Batman Begins [WS]

Director: Christopher Nolan Christopher Nolan

Overview

The origins of the Caped Crusader of Gotham City are finally brought to the big screen in this new adaptation of the perennially popular comic-book series. As a child, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) lived a comfortable life as the son of wealthy parents, but the realities of life in crime-ridden Gotham City were brought home to him when his mother and father were murdered. Wayne pledged to bring justice and order back to the city and avenge the death of his parents, and one day he is approached by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), a teacher who guides him in the study of martial arts and the ways in which an ordinary man can become a champion. With the help of Ducard and gadget master Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Wayne develops a secret identity as Batman, a masked fighter for justice who is determined to bring peace and safety back to Gotham. Batman Begins also features Michael Caine as faithful manservant Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon, Katie Holmes as Wayne's sweetheart, Rachel Dawes, and Cillian Murphy as the villainous Scarecrow.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/18/2005
UPC:	0012569594159
Original Release:	2005
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:20:00
Sales rank:	23,411

Special Features

Closed Caption; [None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Christian Bale	Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine	Alfred
Liam Neeson	Henri Ducard
Katie Holmes	Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman	Jim Gordon
Cillian Murphy	Dr. Jonathan Crane,S¿dzia Faden
Tom Wilkinson	Carmine Falcone
Rutger Hauer	Earle
Ken Watanabe	Ra's Al Ghul
Mark Boone Junior	Flass
Linus Roache	Thomas Wayne
Morgan Freeman	Lucius Fox
Larry Holden	Finch
Colin McFarlane	Loeb
Sara Stewart	Martha Wayne
Gus Lewis	Bruce Wayne
Richard Brake	Joe Chill
Rade Serbedzija	Homeless Man
Emma Lockhart	Rachel Dawes - age 8
Christine Adams	Jessica
Catherine Porter	Blonde Female Reporter / Assassin
John Nolan	Fredericks
Karen David	Courthouse Reporter #1
Jonathan D. Ellis	Courthouse Reporter #2
Tamer Hassan	Faden's Limo Driver
Ronan Leahy	Uniformed Policeman #1
Vincent Wong	Old Asian Prisoner
Tom Wu	Bhutanese Prison Guard #1
Rade ¿erbed¿ija	Homeless Man
Lucy Russell	Actor
Hans Zimmer	Composer
James Newton Howard	Composer

Technical Credits

Christopher Nolan

David S. Goyer

Christopher Nolan	Director,Screenwriter
David S. Goyer	Screenwriter
Emma Thomas	Producer
Charles Roven	Producer
Larry Franco	Producer,Producer
Benjamin Melniker	Executive Producer,Producer
Michael E. Uslan	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Lucinda Syson	Casting
John Papsidera	Casting
Chris Corbould	Special Effects
Sy Hollands	Stunts
Lorne Orleans	Producer
Laura Albert	Stunts
Aurelia Abate	Special Effects
Justine Angus	Sound Effects
Ron Bartlett	Sound Effects
James Bennett	Sound Effects
Nicolas Becker	Sound Effects
Cheryl A. Tkach	Producer
Ian Mackinnon	Special Effects
Max Rees	Special Effects
Chris 'Flimsy' Howes	Special Effects
Steven Warner	Special Effects
Kristyan Mallett	Special Effects
Wade Allen	Stunts
Nina Armstrong	Stunts
Rick Avery	Stunts
Dean Bailey	Stunts
Bruce Benson	Stunts
Steve Caswell	Stunts
Nick Chopping	Stunts
Brian Christensen	Stunts
Gary Connery	Stunts
Ben Cooke	Stunts
Tobiasz Daszkiewicz	Stunts
Levan Doran	Stunts
Rick English	Stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	Stunts
James Fierro	Stunts
Neil Finnighan	Stunts
Glory Fioramonti	Stunts
Pete Ford	Stunts
David Garrick	Stunts
Andy Godbold	Stunts
Mark Harper	Stunts
Steve Benelisha	Special Effects
Steve Holladay	Stunts
Peter Lindsay	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The Dark Knight lives again with Batman Begins, a stunning big-screen reintroduction that resurrects a crippled franchise and does justice to the legacy of the dark Caped Crusader. Director Christopher Nolan and writer David Goyer boldly turn their backs on Burton's inspired gothic styling and Schumacher's gaudy odes to camp and instead weave the character into a convincing modern world that acts as an enticing base for what's to come. Though the design might seem a bit jarring, the pair sells it all thanks to the grounded context they've laid out; it doesn't hurt that the flick is a virtual who's who of Hollywood, with heavyweights lending their credibility to each role as this new universe is established for the crime fighter. Batman himself is one mean, angry machine, played to a hilt by Christian Bale. While the character's voice has its on-and-off moments, for the most part, Bale delivers a solid study of the vigilante billionaire. Supporting him effortlessly in their roles are such stalwarts as Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Liam Neeson, who shine in an abundance of solid performances. And while easily the weakest link the otherwise top-notch cast, the young Katie Holmes surely handles one of the most poignant lines in reference to who and what Bruce Wayne really is; just one moment out of many that nails the core of what makes the mythos tick. In fact, the results are downright frightening at times, adding to the excitement of how different this version feels. For everything it does right, the movie does have a few shortfalls, starting with the furiously edited action scenes. While Nolan tried to capture the criminal's confusion, far too often the close flashes of breathless cuts overload on too much visual chaos for the audience to register. Some have fault with the music as well, with both James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer collaborating on an eclectic score that features no driving superhero theme (though one was originally written). In their defense, this isn't the kind of rousing piece of work that deserves that kind of pageantry, nor should its exclusion take away from their otherwise superlative work. DC Comics finally has a film worthy of Marvel's most successful theatrical outings, and if this and the zinger that's at the end of the movie is any indication, there's plenty more good stuff on the way.