Batman Begins (spoilers)
I haven't seen a movie in theatres since Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but thankfully Batman Begins more than lived up to its hype :D I even liked Katie Holmes' character, though I do wish Holmes could've played it a bit sharper, a bit harder. More Lois Lane, less Joey Potter.
Sadly I was already (sorta) spoiled for the major plot twist -- that's what I get when curiosity has me clicking spoiler-cuts! Tsk, tsk. Still, I found that story thread wholly engaging.
- First off, Christian Bale was incredible as Bruce Wayne.
- Secondly, this was a wonderful script, save for a couple of plot holes. (The microwave weapon thingy, for one.) But it's easy to hand-wave all that for the sake of the characters. I love origin stories!
- New take on the Crime Alley scene, very interesting. While the props and all the players are the same, the mood is quite different. In comics canon, the Wayne family are just coming out of the movie theatre, having watched the premiere of The Mask of Zorro. Bruce is happy and excited, swash-buckling with his pretend sword at unseen foes; his parents are attentive and indulgent. The moment is picture perfect. Then comes a mugger who -BANG BANG plink of pearls- takes that happy perfection away. The killer is never found, never captured. There is no justice for Thomas and Martha Wayne.
This time Joe Chill is caught, tried, convicted, imprisoned. And it doesn't help. It doesn't satisfy. Bruce's parents are still dead, and Bruce is left wanting, burning. When even vengeance is taken from him, he is left adrift, directionless and lost. His anger has nowhere to go but inward, at himself, and at his parents for leaving him behind. I think Ducard had an excellent point about wishing the people who'd hurt you had never been born, just so you could be spared the pain of their loss. "He doesn't take loss very well," says Diana in "Hereafter".
Also? The fear of bats is played strongly throughout the movie -- and it works beautifully. Fear and guilt. And no heavy-handed "criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot", thank the PTB.
- Liam Neeson was fantastic as Ducard. I was spoiled for the big reveal but I think anyone familiar with canon would've figured it out. I much prefer toon!Talia to comics!Talia, but either way it would've been nice to get at least a mention of her, much as we get that hint of Barbara James Junior and Jason.
- Speaking of which, that was Jason in the Narrows, right? Interesting that they went with the pre-Crisis blond hair. But was that a grappler that Batman gave him? Not a batarang? Either way, very cool nod. Did anybody catch how old Barbara was? It was a fleeting glimpse through the kitchen window, but she looked way young. Younger than Jason. What's up with that? Ah. So apparently that was James Junior and Jim's wife, Barbara. Hmm. *crosses fingers for Babs in sequels*
- Jim Gordon! "I'm just one man." "Now we're two." <3 <3 <3 I love Batman with Jim. Not in a slashy way, because I see (comics) Jim more as an older brother or father-figure (ditto Alfred), but I love the trust between them. It's what draws me to Superman and Batman too. I love the final scene and the truth of what he says about escalation. Joker card eeep! So many hints dropped! I really hope this is the start of a new Batman franchise. I want a sequel that outstrips the first!
Their first meeting, when Bruce tries to jump from rooftop to rooftop? Bwah! Reminds me of Angel in "City Of" and how he leaps into the wrong black convertible. "Just some nut," says Jim.
- Falcone. Heh. I suppose it would've been too much for them to mention the Bertinelli family.
- Commissioner Loeb. Hee!
- Morgan Freeman rocks my socks :D You know, somewhere along the line between watching the first Bruce Timm Batman cartoon in the early 90s, and this past year when I began reading comics for real, I got it into my head that Lucius Fox was a middle-aged black man. I don't know why I got this into my head, but the image of a tall black man with a shaved head and a goatee (think Sisko), maybe 10-15 years older than Bruce, with a wife and two kids (a boy and a girl) got stuck and I haven't been able to shake it since. Even though I've read comics where Lucius is most decidedly a white male, with glasses, around Bruce's age. (I have no idea if he has a wife or kids.)
[ETA: Lucius is a black man in the comics! I suspect that the issues I'd seen him in where he looked Caucasian were the fault of a really lazy inker. Oy. So feel free to ignore my rambling -- I'm not insane, just misinformed.]
Seeing Morgan Freeman as Fox (and boy howdy, how long did it take for me to clue in that this was Lucius? I kid you not. The name "Fox" didn't ring a bell until Earle called him "Lucius". *facepalm*) was like the Best Thing Ever because finally! Here was the Lucius that I knew. Lucius Fox is an older black man! (Still have no idea why I'm so enamoured on the idea of Lucius as black though.) I loved the humour in the Bruce/Lucius scenes. Spelunking! Hee! Don't know about other people, but I had no problem with Lucius being brought into the secret. Like the man said, he's not an idiot.
