Released: 2005. Story: David Goyer. Screenplay: David Goyer & Christopher Nolan. Directed by: Christopher Nolan. My rating: ****.
Plot
The story basically follows the early years of Bruce Wayne, and how he decides and trains to be Batman. It shows his parents, wealthy, affluent, and how they were killed when he was young. He spirals, becoming despondant and angry. The world of Gotham City, which Bruce's father was trying to help, slowly drops into a cesspool of crime and mob activity. Bruce leaves, trying to channel his anger into something useful.
He ends up in Tibet, in jail, beating up prisoners. A man named Ducard approaches him, and offers him a chance to make a difference. He says someone named Ra's Al Ghul can help him. Reluctantly, Bruce agrees, and he learns the ways of the League of Shadows and how to use fear to ones advantage.
All was going well until Bruce refused to kill a local man. This leads to a fight, and the apparant death of Al Ghul. Bruce saves Ducard, and heads back to Gotham. He believes he can help Gotham without destroying the city.
Bruce moves back and begins becoming involved in his old life. He starts building his persona, Batman, and makes his mark against the mob element in Gotham. He befriends Lucious Fox, a gadget genious from Wayne industries, and Lt. Gordon, the one honest cop on the force. And his old flame, Rachel, now a prosecuter, buts heads and gets kidnapped by a psychiatrist. This doctor is under the influence of the League of Shadows, and goes by the name of Scarecrow. He plans to make the inner city go crazy and destroy Gotham once and for all.
Bruce finds out, and on the night of his birthday, gets a visit from Ducard, who claims to actually be Ras Al Ghul. In a race against Scarcrow and Ducard, Batman and Gordon stop the madness from spreading, and Batman ends Ducard once and for all.
My Thoughts
One of the few movies I saw this year in the theatre, and goddamn, it was worth it. It had everything I could have wanted from a Batman movie. It took itself seriously, without being campy. Bale as Batman was genious, and the rest of the cast was spot on. The action was excellent, the story gave us an insight into Bruce Wayne's early years, and it was a unique look at it. Written by the same guy who did Blade, it was a dark, intelligent look at a beloved character. And they are planning sequels, the first probably focussing on, duh, the Joker. A new joker. Oh, I can't wait.
