In the beginning, there was Batman

The general consensus seems to be that Batman Begins is the first film to capture the brooding hero’s true spirit. Although neither of my articles on the film will be out till next week, I’m going to take this moment to chime in some basic thoughts on the film.

Batman Begins is successful not because it’s a Great Movie, but because it’s a great take on the Batman mythos. For the first time, the character feels right. Watching Bale trudge through vast icy mountains or awkwardly skid down rocks into an rocky, undeveloped Batcave, I had to actively remind myself that this very serious, finely crafted thing on the screen in front of me was a Batman film. By removing all of the previous incarnations’ winking, goofy referentiality, Nolan and company have captured the deep, essential essence of who Batman is, a tormented soul acting out of an all-consuming fear and rage. While there are significant flaws, especially with David Goyer’s awkwardly structured script, Nolan and Bale make Batman real for the very first time.