Batman Begins

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So who's seen this? I'll go and check it out as soon as I can. Read a few reviews from the people at imdb.com and it seems something I'll probably like *very* much. The first two Batman movies were very good, the second two were absolutely horrible. And the people who've seen this say that it captures the mood of the first 2 Batman movies better than they did.

They've gone through great trouble to avoid using computerized effects and used real models & miniatures instead, much like was done with LoTR. And many agree on that Christian Bale is every bit as believable as Michael Keaton was, if not even more so (which I find hard to believe, even if Bale was obviously the only perfect choice for the role). Above all, this movie is supposed to be dark, realistic, and damn immersive.

Can't wait to see it. Currently almost 3000 people have given their ratings at imdb.com, and it has an average score of 8.5. Which, considering the average scores with other movies in imdb.com and the rather "not so mass oriented" type of this movie, is very high indeed. To give an idea, Batman 1, 2, 3 and 4 got ratings of 7.4, 6.6, 5.4, and 3.5, respectively.

If anyone's seen this, I demand that you say something about it!

I'll come back myself when I've seen this thing.

[ June 17, 2005, 17:40: Message edited by: Foradasthar ]

 

I have not seen the movie yet, but I probably will, after all, when you have seen all of the movies you are bound to watch the next one. It is just the thoughts I had when I saw the trailer - when the old movies came out I was more than impatient to watch them, when I saw this one it was something like "oh, no! Not another one"

I mean that when the old ones came out they were some of the very few super-hero movies and therefore were unique and the epitome of coolness.Every little child dreamed of being Batman, coz he was THE superhero.
Do we have the same thing now? Is Batman so loved? I would say not. Just take a look at the movies released in the last few years - here are just a few: "Spider man", "Spider man 2", "X men", "Xmen 2" "Daredevil", "Hulk", "Catwoman", "The punisher"... I grow tired of just typing the names of them all.
And now, after the whole bunch of costumed worldsavers (some of which are REALY LAME)comes the former epitome of coolness' turn to be milked till the last drop of cash he can make. Another legendary movie? Rather not - just the next greedy comic prequel in Hollywood's recent "superhero trend" line.
I wonder what will happen after all the prequels, sequels, sequels to sequels and prequels to prequels become so plotless that people finaly get disappointed and the income fades? Maybe then we will see some fierce gladiatorial super-combats between Batman and Superman, or Spiderman and Daredevil?I doubt that someone will disagree with me about this being the point of ultimate death for the last chunks of coolness in superhero movies.

Another legend falls.
Pity.

 

I just saw it and I thought it was awesome! Christian Bale has just dethroned Michael Keaton as the best Batman imo. I have to find a place that can teach me Ninjitsu

 

Isn't ninjitsu the art used by ninjas? Ninjas have been romanticized by movies but they actually were assassins who weren't necessarily as skilled as what the movies portray them to be. Also, they were generally considered to have no honor (as per the code of the bushido) since they didn't shy away from underhanded tactics.

 

while that's true, doesn't ninjitsu also refer to a martial art style with its own set of moves and such?

 

I just saw it and I have to say that it was unexpectedly superb. I don't just mean for a superhero film - as a film in its own right. And talk about dark... It's very different from all 4 previous films and exists within its own logic - I guess the nearest thing to it is the 'Mask of the Phantasm'. Apart from a few dodgy fight scenes and the unecessary romance angle, it's very hard to find fault with it...

 

I saw it last night and I would have to say that it is the best of the live action versions of Batman. Bale was very good as Batman - I would rank him as second best after Kevin Conroy.

Oh, and it is quite clearly a whole new continuity, it is NOT a prequal to the Micheal Keaton etc. films as a lot of people seem to think.

It is certainly not perfect. I could come up with a long list of little things but there were four main things that I didn't care for about the film.

Rachel Dawes is just not given enough screentime, or things to do, to be properly developed as much of a supporting character let alone a romantic interest.

I would have left out the little kid - he was pointless really and the second time he appeared I was left thinking that Gotham must be a pretty small place for him to show up again. This was only made worse when the homeless guy made his second appearance. Was there any reason why he should appear a second time? I think not.

