 BATMAN BEGINSMPAA Rating:
 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elementsReviewed by: Jonathan Rodriguez Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults Teens
Genre:
Action Adventure, Crime/Gangster, Fantasy
Length:
2 hr. 14 min.
Year of Release:
2005
         Relevant Issues
Fear and Anxiety… What does the Bible say? Answer Why is the world the way it is—filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty? Answer Is there hope? Answer Reviews of other Batman movies
The Dark Knight (2008) I suppose the reason I have always liked Batman over all the other superheroes is because he is just a regular guy who doesn’t actually have any real superpowers. He wasn’t born with the ability to fly, wasn’t bitten by some freakish bug or animal and given web-slinging super skills; he’s a rich guy with fancy toys who loves his city and loves even more to see those who aim to harm his city punished. Sure, he may be a bit of a vigilante, but nobody’s perfect. Since 1989, we’ve seen the Dark Knight in action on the Silver Screen four times. The first succeeded with its campy comic mayhem and wildly over-the-top Joker; the second (and best of the four) worked its dark brand of humor the way only director Tim Burton could manage. The third had an interesting, high-energy cast that held our attention, but the fourth was so unbelievably bad that it appeared the Batman franchise may have been on its last leg. Yet, even though the four films were all different variations and styles of the Caped Crusader’s adventures, none of them ever quite seemed to ring true and capture the essence of the central character. So, as I walked into the theater for the fifth Batman, “Batman Begins”, I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the filmmakers would have gotten it right and given us the Batman we fans have been waiting for. And boy did they ever. When we first see Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale (“American Psycho”) he is being attacked by prisoners, and then doing the attacking in the trenches of an Asian prison. Wayne is there to study the criminal mind, and meets Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson (“Kinsey”), a member of the League of Shadows who promises to train Bruce in martial arts and mind control to be the warrior he appears destined to become. But when Wayne is commanded to kill a criminal to show his allegiance to the League of Shadows and to its leader Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe of “The Last Samurai”), he declines and attacks the members of the room instead, severely injuring Ducard and leaving Al Ghul for dead. He returns home to Gotham City, to Wayne Enterprises, the company left to him after his parents were murdered when Bruce was a child. The memory of their deaths haunts him, and the anger he feels towards the killer has possessed him for most of his life. That anger fuels his desire to rid the city of its criminal underworld, and he shares his new plan with his childhood friend/sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Katie Homes of “Pieces of April”) who then chastises Bruce and reminds him that there is a big difference between anger-driven revenge and justice. He knows that in order to strike fear into the hearts of the underworld, he needs to become a symbol, something they don’t know and will instinctively be afraid of. For this, he confronts his lifelong fear of bats, and uses them as his inspiration. With the help of Wayne Enterprises’ scientist Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman of “Million Dollar Baby”), he gets some cool gadgets, weapons, and costume material to use to create Batman. He sets his sights first on Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson of “In the Bedroom”), a local crime boss smuggling drugs and bullying or buying-off most members of the local criminal and judicial forces. Working alongside Falcone is Dr. Crane (Cillian Murphy of “28 Days Later”), a psychiatrist whose criminal patients all seem to be going crazy under his supervision, paralyzed by a fear of something they call “Scarecrow.” We learn that Crane is working for someone far more powerful overseas, and their plan is to do something terrible to Gotham’s water supply and destroy the population. So, Batman, with the help of Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman of “The Fifth Element”) sets out to stop Falcone, Crane, and their mysterious boss before Batman’s beloved city is annihilated. There is little objectionable content in “Batman Begins”. There are a few bad words (one use of God**** and a**hole) and a few profane uses of God’s name. There is no sexual content or innuendos worth noting. The film is obviously very heavy in violent content, plenty of fights, beatings, shootings, and bomb blasts. What makes this film very inappropriate for children, however, are some genuinely frightening scenes of people seeing the things they fear most, after Dr. Crane gases them with a chemical that unleashes their worst fears upon them. Some of these scenes appear almost demonic, and while the scenes don’t necessarily contain any objectionable content per say, they make the film a must-not-see for children and impressionable or easily frightened teens. The film is very dark and grim, without the humor that went along with the darkness of “Batman Returns”. This is a serious, grown-up version of Batman that parents need to exercise serious caution before letting their children see. And finally, there is a line that may offend some. While Batman is “interrogating” a man by slinging him over a railing, the frightened man answers Batman’s question by saying “I swear to God” to which Batman angrily roars back “Swear to ME!” Whether or not he is implying he is superior to God or feels he is almost God-like I don’t know, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. “Batman Begins” blew me away from start to finish and kept me glued to my seat for its almost two-and-a-half hour running time. It is a far darker film than its predecessors, and one of much more consequence. It features astounding action sequences expertly directed by Christopher Nolan (“Memento”) and a smart, grown-up script and storyline by David Goyer (“Dark City”). Of course, it also contains an amazing cast, led by Bale’s flawless performance. And yes, in my opinion it finally gets the central character of Batman correct. This version of Bruce Wayne/Batman isn’t some perfect, all knowing and wise crime fighter. He is a headstrong kid with ideals who makes mistakes, sometimes acts before he thinks, but ultimately gains enough experience to just barely save his city. Let’s hope this is one Batman we adults will be able to enjoy for at least a few more movies. Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/nudity: None See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers. Year of Release—2005 / USA release date: June 15, 2005 (wide)  Positive—I went to see this movie with my best friend on his 18th birthday and I have to say that I am happy to have seen it. The film making is magnificent. Christian Bale did a spectacular job in his role as Batman. As a matter of fact, all of the actors, in my opinion, were marvelous.
