Batman Begins (2005)

Bruce Wayne’s gap year lasts so long that the Batsuit shows up like a plot twist. That’s a compliment and a complaint. Christian Bale sells the angry rich kid who needs a hobby, and the mountain training with Liam Neeson is the best part, two guys sword fighting on ice and talking about fear like it’s a sales pitch. Michael Caine’s Alfred is the emotional spine, the only adult in the whole city. The action is the problem. Christopher Nolan shoots the fights so close and so fast you mostly see a cape and hear a punch. Katie Holmes gets the thankless job of explaining the theme to Bruce out loud. Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow is creepy and underused. 1.75 million IMDb ratings average an 8.2, and for once the crowd and I land on the exact same number. An 8.2 because it rebuilds Batman from the ground up, even if the fights are a blur. $82 says you do a couple of push-ups after this and call it your League of Shadows era.

What works: The training section with Liam Neeson and Michael Caine’s warm, dry Alfred give this Batman a real inner life.

What doesn’t: The fights are shot so tight and fast you can barely tell who is hitting whom, and Rachel Dawes mostly exists to say the theme out loud.

Who it’s for: People who want the origin story done slowly and seriously, with the cool car saved for later.