Batman Begins

Batman Begins was released in 2005 and is a reboot of the Batman story. It was directed by Christopher Nolan and is a much darker film thematically than the previous Batman films. What sets Batman Begins apart from the others is it goes in depth into the origins of how Batman came to be. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman and does an amazing job basically playing two different characters in one film. It also stars Michael Caine as Bruce Waynes butler, Alfred. Liam Neeson plays the main villain in the film, Ra's Al Ghul. Gary Oldman plays a police officer who assists Batman in the film. The only acting that falls flat is that of Katie Holmes, who plays the love interest in the film.

Christopher Nolan does a good job bringing Batman into the "real world" instead of some fantasy comic book world with over the top super villains. In this film Batman is shown to be more of a detective with gadgets and martial arts training than a superhero. Even the famous Batmobile gets a "real world" makeover, it is more like a tank in this film instead of a unrealistic fantasy car like in other Batman films.

The dark elements of this film might be a little too much for kids to enjoy. It could be frightening to some viewers. However, those unfamiliar with the Batman story will enjoy this film because it does a good job telling that story. This isn't just a over the top super hero movie. It has something for everyone. Action scenes are prevalent in the film but there are also a lot of emotional aspects to the film.  This is one comic book movie everyone should watch.