This movie is a great tool to show the difference between revenge and justice. This movie shows the importance of compassion to those that may not deserve it while it shows how justice needs to be hard-nosed as well. I really enjoyed this movie, however, I cannot recommend it for children under the age of 13. The action and violence in this movie abounds, but it is not that scary. I would recommend this movie for older teens and adults but I would exercise caution with younger children due to the fact that the scenes with Scarecrow are quite disturbing. For those that see this movie, enjoy! It’s a winner! Average/4 —Caleb Payne, age 18 Positive—I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain tickets through a local comic shop to an advanced screening of Batman Begins on Tuesday 6/7/05. …I was VERY impressed with this film. Those who are fans of the older BATMAN movies will likely agree that the first Batman was good, and the rest left a lot to be desired. This movie is much more serious than the previous Batman movies. It dives much deeper into the emotional issues that Bruce Wayne experienced both as a child and a man.
There are some great lines in the movie that cause Bruce to look at what it truly means to have a good quality character. The character development, acting, and scripting are all excellent. Christian Bale makes a fine Batman. Morgan Freeman and Micheal Caine are also perfectly cast in the roles. There is nothing overly objectionable in this movie outside one unnecessary scene that shows Bruce in a “party” type atmosphere with two girls. The action and effects on this movie are excellent. I think this movie will do well. From what I have been told by friends who are really into the comics, this stays true to the original. There are plenty of hints on where sequels may go from here. However, to continue to be succesful, I hope they can retain Christian Bale as Batman and not go through several actor changes like the previous movies, in my opinion, that was one of the things that hurt the movies. Better than Average/5 —Dave, age 35 Positive—4 of 4 Stars—Ending with an eruption of applause and cheers from the audience, I could not help be truly be encapsulated in the glorious filmmaking of “Batman Begins.” I must admit after seeing my fair share of absolute trash this year, I had my hesitations when I sat down to watch this movie. I expected a fun, yet sub-par snooze-fest that I would probably end up giving a decent, fair review. However, when I was done watching this movie I could find almost nothing wrong, and saw a virtually flawless film. I am not one to really give high kudos to every movie I see, in fact, as you can see by many of my reviews, I actually tank many of them because of the sex, nudity, gore or overtly political message. In this case, I can honestly say that “Batman Begins” has everything a moviegoer would desire.
