Batman Begins

Batman Begins (2005) is an American Superhero film based on the comic book character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The movie was first released on June 15, 2005, directed by Christopher Nolan, and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Although it is the fifth live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is neither a sequel nor a prequel to the previous Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher movies, but rather a complete revision or reboot of the series. It more closely follows the darker psychological theme of the Batman comics and graphic novels. It was a critical and financial success.

Reaction

Early reviews from professional film critics were enthusiastic, with Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times (who panned all the previous live action adaptations of the character) calling it one of the best films of the year. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times also gave it high praise, dubbing the film "the most successful comic-book adaptation alongside Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World."

The movie was also received quite favorably by audiences and many fans, earning the highest rating of any film released in 2005 by users of the website boxofficemojo.com and garnering an 83% score at rottentomatoes.com. The film is currently on the IMDb's list of the Top 250 films of all-time. All told, this movie is considered to be the favorite Batman movie for critics and audiences alike.

The film takes many liberties, despite being hailed for its more accurate portrayal of Batman as he is depicted in the DC Comics universe. For instance, Batman's first comic book run-in with Ra's Al Ghul involved Robin being kidnapped, whereas in Batman Begins, Robin doesn't yet exist. Batman's cape is also not traditionally used for gliding in the comics, unlike in the film. Other criticisms of Batman Begins included the delayed first appearance of Bale in Batman regalia. It is worked on from roughly the 45 minute mark, but only appears fully an hour into the movie (1:01:26 to be exact). Some found the costume to look too much like Val Kilmer's "sonar suit" from the climax of Batman Forever. Another is the reworking of Batman's origin to have Joe Chill captured the night of the murder and serve nearly ten years in prison, thus some feel, removing one of Bruce's motivation to become Batman. In the current comics, the Waynes' murder case remains unsolved. Another is having Bruce trained by Ra's al Ghul and his minons, although the ninja training element is still in the comics, albeit with different masters. Some felt that the dark and erratic cinematography on the fight scenes make it difficult to discern what's happening; others feel that that is precisely the point (the ambiguity and confusion is an organic interpretation of what the criminals experience). The redesign of the Batmobile also evoked mixed reviews, although it recalled a version of that vehicle seen in Frank Miller's influential graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns.

According to boxofficemojo.com, the $135-million movie has earned $205.3 million during its North American theatrical run and approximately $166 million elsewhere in the world, making it the second most successful Batman movie (next to the 1989 movie) and fifth most successful of summer 2005 (next to Revenge of the Sith, War of the Worlds, Wedding Crashers and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). However, taking ticket price inflation into account, Begins is only ahead of 1997's Batman and Robin, which had an adjusted U.S. gross of $150 million. (The inflation-adjusted U.S. gross of the other movies would be as follows: Batman $403 million, Batman Returns $251 million and Batman Forever $271 million). A recent poll at IMDb marked the film as #1 as the best summer movie of 2005 with Revenge of the Sith at second.

The movie also solidified Christopher Nolan's capability of directing a major blockbuster. Before then, he was known for directing low-budget movies that focused mostly on dark themes, but had substance and depth, e.g. Memento. Hiring him for this kind of movie, particularly one of Warner Brothers' biggest franchises, was a risky endeavour on the studio's part. But the movie marked a successful return of the Batman saga, erasing the legacy of its predecessor Batman and Robin and ensured the studio's plans to greenlight a sequel.

Trivia

• The device, on the heel of his boot, that the Batman uses to summon a swarm of bats is taken directly from Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One".
  
  
• A second stage Scarecrow look was created for the hallucination scenes but was never shown on film. The mask was more organic and tighter around the actor's face.
  
  
• Before Christopher Nolan took over, director Darren Aronofsky was attached to make a Batman movie based on the graphic novel "Batman: Year One" and have the author Frank Miller write the screenplay. By 2003 there was a first draft screenplay with story boards, which are properties of AOL Time Warner. Warner's decision for not producing the film is unknown, but based on the details that have since leaked out, it would probably have to do with the screenplay, which strayed a considerable amount from the source material, making Alfred an African-American mechanic named "Big Al," the Batmobile being a souped-up Lincoln Towncar, and Bruce Wayne being homeless, among other things. This is all detailed in David Hughes' book "Tales from Development Hell."
  

• The wide-shot of the house of the League of Shadows is actually a miniature.
  
  
• Before Christian Bale was cast as Batman, many other actors were considered for the role including Ashton Kutcher, David Boreanaz and newcomer Hugh Dancy.
  
  
• Only days before the role of Batman was cast, eight actors were asked to audition for the part. The actors were Christian Bale, Joshua Jackson, Eion Bailey, Hugh Dancy, Billy Crudup, Cillian Murphy, Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal. While Bale won the part, Christopher Nolan liked Murphy's audition so much, he cast him as Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow.
  
  
• Marilyn Manson was considered for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow.
  
  
• Wanting to use as many practical effects as possible, Christopher Nolan told the production crew that he wanted the Batmobile to actually do its own stunts without camera trickery, CGI or models, and as a result, the Batmobile built for the movie could take sharp turns at 60 miles per hour, though it will lift the inside front tire in a corner at 30 miles per hour.
  
