Christopher Nolan’s "Batman Begins" details how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) becomes the caped crusader everyone recognizes as Batman. I watched it last in the Dark Knight Trilogy, surprisingly, because I wasn't even aware of its existence—it was largely overshadowed by the highly praised sequel, "The Dark Knight." “Batman Begins” has a straightforward plot with several unexpected turns. A young Bruce Wayne travels to the Far East and is trained in martial arts by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), a member of the secretive League of Shadows. Later, Ducard reveals the League’s goal: total destruction of Gotham City because they view it as an unjust place overrun with criminals that can't be saved and needs to be cleansed for justice and balance. Bruce disagrees with their methods and returns to Gotham, determined to rid the city of crime without resorting to killing. With assistance from his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), a technology expert at Wayne Enterprises, Batman is born. The most significant thing I noticed in this film, unlike other Batman movies, was how much it made me care about and feel compassion for Bruce Wayne himself, not the masked vigilante he becomes. The real Bruce is tragic, realistic, relatable, somewhat unstable, and honestly unsure of his purpose or what to do with his life. This is an origin story, and you witness firsthand the traumatic events that shaped him into the lonely, guilt-ridden man we see today. His feelings and actions are completely understandable, and I’ve developed a lot of respect for the character. This is definitely a dark, gritty, mature film intended for adult fans; don't expect the colorful, campy comic book style of “Joel Schumacher.” Things get serious quickly. I appreciate the effort to move away from a typical superhero movie toward a crime drama genre, and it’s a great film, but there are some issues that prevent it from reaching perfection like its sequel did in my opinion. It might have been too intense for its own good, so focused on being an artistic work that it almost loses the fun factor. The main antagonist, Ra's al Ghul, is excellent, but the secondary villain, Dr. Crane a.k.a. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), has noticeable shortcomings in visual effects and screen time. While the length wasn’t wasted, they probably included too many minor characters, world-building elements, and backstory into what could have been a more concise, well-executed origin story. I enjoyed "Batman Begins" and support it; I don't consider it the best of the “Dark Knight Trilogy,” but it’s a high-quality film on its own merits, especially if you stop comparing it to others. The movie provides a uniquely cold, harsh, and memorable experience that will allow you to see and appreciate Bruce Wayne and his Batman persona from an entirely fresh angle.

Source on TMDB