“Batman Begins” starts out with an excellent pace-setting action sequence and never lets up from there, however it does not get itself soaked with so much action that it cannot hold a story line. In Batman Begins we learn how Bruce Wayne became Batman, what happened to his parents, how he gets his empire, what makes him tick, the relationship with Alfred from the beginning and how he builds his arsenal of Batmanory. The action is superb as Batman learns how to become the superhero he was forced to become, however it does not give him a superhuman nature. Instead of being a dark and angry person who resembles a demon possessed man with a fetish for violence, we see a man who just cares about others and wants to do the right thing.Unlike many superhero movies, we do not see a COMIC BOOK turned MOVIE, we see a movie and story for what it is. We do not see the comic or stylistic fighting sequences that we are so used to with Spiderman and Hulk, but instead we see a pit bull that attacks the screen, leaving no prisoners behind. Instead of a perfectly choreographed dance between good verses evil, we see a brutal take down of the bad guys without any attempt to be pseudo-comical. Batman exemplifies what it means to just get out there and kick butt and take names. Batman is a crime fighter that actually knows that he has limitations and knows that he can get hurt, if not killed. It is as if Bruce Wayne had seen enough of the superhero movies himself and knew what to do differently. Bruce Wayne knows that karate and style get him no real points fighting crime and he knows that time is of the essence, so he doesn’t hang around just so that we can see more drama. This leads to a very realistic version of Batman and lends a human quality to the saga. Something else that fairs well in the movie is the acting. Christian Bale was born to play Bruce Wayne and does an absolutely stellar job portraying a boy turned into man complete with fears, vengeance, and honor, battling both his personal and selfish desires and doing what is right. On top of Christian Bale’s incredible performance, we have an all star cast that just do what they do best; they act. Each and every actor and character is perfect in their roles and for the first time in a great while, no one steals the show. I would have to say that the script is nothing less than perfect and gives us a piece of history that many have longed for in the Batman saga. For those who are expecting a movie that has a guy in a bat suit from beginning to end, you will be severely disappointed. This movie starts with about 45 minutes of shear story development, however it does not leave us without a few action sequences to keep us hungry for more. I was especially pleased to see that the movie is not dark and gloomy like the rest of the Batman movies. Instead, again, it is very realistic to today and not overdone with props and sets, but with a unique style and presentation that resembles the cities that surround us. I want to make a quick note about what happened after the movie was over. Right when the movie ended there was an eruption of applause that I have NEVER heard before. They were screaming, whistling and clapping all the way until we were out the door. It was amazing to see that those around me actually enjoyed the movie as much as I did. I agree with Roger Ebert’s assessment that this is one of the best superhero movies of all time. PARENTS: The movie is perfectly clean without even a hit of sexual misconduct or misbehavior. The blood is almost non-existent, with the exception of a couple scrapes and bruises here and there. There is no nudity or sex at all and absolutely no foul language that I can remember at all. I would say that this movie is fine for kids of all ages that you do not mind seeing some action and violence. The violence is not done like Spiderman however, in a stylized fashion, but is much more realistic, so do not expect a comic-type movie. My opinion is that children over 7 would be fine. I give this movie 4 of 4 stars because of the fantastic job that they did directing, acting and presenting a story for what it is. I will see this movie again and I do recommend it to everyone. This has been an unusual year, in that I have I have given 3 movies this year four of four stars, but “Cinderella Man,” “The Notebook” and “Batman Begins” all deserve it! SEE THIS MOVIE! Better than Average/5 —John Kehrli, age 31 Neutral—While I truly enjoyed this movie, I am choosing a “neutral” opinion simply because I don’t think kids under the age of 18 should be seeing it. I attended with my wife last night, and we were both excited (especially after reading the rave comments already provided on Christiananswers.net). Halfway through the movie, I asked my wife if she wanted to leave, because she is easily frightened. I can only imagine that countless children whose parents aren’t aware of the content of this film will find themselves frightened at the visual effects.
The movie has a very intriguing plot, part of which includes a substance intended to alter the state of mind of all the citizens of Gotham. Those shown to be infected in the film suffer from severe hallucinations that scare them to the point of being sent to the city asylum. It was an interesting idea, but I’m concerned that many children might not be able to get past how frightening the visuals are. With all due respect to Mr. Kehrli, I would seriously question anyone who brings a child under the age of 13, and would suggest that parents with children over the age of 13 be very aware of the film’s content. That said, I really did enjoy the movie and found myself totally enveloped in the acting, story, etc. Christian Bale is far more believable than any of the other actors in the series (though the way he talks while as Batman seemed a little cheesy at times), and the supporting cast is wonderful. I wish that Morgan Freeman’s character had been developed a bit more, but perhaps that will follow in the next movie. Better than Average/4 —Jon, age 23 Positive—At last a new Batman film!!! I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. As a huge movie freak, I’ve been following “Batman Begins”’ progress on the cinematic assembly line for about three years. Since the beginning of it’s conception, it was abundantly clear that this was going to be a hugely different ballgame from the Burton/Schumacher vehicles (all four of which I love). Christopher Nolan was going to take Batman to a level closer to the heart of the character, and he did.
