Shawn Hill" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Shawn Hill
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Shawn Hill
      August 18, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      August 18, 2023
    • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      July 20, 2023
    • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Shawn Hill
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Shawn Hill
      February 1, 2023
      News, Shot for Shot
    Recent
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • Heart of Stone (2023)
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  • The Flash (2023) / Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
  • Evil Dead Rise (2023)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Movies

Batman Begins (2005) Review

Shawn Hill
June 18, 2005
Movies, Reviews

Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/psychodr/public_html/wp/wp-content/themes/valenti/library/core.php on line 1104

What is it that makes Batman Begins a good superhero movie? It’s the seriousness with which Nolan and the actors involved approach the material. David Goyer has written a competent script, full of incident that progresses logically, and makes sure every gun dropped around the set in the first few acts is fired by the finale.

But that’s all it is, just a good script. It’s not really any more inventive than Tim Burton’s first film, certainly not as quirky and self-conscious as his second one. It’s also not the facile kitsch-fest of Batman Forever (which I found amusing, nipples and all) nor thankfully the truly wretched and mechanical Batman & Robin. But it’s not really these films I want to compare this movie to.

Batman Begins

Rather, I take it up with the generally kitschy portrayal the DC heroes have received in popular media for decades. While the Wonder Woman series was tolerable in the light of other 70s programming (and Lynda Carter of course ideally cast), has anyone seen the wretched Wonder Woman pilot designed in the 60s, in the wake of the kitsch pop art of the Batman comedy series? A travesty that tried to locate Wonder Woman as a fantasy of a delusional feminist, it totally missed everything the character had to offer in favor of then-timely neuroses. Add that misconception to Hawkman selling candy bars, and various Justice League experiments on videotape over the years. Then think of the Superman films after number 2. Then think of Supergirl.

No, don’t. Just admit DC has not been doing a very great job of shepherding its valuable properties to the big screen. Marvel, in recent years, has triumphed over its competitor with little competition.

Which is why, when the new DC logo debuts right after the WB in this movie, coupled with some actual comic art graphics (that look a bit suspiciously like the Marvel movie signature), I thought “ah, someone has noticed.” Nolan, like Bryan Singer with the X-men, is an auspicious, creative, inspired director. One who takes this material seriously, who sees past the costume to the mythic resonance underneath. And with a pretty stunning cast, crew and cinematographer, he’s made a film that does more than deliver all the requisite Hollywood action movie beats. He’s revitalized a lackluster series that had lost touch with its roots. And he’s made a film about human character, emotion, desires and crisis. Just exactly as Raimi did with both Spider-Man films. We’re finally getting arguments on-screen again for why we need super-heroes, even 60 years after World War 2. And it’s not just “to contain the bad masked guys even worse than us,” which is what the X-men films sometimes say.

Wayne & Lucius

In Begins, the message is “society is corrupt, but individual integrity can still make a difference.” The casting director has trotted out Rutger Hauer to occupy the same role that Christopher Walken did in Returns — that is, the greedy corporate bastard that allows for corruption to fester in a city he could save or improve. And unlike the Byzantine Gotham of the first movie (with Anton Furst’s brilliant, nightmarish designs), the icy northeastern clime of the second, or the bad taste exercises of the next two, Nolan’s Gotham is rather like …. a New York that spreads for miles and miles. A Chicago that is all girders and glass. A man-made infrastructure that contains and yet imperils the vital conduits of modern life: public railways and hidden water mains.

Rather than delve into all the glories of the corporate and monied landmarks of this Ur city (the only one that matters is the centrally located Wayne Foundation), Nolan spends most of his time in the Narrows, the corrupt and hobbled-together shantytown of multiple stories that might be any ghetto on the planet. Though we only see the criminal elements of this nether world, we get hints of the family lives, the dreams and fears, of normal people living in poverty. Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) is the legal eagle who humanizes this world, especially in a climactic scene where she befriends the child that always appears to worship the hero in this sort of film. This is a more subtle kid than most, though, as most of his lines are etched on his face, emotive expressions that remind us (as Rachel does in words) of what really matters even in such a dark and deadly place.

Saving Joffrey

Christian Bale has finally found a movie to house his perfect bod and haunted face; Michael Caine wrings the last bit of irony out of every line delivery by his ultra-practical Alfred; Cillian Murphy is a revelation as the manipulative Jungian predator Scarecrow (and far scarier out of his mask than in); Gary Oldman plays charmingly and wittily against type as the Quixotically noble Lt. Gordon; and Liam Neeson channels all bad daddies everywhere as Bruce’s first adult savior and later enemy. Those are just a few of the many refreshing character turns in this movie rich with top-notch acting talent.

Also of note, as this fanciful archetype of fear moves with dispatch through his ornate and decadent city, are several hallucinogenic dream sequences that give us David Lynchian glimpses of yet other sides of many of our characters. Nolan is masterful enough to add yet another level between fantasy and reality the fiction he so expertly charts. If anything is keeping the movie from being a truly timeless film, it is that the old shopworn formulas are so clearly the structure that holds it all together. But with Bale on contract as the lucky title-holder of the newly vibrant franchise, I expect even greater things to come.

