Rate Batman Begins

[TheAuldGrump]

You mean Gary Oldman?

Doh! I don't know how that one happened, except that the trailers preceding BB included two Johnny Depp movies that are being done by Tim Burton... (Corpse Bride and Willy Wonka, both on my must see list.) I know full well that it was Gary Coleman. (Joke.)

The Auld Grump

As for who killed the Waynes in the comics it was a thug named Joe Chill.

 

[Klaus]

As shilsen points out, they were one and the same in the Burton movie. This is, however, purely an invention of that movie. BB returns to the classic lore of Joe Chill, random street thug, killing Wayne's parents. The Joker was a two-bit mystery-man villian wearing a red cape who fell in a vat of magic acid that turned him into his 'happier' self. Alan Moore once did a story of it from Jack Napier (i.e. the Joker's) perspective. It was very good.

As for the Dark Knight Returns....it's still good, but hasn't aged as well as it might. Some of the 80s references feel very dated now, for example. However, WB has animated part of the DKR in the Animated Series. It was the episode where three kids tell stories about Bats, and the first is a Bill Finger story, the second is a the battle with the gang boss in DKR and I can't honestly recall the third (though I seem to recall Neal Adams linkage). Besides which, DKR is a pretty lousy place to restart a movie franchise...especially as it features a Superman who's a puppet of the government, which kills two franchises with one stroke...and requires the audience to know who Green Arrow is, for that matter.

And despite of what some recent lousy Batman comics said, the Joker's origin from "The Killing Joke" is one of many possible origins swimming around that crazy noggin' of his. Like he said, if he needs an origin, he'd rather have it be multiple choice...

And he was never referred to as Jack Napier either. IMHO, clearly defining who the Joker was before he put on the Red Hood's costume and took a chemical dive lessens the persona. He's the chaotic and illogical deadliness of life personified, the "bad things happen to good people for no reason" theory, for him life is a joke, and death is the punchline.

 

[Truth Seeker]

I await the sequel, with Joker in the wings. This new revise will not replace Tim's B. first masterpiece, Nolan's has set it's own mark.

 

[John Crichton]

Gave it a solid 9.

Great cast. The supporting characters really made it click. The origin story and the villains were compelling and worked as different types of adversaries. All the acting was quite good, even Holmes. I know it's not just me but the way she talks out of the side of her mouth reminds me too much of her Joey character from da' Creek. If she could lose that distinguishing facial movement it would be easier to buy her as other characters.

Loved the cave. Loved the car. Loved the Bat-shuriken. Loved the cape.

Didn't love the Bat-voice but it didn't lessen the film.

The fight scenes didn't really bother me. Would I have liked to see more of the fighting? Yes, but the artistic choice to have the fights not go smoothly works for me. Bats is screwing up as he goes and taking some bad shots and risks and there is tons of chaos. The rest of the movie is shot in a similar fashion so to have Matrix/Star Wars-like fight scenes would have been a bit jarring. However, I would expect the next Batman to have cleaner fight scenes to follow Bats better understanding of his unique fighting style.

Others have mentioned this but the whole film certainly felt like a prequel or at the least a chapter one. That is a compliment. I especially liked how the title didn't appear until the very end. We get Gordon and Bats final exchange, fade to black and the BATMAN BEGINS.

It does work as a singular film, too.

 

[ShadeMoon64]

I enjoyed the film a great deal. It has by far the most interesting interpretation of the Batman character I have seen. A great all around cast though I could have done without the Katie Holmes character. I understand the function she played in the story but I felt she was to "light weight" an actress for the part.

 

[Pielorinho]

I quite enjoyed it, but my wife left the theater ranting about how awful it was, and continued until I told her to knock it off. By then, my buzz was officially harshed .

THere was some stuff about it that I didn't like: mostly, the action scenes and the car chase left me cold. But the acting was almost all superb, and I loved the settng of a realistic, gritty city instead of a cartoon city (not to knock Burton's vision; this was just different and fascinating). The Scarecrow was probably the best supervillain I've ever seen.

Daniel

 

[ssampier]

In the Burton Batman movie they're one and the same. The way Batman realizes that the Joker is his parents' killer (back when the latter was just a young hoodlum) is when he uses that line in front of Bruce Wayne.

Thanks! I thought I was going crazy. I still liked the original movie the best; call me nostalgic.

 

[Jdvn1]

... I just noticed there's no 8 on the poll. Maybe I'm slow.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

... I just noticed there's no 8 on the poll. Maybe I'm slow.

It was pointed out on the first page.

Having finally seen this...I have to give it a 10. I enjoyed every second of the movie, including the fight scenes. I can't really pick out anything I didn't like at all. Though I do have to say that Alfred is, yet again, proving to be one of my favourites.

 

[fanboy2000]

Thanks! I thought I was going crazy. I still liked the original movie the best; call me nostalgic.

Gonna have to disagree with you, Lee Meriwether dosen't hold a candle to Julie Newmar.