One realizes pretty quick that “Batman Begins” is neither a sequel, nor a prequel to the previous installments; It’s a whole new animal. Christopher Nolan and co. are starting over, from scratch, and let me say, our flying friend is in good hands. Everything about “Batman Begins” spells professionalism; the script, the acting, the visuals, all of which add up to the most realistic interpretation of Batman imaginable. Consequently, it’s not so much heightened realities and spectacle, as it is science fiction-drama. It’s a solid action film, without so much of the fantasy elements from the older movies. Nolan has tapped into the heart of what Batman is about, and what makes him tick. In other words, this Batman film is about Batman, not the villains. I must admit, it was hard to get used to the idea that we weren’t seeing much of the villain side of things, which was probably my sole disappointment. To allow for a certain level of realism and more character development for Bruce Wayne/Batman, my all-time favorite villain, Scarecrow, was reduced to almost nothing compared to what he could have been. He’s still pretty cool within the world of the film, but I would have saved him for a sequel where he would have more room to show-off. As I mentioned earlier, the film’s quality is stellar except for a few minor pacing issues (too much cool stuff to cram into two and a half hours). The action is wonderful, and Christian Bales performance in the Bat costume left me breathless (watch for the coolest interrogation scene ever). He adds ferocity and speed into the Bat. Plus, the sword battles in the beginning are pretty cool too, some of the best I’ve seen. Unfortunately, though, the score was not nearly what I was expecting from my favorite composers our there (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard). But it still works, so I guess it’s just one more thing I’ll have to get used to in the world of Batman. It’s also fun to see so many stars lurking in the supporting cast. As for content, it was pretty clean. A fair amount of violence, some emotional trauma, a few scary hallucinations (needed to be scarier though), but no sexuality, and very little profanity that I noticed. I heard one swear word uttered under the breath, that was barely noticeable, but there might have been more that I didn’t catch. Overall, I’m still getting used to the new rules of Batman’s universe, but I’m also excited that the coolest super hero ever is being revived. I look forward to lots and lots of sequels, now that we have Batman settled in. Average/5 —Cade Loven, age 18 Positive—“Batman Begins” is a wonderfully made film and it has a good message to it. It’s not about demons and stuff blowing up; it’s about conquering your fears, learning to forgive, and learning compassion over revenge. …Think “Spider-Man” but just a TEENY bit darker.
Better than Average/4½ —Shannon H., age 23 Positive—I took my 12 year old son to see it, and we both enjoyed it immensely. We both got the part where “Bruce” was with the 2 girls as his way of passing as a playboy, especially when Rachael (Katie Holmes) tells him “it isn’t what is inside that defines a person, but their actions.” We believed that to be a perfect “preaching” to all who believe they are good people, or those Christians who keep their beliefs to themselves.
The violence wasn’t as bad as I had thought it might be, as one got only glimpses. We even missed whatever bad language was there, and the kiss “Bruce” and “Racheal” had was even tasteful (no tonsil hockey). We both saw “Bruce’s” anger, tendency to revenge, his overcoming of being a potential executioner and his will to not kill but to overcome evil. Even his telling a crooked cop (as Batman) to “swear to ME” was good because he was letting the “cop” know that Batman was to be feared. We didn’t take that as an arrogance about superiority to God. We very much hope that a true sequel to this is in the works, especially with the same main players, writer(s), producers and director. It could only get better. Good/5 —Jesse C. Combs, age 52 Neutral—While I truly enjoyed this movie, I am choosing a “neutral” opinion simply because I don’t think kids under the age of 18 should be seeing it. I attended with my wife last night, and we were both excited (especially after reading the rave reviews already provided on Christiananswers.net). Halfway through the movie, I asked my wife if she wanted to leave, because she is easily frightened. I can only imagine that countless children whose parents aren’t aware of the content of this film will find themselves frightened at the visual effects.
The movie has a very intriguing plot, part of which includes a substance intended to alter the state of mind of all the citizens of Gotham. Those shown to be infected in the film suffer from severe hallucinations that scare them to the point of being sent to the city asylum. It was an interesting idea, but I’m concerned that many children might not be able to get past how frightening the visuals are. With all due respect to Mr. Kehrli, I would seriously question anyone who brings a child under the age of 13, and would suggest that parents with children over the age of 13 be very aware of the film’s content. That said, I really did enjoy the movie and found myself totally enveloped in the acting, story, etc. Christian Bale is far more believable than any of the other actors in the series (though the way he talks while as Batman seemed a little cheesy at times), and the supporting cast is wonderful. I wish that Morgan Freeman’s character had been developed a bit more, but perhaps that will follow in the next movie. Better than Average/4 —Jon, age 23 Positive—Interesting movie, intriguing story, totally believable acting, especially by the fascinating Christian Bale. But in the end, as I look back, it was just a story about a COMIC BOOK CHARACTER.
