2005 Rewind: Batman Begins

 


It's hard to believe, but 2005 was 20 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2005 that are turning 20 in 2025. Today, it's the start of a superhero franchise.

Henri Ducard: Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share.
Bruce Wayne: That's why it's so important. It separates us from them.

Batman Begins (2005)
Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, and Katie Holmes
Director: Christopher Nolan
About: If you've followed me for a while, you know that Nolan is one of my favorite filmmakers and Batman is my favorite superhero. So, it isn't hard to imagine this film landing on the list on the year it turns 20. It is a Nolan film I love, falling just short of my Top 5 for him. (For my Top 5 Nolan Films, be sure to follow my Director's Series on Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025). But this film had a lot of heavy lifting to do in building a new, more grounded cinematic world for Batman. It does that by taking things back to the beginning, and showing us how he came to be The Dark Knight. Bale is great in this role, and the supporting cast is superb. I like Neeson, Freeman, Caine, and Oldman in these roles. The latter three became part of the franchise. The action here works well and the story is engaging. I remember seeing this in the theater and how thrilling it was. Even 20 years later it is still a heck of a ride. 

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