I had postponed seeing this movie because of how harshly Whitney had spoken of the film. But, I could put it off no longer. So I netflixed the thing and waited for it to come to my mailbox.
The film is visually very strong and well done. The atmosphere is quite nice. I enjoy how the Batman character slowly evolves visually and when he appears in full Batman attire, he's played like the Alien, like the bad guy that we only catch in glimpses and half-seen terrors. I think that Nolan is quite qualified and up to the job but I still wish that Arnofsky had gotten to make his French Connection-inspired version of the film.
The script, as Whitney pointed out, is horrendous. I tried her drinking every time someone says 'fear' game and didn't last very long at all. The opening is so choppy, as they jump around in time (which Nolan did with far better skill in Memento and to greater effect). I was looking forward to actually seeing the origin of Batman, seeing how a boy becomes the Batman. Instead I get this MTV-inspired cutting between boy-teenager-man. Although, in terms of storytelling I will admit that the waters calmed after the time-jumps stopped.
What Goyer does do well is give a logical explaination to a large part of the Batman mythos. He explains the suit, the cave, the car and other such nonsense with great care and logic. The problem is that his human interaction and pacing (with few exceptions) could have use more work.
The actors, who are all top notch (with the exception of Katie Holmes... who was another reason I postponed seeing this movie), don't quite pan out the way you'd think. Michael Caine is fantastic as Alfred. He was given half decent lines and he's a good enough actor that he can cover the rest of the distance.
Christian Bale does an amazing Bruce Wayne but a horrible Batman, in particular the Batman voice. I think part of the problem is that the character of Batman was set-up to be the embodiment of fear. I'll grant that when your character model is kimited as such, the actor only has so many choices.
Liam Neeson is actually better than I had feared he would be, however I couldn't help but feel that he was trying to overcome some kind of Darkman-related superhero trauma. He does well enough considering what he was given but he tends to play it up too much. Just watch his performance and then watch the one scene where he talks about his lost wife. In that scene he brings a sense of honesty and humanity to that scene.
Ken Watanabe is alright. He's not really in this film much. He's mostly set-dressing.
Katie Holmes is as bad as I feared. There's not really any part of the movie that she doesn't ruin. The script is worse, the other actors falter, even the shot compositions aren't as imaganitve.
I was curious to see how the up-and-coming Cillian Murphy would do. He does extremely well, he plays Dr. Crane like the quiet boy next door who one day skins his puppy and the next murders and defiles your spouse. He does a great job of playing Crane as a man who is repressed, timid but when he gets to become the Scarecrow it is a release, almost sexual.
I had even money that Gary Oldman would rock the casbah and it seemed like a safe bet. I was glad to not be disappointed. The problem is that Oldman wants to play Gordon the way that he is playing the character as he is in Year One, that well-developed humane portrayal of a person who is almost as driven as Batman. I'm willing to grant him second best actor status in the movie (after Caine).
I didn't even know that Tom Wilkinson was in this movie. So when he showed up I was like, "whoa, what the... he's in this?" However, his part was so stereotypical and the American accent he chose was so... I mean, what is that? No one sounds like that! I felt like he was aware that he was sluming. He can play fun, mindless parts well (just look at him talking about apothacery hats in Shakespeare in Love).
Rutger Hauer is... Rutger Hauer. I mean, his only real triumph is Blade Runner and even then his whole performance is best summed up in his speech at the end, the "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain."
Morgan Freeman plays the character that he plays all too often where he seems harmless and fun. The problem is that I want the Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption. I want the thoughtful, sensitive Freeman, the one who can deliever lines of such simplicity and beauty with elegance and directness. He was phoning this performance in.
What the crap was up with that Batmoblie chase? I mean really. How long did that go on for? A million years? Okay, maybe that's the booze talking but seriously that rooftop chase was craptacular and went on far too long.
I'm willing to say it's a good movie although I stand by my thought that Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman: Year One style story ever.
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