Average/4½ —Halyna, age 59 Positive—Offensive??? Think again. Good movie. Well written. Slightly frightening (Under 13 MIGHT be a little scared… not 18 as mentioned before). Go see it.
Good/4 —Jason, age 21 Positive—BATMAN BEGINS finally does the Batman genre justice! Thecasting is excellent and the scripting brilliant—the storyline flowsvery well! The humor is light-hearted and effectively employed. Thevillians are intriguing, complex, and far less cartoonish than wouldexpected. BATMAN BEGINS is a solid movie, and I loved every minute of it.
As far as objectionable content goes, it is limited to violence and a fewexpletives. The violence is not gratuitous—realistic, yes, that much istrue; it is not the usual, over-the-top, stylized action that is common tomost superhero archetypes. The violence is simply a “catalyst” in the presentation of the story… then later it is merely a matter ofconsequences—Batman’s stand against the rampant crime in Gotham City. And yes, this movie presents the protagonist as a legend, a symbol, butalso as a man. We see his human struggles—fear, forgiveness, compassion, etc. By the same token, we see how Bruce Wayne triumphs inthe face of these hardships and works to merge his two identities. Again, this is simply a GREAT movie! As far as overall entertainment andconstruction goes, BATMAN BEGINS far surpasses REVENGE OF THE SITH, andjust about any other film in recent times. There are just too manypraises that can be written regarding this film! Go see this movie! Better than Average/5] —Jacob Keenum, age 19 Positive—Although I cannot recommend this movie for younger children (or even pre-teens), I liked two elements: 1. The perspective of discouraging vengenance and encouraging justice. Batman’s motivation is a reminder that, in God’s sight, He also examines our hearts (e.g., 1 Corinthians 4:3-5) and thus it is not only what you do, but why you do it. 2. The “character development” had more depth than some movies of this genre, i.e., it is not just an “action flick,” but also a movie examining how Batman became who he is.
There is a comment in the movie that deserves debate: The remark by Kate Holmes’ character regarding actions defining who you are. While Jesus certainly affirmed that, “…by their fruits you shall know them.” (Luke 6:45), the Scriptures also indicate that God also evaluates our motivations (e.g., 1 Corinthians 4:5—“God… will disclose the motive of men’s hearts…”). Indeed, our actions are open to misinterpretation and erroneous conclusions being formed. So, I think the statement doesn’t represent the entire truth regarding evaluating a person. I’d recommend this movie to adults so long as violent, action scenes are not the sort to trouble you. Average/4½ —Paul, age 56 Positive—I really liked this movie. I’ve been a Batman fan since theTV series, and I think this movie takes it to a whole new level. Not socampy, but very character driven. I have a son who is a huge Star Wars fanand I have tried to explain how the last movie didn’t move me to careabout Annakin’s turn to the dark side. When we left this film, I turned tohim and said, “That is what I mean about caring about someone in amovie.” He got it. You feel everything Bruce Wayne is going throughand you understand his struggle. You hope with all your heart that hechooses well and not poorly.
I love the strong male role models in Bruce’s life. Because of them, when he is faced with the difficult choice his teacher offers, he is able to choose life and leave vengance and justice to a higher authority. My only complaint about the movie is the literal darkness and some mumbling of lead characters, also, the fighting was so blurry it was difficult to follow. However, these things weren’t often enough to frustrate me, they only made me want to see it again. Better than Average/4] —Lee Swetnika, age 42 Positive—I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this movie. Yes, there was some content that as a Christian I found objectionable—the improper use of the Lord’s name being the most offensive. But I was able to use the differences from the Christian worldview to teach my daughter why the way of Christ is superior to the ways of mankind. For example, when Batman told Ducard he wouldn’t kill him but that he wouldn’t save him either, I explained to her how Christ died to save us all while we were still his enemies.
Having said that, this Batman gets it right. Bruce Wayne chooses to save Gotham for the sake of the few who were suffering from the actions of the corrupt. For a secular movie, this is a refreshing change from the traditional Hollywood mentality that often fails to make any distinction between the methods used by the good guys and those used by the bad. Finally, I too was initially concerned (as was the reviwer) about Batman’s admonition to the corrupt policeman not to swear to God, but to “Swear to me!” After a little thought it occurred to me that perhaps Batman knew that the man’s oath to God was meaningless since God obviously had no place in his life. However, Batman held the man’s life in his hands, so an oath to him would hold more significance. The highest compliment to pay to a movie is to see it again, which I intend to do for this movie. Better than Average/4½ —Steve, age 50 Negative—…After about 45 minutes of watching this in the theater, I could not take any more. The violence was extreme and largely gratuitous, and I could not imagine how children were allowed into the theater. I went into the lobby and discovered it was rated PG-13. It just shows how messed up the rating system is. Europe has it right: they don’t get hung up about the human body or about words that have arbitrarily been deemed obscene. They are more offended by violence, and Americans (esp. American Christians) should be, too.
