Batman Begins | Teen Ink

Batman Begins

June 30, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Batman Begins is the first movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and proves to be a tale that will be sure to please with its captivating adventure. The movie revolves around a young Bruce Wayne, who is quickly molded by the murder of his parents from when he was just a boy. Bruce eventually travels to the Far East, in an attempt to separate himself from the crime-filled Gotham City, which is where was raised, and he is soon trained by a martial arts master in Henri Ducard. Henri is a member of the notoriously well-trained, mysterious and fierce League of Shadows that consists of other martial arts masters. Although Bruce seems intent on joining the league and thinks it is a smart way to help those who are in a need of it, when the true purpose of the League is revealed by Henri Ducard, which is the destruction of Gotham City, because it is more trouble than it's worth, Bruce Wayne is forcibly placed in a crossroads. Deciding that he has to do what he believes is right, he crosses the league and returns to Gotham intent on cleaning up the crime of the city with the new skills he has acquired, instead of resorting to murder. With the assistance of the Wayne family butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and Lucius Fox, who works at Wayne Enterprises and is a tech expert, Bruce Wayne is finally able to transform into a crimefighting vigilante that attempts to create a war on criminals, and thus, Batman is born and begins his endless quest for peace. 
 Batman Begins is the most complete and thorough explanation of Bruce Wayne's origins as the Batman on the big screen. Dark and realistic in its entirety, the movie manages to shed some light on how exactly Batman came to be in such a fashion that makes it believable that Batman could truly exist in the real world. From the severely flawed character that is Bruce Wayne, Batman is never proven to be the unstoppable caped crusader that many assume him to be. Instead, he is just a man at heart but a man with determinations much bigger than the sum of his parts as he fights an endless war against crime, all in an attempt to make his home a better place. Because of this, his quest for justice for both his parents and for Gotham City are made apparent and explain what makes Bruce Wayne do the challenging task of becoming Batman, regardless of whether or not the people or the city think they want a vigilante running around. Inspired in its entirety, the movie is truly a story of man searching for who he really wants to be, despite all of the glorious action and technologically advanced weaponry. 

 Batman Begins is well done throughout and creates a cohesive story of how Batman came to be. The beginning of the movie brilliantly sets the stage for what comes next and introduces audiences to Bruce Wayne, long before he became the famous symbol, as well as what living in Gotham City is truly like, which are both essential to what comes next. The middle of the movie marvelously progresses the plot along and showcases Batman trying to adjust to being a vigilante, and this portion of the movie also introduces the main villain of the movie, who happens to be Scarecrow, a villain that psychologically hurts others in an unforeseen manner. The enticing ending of the movie proves to be exhilarating and terrifically wraps up the entire story by combing back together with the beginning of the movie to cohesively explain Batman's beginning. 

 Batman Begins has a star-studded cast that shines more often than not. Christian Bale is simply spectacular as both Bruce Wayne and Batman and brings emotion, passion and intensity to the main character. Michael Caine is charismatic and inspirational as Alfred Pennyworth, and his role is certainly a fan-favorite that almost everyone can feel for. Liam Neeson does a magnificent job of portraying Henri Ducard, and he has one of the most intriguing roles in the entire movie, seeing as he is originally a mentor to Bruce Wayne and the training that he gives Bruce allows him to eventually become Batman. Gary Oldman gives an astounding performance of Commissioner Jim Gordon, and he is also another relatable character. Morgan Freeman does a superb job of transforming into Lucius Fox, and while he may not be the most important character in the movie, whenever he's on-screen, his role bursts with talent. 

 Batman Begins has the rare ability to be a beloved movie that sits well with fans of all ages and also be critically praised. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an outstanding 84%, which is even more impressive, since superhero movies tend to receive generally lowers scores, and a whopping 95% of Google users liked the movie, solidifying the concept that the movie is a good fit for such a wide variety of audiences. 

 Batman Begins has a talented cast, amazing visuals, an awesome plot and proves to be the greatest introduction to how Batman came to be in this fantastic origin story in this triumphant hit. This movie will surpass any and all expectations and deserves to be seen by just about anyone and everyone. The adventure showcases the raw grit and might of Batman and why he believes in doing whatever it takes to fight for justice. Not only does this movie transcend how people view Batman, but it also does the character, as a whole, justice, as well as his long history, making this story an absolute must-see. 


The author's comments:

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." - Bruce Wayne/Batman
 


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