Bruce Wayne has grew up to be very much like his father. Both father and son share a belief in their Gotham City, a love of philanthropy and a disdain for crime. It was that disdain for crime that ultimately cost Thomas Wayne his life. The murder of Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) and his wife Martha (Sara Stewart) while young Bruce watched simply seemed like an armed robbery gone bad. When the killer, Joe Chill (Richard Brake), gains parole and is shot dead, Bruce (Christian Bale), now an adult, seeks solace, as well as an outlet for his anger. He leaves his home, Wayne Manor, in the capable hands his butler and guardian, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine). Bruce travels halfway around the world and stirs up trouble, which gets Bruce incarcerated in China. His release is arranged by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), who wishes to hone Bruce's considerable fighting skill. Bruce's training is overseen by Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), who initially has his doubts about Bruce. Bruce, however, proves to be a top student. After completing an important test, Ra's Al Ghul explains the true intention of Bruce's training. Ra's Al Ghul and Ducard are members of the League Of Shadows, who make it their business to wreak havoc on the world in their definition of justice. They claim responsibility for historical tragedies such as the Great Fire of London and the bubonic plague.
Bruce is not interested in League justice, and bitterly parts ways with the League. He takes his training, along with an idea suggested by Ducard, back to Gotham City. In addition to his home, he has inherited Wayne Enterprises, a business founded by his father. After Thomas Wayne's death, Mr. Earle (Rutger Hauer) has run the daily operations of the company, though it has been run in a far less philanthropic way by Mr. Earle. His expansion of Wayne Enterprises has included the manufacture of weaponry for military purposes. Bruce comes to the company and asks Mr. Earle for a job in the weapons research department. Mr. Earle grants the request, and Bruce is assigned to work under research head Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Fox shows his assistant all sorts of equipment he had developed for the military, but they rejected certain things due to their expense. The military's loss becomes Bruce's gain as he quietly builds an arsenal of his own in his efforts to fight crime. Bruce also uses his fear of bats to create a disguise as a bat man.
The origins of Gotham's caped crime fighter are chronicled in "Batman Begins." Batman, however, has one primary objective - he wants to bring everyone responsible for his parents' deaths to justice. That, of course, is easier said than done. He knows that the deaths of the elder Waynes and Joe Chill can be connected to Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). Carmine has connections in the Gotham police force, as well as in the medical profession. They work in separate ways to ensure Carmine is protected from the long arm of the law. The lawyer who represents Carmine's interests in the courts is Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), who's also a psychiatrist who runs Arkham Asylum, where Carmine's men are sent when Dr. Crane successfully pleads their cases in front of Judge Faden (Gerald Murphy), who also works for Falcone. Dr. Crane, like Bruce Wayne, has an alter ego. Crane's is Scarecrow, who has developed a spray that disables its victims by preying on their fears. All of these forces work with others to ensure corruption has a free rein, while Batman takes his first steps in fighting crime.
As Batman, Bruce looks for trustworthy allies. He knows that he has one in Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), a lawyer in the district attorney's office who's among those frustrated by the efforts of Crane and Falcone. She's also a lifelong friend of Bruce. He also finds one in the police in Sergeant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), who manages to stay above the corruption in spite of his corrupt partner, Flass (Mark Boone Junior). When he's not in costume, Bruce acts the role of the carefree millionaire, and even denounces his alter ego as crazy. Still, certain people allied with the evildoers in Gotham bring the fight to Wayne Manor. Bruce escapes, but learns that the attack on his home is all a part of an all-out assault on Gotham by Falcone, Scarecrow, and their associates. Batman springs into action to save Gotham from destruction.
"Batman Begins" strips away much of the cartoonish aspects found in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films in their "Batman" movies, as well as those found in the TV series that starred Adam West. Director Christopher Nolan's Gotham City is a city often shrouded in darkness, with Wayne Enterprises and Wayne Manor as the only beacons of light in the city. Nolan wrote the script with David S. Goyer, whose screenwriting credits include the "Blade" series. Their script depicts Bruce Wayne as a hero with flaws, and as a man who wants to help a city he loves. Yet, Bruce cannot reach out to a woman who has always loved him. While exacting justice is his primary objective, Bruce also wants some measure of vengeance that was denied him when Joe Chill was murdered. Nolan and Goyer place the emphasis not on a superhero, but as an action hero with innate knowledge of his physical ability. He is a dark knight who uses his attributes and a bountiful arsenal to be the best crusader he can be.
Bale succeeds in his portrayal of Batman where Michael Keaton and George Clooney could not. Bale is not overshadowed by any foe. Batman is a formidable crime fighter, and a man aware of the dangers of a dual existence. Bruce puts on a public face that's different from the mask he dons, which highlights his life of privilege. Bale's performance makes the argument that this man never really stops wearing a mask. Cillian Murphy shows that as Crane/Scarecrow, he can always don a mask, whether to protect himself from his spray or to serve Falcone to the best of his legal ability. There's plenty of personality in the other supporting roles as well. Caine, as Alfred, is more than just a proper English butler. Caine makes it clear that Alfred has invested his life into the well-being of Bruce/Batman. Oldman also brings a humanity to Jim Gordon, a family man doing his best for the citizens of Gotham as well as for his young family. Freeman brings a sense of wisdom and fun to his role as Mr. Fox, an inventor who's happy to see that his ideas and technology have found a home. Neeson, Watanabe, Wilkinson, and Hauer are equally effective in their small, pivotal roles. Holmes does a good job as Rachel, though she isn't given much more to do than show disappointment in Bruce and in the legal decisions that go against her.
"Batman Begins" is the kind of prequel the first three "Star Wars" episodes only dreamed of being. "Batman Begins" is a film filled with riveting good guys and bad guys. The ending leaves future confrontations between these characters as a possibility. Nolan and Bale are just a part of a successful translation of Batman from a comic book hero to a man who wishes to act heroically with everything at his disposal. With help from a small circle of friends and acquaintances, Bruce Wayne continues the work that his father had begun. Bruce, however, insists on serving Gotham City in his own way. His way is more covert, but it is also more proactive. He may have his reasons for serving Gotham City the way in which he does, but Bruce Wayne learns that the personal risks are greater in more ways than one.
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