  
• The Batmobile, 9 feet wide and 16 feet long, has a top speed of 106 miles per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6 seconds. The engine is a 5.7 liter V8 Chevy. It runs on unleaded gas and can do about 7 miles per gallon. It has four 44-inch tires at the rear, made by Interco Tire Corp, while the front is covered in jagged plates of armor. It was designed and built by Chris Corbould and Andrew Smith at Shepperton Studios in England. This Batmobile was built from the ground up and is estimated to be worth half a million pounds.
  
  
• Director Christopher Nolan decided that there would be no second unit, and so for the whole of the one hundred and twenty nine shooting days Nolan oversaw every shot of the film personally.
  
  
• The name of the commissioner on the film is "Loeb". However, this is NOT a reference to comic book writer Jeph Loeb, author of the graphic novels "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory", but rather simply the canonical name of the Gotham City police commissioner when Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham. This is shown in Frank Miller's Year One, which actually influenced both "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" and was published nearly a full decade before either of these.
  
  
• Christopher Eccleston was rumored for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow before Cillian Murphy was eventually cast.
  
  
• David S. Goyer said that the graphic novels "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" by Jeph Loeb were a huge influence on his screenplay. When he was asked the question, "What about Frank Miller's Year One?", he replied, "Our story is not Year One." An early draft of David S. Goyer's script leaked onto the Internet in April of 2004.
  
  
• This is the first movie to use the new DC logo.
  
  
• Much of Batman's gear and apparel, including his cape and suit, is based on actual military technology.
  
  
• During the interviews he performed to promote the movie, Christian Bale continued using the American accent he'd adopted to play Bruce Wayne/Batman. He explained that he didn't want potential moviegoers to be confused about why Batman, an American institution, was being played by a Welshman.
  
  
• When the prisoners are all released from Arkham, briefly visible is Mr. Zsasz, a serial killer from the comics with tally marks scarred into his skin, representing each of his victims. Mr. Zsasz also appears in the courtroom in the beginning of the film where he is being transferred to Arkham Asylum by Dr. Crane.
  
  
• Contrary to the previous Batman films, in which the Batcave was realized as a combination of a live set and matte paintings (done either by hand or computer), no visual effects were used in this film to show the Batcave. The entire Batcave is instead a massive full-scale set.
  
  
• The score track names refer to Latin names of bat species. Also notice that the first letters of track 4-9 spell B A T M A N.
  
  
• Christian Bale had previously screen tested and was considered for the role of Robin in Batman Forever (1995).
  
  
• In the movie, Bruce Wayne is shown arriving at a fancy hotel in a Lamborghini Murciélago. The word murciélago is Spanish for bat (although the car itself was named after a prized bull owned by Don Antonio Miura, who had nothing to do with bats).
  
  
• Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by at one of the sets during filming.
  
  
• The sets were built in the Admiralty Hangar No. 2, one of the largest hangars in the world. The floor area is the size of 16 Olympic-size swimming pools.
  
  
• The license plates for the Gotham related cars were designed in the same style as the Illinois state license plates. This was done to stay consistent with other vehicle license plates while filming the car chases in Chicago.
  
  
• Ra's Al Ghul is Arabic for "The Demon's Head". This refers to his position at the height of the Brotherhood of the Demon, also called the League of Shadows.
  
  
• A quote from Christian Bale that some of the crew had on the back of their t-shirts (the wardrobe dept. did it as a joke) said: "It's hot, dark and sweaty and it gives me a headache."
  
  
• Chris Cooper turned down the role of James Gordon.
  
  
• Kurt Russell and Dennis Quaid were considered for the role of James Gordon.
  
  
• Viggo Mortensen turned down Liam Neeson's role. Daniel Day-Lewis was also approached.
  
  
• The title went through many changes. First, it was known as "Batman 5". It became "Batman: The Frightening" for a while. To prevent script leaks, they were titled "Intimidation Game" to throw off the public, before settling on "Batman Begins".
  
  
• Anthony Hopkins was offered the role of Alfred but declined.
  
  
• Laurence Fishburne was considered for the role of Lucius Fox.
  
  
• Filming was temporarily delayed on the London soundstage due to the sound of amorous pigeons in the rafters above.
  
  
• The crime boss Carmine "The Roman" Falcone was a character from the comics. He was Gotham City's last "old school" gangster. He was killed, and his empire wiped out, when Batman's familiar rogues gallery came into prominence.
  
  
• On 22 May 2004 filming took place at Senate House (a property belonging to the University of London, just off Russell Square). The front of the building was made up as the Gotham City courts, complete with New York-style taxis and Gotham Police Department cars.
  
  
• Christian Bale's trailer didn't have his name on the door but said "Bruce Wayne" instead.
  
  
• A full city block of Gotham - much of it based on the slums of Kowloon in Hong Kong which were torn down in 1994 - was built in a converted aircraft hangar.
  
  
• On the set, the costumed Christian Bale constantly had two people trailing him to keep the Batsuit smudge-free.
  