Third, the Batmobile just didn't work for me. I would have been satisfied with a somewhat less sleak and more simplistic vehicle than the usual versions of the Batmobile but what we got just didn't work for me.

Finally, the doomsday weapon is just plain silly.

Still, on the whole, I really enjoyed it. It may not have been perfect but it was a big step up from the previous series of live action films.

 

Well, from a slightly biased perspective - because Rade Serbedzija is an excellent actor:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0784884/

 

Another movie to add to my list of 'must sees'

From what I've seen from the trailers and what I've heard from everybody I've talked to, it is nice and dark, akin to the first two (Thank god!).

 

This is by far the best Batman movie. I loved the Bat mobile, it looks like a monster and exactly what Batman wants it to be... intill fear. The only hang up I have was that Scarecrow was a weakling and did have much character development. But Cillian Murphy did a good job. How good was it? I've watched it twice already.

 

really? but in Keaton's 1st Batman, he already goes up against the Joker doesnt he? and there's a hint/teaser at the end of this one.

Found myself thinking the exact same thing.

did he ever play him?? (voice acting excluded)

 

I agree with JSBB, except for whatsherface Dawes; everytime she was on screen I wanted to wince. Hollywood must put their young actresses through some kind of personality removal regimen.

Bale was impressive, but there were a number of silly plot events and action sequences. Still, it might be the best of the series so fall (I have a feeling the imdb rating is inflated, tho, just because everyone is relieved it didn't suck like the last two).

 

The story of 'Bane' would have been a better idea. Think of the potential! But of course this would be an 'R' movie in the US and lets face it, its not going to happen. Such a shame...

 

Im gonna see this tonight, cant wait. Everyone i have asked liked it.

Just need to fetch some stuff from the bat cave first

 

I want that car! Liam was incredible. Morgan certainly added class to the movie.

I agree with JSBB -- this is not a faithful prequel for the movie empire. Batman made the Joker in the first movie -- the Joker already exists at the end of Begins....

 

@ Enagonios - Conroy has only done voice acting as Batman. Still, his voice acting as Batman is, in my opinion, superb.

As far as the prequel issue goes - I have never seen any studio material or anything official that indicates that it is supposed to be a prequal.

As far as I can tell it has about the same level of continuity with the Adam West series and movie as it does with the Micheal Keaton etc. series of films - i.e. virtually none.

 

@JSBB

No arguments there, Mask of the Phantasm is still my favorite Batman "movie" but the training scenes in this one were awesome. The parts on the ice and his "graduation" from the temple were great imo

 

I saw better 'action' movies, I think that DC Comics doesn't know how to 'catch' Marvel in this new 'comic-to-movie' busines so that's why they came up with a 'new' Batman series as they will do with Superman.
One thing I don't like in this new movies era are the fight scenes: in Batman, fight scenes are dark, with too much movement, you don't get too see almost anything but just hearing the 'ouchs' and 'punchs', there's a fight where you just see an arm or an eye for 0.5 sec and the top of the mask for another 0.3 sec; the only time that the camera stays still is when the actors are possing on guard. That happened in the last Bourne movie too and in almost every one. Don't like it, causes me headache so much movement.

 

Sorry, I know this thread was almost gone but I thought Id mention something about T2bruno's comment on Begins not being a 'faithful prequel'

Its not a prequel but they are redoing all the movies, a clean slate so to speak. Check out wickapedia for info on the conflicts on the Batman stories.

In Tim Burton's Batman, Jack Napier (the Joker) became scared by Batman and dived in the chemical tank but in many of the comics and graphic novels he was a lowly dock(?) worker and was fired from his job. He eventually got into a job with two criminals after they had kidnapped his pregnant wife to ensure his co-op in helping rob his old employer and planned to use him to get access. They made him wear a red hood when they took him on the job so they could claim he was the leader and get lighter sentences if they were caught. When things went bad, panicking he jumped in a vat of chemicals to escape capture from guards which tured his skin chalk white and hair green. At the same time his pregnant wife was murdered and this sent him insane making him think he was a master criminal.

I think this is the storyline the new Batman movies will follow forthe joker as they are basing their work on the Year One novel, which had this story IIRC.