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Synopsis
As a young boy, Bruce Wayne watched in horror as his millionaire parents were slain in front of him--a trauma that leads him to become obsessed with revenge. But the opportunity to avenge his parent's deaths is cruelly taken away from him by fate. Fleeing to the East, where he seeks counsel with the dangerous but honorable ninja cult leader known as Ra's Al-Ghul, Bruce returns to his now decaying Gotham City, which is overrun by organized crime and other dangerous individuals manipulating the system. Meanwhile, Bruce is slowly being swindled out of Wayne Industries, the company he inherited. The discovery of a cave under his mansion, along with a prototype armored suit, leads him to assume a new persona, one which will strike fear into the hearts of men who do wrong; he becomes Batman!!! In the new guise, and with the help of rising cop Jim Gordon, Batman sets out to take down the various nefarious schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia don Falcone, the twisted doctor/drug dealer Jonathan 'The Scarecrow' Crane, and a mysterious third party that is quite familiar with Wayne and waiting to strike when the time is right.
Batman Sequel Currently on Hold2/17/2009 2:54 PM EST Don't hold you breath Batman fans, the next time you will be seeing Batman on the Big Screen won't be for a few years.
Christopher Nolan, director of the Batman blockbusters, will be releasing "Inception", a sci-fi film that he penned. He will begin shooting the film this summer and plans on releasing it during the summer of 2010. There was a three year wait for 2008's Batman:The Dark Knigh...More>>
The Dark Knight Will Return To The Big Screen in 20099/12/2008 4:22 PM EST According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. plans on re-releasing "The Dark Knight" in January, which also happens to be the height of the Academy Awards Voting Season.
"It's just a matter of bringing it back as a reminder for people," according to a source of the trades.
There are talks going on currently to have the film released in some IMAX locations, but whether or not the ...More>>
Harvery Dent Will Not Return For Batman 39/8/2008 3:01 PM EST According to CHUD, Aaron Eckhart will not be returning to the Batman film series. They recently spoke with Eckhart, and when asking him about the role of Harvey Dent, he said, "He's dead".
Eckhart say that he has asked Christopher Nolan about a possible return of Two Face and the director gave him the same answer. 'No way,' Nolan said. 'He's toast.'"...More>>
Cher as Catwoman?8/25/2008 6:30 PM EST And The Dark Knight sequel gossip continues. Could Cher be in line to play Catwoman in the next Batman installment? The British newspaper The Telegraph is citing a 'studio executive' source, claiming that Cher us 'Nolan's first choice' for the role....More>>
It's No Laughing Matter, The Dark Knight Is The Second Highest G...8/19/2008 2:05 PM EST According to Box Office Mojo, "The Dark Knight" has finally relinquished its throne as being #1 movie in the country. It was replaced this past week with "Tropic Thunder".
"The Dark Knight" has shattered many records during its run, and has made a home at the number 2 spot on the highest grossing domestic movie list. It is second only to "Titanic", which grossed over $600 million. ...More>>
The Dark Knight Is Box Office Champ 4 Weeks in A Row8/11/2008 3:34 PM EST "The Dark Knight" was number one once again at the box office this week, pulling in $26 million. The film is now at number three n the domestic blockbuster list of all time. Ahead of "The Dark Knight" are the original "Star Wars" at $461 million and "Titanic" at $600.8 million. The film is expected to surpass "Star Wars" by this coming weekend and eventually top out at $510 million to $520 m...More>>
Dark Knight Becomes The Highest Grossing Coming Book Movie Ever8/7/2008 4:34 PM EST "The Dark Knight" keeps making headlines with its phenomenal earnings. The film has now surpassed "Spider-Man" as being the biggest comic book based movie of all time in North America. It is also placed at #7 on the all-time domestic blockbuster list.
The film's earning have now topped $405 million in just 19 days. "Spider-Man" grossed $403.7 total during its run in 2002. "The Dark Kni...More>>
Batman 3 Casting Rumors Are Simply Just Rumors8/5/2008 10:40 AM EST According to Dark Horizons (darkhorizons.com), rumors that Johnny Depp will be playing the Riddler in the next installment of "Batman" are false. Also false are rumors that either Angelina Jolie or Maggie Gyllenhaal will be playing Catwoman.
