Bat Review

Plan "A" was to go see Batman Begins while my wife an son were napping. There never was a Plan "B." [Son] was energetic and cranky, fighting the nap like Ali fought Frazier. [Wife] says go, I'll take care of him. God bless her.

I've seen the Firefly movie trailer on the PC. The trailer in the theatre was worth price of admission. If Batman sucked, it would have been worth it just to see the Serenety preview.

I liked Starwars. I was entertained and saw what I expected to see (and, unfortunately, nothing more). Lucas had filmed himself into a corner and had nowhere unexpected to go.

Batman had no limitations like this. From the name you could tell it was a new start on the Man/Creature. The possibility for creativity in developing the Hero was there. Would they deliver?

Now let me state upfront that I consider any movie, other than a Highlander sequel, with a sword fight to be worth the price of admission. On this criteria alone, Batman delivers with a solid "BLAM" "KPOW" "SMACK". If you want to see some incredible sword fighting go.

For me, the best meat of the movie was the dialog where Batman's ethics and psychological will matured. There were discussions on the most effective way to fight and combat evil. Never has physlophy intrigued me so. If/when I see it again, it will be for this, primarily.

I like layers of defense, attacks with supporting elements, redundant systems, having an ace up my sleeve. In real life things cascade. How often do simple problems usually turns out to be more? Why should life be any easier for Bruce Wayne than for us?

SPOILERS FOLLOW, SORT OF

Just when you know that Batman is going to beat a villian, that villian turns out to be pawn of someone larger. Just when you think you know what is going on, the plot twists and twists again, all the time with adventure and a sense of danger. The bruises let you know that Bruce Wayne felt some of the hits two days later.

To the blogger who ragged on the Scarecrow, if you can't see the evil genius in this villian stop reading now because what I have to say next will surely go over your head.

There was a time when movies reflected the dreams and fears of society. Movies from this era are some of my favorites, partially due to the fact that they (probably) shaped me. Men were masculine, the women feminine, and the good guy won. They showed me the things I wanted to see.

Palerider was the first of the current genre where there are no good guys, no bad guys, (yea, there were some ugly guys) and no clear cut victory. I walked out of the theater after seeing Palerider knowing that I just saw a very well made movie, but with a distinct unsettled feeling. I was promised something, but they didn't deliver and, at the time, I couldn't name it. Not at the time, but I can now.

I didn't enjoy Palerider till I saw it a second time when I knew what not to expect. It was just a story of the Old West, probably more true to life than Hang'em High or a Fistfull of Dollars.

Now back to the Batcave:
In Batman, we have a masculine hero who wins. A guy the guys can root for and relate to. After watching, I still want to find a full contact martial arts dojo and join. I know I'm not as young as I was and that I don't have the time, but you will watch the movie and respect Bruce Wayne and want to be like him. Yea, I turn into a 10 at some time during the previews and revert to an adult during the credits.

Earlier I mentioned the "Fears of Society" and I think this movie is appropriate for our time. In Gotham, corruption reigned. The politicians were bought, the cops were crooked, and the criminals ruled. The little man was powerless, and with no one who had the courage to stand up and fight for them untill Batman arrived.

I look at society today where morally corrupt judges starve the infirm to death and the President of the United States pretends that he doesn't have the power to stop it with a wink and a nod. Now we have been told that the cornerstone of the American Dream is not our castle, but instead, freely available to anyone who can better use it for the 'public good.' Again the winks and nods between the Black Robed Legislatures and the President let the little man know where the guns of the police are aimed.

We need a Batman to stand for us. One place that he will is in the theatres. For this reason I expect that people will pay for a ticket more than once. They will go see the movie and find a man to respect (yea, his childhood sweetheart is a babe too, she'll grow on you) and the moral satisfaction of him winning, but they will return because, today in America, the only place the little man is safe from the corrupt is in a theatre dark enough for the Batman to be standing behind you.