- Alfred was adorable, though I think a couple of the more... sentimental moments almost became too much. The humour was terrific -- Michael Caine dumping a passed-out Katie Holmes into the back seat of a limo. Hee! Now that's an image that'll stay with you!
- I have lots of thoughts on Bruce and Ra's Al Ghul and Thomas Wayne and the making of a legend, but honestly, I don't feel versed enough in canon to do a good job dissecting it. What I will say is that I was surprised by just how not-broody this Bruce was. He was lost and angry, and he's certainly not a big ball of sunshine -- but overall this is not the grim, hardened, paranoid warrior we see in modern era comics and in the toons. He's still young, still has faith that he can redeem his city. The movie ends on a hopeful note, in spite of Joker's calling card. Probably because they haven't actually met the Joker yet. Oh how little they know...
- Rachel Dawes. I liked what her character was about -- well, I liked everything except the attempt at romance. Compare Bruce/Rachel with Dare Devil/Elektra -- there's just no contest. Or better yet, compare Bruce/Rachel with Bruce/Andrea Beaumont in The Mask of the Phantasm, another Batman origin story. Like I said, Rachel needed more Lois Lane or Andrea Beaumont in her -- and Katie Holmes needed more Dana Delaney. I don't mind her though.
ETA3: huzzlewhat says it best: "It's hard for me to hate a shoehorned-in love interest who does her own meta commentary on the pointlessness of shoehorning in a love interest." Hee!
Rachel was a decent character, and Holmes was convincing enough that I felt Crane might actually consider her an obstacle in his path.
- Crane was disturbingly pretty. And frightening. The special effects used in the hallucinations was great and, well. Three scenes.
- First scene. Young Bruce falls down the rabbit hole and he sees it, Bruce looks into that black. The cave with the bats -- with THE BAT though he doesn't know it yet. Maybe he sensed it? His future, waiting for him in the dark, crouched and patient. Invisible. Then when he sees it the second time, and he crawls in. The bats swirl like a whirlwind, a flying cape around him. He stands up, unafraid. Transformed. Transcendent. And then Crane, pumped full of hallucinogens, staring up at Batman. This grotesque demon from hell. THE BAT. *shivers* Oh yeah. That the Batman who growls "Swear to me."
ETA2: Just in case people think I had no issues whatsoever with this movie... The car chase scene. Was very unimpressed by that. The Batman I know wouldn't put lives at risk like that. That was my one major quibble.
- In conclusion: good movie, must buy the DVD. Now, I'm off to read other people's reviews :)
Sadly I was already (sorta) spoiled for the major plot twist -- that's what I get when curiosity has me clicking spoiler-cuts! Tsk, tsk. Still, I found that story thread wholly engaging.
- First off, Christian Bale was incredible as Bruce Wayne.
- Secondly, this was a wonderful script, save for a couple of plot holes. (The microwave weapon thingy, for one.) But it's easy to hand-wave all that for the sake of the characters. I love origin stories!
- New take on the Crime Alley scene, very interesting. While the props and all the players are the same, the mood is quite different. In comics canon, the Wayne family are just coming out of the movie theatre, having watched the premiere of The Mask of Zorro. Bruce is happy and excited, swash-buckling with his pretend sword at unseen foes; his parents are attentive and indulgent. The moment is picture perfect. Then comes a mugger who -BANG BANG plink of pearls- takes that happy perfection away. The killer is never found, never captured. There is no justice for Thomas and Martha Wayne.
This time Joe Chill is caught, tried, convicted, imprisoned. And it doesn't help. It doesn't satisfy. Bruce's parents are still dead, and Bruce is left wanting, burning. When even vengeance is taken from him, he is left adrift, directionless and lost. His anger has nowhere to go but inward, at himself, and at his parents for leaving him behind. I think Ducard had an excellent point about wishing the people who'd hurt you had never been born, just so you could be spared the pain of their loss. "He doesn't take loss very well," says Diana in "Hereafter".
Also? The fear of bats is played strongly throughout the movie -- and it works beautifully. Fear and guilt. And no heavy-handed "criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot", thank the PTB.
- Liam Neeson was fantastic as Ducard. I was spoiled for the big reveal but I think anyone familiar with canon would've figured it out. I much prefer toon!Talia to comics!Talia, but either way it would've been nice to get at least a mention of her, much as we get that hint of Barbara James Junior and Jason.
