Counter Culture

Country: USA
Language: English
Australia:M / Canada:13+ (Quebec) / Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) / Finland:K-11 / Germany:12 / Hong Kong:IIA / Ireland:12A / Mexico:B / Netherlands:12 / Norway:15 / Singapore:PG / Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) / Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) / UK:12A / USA:PG-13
Duration: 141 min

Reviewed by Al Martin

Finally, Batman Begins has hit the screens, with the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman being played by the critically acclaimed ‘American Psycho’ Christian Bale – well he is Welsh actually (although with his uncanny ability to flawlessly adopt almost any accent you would never have guessed).

In Batman Begins we get to see the training Bruce Wayne went through to achieve his incredible transformation into Batman (who doesn’t actually have any supernatural powers). He is just a man driven by revenge inside an awesome costume. His daredevil feats are almost believable as Lucius Fox (played by Morgan Freeman) shows us the type of gadgets & weaponry available to a wealthy man like Bruce Wayne. Katie Holmes plays the love interest Rachel Dawes, who has known Bruce Wayne since childhood. Katie Holmes has been attracting more attention than usual since she started dating Tom Cruise, which im sure is just a coincidence. The set of Gotham City is incredible, it’s worth seeing for that alone, but with great action sequences and an all star cast it is a must see for 2005.

At the screening I attended, the press audience gave applause at the end. This is the first film I have reviewed where that has happened. I’m certain it will do well at the box office and prompt them to make the sequel they were already considering.

Cast and Crew for Batman Begins (2005)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Writing credits

Bob Kane (characters)

David S. Goyer (story)

Christopher Nolan (screenplay) and

David S. Goyer (screenplay) Cast

Christian Bale …. Bruce Wayne/Batman

Michael Caine …. Alfred

Liam Neeson …. Ducard

Katie Holmes …. Rachel Dawes

Gary Oldman …. Jim Gordon

Cillian Murphy …. Dr. Jonathan Crane

Tom Wilkinson …. Carmine Falcone

Rutger Hauer …. Earle

Ken Watanabe …. Ra’s Al Ghul

Mark Boone Junior …. Flass

Linus Roache …. Thomas Wayne

Morgan Freeman …. Lucius Fox

Larry Holden …. Finch

Gerard Murphy …. Judge Faden

Colin McFarlane …. Loeb

Sara Stewart …. Martha Wayne

Gus Lewis …. Bruce Wayne – age 8

Richard Brake …. Joe Chill

Rade Serbedzija …. Homeless Man

Emma Lockhart …. Rachel Dawes (age 8)

Christine Adams …. Jessica

Catherine Porter …. Blonde Female Reporter/Assassin

John Nolan …. Fredericks

Karen Shenaz David …. Courthouse Reporter #1 (as Karen David)

Jonathan D. Ellis …. Courthouse Reporter #2

Tamer Hassan …. Faden’s Limo Driver

Ronan Leahy …. Uniformed Policeman #1

Vincent Wong …. Old Asian Prisoner

Tom Wu …. Bhutanese Prison Guard #1

Chike Chan …. Chinese Police Officer

Jamie Cho …. Stocky Chinese Man

David Murray …. Jumpy Thug

John Kazek …. Dock Thug #2

Darragh Kelly …. Dock Thug #3

Joseph Rye …. Dock Cop #2

Charles Edwards …. Wayne Enterprises Executive

Lucy Russell …. Female Restaurant Guest

Timothy Deenihan …. Male Restaurant Guest (as Tim Deenihan)

David Bedella …. Maitre D

Flavia Masetto …. Restaurant Blonde #1

Martin McDougall …. Gotham Dock Employee

Noah Margetts …. Arkham Thug #1 (as Noah Lee Margetts)

Joe Hanley …. Arkham Thug #2

Karl Sheils …. Arkham Thug #3 (as Karl Shiels)

Roger Griffiths …. Arkham Uniformed Policeman

Stephen Walters …. Arkham Lunatic

Richard Laing …. Arkham Chase Cop

Matt Miller …. Gotham Car Cop #3

Risteard Cooper …. Captain Simonson

Shane Rimmer …. Older Gotham Water Board Technician

Jeremy Theobald …. Younger Gotham Water Board Technician

Alexandra Bastedo …. Gotham Society Dame

Conn Horgan …. Monorail Driver (as Con Horgan)

Phill Curr …. Transit Cop

Jack Gleeson …. Little Boy

John Judd …. Narrows Bridge Cop

Sarah Wateridge …. Mrs. Dawes

Charlie Kranz …. Basement Club Manager

Cedric Young …. Liquor Store Owner

Tim Booth …. Victor Zsaz

Tom Nolan …. Valet

Leon Delroy Williams …. Pedestrian

Roger Yuan …. Hazmat Technician

Joe Sargent …. Narrows Teenager #1

Ilyssa Fradin …. Barbara Gordon

Andrew Pleavin …. Uniformed Policeman #2

Jeff Christian …. Driving Cop

Earlene Bentley …. Arkham Asylum Nurse

Alex Moggridge …. Arkham Asylum Orderly

Omar Mustafa …. Falafel Stand Vendor (as Omar Mostafa)

Rory Campbell …. Opera Performer #3 Mefistofele – Tenor

Spencer Wilding …. League of Shadows Warriors

Mark Smith …. League of Shadows Warriors

Khan Bonfils …. League of Shadows Warriors

David Legeno …. League of Shadows Warriors (as Dave Legeno)

Ruben Halse …. League of Shadows Warriors

Nadia Cameron-Blakey …. Additional Restaurant Guest #1

Mark Straker …. Male Restaurant Guest #2

Kieran Hurley …. Crane Thug #2

Emmanuel Idowu …. Narrows Teenager #2

Jeff Tanner …. Bridge Cop