Batman
Begins
The
Review before the previews
By
Naveed Islam
To the non believers
(take that Stan Lee) who haven't kept themselves updated, the rough
draft of the script for Warner Bros. latest adaptation of the iconic
Batman mythology, aptly titled Batman Begins, has been released on
the web prior to its official unveiling on June 17th. The story chronicles
the events leading upto a thirty year old Bruce Wayne donning the
cape and cowl and stealing into the night to battle the criminal underworld
of the fictional yet eerily real premise that embodies Bob Kane's
imaginary Gotham City. If I were to answer your question, “can this
movie really revive the dying series?” after my own evaluation of
the script I will give you a solid “most probably”.
For
those of you unfamiliar with the legend, let me brief you: Batman
is a comic book which originated from the mind and illustrations of
creator Bob Kane, sometime in the '50s, about a man dressed in the
image of a Bat who goes about the city solving mysteries and fighting
crime. While without super powers, Batman backs up his act with his
knowledge of the criminal mind as well as his sharp detective skills,
quick fists and an impressive repertoire of sophisticated gadgets
which would probably even put James Bond to shame. However, that's
just the surface. The many faces and forms that the Batman comic books
have taken show us how different he is from your typical Supers or
Spiders. What's undoubtedly the series' true stand out, are the psychological
aspects which separate a boy who has lost his parents to the nocturnal
façade he inhabits in his adulthood. In society, Batman would
be referred to as Bruce Wayne's separate identity but in truth it's
the same duality shared in all humanity, the struggle of conscience,
a darker side behind even the most righteous. In some ways, the Bat,
drawn from Bruce's childhood fears, is his own darkness, an outlet
for his anger that he could do nothing to stop his family's murder
and his dedication to preventing such atrocities to befall others
is slightly more selfish than noble, since it is his own psyche venting
its emotions. To sum up, in contrast to others in this line of vigilante
justice, Batman is as “human” as they come.
To quote an old
joke set in the New York Times shortly after the release of Tim Burton's
first Batman, “one man says to the other, 'Hey, did you see how much
money the new Batman movie made?' to which the other, with conviction,
replies 'Yeah, imagine how much cash it would have made if the film
had actually been any good.” Indeed, while the past four entries (especially
the last one) seemed to have poured the last ounce of dirt onto the
series' lonely grave, writer David Goyer has attempted to pull it
six feet upwards to shine once again and rightfully so. What set it
apart from the preceding films and possibly all others from the superhero
franchises of Marvel and DC Comics is the fact that it's hard to place
it into one particular genre. Initially, it will seem more of a drama,
as much of the beginning is devoted to exploring the character of
Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), through the ages of 8, when his parents
died, to 20 where, without giving too much away, his journey 'Begins'.
But slowly the story will manifest itself as a Caper/Gangster flick
while inevitably reaching its true purpose as an entertaining Action
Adventure. Along his path to 'realization', Bruce will encounter the
likes of Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson), a ruthless Marlon Brando
wannabe out to run the streets of Gotham, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian
Murphy), a psychologist at the local nuthouse, Arkham Asylum, Bruce's
mentor the mysterious Ducard (Liam Neeson) and the enigmatic Ra's
Al Ghoul (Ken Watanabe), while being helped by his allies Dr. Lucius
Fox (Morgan Freeman), Assistant D.A. Rachel Dodson (Katie Holmes)
and the always by his side Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine).
The
cast is an obvious yet noteworthy difference between this and any
of the earlier movies. Directors Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher gave
us a helping of some of the titans of the '90s box office, from the
Terminator and his 'Twin', Arnold and DeVito to Oscar winners Tommy
Lee Jones, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger as well as nominee Nicole
Kidman. Chris O' Donnel, Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman, Michelle
Pfeiffer, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, Danny Ocean himself, George
Clooney and rubber man Jim Carrey also add to an already stellar line
up and if you paid attention in the third installment, Drew Barrymore
has a relatively small yet significant role as one of the deranged
Two Face's “companions”.
That is not to
take any props away from the new cast, on the contrary, while some
of the names on this extremely talented list will leave the laymen
with a dumbfounded “who?” movie enthusiasts and Bat fans alike will
immediately identify with the actors as well as the fitting roles
that they each play in Batman's saga. The film is backed more by talent
than by star power which, can even be highlighted in the film's teaser
poster.