Sources at Warner Bros. state that they haven't decided on the script yet, much less the characters that will be in the film....More>>
Batman's Riddler to be Johnny Depp?7/31/2008 2:37 PM EST Johnny Depp is rumored to have been eyed for the part of the Riddler in the next installment of the Batman franchise. While nothing has been confirmed, many say that he would be perfect for the part and that producers say that "Johnny's a pro. He'll be able to take direction from director Chris Nolan and still make the character his own. And what better Penguin is there than Philip Seymour Hoffma...More>>
Batman: Dark Knight Shatters Record...AGAIN!7/28/2008 2:18 PM EST On Thursday, July 24th 2008, FlickDirect reported that "The Dark Knight" had shattered the record for reaching the $200 million mark. Now, once again, more record breaking news about the film's earnings has been reported.
"The Dark Knight" has grossed $314.2 million in 10 days. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was the previous record holder, reaching their $300 million mark in 16...More>>
Batman: The Dark Knight Breaks Another Record7/24/2008 4:36 PM EST "The Dark Knight" has broken another record on Tuesday. The film has become the fastest ever to reach the $200 million mark. It has broken the previous record, held by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest , Spider-Man 2 and <a href="http://www.flickdi...More>>
For more Batman Begins news please visit FlickDirect's movie news section.
"It's not who you are underneath but what you do that defines you."
Batman on the big screen has, in the past, been a less than heroic mishmash of big stars, flashy effects and well, we have to mention it, nipples on the bat suit. Seeking the summer blockbuster, Warner Brothers has repeatedly looked to big names to fill the bat suit (Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney) and directing roles (Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher) and while they indeed help sell tickets their performances and styles in bringing the dark prince of Gotham to life have all been a bit batty.
Enter Christian Bale, a relative newcomer, who unlike his predecessors brings no pretense or presumptions to his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. As unobvious a choice to star in the role as the selection of Christopher Nolan to direct, Bale steps into the saga with the confidence and coolness of the character he embodies. Throughout Batman Begins both Bale and Nolan improve upon everything that has existed so far in the franchise and exhibit one of the movies overarching themes that "it’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you."
Batman Begins Anew With an iconic character such as Batman virtually everyone watching the film already has some knowledge of the back story. Yet for most the details are probably sketchy at best. Where Batman Begins works so well is translating the story out of a dark comic book into a darker "real world".
Gone are the florescent costumes, elaborate bat-cave techno-junk, and waaaay over the top villains - and really, good riddance to the likes of Jim Carey as the Riddler or Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze (though Jack Nicolson was great as the Joker in 1989 original Batman film). Replaced instead with a world that feels real, like this is happening in a real city, with a plausible plot, alluring villains and superb explanations of how batman came to possess all his "wonderful toys."
The(Story) The story opens at Wayne Manor (the home of the opulent and respected Wayne family in Gotham City) with Bruce Wayne as a small child. Upon chasing his childhood friend Rachel Dawes, Bruce falls into a well where he encounters a horde of bats that frighten him – a fear that will last well into adulthood. Flash forward several years to a Chinese prison where a well grown Bruce is being held as for yet unknown reason. There he meets Ducard (Liam Neeson) who becomes his mentor.
The next hour of the movie focuses on Ducard training Bruce in the ways of the League of Shadows – a mysterious group of ninja like men - the leader of which is known as Ra’s Al Gul. There are some excellent montages and flashbacks which set the tone of the film and introduce us to other major characters including Bruce Wayne’s love interest Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) and the Wayne’s butler Alfred (Michael Cane). We also witness, along with Bruce, the death of his parents at gunpoint outside an opera house.
Ducard teaches Bruce to use his fears against his opponents and leaves him with the advice: "If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely." However unknown to Bruce, Ducard has a sinister plan for him to lead the League of Shadows into Gotham and destroy it. When Bruce learns of the plot he destroys the temple in which he has been training and leaves Ducard and Ra’s Al Gul for dead. It is then he returns to Gotham with the will to save the city from corruption and greed. He takes the advice of Ducard quite literally by transforming himself into an idea, the dark and mysterious Bat Man. Alfred: "Why bats, sir?"
Bruce Wayne: "Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies share my dread."
