6. Batman Begins (2005) (Aaron Sarnecky)

Why I Love It: I love this movie, plain and simple. Depending on my mood on any given day, I might say it, not The Dark Knight, is the best Batman film out there; it’s a toss up. I might even say that Batman Begins is my favorite movie, period. It’s that good, really. After almost 11 years, it still holds up very well (unlike Batman & Robin, which I thought was amazing when I was 5 years old but was actually always bad).

There are so many reasons why Batman Begins is fantastic. For one, the cast is stacked with excellent actors. Christian Bale gives a multifaceted performance, shifting from Bruce Wayne’s humanity to Batman’s ferocity to his public persona’s playboy attitude with ease. As for the rest of them, let me just go down the list. There won’t likely be a better Alfred than Michael Caine; Gary Oldman redeems the franchise of Pat Hingle’s lousy run as Commissioner Gordon (he’s Sgt./Lt. in this); Liam Neeson is virtually perfect as Ra’s al Ghul; Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox is the Q we never knew Batman should have; and Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow, a normally OK member of the Rogues Gallery, is something special. Even Katie Holmes, who some will continue to criticize, does a nice job overall as Bruce’s moral compass, Rachel Dawes.

Besides the cast, Batman Begins’ biggest strength is that it utilizes the best parts of the comics while also introducing new elements that work very well. What we see of Gotham is a decaying urban environment cast in an ugly orangey-brown, similar to what’s shown in Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One.” It’s a good starting point, as the trilogy captures different aspects of the city in each film; the Narrows and these crime-ridden alleys need the Batman the most. As for the new content, the memory cloth cape that allows Batman to glide, and the Tumbler, are two truly inspired reinventions. I can’t give Christopher Nolan enough praise for introducing them.

Favorite Line: “It’s not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me.”

This quote might’ve been the obvious choice, but it really is the most memorable and meaningful. No matter who you are or where you come from, what good you do in the world is what matters. And while Bruce Wayne had a huge heard start because of his wealth, theoretically anyone with enough willpower and imaginary tech can become Batman. At the very least, we can be like him in one way or another.

Favorite Scene: The Batmobile’s race to Wayne Manor

There are so many moments to pick from. However, this one comes to mind the most when I think about Batman Begins. Watching the Tumbler reveal its capabilities is enthralling, and hilarious at times (“It’s a black… tank”). In my opinion, it’s not just one of the greatest car chases in cinema, but one of the greatest film chases in general.

Here’s a bit of trivia: Christopher Nolan filmed a good portion of it using miniatures, believe it or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F9KgswPdso

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