Movielog: Batman Begins Is Well Done

I have been one of those folks who feel that Michael Keaton was the one actor who hit a homerun in playing Bruce Wayne and Batman in the original 80s run of films. Val Kilmer came a little closer but George Clooney missed the mark all together.

So when I heard that there was going to be another Batman franchise started entitled Batman Begins, I was a little skeptical of (a) who was going to play the dark knight and (b) where the story was going to begin. This weekend as I was sitting in the barber shop waiting my turn at a cut, I pulled out my laptop computer and popped in this DVD.

To my surprise and excitement, this film is actually a good refreshment on the Batman franchise. Christian Bale (whom I most recall as the spoiled rich kid in the movie Shaft) does an outstanding job in the role although at times he does seem to draw from Keaton's portrayal of Batman in his voice. Liam Neelson surprised me in the film and does an outstanding job as Bruce Wayne's mentor and trainer.

Some might consider the film a bit long but since this story is starting from the beginning and spends a good deal of time developing the backstory of Batman, its takes a little more time. But that is time well spent in developing the storyline including how the Batcave came to be as well as where Batman acquires all those gadgets of his on that miraculous utility belt of his.

Michael Caine plays a superb role as the butler Alfred blending dramatic with a touch of comedy as only he can do. Katie Holmes does a pretty good job as an assistant DA although I don't recall from the original comic book series (and I could be wrong) about Batman having a romance or a childhood friend named Rachel Dawes. Good groundwork is laid for the Joker and for additional sequels.

Cinematography is done very well with a great deal of the cityscapes shot with Chicago as the backdrop. In keeping with the high soundtrack bar that Danny Elfman did in the 1989 original, James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, The Last Samurai) do an outstanding job with the music.

I highly recommend this film (available now on DVD) and wish that one day, the Academy might give films like Batman Returns a serious look for some awards other than technical achievement. In the meantime, it'll have to settle for the acclaims of bloggers such as myself. The sequel has been announced for a 2008 release. I hope they can get it out sooner so the cast can stay intact.