What(Works) Virtually everything and everyone. As touched on before Bale is fantastic as both Bruce Wayne and his dark alter ego Bat Man. The confused and troubled Wayne compared with the collected and omnipresent Bat Man would be hard for two actors to pull off convincingly yet Bale changes from one to the other with style and grace.
Liam Neeson as the mentor. Famous for his roles as a wise teacher, Neeson has done this before and continues to do it well. He also holds one of the movies biggest twists which if unfamiliar with the series you will not be expecting.
Morgan Freeman as the Wayne enterprises tech-head, Lucious Fox. Fox helps Wayne transform into a tech savvy dark creature of the night by introducing him to various "leftovers" from military experiments. It is really fun and refreshing to see Batmans technology explained in real world terms instead of leaving us wondering like previous films…ok where did this guy get a bat shaped airplane?
Cillian Murphy as Dr Crane/Scarecrow. A cool villain with a sinister secret and plot to take down Gotham who works much better than any previous villain in the series (save for maybe the Joker) Though highly underused (the Scarecrow is but a pawn in a larger plot) Murphy is just creepy enough to leave a very evil impression.
Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. Holmes plays a District Attorney who wants to take down Gothams biggest crime boss, Carmine Falcone. Her presence always lights up Bruce and the on screen chemistry between the two is excellent.
Bottom(Line) By far the best of the series. Great characters, great storyline, great acting, and a grin inducing cliffhanger ending. Forget anything you saw in the previous 4 films as this one completely reinvents the franchise and quite literally saves the day.
--Eric English
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To say I have been a fan of the Dark Knight for most of my life, is an understatement. I stood in line for five hours to see Tim Burton’s recreation of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and then...my enthusiasm tapered off. When Batman Begins started production in 2004, all I could do was roll my eyes. Could they bring back the Bat that I used to love? Well Christopher Nolan and his team do succeed way beyond my expectations -- making Batman Begins one of the top films I have ever seen. Now it finally makes its way to Blu-ray!
Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect, and an array of high-tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.
What makes Batman Begins work so well this time is that it takes itself very seriously and ignores any type of campiness from past creations of the Dark Knight. The combination of the skillful director, Christopher Nolan, along with an unbelievable cast of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, and Cillian Murphy, make Gotham really come alive on the screen.
Warner Bros Home Entertainment has truly recaptured the picture and audio quality of the big screen. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.4:1. Gotham City has never looked so vibrant and filled with color as it is now at 1080p high definition. The blacks are perfect, and the Dolby TrueHD track really makes you feel like your entire house is surrounded with bats at certain times throughout the film.
Besides a great in-movie experience included on the Blu-ray, it also boasts such features as Batman – The Journey Begins (concept and design around of the film). Cap and Cowl (the development of the new Batsuit). Batman – The Tumbler (a look at the new amazing batmobile), and then the big finale in 1080p glory is The Dark Knight IMAX Prologue.
It is really hard to put into words how you feel when you watch this prologue; however, I will say that once it is complete, you might want to jump online to Fandango, and get your Dark Knight tickets before they are sold out!
Batman Begins on Blu-ray is the perfect edition to any Blu-ray collection and is definitely one to use to showcase your home theater system.
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
As a young boy, Bruce Wayne watched in horror as his millionaire parents were slain in front of him--a trauma that leads him to become obsessed with revenge. But the opportunity to avenge his parent's deaths is cruelly taken away from him by fate. Fleeing to the East, where he seeks counsel with the dangerous but honorable ninja cult leader known as Ra's Al-Ghul, Bruce returns to his now decaying Gotham City, which is overrun by organized crime and other dangerous individuals manipulating the system. Meanwhile, Bruce is slowly being swindled out of Wayne Industries, the company he inherited. The discovery of a cave under his mansion, along with a prototype armored suit, leads him to assume a new persona, one which will strike fear into the hearts of men who do wrong; he becomes Batman!!! In the new guise, and with the help of rising cop Jim Gordon, Batman sets out to take down the various nefarious schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia don Falcone, the twisted doctor/drug dealer Jonathan 'The Scarecrow' Crane, and a mysterious third party that is quite familiar with Wayne and waiting to strike when the time is right.
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