tjameswhite.com

Batman Begins is a great movie for one simple fact: it is based on a solid story. And I’m not just talking about the mythos of Batman. I’m talking about the script. David Goyer put together a great script based on classic archetypes — in this case the lost man.

Because there is a solid story to work from, Batman Begins isn’t so much a superhero story as it is just a good story. It could have easily been filmed as a Western (eg. Clint Eastwood) or set in contemporary times, or even in space.

In addition to the lost man (lost mentally, if not physically), the movie pulls in the classic idea of a good man turned “bad” in order to be good — just look to The Count of Monte Cristo or The Shawsank Redemption (which is just a retelling of Monte Cristo); perhaps even Papillion.

The end result is a very watchable and enjoyable movie. There are very few movies that I own, and this is one that I would add to my list. In fact, I would actually love to see the movie turned into a TV series. I can see the whole first season taking place before Batman ever shows up. It could focus on Bruce’s angst youth, flight to China and his exploits there. Season one would then end with him coming back to Gotham and talking with Alfred about how to clean up the city.

In the end, if you haven’t seen the movie, do so. I think it would probably rank in my top 10 movie list.