Batman Begins

This film is many things: gritty, entertaining and action packed, thankfully one thing it isn’t is Batman and Robin 2. This is the first big budget blockbuster from Memento writer/director Christopher Nolan and shows he is able to deliver on a large scale, giving stunning action as well as reasonable character development, taking the franchise in a new direction. The film itself revolves around Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) who, after witnessing his parent’s murder, leaves on a 7 year mission of self discovery, culminating in his training by ninja cult leader Ra’s Al-Ghul. Upon returning to a Gotham City overrun by crime he seeks to stop villain Scarecrow from unleashing a hallucinogenic on Gotham, taking on the guise of Batman. While having a few flaws, such as the underdevelopment of the Scarecrow or Christian Bale’s near comical deepening of his voice when Batman, I found it highly entertaining and enjoyable with some spectacular action. With an outstanding performance by Bale and a much more realistic approach than Tim Burton’s original incarnation, this is a welcome revival of the Batman franchise after the farce of Batman and Robin and should appeal to a wide audience and is definitely worth a watch.