Extremely Offensive / 3 —Stephen Joyce, age 41 Positive—…the best Batman movie to date. The script is first rate and actually helps to give a plausible reason behind the villian’s mad scheme to destroy Gotham City. The cast has some of Hollywood’s best supporting actors. Casting such movie heavyweights as Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Gary Oldman only adds to the film’s richness. Not to be overlooked is the film’s musical score, arguably the best movie soundtrack of 2005. Parental advisory: Batman Begins is violent, dark, realistic, and could be terrifying to a small child or an easily shaken pre-teen.
Average/5 —Tim Jackson, age 44 Comments from young people
Positive—I saw this movie with my younger brother and at the end we both agreed: “Batman Begins” is awesome. I would NOT recommend this film for anyone who is easily frightened, however, due to many violent scenes and a few very scary images. Batman Begins is a typical superhero movie (with all the gadgets and spectacular plots) but at the same time is different. The fighting is very real (compared to Spiderman’s graceful, swooping style), and our hero is not incredibly loveable. My opinion: Batman Begins is raw, dark, and strangely gripping.
Average/4 —willows_shadow, age 16 Negative—“Batman Begins” starts as a thrilling motion picture with fantastic suspense. After the first five minutes of this movie, things start to darken dramatically. When Bruce is training to lead justice, the events that he complete are extremely dark and lean towards an Asian religion where you are to breathe in a spell like substance where your fears are to be released. …Later in the movie poison gas is released into Gothom giving the citizens a different visual of each others’ faces. When Batman appears his face resembles a satanic look of a demon which frightens every one. Also scarecrow contorts his satanic appearance which promotes Satan. I chose to look down during these horrific scenes in which I encourage parents who bring kids under 12 years of age to this film to avoid these devilish scenes. Please be aware of this dark movie. Towards the end is the best part where most of the action occurs. Truly I couldn’t picture Jesus watching this film.
Very Offensive/2 —Blake D., age 11 Positive—I sat down expecting to see a good, entertaining summer movie. What I saw was not just an entertaining flick, but also a great, well crafted, meticulous film. During the movie, I was wondering if I was the only one thinking “Wow, this movie is amazing.” But when the credits rolled and appaluse erupted, I knew that Christopher Nolan had hit a home run with “Batman Begins”.
If you go into this movie without any prior knowledge about the format of the film, you may be surprised. In fact, you may start wondering if this is actually a Batman film. The first half of the movie is about Bruce Wayne. The second half is about his alter ego, Batman. The beginning of the film consists of flashbacks, character development, and backstory; all very rare for a summer blockbuster. We get a chance to see Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine and others to flesh out their characters in a way that is meaningful yet entertaining. When Batman finally arrives on screen, the adrenaline is pumping, the anxiety is there, the anticipation has climaxed. The first thing that may surprise people is that Batman is a fully realistic character; this may be hard to imagine but Director Christopher Nolan makes him and Gotham City believable. The second thing that may surprise people is how Batman acts. Batman is on film here as you have never seen him before, unless you have read the comics. He is intimidating, brooding, and even very scary at one point. Because of this, I would definitely say that some children are not suited to watch this movie. This movie does have its truly scary moments which I will not get into because I do not want to ruin the movie for anyone. Message-wise, this movie is very strong. There are a couple of lines in this film at key, climactic points that are extremely powerful. Naturally, Batman does not touch any spiritual subjects, but it does dwell on morals extensively, talking about the difference between justice and revenge. It does not matter what type of movie-goer you are. You might be someone who enjoys the summer action flick. You might be someone who loves a deep, well crafted story. Whatever you’re looking for in a movie, this has it. Good/4½ —Caleb Smith, age 16 Positive—Because I’ve never read comic books, I’ve always determined how cool a super hero is by how cool he is on screen. To be honest none of the previous batman films apealled to me, so I thought “you know, batman is pretty lame.” after watching “Batman Begins”, I realized how incredibally wrong I was. This is a tortured, disturbed, slightly insane character who has never been given his due on film. That’s because Christian Bale is batman. He just is. And this film proves it. This is the most plausible super hero origin story I’ve ever seen, and It’s fantastic. From a christian standpoint, there really isn’t anything to complain about. So go see this film…
Offensive/5 —Josh, age 14 Positive—My brother is a huge Batman fan, so he saw this the first day it came out. He told me I needed to see it that it is the best. So I went with him and a large group of people. I absolutly loved this, he was very right. This is by far the best hero movie I’ve ever seen. There is a lot of violence, like “Daredevil” there is a lot of violence. The scenes where you see what the crazy people see can be frightning for younger viewers, I wasn’t scared though. The villian wasn’t like The green goblin. It was real, it was creepy and very wisely thought out. I really enjoyed the terror they worked in, I like scary things. Every scene was intresting, I enjoyed every minute. I love the very endding where the cop tells Batman about another nut who leaves them a calling card at the scene, he hands Batman a card in a bag, he turns it over and it is a Joker card. I thought that was very clever. I’m sure they’ll make a sequel, I’ll be seeing it too. This film rocks!