  
• On a converted parking lot at Shepperton, the film crew built an entire village of trailers where chemists and costume artists made neoprene-and-foam-latex Batsuits. The place was dubbed "Cape Town."
  
  
• The script was written by David S. Goyer in the seven weeks before he was due to direct Blade: Trinity (2004), which he also wrote. Director Christopher Nolan took over the writing chores from there.
  
  
• While shooting on the streets of Chicago, a person accidentally crashed into the Batmobile. The driver was apparently drunk, and said he hit the car in a state of panic, believing the Dark Knight's vehicle to be an invading alien spacecraft.
  
  
• David S. Goyer mentioned in an interview that his favorite pre-audition choice for Batman was Jake Gyllenhaal, but that he was won over by Christian Bale after seeing his test.
  
  
• While filming in Lower Wacker Drive, in Chicago, Illinois, the filmmakers were so concerned for the care of the Batmobile, that they told the stunt driver to take as much time as he needed to make any move. Therefore, when it came time to back the Batmobile up, they went so slow as to cause traffic jams that had to be reported on the news. Simply moving the Batmobile around Chicago took numerous police as well as caused traffic jams where ever they went.
  
  
• Before the shooting began, Christopher Nolan invited the whole film crew to a private screening of Blade Runner (1982). After the film he said to the whole crew, "This is how we're going to make Batman."
  
  
• Christopher Nolan wrote in the character Rachel Dawes with Katie Holmes in mind. No other actresses were in serious consideration; it was hers to lose.
  
  
• Unlike most characters on the movie, Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes, doesn't exist in "Batman" or any other DC Comics' series. She was created by director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer.
  
  
• This is the first Batman film to be shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
  
  
• Contains 400 VFX shots.
  
  
• The "daylight" coming through the windows of Wayne Manor was created by a single 100,000-watt floodlight which weighed nearly 400 pounds.
  
  
• At the time of this film's release, Forbes Magazine did a breakdown of how much it would actually cost to become Batman. The magazine estimated that total expenses in US dollars would be around $3.5 million.
  
  
• The gun Bruce Wayne tosses in the river is a Brazilian six-shot Taurus.
  
  
• The calling card the Joker leaves is a replica of the Joker Card from the 1989 graphic novel "Arkham Asylum".
  
  
• All the big name cast members were initially not told that the movie was a Batman movie as the script they were sent was titled "The Intimidation Game". Michael Caine commented that when he first saw the title, he assumed the script was some kind of gangster movie.
  
  
• A pair of Batman pajama bottoms can be seen hanging from the line in the scene where Batman talks to the little boy in the Narrows.
  
  
• The license plate on Bruce Wayne's sports car is 357 265.
  
  
• Since Alfred's sense of duty and loyalty towards Bruce Wayne reminded him of the comradeship that exists in the military, Sir Michael Caine based his character's voice on that of a colonel he knew when he was in the army as an 18-year-old.
  
  
• When Warner Bros. was considering "Batman: The Frightening" as the title, a script was released online that was widely believed to be official. Two writers, Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias, were credited on the draft, but both denied writing it. The author was later discovered to be Brandon Gaines.
  
  
• Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski were approached to direct, and even wrote their own treatment based on Frank Miller's graphic novel "Batman: Year One", but turned down the offer and made the Matrix sequels instead.
  
  
• Broke opening weekend box office record for IMAX theaters.
  
  
• For the IMAX version, some of the theatres running older IMAX equipment, the credits for the movie wouldn't fit on the platters. IMAX and the theatres had to get special permission from Warner Brothers to show the movie without the credits.
  
  
• During earlier developments of the movie, Ewan McGregor was considered for the role of Scarecrow.
  
  
• During production, DC Comics commissioned well known Batman artists to give their interpretation of the Dark Knight. The results were shown to Christopher Nolan and the cast to help give them a better idea of where the comic artists were coming from. Among the artists were James Jean, Jock, Tommy Lee Edwards and John Paul Leon.
  
  
• Early work on the script and the production design was conducted in the back of Christopher Nolan's garage. During the writing process, Nolan and David S. Goyer sometimes took walks near the site of the original Batcave from "Batman" (1966/II).
  
  
• Due to his part in Maquinista, El (2004), Christian Bale was vastly underweight (about 120 pounds on his 6 foot+ frame) when he was under consideration for the part. After being cast, he was told to become as "big as you could be" by Christopher Nolan. Bale underwent a dietary and exercise regiment and ending up weighing about 220 pounds (about 40 pounds above his normal weight). It was decided that Bale had became too large (friends of his on the film's crew dubbed him "Fatman") and he quickly shed about 20 pounds to have leaner, more muscular frame.
  
  
• Alfred's last name is Pennyworth.
  
  
• When Christian Bale and Liam Neeson were fighting on the frozen lake they could hear the ice cracking beneath their feet, the next day the lake was completely melted.
  
  
• During filming of the scene where Batman is being towed, by a train through the streets of Gotham, so much steam was used that after each take that it would "rain" on the cast and crew for several minutes.