2005
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