Batman Begins

Mischke asked me last week, "Do I need to see the other "Batman" movies before seeing the new movie?" My answer is a resounding "No", as "Batman Begins" is unlike any Batman movie ever made. This is dark, violent, and psychologically intense, and certainly not for little kids. For you, however, definitely worth checking out.

Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne, a billionaire playboy still traumatized by the murder of his parents when he was 8. He desires to learn about the dark forces that create evil in order to then fight the evil in the world. Leading him in his training is Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson, still utilizing his Jedi skills), a mysterious man who operates within the League of Shadows, an organization run by Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe). After a conflict in philosophies with Al Ghul, Bruce returns to his hometown of Gotham City, determined to fight the crime lords that have overrun the metropolis.

At this point, we're a full hour into the movie before Batman makes his first appearance. The title of "Batman Begins" does not lie, as we now understand why Bruce Wayne feels so tortured, what his fears are, and how he supports his crime-fighter persona. Helping him in that regard is his faithful butler Alfred (an outstanding Michael Caine) and science guy Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Besides your typical thugs, Batman faces a bigger challenge of saving Gotham from the Scarecrow's (Cillian Murphy) diabolical plan to drive the city into madness. Oh, and we have the love interest played by Katie Holmes as well.

"Batman Begins" is not your typical comic book movie. It is not bright and cheery, it does not presume that the hero is without flaws and fears, and it does not cater to the Happy Meal crowd. What it does accomplish though is completely satisfying, leaving you not only exhilarated that Batman does begin, but looking for him to continue on for some time. I give it an A-.

"Batman Begins" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 140 minutes.