Batman Begins
Rated PG-13, 2 hr 20 min
Critics' Rating: B+
Miles's Rating: B+
Brooklynne's Rating: B+

Friday night, Brooklynne and I went to see Batman Begins. It was not the first choice for either of us; I hated the first three Batman movies because they were too cartoonish. This one was much less about star power, costumes, and effects, and much more about characters and plot--a pleasant surprise, although there was room for improvement.

The first half of the movie is about Bruce Wayne's troubled past that gives him the motive and the skills to become the dark knight. The film rehashes the death of Wayne's parents and he is then recruited by a mysterious brotherhood of crimefighters, but they have a falling out over differences in philosophies. This background was interesting but could have been better if the writers/director developed Wayne's struggle over the issue that leads to his decision to defect.

One of the main themes of the film is fear and its crippling effects. There were some really great scare scenes that had the potential to make viewers really feel the fear and experience what the film is about. But these scenes are too few and far between to take the movie to the next level.

The greatest, most annoying flaw in the movie though, was the filmmakers' apparent ignorance of the fact that people are made mostly of water. But that's all I'll say because I don't want to ruin the story. You'll know what I mean when you see the movie.

Overall, the movie was entertaining, fun, and well made. It was mild enough for a date and if you see it in the theater, you won't come out saying you wished you had waited for the video.