Batman Begins
Unlike previous cinematic chapters in the story of this hero "Batman Begins" does not simply and merely present his humble, albeit tortured roots, but explores how he got to where he is and why: From a parentless childhood to a friendless adult existence.
"Batman Begins" opens in a prison camp, in an unnamed location, and Bruce Wayne, a young Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), is enduring but not suffering brutal treatment as a prisoner. The reason for this? Because Wayne needs to know the nature of Evil so he can fight for Good.
His fate here seems certain, but he is rescued by the mysterious and somewhat unsettling Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), who makes himself Wayne's mentor. Ducard teaches Bruce sword-fighting and mind control, and tries, by way of all this, to enlist him in his amoral League of Shadows.
It is a given Wayne will refuse to join. After all, while in the aforementioned prison he saw human nature at its worst. So why would he want to see or be party to anything beyond that?
Not surprisingly, and rather predictably, when Wayne refuses to kill another human being as a membership requirement to the League of Shadows he becomes enemies with Ducard. Not surprisingly, and rather predictably, he then returns to Gotham City determined to fight evil, without realizing or even superficially comprehending what this must entail.
Bruce Wayne's identification to bats and his intense hatred of evildoers stemming from his witnessing his parents being killed by a mugger have been referenced many times before. In "Batman Begins" these important events are given much weight and importance because Wayne comes to discover that the Wayne Corp. is run by an undeniably immoral person played by Rutger Hauer, in one of his lesser, albeit memorable roles of late, while at about the same time learning, in the depths of the company there is a scientific genius named Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman, doing a curious turn), who has about him an understanding about Wayne, and his desire to fight crime. From this understanding, then, comes weaponry put to Bruce's use.
That Lucius has designed and built a prototype Batmobile is something of a narrative cheat, but one readily forgiven: This machine, realized, is what the Batmobile should have always been but wasn't: A rough and ready battleaxe that does not impose justice, rather it inflicts with due damage and destruction.
And then there is the
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