Average/4 —Michelle, age 14 Positive—…a great movie. There was nothing that would make me want to leave this movie or make me feel uncomfortable as a follower of Christ. I would recomend this movie for kids 13 and up because there were some frightening images. Nothing really bothered me in the movie but it was kind of intense. This movie was all about darkness. You could not even see what was going on sometimes because it was so dark. All in all Batman had a good story line, plot and some cool action scenes. There were very few uses of the “h” and “d” word, but besides that it was very clean if the violent parts don’t bother you.
Better than Average/4½ —Nick Riportella, age 14 Positive—This is a movie, you might not want to watch over and over again
(because of the violence and such), but it’s a movie, where you would wonder and imagine, if you could be Batman, and act as he does. I know I did. The only part where it was very scary was when Batman first made his appearance in the movie, in the importing of the drugs… when he took away that man inside that crate, the suspense began, and even I, became wide-eyed and caught up in the moment. I always knew that Batman wouldn’t kill that man, when he was hanging from the string(?)… for those, who have been part of the Batman era for a long time, we would all know that he would go to the very limit, but he wouldn’t kill anybody, just for justice. I didn’t like the scenes, when he became so… violent, but that’s what happens when you are trained under a madman, who enjoys Death. This movie was VERY good, compared to all the other movies, by all those others… the only movie that was very good, was with Alicia Silverstone (I forgot the year), and that movie wasn’t as graphic as this Batman. I would say that you wouldn’t want to take a 5-11 year old, out to this movie, for the violence and language, but I personally enjoyed it.
Good/4½ —Grace Lee, age 14 Positive—Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. Finally a Batman that stays pretty true to the comics and that actually does it job. The movie is mindblowing. As many have said NOT A MOVIE FOR KIDS but adults who love action adventures will love batman begins. Really a clean movie (despite the few profranity’s listed) and an excellent finish. The beginning is maybe a tad on the slow side but really in the whole scheme of things, it shows the need for the beginning (of how he became batman etc). Really a great movie. Perfect for couples to go see. although on the dark side the ending makes it end in a positive manner. 5 out of 5 for me.
Better than Average/5 —Tim Whitaker, age 16 Positive—I can describe Batman Begins in two words, “Simply Amazing.” I just saw it yesturday and before I saw it I was afraid it was going to be like the last few Batmans, Horrible. But boy, was I wrong. The director, Christopher Nolan got it so right, Christian Bale is the best Batman yet. You walk out of the theatre without any questions at all, they answer everything you ever wanted to know about Batman. The story was fantastic, a pretty big surprise at who the “real” villian was. It is not the normal super hero story, man gets power, girl gets stolen, saves girls, happy ending. That’s the thing I like about Batman, he’s human, he can be hurt. In one of the sceens he wakes up and has brusies all over his arms. It ends like its leading straight into a sequel. I don’t want to spoil anything, but lets just say, it’s no joke. The acting was fantastic. Michael Caine did a wonderful job with Alfred, but he was the best Alfred, by far. Liam Neeson did a wonderful job with… well I won’t spoil it for you. And of chorse, Christian Bale was the best batman and Bruce Wayne we have seen yet. He signed for 3 batman movies so we’ll at least see a sequel.
