The Film
After five live action Batman films and four different actors playing the lead, who would have thought a new vision of the Dark Knight would come and breathe life into the flagging franchise? But that's exactly what happened with Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in 2005.
Featuring a well-crafted and imaginative back story, Batman Begins reveals the experiences and choices made by Bruce Wayne from childhood into adulthood that led him to his decision to use his wealth and power to become a shadowy superhero. His mission? To rescue the near morally bankrupt Gotham City from itself. Played perfectly by Christian Bale, directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan, this new version of the masked avenger adds a level of danger, darkness and raw power that was not as evident in previous Batman films, though it has been seen in some of the Batman comics and graphic novels, notably those by Frank Miller.
The supporting cast shines as well. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) acts as the wise senior adviser, providing inside information and help from his position at Wayne Corporation. It is Lucius who hooks Bruce Wayne up all his useful gadgets without asking too many questions. Michael Caine relishes his role as the stoic Alfred (the Wayne family butler and Batman's closest confidante). Liam Neeson does a powerful turn as a shadowy figure in a clandestine worldwide vigilante group. And Katie Holmes plays a tough but tender assistant DA, Bruce Wayne's childhood friend would-be adult love interest. Perhaps the only misfire in casting is Cillian Murphy as the villain Scarecrow - he just seems a bit too effete (and a bit too young) for the part. But over repeated viewings even he grows on you. It's refreshing to see Gary Oldman play a good guy for once, as Detective Jim Gordon, the only honest cop in a city riddled with corruption.
Though this newest Batman is darker and more powerful than its predecessors, this is not to say that this latest version invalidates or supersedes previous incarnations of the hero. I still have a soft spot for Adam West's decidedly more campy Batman of the 1960s and 70s having spent my early childhood watching re-runs of the TV series and eventually seeing the original Batman film as well. Batman, as a character and as an icon, is amorphous and flexible enough to be defined and represented in many ways, each of them valid. Though personally, I think I like the newest Batman the best.
"Batman Begins" Blu-ray Gift Set comes with a $7.50 voucher toward a movie ticket to "The Dark Knight," plus an assortment of extras that is sure to keep die-hard fans entertained for hours.
The Picture
As with the HD DVD before it, this Blu-ray Disc features a stunning 1080p 16:9 transfer, letterboxed to its original theatrical ratio of 2.4:1. It's a dark film with loads of shadows, and the Blu-ray Disc does a good job of presenting these scenes with ample detail. In fact, black is the leading color of the film, black rubber batsuit and black cloth cape, black metal Batmobile, Bruce Wayne's black tie. These shades of black were reproduced perfectly, played back on a Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray Disc player hooked up to a Panasonic plasma panel we currently have in for review. But there are also bright colorful moments in the film, and these too are well reproduced here. In the opening scene where a young Rachel Dawes chases a young Bruce Wayne through the garden, the greens of foliage are lush and flowers bright and vibrant. Overall there's little to fault here. This is a reference quality release.
The Sound
If the picture is top notch, the sound keeps right up with it. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix uses all 5.1 channels, with excellent sound staging, and clear articulate dialog. In one of Batman's first public appearances, down by the docks at night, where he stalks a mob boss's cronies, small noises, whispers of a swooshing cape and heavy breathing of the hunted criminals combine beautifully to create a feeling of tense anticipation. The LFE track gets a workout with the inevitable gunshots and explosions, not to mention the kicks and punches of the frequent scenes of hand to hand combat.
The Extras
The earlier HD DVD release of the film was a flagship title for Warner, featuring exclusive extras that could not be delivered on DVD or even on Blu-ray (at the time). This is probably why Warner chose not to release the film on Blu-ray when they released it on HD DVD as the Blu-ray version would have been crippled. The "in-movie experience" option allows you to view behind the scenes action and video commentary on screen in a PIP (picture in picture) window while the film unfolds on the main screen. Now that the Blu-ray format supports this technology (with BD-ROM Profile 1.1, aka "Bonus View") Warner was able to duplicate this feature on Blu-ray Disc. As long as you own a Bonus View-compatible player, such as the PS3, Sony BDP-S350 or Panasonic DMP-BD30, you'll be able to enjoy these informative, interactive extras.
The Blu-ray Disc also offers a wealth of making-of features and featurettes -- some in HD, some in SD -- but it features one thing that was not on the HD DVD and this may be the coolest extra of all. The next Batman film, The Dark Knight, opened in cinemas and in IMAX on Friday July 18th, but those who buy the Blu-ray Disc of Batman Begins get to see the first six minutes of the upcoming film, legally and in full high definition resolution - right on the Blu-ray Disc. I applaud Warner for doing this, and think it's a brilliant move both to sell Blu-ray Discs and to hype the new film. I know seeing these first few minutes of the film definitely whet my appetite to see the full film. And now that I've seen it, I'm happy to say the rest of the film delivers on the promise of these first six minutes.
If you are a true fan, and pony up a few extra bucks for the "Gift Set," you'll get everything in the standard Blu-ray release plus lenticular 3D art, a graphic novel version of the "Dark Knight Prologue," $7.50 in movie bucks to see The Dark Knight, and more.
Final Thoughts
Warner has released some of the most satisfying, feature-packed Blu-ray releases to date with "Blade Runner: the Final Cut," and "Planet Earth" (with BBC's help). And now they've done it again with Batman Begins. Fans will want to pay the premium for the Gift Set to get all those exclusive extras (plus $7.50 toward admission to see the next film). But even the standard Blu-ray edition is no slouch. Featuring a top notch audio and video transfer, some innovative extras, as well as a substantial teaser for the next film, Batman Begins on Blu-ray is definitely one title you'll want to own rather than rent.
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