(Visited 156 times, 1 visits today)
Batman Begins (2005) Review
4.0Overall Score

Related

Batman BeginsChristian BaleChristopher Nolanshawn hill

Batman Begins (2005) Review
Iron Man (2008) Review

About The Author

monsterid
Shawn Hill
Day Walker / Master of Arts

Shawn Hill knows two things: comics and art history. Somehow that led to him writing the Harvey Kurtzman entry for Icons of the American Comic Book: from Captain America to Wonder Woman (2013). He also writes art criticism and is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), an NGO of UNESCO.

Related Posts

  • 2.5

    Second Chance 1.07 “That Time in the Car”

    Shawn Hill
    March 17, 2016
  • 3.5

    The Originals 1.11 “Après Mois, Le Déluge”

    Shawn Hill
    January 27, 2014

Daily Top Ten

  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • If It Ain't Funk He Don't Feel It: Howard the Duck (1986)If It Ain’t Funk He Don’t Feel It:… by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Dungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983)Dungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983) by Alex Wolfe
  • BLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the ImaginationBLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the… by Psychodr
  • Superman II (1980)Superman II (1980) by John Clark
  • The Three Musketeers (2011) Blu-ray ReviewThe Three Musketeers (2011) Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Tusk (2014)Tusk (2014) by Alex Wolfe
  • The Blacklist 1.06 "Gina Zanetakos"The Blacklist 1.06 “Gina Zanetakos” by Natalie Amato
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan's IslandLost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan’s Island by Scott Delahunt
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Advance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer LivesAdvance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer Lives by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Unnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012)Unnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012) by Brooke Brewer
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • BLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the ImaginationBLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the… by Psychodr
  • Women in Horror: Karen Black and Trilogy of TerrorWomen in Horror: Karen Black and Trilogy of Terror by Laura Akers
  • House of Wax (2005)House of Wax (2005) by The Final Girl
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

Latest Reviews

  • Heart of Stone (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    August 18, 2023
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    July 20, 2023
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

    Paul Brian McCoy
    July 16, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E67 - PulseCon 2023
 
Greg & Jaren break down the highs and lows of Hasbro's PulseCon 2023!
---
Watch the guys from @AnythingJoesPod at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Hasbro #HasbroPulse #PulseCon #PulseCon2023 #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified #Helix #AgentHelix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 449: Gamera - Rebirth (2023)

Overall, Gamera: Rebirth takes the goofier aspects of the Gamera films and turns them into moments of awesome.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Gamera #GameraRebirth #Netflix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E66 - De-Classified Debt

Greg and Jaren talk news, acquisitions, and balancing the budget when all your toys are arriving at the same time.
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#Anything Joes #GIJoe #GIJoeDeclassified #WrathOfCobra
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation - Defusing Bombs: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Cutthroat Island is worth a look, keeping in mind its weaknesses.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #CutthroatIsland #GeenaDavis #RennyHarlin #MatthewModine #FrankLangella
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E65 - Pyramid of Darkness (2): Rendezvous in the City of the Dead

Greg and Jaren continue their dive into the classic G.I. Joe mini-series Pyramid Of Darkness! 
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod gang at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 447: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

Batman: the Animated Series demonstrates how to adapt a popular character without losing the character’s essence.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#Batman #BatmanTheAnimatedSeries #MarkHamill #KevinConroy #ArleenSorkin #WB #DC
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Heart of Stone Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Heart of Stone (2023)

It’s hard for me to envision anything Heart of Stone could offer that people would request a return visit.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#HeartOfStone #GalGadot #Netflix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E64 - Pyramid of Darkness (1)

It's time! Greg introduces Jaren to the first episode of the iconic "Pyramid of Darkness" series from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys watch the cartoon at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #ARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E63 - Kentuckiana 2023 

Greg and Jaren discuss the new layout, the vendors, and their recent acquisitions from attending The Kentuckiana G.I. Joe Toy Expo! 
---
Watch the new @AnythingJoesPod video at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Kentuckiana #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo #GIJoe #Kentuckiana2023 #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo2023
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Anything Joes: G.I. Joe Classified Series Unboxing Special!

    Greg Engle
    October 2, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E67 – PulseCon 2023

    Greg Engle
    September 28, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 449: Gamera – Rebirth (2023)

    Scott Delahunt
    September 22, 2023

Look Who's Talking

Barbie Worldwide
Barbie Worldwide - 8/5/2023
Lost in Translation 429: The Barbie Movie Teaser
Barbie still in the driver's seat and the movie is speeding past a billion by August 7, 2023.
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/5/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 3.1: Zombie for Sale (2019)
Of course, I just woke up from an old-man nap and had a strong urination before reading this, so now...
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/3/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 1.1: I Am a Hero (2015)
Oh hell yeah. Looks like one more thing to add to my watch list.
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise