Batman Begins

Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero/action film based on the comic book fictional character Batman. The film was first released on June 15, 2005. It was directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Although it is the fifth live-action Batman film since 1989, the movie is neither a sequel nor a prequel to the previous Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher films, but rather a complete reboot of the Batman series that more closely follows the mood of the Batman comics (much like the film adaptation of The Sum of All Fears in the Jack Ryan series).

Reception

Early reviews from professional film critics were enthusiastic, with Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times – who panned all the previous live action adaptations of the character – calling it one of the best films of the year. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times also gave it high praise, dubbing the film "the most successful comic-book adaptation alongside Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World."

Related Topics:
Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times - The New York Times - Terry Zwigoff - Ghost World

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The film was also received quite favorably by audiences and many fans, earning the highest rating of any film released in 2005 by users of the web site boxofficemojo.com and garnering an 83% score at rottentomatoes.com. The film is currently on the IMDb's list of the Top 250 films of all time. http://www.imdb.com/top_250_films. All told, this movie is considered to be the favourite Batman movie for critics and audiences alike.

Related Topics:
IMDb - Batman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to boxofficemojo.com, as of 12 September 2005, the $135-million movie has earned nearly $204.1 million in the United States and approximately $166 million elsewhere, making it the second most succesful Batman movie (next to the 1989 movie) and third most succesful of summer 2005 (next to ' and War of the Worlds). A recent poll at IMDB marked the film as #1 as the best summer movie of 2005 with Star Wars Episode III at second.

Related Topics:
Batman - War of the Worlds

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The movie also solidified Christopher Nolan's capability of directing a major blockbuster. Before then, he was known for directing low-budget movies that focused mostly on dark themes, but had substance and depth. Hiring him for this kind of movie, particualrly one of Warner Brothers's biggest franchises, was a risky endeavour on the studio's part. But the movie became a succesful return of the Batman saga, erasing the legacy of its predecessor Batman and Robin and ensured the studio's plans to greenlight a sequel.

Related Topics:
Warner Brothers - Batman and Robin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~