I’m so glad that …Tim Burton isn’t making the Batman films anymore. And finally, a batman film that actually focuses on “Batman”. All the other films have focused on the villians, which is cool, but you watch Batman films to see batman. There is only a few swearing in this movie, nothing real bad. One part he is partying with some girls, but no nudity or nothing bad at all. This is by far the best batman film yet, and I believe the best comic book film yet. It sets a new high bar for comic book movies to reach. YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE! Lets hope they don’t blow the sequel. Better than Average/5 —Aaron Stary, age 15 Positive—I thought this movie was awesome. It was well acted and very well directed. Each character played his part perfectly. Bale was great at Batman and fit the character perfectly. Except for a few profanities, moderate violence and disturbing images there was nothing else that was offensive. I enjoyed every single minute of the movie and wished there was more. This was the way Batman was supposed to be made and should never be made any differently. This is a definite see and will keep you wanting more.
Average/5 —Bobby Eberhard, age 15 Positive—This is the way Batman was meant to be seen. Far and above the last 4 Batman movies. Probably better than Spider Man (but in a different way). The villians were very good villians. The Scarecrow was pretty darn spooky. Well worth your money.
Average/5 —Daniel Robison, age 16 Positive—WOW!! What an incredible, thrilling movie. I loved it! If you like action, suspence and Batman, see it. It is probably to scary and violent for young kids though (there was a scared little girl in front of us). It is the best Batman yet, I’d give it 5 stars out of 5.
Better than Average/5 —Adam, age 14 Positive—…It was dark, yes. It was not for kids. But it was good! There is barely anything sexual in this movie, other than Bruce “fooling around” with a couple girls; they don’t have sex though, and it’s not explicit. …God’s name was taken in vain, and there were a couple other swear words. It was violent, and shows his parents murder. I think that the violence was about the same or a little more than Spiderman, although B.B. is much darker than Spiderman. Unlike Spiderman, where there are more daytime and light scenes, B.B. has practically (if I remember right) no daylight scenes. It’s mostly very dark, or dusky feeling. I would NOT suggest this movie for kids under 13-14 or anyone whose scared easily. It is rather frightening at times, but it fits the whole movie. The plot was great, and I recommend this movie to responsible teens and adults.
Good / 5 —Stephanie, age 14 Positive—WOW! This is the best flick I’ve ever seen. The plot is engaging, the acting brilliant, the action and special effects thrilling. Christian Bale is the best Batman that will ever be put into a movie. Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Katie Holmes all did a superb job. And Cillian Murphy was perfect for the part of Dr. Craine. The movie also has excellent messages. Near the beginning, Bruce realizes that criminals should be fought, but compassion is the thing that separates us from them. A fine line between justice and revenge is also shown by Rachel (Holmes) when Bruce is still unstable, craving for revenge against his parent’s murderer. There is hardly any violence. Near the end, Bruce breaks his rib and you see blood covering his side. This is the only scene with blood. The rest of the violence is the martial arts. While the martial arts used is pretty violent, all the fights are either in the dark or so fast that you don’t see anything. The film is however, quite dark. Demonic and frightening images are shown. This film definitely isn’t for younger viewers. I would strongly recommend it to children over fourteen. This is the best flick I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait for The Dark Knight to come to theaters. “I wish a means to fight injustice; to turn fear against those prey on the fearful”
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Joseph Hughey, age 14 Movie Critics
…Finally, a Batman movie that’s actually about Batman…
—Bill Muller, The Arizona Republic …In “Batman Begins”, Christian Bale gives us the best Bruce Wayne that has ever graced the screen…
—Ty Burr, Boston Globe …The franchise gets resurrected in this edgy, psychologically shrewd actioner…
—Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter …This Batman is every comic book fan’s dream… Director and co-writer Christopher Nolan didn’t get so caught up in over-the-top comic villains, gadgetry, derring-do or visual effects that he forgot psychological motivation…
—Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle …Batman’s biggest enemy: this movie… represents so major a miscalculation that it threatens… the very franchise it hopes to rejuvenate. …you sit there for two hours and 20 minutes thinking, “What were they thinking?” Half of it is glum enough to recall “The Hulk”… and the rest is so generic an action film that Batman’s individuality evaporates…
—Ed Blank, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review …The movie works dramatically in addition to being an entertainment…
—Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times |
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This movie really challenges the issue of fear. Not all of the theology is right on, but there was a great message about facing your fears, about learning to control them, about using them to your advantage, that was very poignant. The ending clearly indicates a sequel is on the way, and I cannot wait to see another installment. This is good stuff.
My Ratings: Good/4½
—Charity Bishop, age 22