- Speaking of which, that was Jason in the Narrows, right? Interesting that they went with the pre-Crisis blond hair. But was that a grappler that Batman gave him? Not a batarang? Either way, very cool nod. Did anybody catch how old Barbara was? It was a fleeting glimpse through the kitchen window, but she looked way young. Younger than Jason. What's up with that? Ah. So apparently that was James Junior and Jim's wife, Barbara. Hmm. *crosses fingers for Babs in sequels*
- Jim Gordon! "I'm just one man." "Now we're two." <3 <3 <3 I love Batman with Jim. Not in a slashy way, because I see (comics) Jim more as an older brother or father-figure (ditto Alfred), but I love the trust between them. It's what draws me to Superman and Batman too. I love the final scene and the truth of what he says about escalation. Joker card eeep! So many hints dropped! I really hope this is the start of a new Batman franchise. I want a sequel that outstrips the first!
Their first meeting, when Bruce tries to jump from rooftop to rooftop? Bwah! Reminds me of Angel in "City Of" and how he leaps into the wrong black convertible. "Just some nut," says Jim.
- Falcone. Heh. I suppose it would've been too much for them to mention the Bertinelli family.
- Commissioner Loeb. Hee!
- Morgan Freeman rocks my socks :D You know, somewhere along the line between watching the first Bruce Timm Batman cartoon in the early 90s, and this past year when I began reading comics for real, I got it into my head that Lucius Fox was a middle-aged black man. I don't know why I got this into my head, but the image of a tall black man with a shaved head and a goatee (think Sisko), maybe 10-15 years older than Bruce, with a wife and two kids (a boy and a girl) got stuck and I haven't been able to shake it since. Even though I've read comics where Lucius is most decidedly a white male, with glasses, around Bruce's age. (I have no idea if he has a wife or kids.)
[ETA: Lucius is a black man in the comics! I suspect that the issues I'd seen him in where he looked Caucasian were the fault of a really lazy inker. Oy. So feel free to ignore my rambling -- I'm not insane, just misinformed.]
Seeing Morgan Freeman as Fox (and boy howdy, how long did it take for me to clue in that this was Lucius? I kid you not. The name "Fox" didn't ring a bell until Earle called him "Lucius". *facepalm*) was like the Best Thing Ever because finally! Here was the Lucius that I knew. Lucius Fox is an older black man! (Still have no idea why I'm so enamoured on the idea of Lucius as black though.) I loved the humour in the Bruce/Lucius scenes. Spelunking! Hee! Don't know about other people, but I had no problem with Lucius being brought into the secret. Like the man said, he's not an idiot.
- Alfred was adorable, though I think a couple of the more... sentimental moments almost became too much. The humour was terrific -- Michael Caine dumping a passed-out Katie Holmes into the back seat of a limo. Hee! Now that's an image that'll stay with you!
- I have lots of thoughts on Bruce and Ra's Al Ghul and Thomas Wayne and the making of a legend, but honestly, I don't feel versed enough in canon to do a good job dissecting it. What I will say is that I was surprised by just how not-broody this Bruce was. He was lost and angry, and he's certainly not a big ball of sunshine -- but overall this is not the grim, hardened, paranoid warrior we see in modern era comics and in the toons. He's still young, still has faith that he can redeem his city. The movie ends on a hopeful note, in spite of Joker's calling card. Probably because they haven't actually met the Joker yet. Oh how little they know...
- Rachel Dawes. I liked what her character was about -- well, I liked everything except the attempt at romance. Compare Bruce/Rachel with Dare Devil/Elektra -- there's just no contest. Or better yet, compare Bruce/Rachel with Bruce/Andrea Beaumont in The Mask of the Phantasm, another Batman origin story. Like I said, Rachel needed more Lois Lane or Andrea Beaumont in her -- and Katie Holmes needed more Dana Delaney. I don't mind her though.
ETA3: huzzlewhat says it best: "It's hard for me to hate a shoehorned-in love interest who does her own meta commentary on the pointlessness of shoehorning in a love interest." Hee!
Rachel was a decent character, and Holmes was convincing enough that I felt Crane might actually consider her an obstacle in his path.
- Crane was disturbingly pretty. And frightening. The special effects used in the hallucinations was great and, well. Three scenes.
- First scene. Young Bruce falls down the rabbit hole and he sees it, Bruce looks into that black. The cave with the bats -- with THE BAT though he doesn't know it yet. Maybe he sensed it? His future, waiting for him in the dark, crouched and patient. Invisible. Then when he sees it the second time, and he crawls in. The bats swirl like a whirlwind, a flying cape around him. He stands up, unafraid. Transformed. Transcendent. And then Crane, pumped full of hallucinogens, staring up at Batman. This grotesque demon from hell. THE BAT. *shivers* Oh yeah. That the Batman who growls "Swear to me."
ETA2: Just in case people think I had no issues whatsoever with this movie... The car chase scene. Was very unimpressed by that. The Batman I know wouldn't put lives at risk like that. That was my one major quibble.
- In conclusion: good movie, must buy the DVD. Now, I'm off to read other people's reviews :)