Musings of an "Average Joe" - A review of BATMAN BEGINS
Author: Paul Coffland
Thursday, June 16, 2005

Having Jett for a brother-in-law has afforded me the opportunity to experience things I would have never seen had our paths not crossed so many years ago. Without his friendship, it is unlikely that I would have discovered the magic and pageantry of the DALLAS COWBOYS. I would have never known the humility one feels when standing before the statue of Coach Tom Landry outside of Texas Stadium while clutching a ticket that promises three of the finest hours in this lifetime. Equally certain, I would not have gained an appreciation for the Batman spirit and legacy that permeates the most exciting film you will witness this year.

Jett and I arrived at Buffalo Wild Wings at 7:30 PM; our task was simple: meet some of Jett’s readers, pass out some Batman goodies, and consume the finest wings in this great land. The anticipation was palpable, rendering game three of the NBA Finals irrelevant, no matter how many atlas-sized screens showed the action. Batman fans of different ages, races, and genders talked nervously, debating the ability of this film to justify the buzz generated by the premiers. Jett assured all who would listen that these anxieties were unnecessary, as he has continually reiterated since returning from a Los Angeles screening nearly two weeks ago. Several hours of eating well and talking much did little to satisfy our appetites, the zero hour approaching. Before ABC’s Al Michaels could say, “The Detroit Pistons have just won game three,” it was time to go to the local AMC 24.

The energy of the sports bar was static electricity compared to the lightning bolts pulsing through theatre #14. We walked in at 11:05 for a 12:00 show. I fully expected to have my choice of seats but found a limited supply available. As zealous fans played dueling bat signals on the theatre walls and caffeine-buzzed college kids chattered feverishly, I gorged on a Snickers like the fat kid in STAND BY ME at the pie-eating contest. Noise in a theatre usually drives me crazy. Why was it so different this time?

I couldn’t help but feel this film had an impossible task; I had only started to countdown the days to this movie for the last month or two while many of these people had been looking forward to this night for years. The director, Christopher Nolan, is good, but is he that good? As long as it took for that thought to pass, this film began developing characters that demonstrated the spectrum of humanity. I wanted to wrap a fatherly arm around young Bruce. I wanted to imperil Ducard. I wanted to befriend Bruce Wayne and further his work. Engrossed in the story, I didn’t feel like a total Batman novice anymore. I got it, and for a brief moment, I shared a kindred spirit with the Batman devotees.

I was discovering that, yes, Mr. Nolan is that good.

While Christian Bale is not fresh from the womb, he is still, thankfully, under-exposed (antonym: Tom Cruise) to the movie viewing public. The screen became the playground of Mr. Bale for approximately two and a half hours as he portrayed Bruce Wayne and Batman flawlessly. You will undoubtedly read other reviews that describe how he displays a wide range of emotions, how he showed humanity in all its forms, positive and negative. Very true. But the feeling that made the most profound impact was the rage that he threw off the screen, slapping you incessantly like rain-filled gusts of wind. Terrifying people who sit safely in a make-believe world, without gratuitous gore, takes skill and passion- this man delivers. From his days as a college student, through imprisonment, and his return to Gotham, Wayne (Bale) is a true force without resorting to screaming rants and overplayed physical stunts. His screen presence seems historical in nature: Stewart, Brando, Nicholson, and Hanks. He compares favorably to any of them.

Not so fast.

Who among us is perfect? If you have ever stayed up late enough to see a Proactiv infomercial, you know that even pretty girls can have a blemish. This movie has one - the miscasting of Rachel (Katie Holmes). Rachel does not match the physical and emotional transformation of Wayne from college kid to adult. If we are to believe that she and Wayne are childhood chums of about equal age, then we have to believe that she is an assistant district attorney at age 21. Her appearance never changes nor does her maturity level, tough to swallow.

The climax has passed and Nolan starts to tie up the loose ends, but not too tight. I have been given enough about Bruce Wayne and Batman to start asking better questions of my more learned, Batman colleagues. Certainly there is room for another installment, but if this was the beginning and the end, I have not been cheated in the slightest.

It is 2:30 in the a.m., and I am tired. It is not the fatigue of sleep deprivation. Only an unrelenting emotional onslaught could produce this weariness. I remember visiting Valley Fair in suburban Minneapolis as a child and riding a roller coaster for the first time. Not a modern metallic monster, but a rickety wooden adventure that starts with a slow turn and an immediate high climb. By the time the top has arrived and the impending drop inches closer, part of you wants the operator to stop the torturing madness and return you to the carousel. Stopping is not an option. Halfway through the drop, you emit a dual scream - one part fear and an equal part wanting more. This movie feels like that.

4 out of 4 Stars for BATMAN BEGINS