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I will always have a soft spot for Richard Donner's 'Superman'. Even before Chris Reeve passed way, that movie always stood out as THE comic movie of all time. Was it corny? Sure. Effects clunky? Occasionally yes. The loooong wait before he finally showed up in the suit? Lordy yes! All true. However, the idea behind 'Superman' wasn't just to throw out a ton o' special effects and rocking fights. The point is to see where this guy came from. Sure, sure, we know the general idea behind Superman; planet blew up, raised in the midwest, blah, blah, blah. But the question of 'Ok, you have the powers of a god, why don't you do more?' tends to come up.
And THAT'S where the first hour of 'Superman' comes in. It's not about the suit, about seeing him run faster then the train. It all comes down to that moment when Clark is happy with his parents, Glenn Ford gives his wonderful, understated lines, and drops dead. In that moment, Clark understands what he has, what he is obligated to do with it. In that moment of grief, it's no longer this corny story about 'Truth, Justice and the American Way.' Its' about a solemn oath taken by a boy who has become a man after seeing death take someone he loves. To pay back what they tried to teach you, to make a difference because you have something no one else has, and you owe it to them to do what you can.
As visually breathtaking as 'X-Men', 'Sin City', 'The Rocketeer'', et al are, this moment and truth is what defines the superhero. Not the spandex, not The Car. It comes down to facing loss and pain and choosing to go down this path that most people think is insane. However, to do anything less is a travesty to the memories of those you love. Burton's 'Batman' was VISUALLY amazing. Keaton was great. Jack was over-the-top as the Joker, blah, blah. But the HEART of the film... well, it came close, but it wasn't all there.
This is where 'Batman Begins' comes in. This movie isn't about gadgets, ass-kicking fights, and the badass villain. It's about the birth of a human hero. Someone who uses every resource he has to become a demon from hell for criminals, and a Dark Angel for the helpless. Is this THE best comic book movie? Not quite, but it's pretty dang close.
For starters, everything you've heard about Christian Bale is right; he plays Batman perfectly. And if he were in Adam West's tights, the man would STILL look amazing! (There's a scene with his shirt off while he's doing push-ups. I went "Yep, that's Bruce Lee's Body; lean, powerful, and could knock the crap out of you!') The problem with Batman is the disturbing duality of the character, and Bale captures it. He does he playboy with wonderful panache and the devil-may-care attitude. Then you hear Batman and the growl is there. You know, THAT growl.
Cont. to p. 2