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A Reel Life film section

Issue: Winter 2005

Batman Begins (2005) movie review

Legendary Beginning

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The dark knight has had many guises. From Adam West to Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer. Now he's back in a dark tale of his beginnings.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), child of privilege, loses his parents to violence and is left to his parents butler (Michael Caine) to raise. Wayne leaves Gotham City and the life of luxury to travel and discover himself and a way to fight injustice. He lives and fights amongst the squalor of Asia until he is given a chance to win a place learning from Ra's Al Ghul and Ducard (Liam Neeson). It is a brutal fighting system with just a touch of mystical wisdom.

Movie poster, Batman Begins; Festivale film review

Movie poster, Batman Begins

But all is not as it seems and Wayne returns to Gotham City to be a playboy by day and a bat-dressed vigilante by night.

He is ably assisted by Alfred the butler and by research scientist and inventor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). His development of the bat cave and his acquisition of his bat tools are thus explained, as is his tortured soul and his martial skills.

Now there is a threat to Gotham City and as Batman he must fight the evil.

This is the dark, troubled Batman with wicked skills and mean enemies. It's one of the better superhero-to-the-screen stories.

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by Ali Kayn
Australian release 16 June 2005
For credits and official site details, see below
Search Festivale for more work by the film-makers below.

See also: Christopher Nolan (Memento (screenplay))

Just the facts:

Title: Batman Begins (2005)
Written by: Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story & scr), Christopher Nolan (scr)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
running time:
rating:

The Players: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Rutger Hauer

Official website:
IMDb

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