Batman Begins - Big Thumbs Up!

I just got back from seeing Batman Begins. What a pleasant surprise! If you're a tech-male like me then you've probably seen most/all of the Batman movies, the Bond films, and the Star Wars trilogies. But I've found that as I've gotten older, watching them again has greatly shrunk the pedestal I once held these films up to. Why?

One word: Story!!! In so many of these Sci-Fi / Comic type movies, the story is sooooooo lacking, almost always covered up by special effects. If it's a video game in front of me then I'd prefer to play it, not watch it. (Incidentally, the same philosophy keeps me clear of strippers, but that's for a whole other posting!)

Anyhow, Batman Begins is very different than most other films in this genre. The story and character development was clearly first & foremost in the film. Everything is believeable and realistic (within the bounds that such a film can be). The special effects are superb but don't play one of the leading roles. I hope that other filmmakers follow this as a textbook example of how to make a great movie!

Oh, and contrast this with the Dukes of Hazzard trailer we saw before the film. Rather than bore you with the details of how horrible it was, let's just say that if Hollywood makes more of this crap then it is doomed!

I'll leave you with one memorable quote from Batman Begins that could be applied to any city/society/country today: "The criminal element indulges in the sympathy of good hearted citizens".