As opposed to
the traditional Batman movie style of highlighting the big names involved
in the movie in one wall hanging, the poster only shows a lonely and
sorrowful Batman seemingly with the weight of the world on his shoulders
against a golden sky. Christian Bale's face isn't even illuminated,
only the Bat's silhouette is apparent. What's most intriguing is that
its not just cool, it shows us in its own obscure way how the series
has taken a new turn and from the draft of the script that I've had
the pleasure of reading, it seems David Goyer has succeeded in putting
the 'Dark' back in the 'Dark Knight'. It highlights Bruce's journey
as a man and shows how his childhood experiences inevitably mirror
themselves onto the darkness shown in his later life, and an element
which had once again gone missing from the previous movies, the detective
work, has made its way here as opposed to the usual feeding of 'super
hero beat em ups' that we expect. The acting is as powerful as the
new Bat mobile (which when compared to the previous models, looks
like its on steroids), and adds humanity to the imaginary comic book
setting.
What struck me
most about the storyline, other than its brilliant writing, would
be the message it sends to a world caught in chaos. Unlike your typical
super hero flicks (this is one of those cases where the conflict in
genre arises) the police aren't 'Just that DUMB' that they can't stop
a lunatic in a silly costume trying to take over the world. Instead
it shows a necessity of such a vigilante in a city caught in a downward
spiral of fear, corruption and decay (much like our own tsunami spared
metropolis). And yet, it leads us to hope that there is some good
left in such a damned place and in the course of dialogue and elaborate
action sequences (a particularly fun read involving the Bat mobile
and one fight atop a monorail) we feel compelled to cheer for the
man in black. There are purposes behind the introductions of each
of the characters, that can be found by simply listening to the tones
and conversations that the writer has managed to incorporate and associate
to these roles. Carmine Falcone, for example, is meant to portray
the more real, less fictional, criminal darkness that plagues Gotham
where money and fear is power while Rachel Dodson's purpose was to
steer a vengeful and angry Bruce onto a path of justice. Jim Gordon
remains the honest cop amidst a population overwhelmed with deceit,
and while not adorned in red and green tights with an 'R' on his suit,
he is in one word Batman's “sidekick” for most of the film.
Ra's Al Ghoul's
conceit for mankind traverses through the environmental issues that
contaminate our world today, condemning the self destructive human
race to an eternity of 'fear' (you'll get it once you see the movie).
One reader of the script even coined a tiny note, which went so far
as to compare Al Ghoul, an Arab and leader of a gang of rogues, to
Osama Bin Laden. Mind you that the movie is in no means again deeming
us as terrorists since in the true comic book series Ra's did have
Arab roots, but even then I believe there is some ground behind that
comparison. The shady villain operates his network from a secret location
high atop the peaks of the Himalayan ranges and while his presence
is strongly felt he is never always quite there. It's definitely a
welcome change from seeing too much of Arnold in the last movie. It's
inspiring to watch Bruce Wayne a youth hungry for vengeance to grow
into the symbol of justice for a distraught populous and his enmity
with Ra's will keep fans on the edge of their seats till the movie's
end.
The film finally
answers series pioneer, Tim Burton's question “If this guy is supposed
to be so strong then why couldn't he have just taken a gun to his
parent's killer's head?” This was an issue left up in the air in the
previous movies which actually strayed from the storyline to go on
and say (in the first movie) that he does kill the killer by throwing
him from a building and later to say (the third movie) that he chose
his integrity. The latter is true but not in the ways that you would
expect. It shows us more of Wayne's past and re introduces us to more
human roles for Martha and Thomas Wayne and the establishment of a
friend and father figure in Alfred. What surprised me was the lack
of screen time given to Ken Watanabe. Still he manages to retain importance
and storyline value until the end which, if you can interpret its
meaning, will undoubtedly leave you itching for a sequel.
In short, Batman
Begins is worth the purchase and will definitely be one of the hot
movies of 2005. Hopefully I'll be spending the summer at my sister's
in America so I can see it in a hall, but I'll still be content with
watching it on DVD. I don't normally enjoy movie reviews here since
they're usually extract from web sites, but I felt that this movie
was more personal than one should expect but I must warn you this
is not for everybody. If you're looking for a straight forward action
film with 'little less talk and a lot more super hero action' than
you might risk the disappointment since some of the action sequences
are worth the wait. But if you're a “true believer” and follow the
comics or are just looking for a good film, this is the movie you've
been waiting for.
One
man's dream of becoming the Greatest Teacher in the World, and that
one man just happening to be Ekichi Onizuka, ex biker-gang leader
and karate champion extraordinaire. Foul-talking, crude, shallow,
and single at 22, he doesn't seem likely to ever do anything other
than drive trucks until one day he gets hired by a school on conditions
that aren't particularly to his liking: as home room teacher to the
most feared bunch of troublemakers in academic history…
GTO's
been around for some time. The wildly popular manga, the even more
popular anime (which we're looking at) and now the live-action series.
Evidently Japan can't get enough of Ekichi Onizuka, and for good reason:
the GTO story is probably the single best blend of drama and comedy
ever. And with the likes of Kare Kano around, that says a
lot.
GTO screams attitude
at you from the get go with the immensely refreshing in-your-face
opening credits, and the way you're introduced to the characters.
