From Holes-R-US: Follow the Rabbit thru the spoiler space: {Rabbit Stop} Have you ever gone to a movie not expecting much, and then was surprised? Just went to see the latest Batman movie. This is probably the best Comic Book Movie ever brought to the big screen. I doubt Christian Bale will win an academy award, but I would suspect Katie Holmes, Michael Kane, and Morgan Freeman just might be nominated for best supporting actors. Also, this is the first time I remember Liam Neeson playing a bad guy, something you don't get until the end of the film. New comer, Cillian Murphy is great as the Scarecrow, darker than what you have seen in the comics, and crazier. How did Batman begin? Well according to this story Liam Neeson's character finds Bruce in a street brawl with six men, and recruits him into the League of Shadows. Not a religious version, but rather a megalomaniac version of Al-Qaeda, a secret society that has been responsible for the downfall of every major civilization once it became too decadent. After they have trained young Master Bruce, they have an Al Qaeda like initiation where he must execute a criminal. They have an idea of justice, but it is justice without mercy, much like the Relentless Constable Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Of course young Bruce defies the order and the leader of the order, Ra ah Ghul, and kills many of the League of Shadows in the process, but not before saving Neeson's character, which later comes back to haunt him at the end of the film. Bruce returns to Gotham only to find he has been declared dead, find that greedy people are taking over his Father's Benevolent Empire, and to find the system corrupt at every level. Of course, Bruce also returns to find the child of a maidservant in his home, Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes) is now an buttistant to the DA. He is already looking at becoming something like the Shadows, but not with their agenda of the total destruction of Gotham, but rather its salvation. He plays a dual role here as the Billionaire who helps keep the city healthy financially speaking, and the anonymous Servant Who Bears the Sword to protect the innocent. His emergence as Batman is hastened when he discovers a plot to harm Rachel Dawes. You find Dr. Crain a pawn of the league of Shadows; who pose simply as persons hoping to extort money from Gotham when in reality, they want to destroy Gotham (again, harkening back to Al Qaeda on 9-11 who told the pbuttengers on the planes, to not be afraid, this was just a standard hijacking). You find that the Neurotoxin Dr. Crain (aka The Scarecrow) uses can cause episodes of Psychotic Schizophrenia and Hallucinations which feed it, and in large doses the loss of one's mind and rest. Batman himself is rescued by Alfred (Michael Cain) and Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman), when Fox analyzes Bruce's blood to find the cause and antidote. Neeson's character and the League of Shadows of course don't intend to hold the City of Gotham hostage, they intend to use the Neurotoxin they have released into Gotham's water supply, which they get Crane to do, by vaporizing the Water with a new Microwave Weapon, because the Neurotoxin can't be ingested, it has to be inhaled. As a distraction, the League of Shadows plants the poorest district of town with the Hallucinogenic Neurotoxin, and at the same time release all of Dr. Crane's crazy's from his asylum, as well as Crane, which the police have captured thanks to Batman, and set them loose to keep the police busy in the city. Again, a lot of allusion back to 9-11. The center Island District of Gotham (like Manhattan) has it bridges and tunnels closed to protect the rest of the city, but again this is a distraction, for the League of Shadows is busy plotting to carry the new Microwave Weapon to the Water processing plant to vaporize Gotham's entire water supply, so that every member of the 10 million plus city populous will become a crazed Psychotic Schizoid, and destroy the city. At one point, before Batman can escape to stop the League of Shadows, you see him mobbed by a crowd already under the influence of the Neurotoxin, giving you an idea of what is going to happen to the rest of the city. Fortunately, Rachel Dawes, and Lt. Gordon (not yet commissioner in this movie) are able to help Batman defeat the purposes of the League of Shadows. Another allusion to 9-11 and the war on Terrorism, is when the League of Shadows' henchmen, release Dr. Crane (aka the Scarecrow - possibly corresponding to Senior Al Qaeda leadership), and his crazy's from Arkam Insane Asylum. This sets the stage of future movies of Batman helping track down all kinds of crazy villains, but makes one think what could happen if you set the bunch from GITMO free, which is scary since GITMO is real life, and Arkam Insane Asylum is simply fictional. As much as I may have given away in this review, it doesn't touch the details of the movie, and still leave rooms for other to share their opinions and insights. The way the story line unfolds, this is like an Agatha Christy narrative for this Batman with twists and turns you don't see until later or in the end of the show. One thing is for certain; this is not like any of the Batman movies that have preceded this one, and any hint of campiness is gone. And another side note, you'll love Morgan Freeman's character Lucious Fox who is analogous to "Q" from the James Bond movies, in that he helps develop much of the technical wizardry for Bruce Wayne-Batman in the film. Also, not only is the Scarecrow loose, but you see the beginning of the Joker hinted at in the end, leaving room for a sequel or sequels. I realize this review is all over the place, but I just saw the film now yesterday, and needed to write my thoughts down while still fresh. Anybody else out there see "Batman Begins"? Any thoughts or impressions? From the mind of "The Mad March Hare"
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