I don't recall seeing any other anime that knew how to switch between
taking itself seriously and being hilarious so seamlessly, or with
such appropriate precision; the breathtaking amounts of character
development are spaced to perfection by the hilarious antics of Onizuka
and his interactions with the cast.
Speak of the cast,
and you're instantly astonished at how well fleshed out every character
in the show is; while Onizuka himself is a gem (rebel, perverted,
and probably the biggest idiot ever), his pupils never fail to impress
you with how real they are and how they grow throughout. Every single
one of them is focused on, from the rather craven Yoshikawa to the
brilliantly psychotic Kanzaki, and their development as people is
one of the strongest features of the anime. The rest of the cast (Onizuka's
fellow teachers and the school administration, and others who make
appearances) are also equally believable and entertaining throughout.
The
artwork is an experience in itself; generally very high quality, occasionally
crude (to the benefit of the comedy) and with a style that's as pseudo-graffiti
and brash as Onizuka himself. The animation is likewise fluid and
only occasionally over the top.
Of special mention
are the opening credits, both of which are as eloquently irreverent
that you can't help missing them the day you finish the series. The
music is another highlight; the opening and ending themes, all four
of them, are a treat to anyone, and the rest is fitting till the end.
So you've got
a show with a truckload of good characters, a simple but well executed
plot, all the style in the world, pacing to die for, and a not-too-shabby
piece of Japanese culture, all garnished with side-splitting comedy
and deep drama at the same time. GTO not only lives up to the hype,
but manages to surpass it by far. Greatest Teacher ever? You bet.
Assault
on Precinct 13
Review
Ghokra
Assault
on Precinct 13 is a remake of a brilliant 1976 cult classic about
cops and convicts trapped in an L.A. precinct station about to close
down, forced to form unlikely alliances to fight off the bloodthirsty
street gang surrounding them. John Carpenter's 1976 original was close
to perfect pitting a mad dad against the vicious LA street gang that
killed his little girl.
This time the
scene is in snowbound Detroit police station besieged not by street
gangs but by rogue cops.
The plot:
It's New Year's Eve and Precinct 13 is scheduled to close forever
at midnight. Its run by a motley skeleton crew headed by burnt out
desk Sgt. Jake Roenick (Hawke) traumatized by tragic police raid where
two partners died. Also there are a handful of cops soon to retire
Jasper O'Shea (Brian Dennehy) and lusty secretary Iris Ferry (Drea
de Matteo)
Everything changes
as cop killer criminal Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) has been arrested
and is being transported by police bus with some other detainees,
including the motormouth Beck (John Leguizamo), a crew-cut girl crook
(Aisha Hinds) and a counterfeiter named Smiley (Jeffrey Atkins, a
k a Ja Rule). It's New Year's Eve, there's a storm brewing outside
and people want to go home fast. Add to that a road accident that
blocks off the road and the detainees are shipped off to Precinct
13 instead of the jail they were headed to. Things start turning bad
as Bishops men want to set him free while a set of rogue cops want
to kill Bishop before he spills the beans about their shady dealings.
You see, Bishop
is the longtime partner of crooked cop Marcus Duvall (Byrne) and is
now a danger to Duvall's rotten crew and, as soon as the mobster/murderer
is ensconced in jail, Duvall begins assaulting Precinct 13 with everything
at his disposal: his squad of dirty cops and high-tech weaponry.
Also Jake's hot
but antagonistic psychiatrist, Alex Sabian (Maria Bello) drops in
as she is also blocked off by the accident on the road.
To make matters
worse the station's radio and phones are out of order. Heck even cell
phones are pretty much useless. Makes you wonder that maybe they were
using no network phone connection offered by Bangladeshi operators.
As Precinct 13 is on its own Jake must decide if he trusts his dangerous
prisoners enough to enlist them in the battle
The original "Assault
on Precinct 13" was a low budget no-star show that was a big
hit. The remake has a great cast and lots of technical firepower,
along with an engrossing story and lots of genre savvy.
Fishburne's Bishop
is a simmeringly cool killer. With his infinite wisdom, unflappable
demeanor, and awesome action-movie skills, he actually seems to have
dropped by from the Matrix. Watch it and you will know what I mean.
Verdict:
The '76 original was a gritty movie low on dialogue and high on the
action. That served it very well as the whole situation was so intense
that speaking would be out of the question. The remake has a lot of
chatty moments which do fit the bill albeit with a jarring usage of
the ''f" word as if its synonymous to breathing.
There's a lot
of action that gets a little silly at times. As with most movie there
are plot holes such as a scene where there is a chase though an abandoned
and forgotten sewer that is very well lit. Somebody is busy changing
the bulbs. Despite that it's an engrossing action movie. Its old material
but the director takes it and makes it work with strong performances
and a couple of new twists.
