Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld – The Batman.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Bruce Wayne / Batman: Christian Bale
• Alfred Pennyworth: Michael Caine
• Henri Ducard: Liam Neeson
• Rachel Dawes: Katie Holmes
• James Gordon: Gary Oldman
• Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow: Cillian Murphy
• Carmine Falcone: Tom Wilkinson
• William Earle: Rutger Hauer
• Ra’s al Ghul: Ken Watanabe
• Arnold Flass: Mark Boone Junior
• Thomas Wayne: Linus Roache
• Lucius Fox: Morgan Freeman
• Carl Finch: Larry Holden
• Judge Faden: Gerard Murphy
• Gillian Loeb: Colin McFarlane
• Martha Wayne: Sara Stewart
• Bruce Wayne (Age 8): Gus Lewis
• Joe Chill: Richard Brake
• Homeless Man: Rade Šerbedžija
• Rachel Dawes (Age 8): Emma Lockhart
• Jessica: Christine Adams
• Blonde Female Reporter / Assassin: Catherine Porter
• Douglas Fredericks: John Nolan
• Courthouse Reporter #1: Karen David
• Courthouse Reporter #2: Jonathan D. Ellis
• Faden’s Limo Driver: Tamer Hassan
• Uniformed Policeman #1: Ronan Leahy
• Old Asian Prisoner: Vincent Wong
• Bhutanese Prison Guard #1: Tom Wu
• Bhutanese Prison Guard #2: Mark Chiu
• Enormous Prisoner: Turbo Kong
• Chinese Police Officer: Sai-Kit Yung
• Chinese Police Officer: Chike Chan
• Himalayan Child: Tenzin Clive Ball
• Old Himalayan Man: Tenzin Gyurme
• Stocky Chinese Man: Jamie Hayden
• Jumpy Thug: David Murray
• Dock Thug #2: John Kazek
• Dock Thug #3: Darragh Kelly
• Dock Cop #1: Patrick Nolan
• Dock Cop #2: Joseph Rye
• Dock Cop #3: Kwaku Ankomah
• Police Prison Official: Jo Martin
• Wayne Enterprises Executive: Charles Edwards
• Female Restaurant Guest: Lucy Russell
• Male Restaurant Guest: Timothy Deenihan
• Maitre D: David Bedella
• Restaurant Blonde #1: Flavia Masetto
• Restaurant Blonde #2: Emily Steven-Daly
• Gotham Dock Employee: Martin McDougall
• Arkham Thug #1: Noah Lee Margetts
• Arkham Thug #2: Joe Hanley
• Arkham Thug #3: Karl Shiels
• Arkham Uniformed Policeman: Roger Griffiths
• Arkham Lunatic: Stephen Walters
• Arkham Chase Cop: Richard Laing
• Gotham Car Cop #3: Matt Miller
• Captain Simonson: Risteard Cooper
• Older Gotham Water Board Technician: Shane Rimmer
• Younger Gotham Water Board Technician: Jeremy Theobald
• Gotham Society Dame: Alexandra Bastedo
• Farmer: Soo Hee Ding
• Monorail Driver: Conn Horgan
• Transit Cop: Phill Curr
• Little Boy: Jack Gleeson
• Narrows Bridge Cop: John Judd
• Mrs. Dawes: Sarah Wateridge
• Basement Club Manager: Charlie Kranz
• Bad Swat Cop #1: Terry McMahon
• Liquor Store Owner: Cedric Young
• Victor Zsaz: Tim Booth
• Valet: Tom Nolan
• Pedestrian: Leon Delroy Williams
• Hazmat Technician: Roger Yuan
• Narrows Teenager #1: Joe Sargent
• Narrows Resident: Mel Taylor
• Barbara Gordon: Ilyssa Fradin
• Uniformed Policeman #2: Andrew Pleavin
• Driving Cop: Jeff Christian
• Arkham Lunatic Cell Mate: John Burke
• Arkham Asylum Nurse: Earlene Bentley
• Arkham Asylum Orderly: Alex Moggridge
• Asian Man / Ra’s al Ghul: Jay Buozzi
• African Boy In Rags: Jordan Shaw
• Falafel Stand Vendor: Omar Mostafa
• Opera Performer #1 Faust (Bass): Patrick Pond
• Opera Performer #2 Margaret (Soprano): Poppy Tierney
• Opera Performer #3 Mefistofele (Tenor): Rory Campbell
• Caterer: Fabio Cardascia
• League of Shadows Warrior: Spencer Wilding
• League of Shadows Warrior: Mark Rhino Smith
• League of Shadows Warrior: Khan Bonfils
• League of Shadows Warrior: Dave Legeno
• League of Shadows Warrior: Ruben Halse
• League of Shadows Warrior: Rodney Ryan
• Narrows Cop: Dominic Burgess
• Additional Restaurant Guest #1: Nadia Cameron-Blakey
• Male Restaurant Guest #2: Mark Straker
• Crane Thug #1: T.J. Ramini
• Crane Thug #2: Kieran Hurley
• Narrows Teenager #2: Emmanuel Idowu
• Bridge Cop: Jeff Tanner
• League of Shadows Warrior (uncredited): Jon Foo
• League of Shadows Warrior (uncredited): Joey Ansah

Film Crew:

• Casting: Lucinda Syson
• Producer: Larry J. Franco
• Original Music Composer: Hans Zimmer
• Producer: Charles Roven
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Producer: Emma Thomas
• Director of Photography: Wally Pfister
• Casting: John Papsidera
• Original Music Composer: James Newton Howard
• Screenplay: David S. Goyer
• Characters: Bob Kane
• Editor: Lee Smith
• Producer: Lorne Orleans
• Executive Producer: Michael Uslan
• Executive Producer: Benjamin Melniker
• Unit Production Manager: Nigel Gostelow
• Art Direction: Peter Francis
• Costume Design: Lindy Hemming
• Supervising Sound Editor: David Evans
• Assistant Art Director: Alastair Bullock
• Stunts: Ben Cooke
• Hair Designer: Peter Robb-King
• Stunts: David Cronnelly
• Visual Effects Assistant Editor: Alison Carter
• Foley: Andie Derrick
• Foley Artist: Peter Burgis
• Set Decoration: Paki Smith
• Set Decoration: Simon Wakefield
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Ron Bartlett
• Production Design: Nathan Crowley
• Stunt Coordinator: Paul Jennings
• Casting Associate: Elaine Grainger
• Stunts: Gary Hymes
• Thanks: Bruce Timm
• Fight Choreographer: David Forman
• Thanks: Curt Geda
• Thanks: Boyd Kirkland
• Stunts: Laura Albert
• Sound Mix Technician: Andrew Caller
• Stunts: Gary Connery
• Location Manager: Jo Beckett
• Music Programmer: Lorne Balfe
• Art Direction: Paul Kirby
• Sound Editor: Nigel Holland
• Music Editor: Gareth Cousins
• Production Manager: Mark Mostyn
• Special Effects Coordinator: Chris Corbould
• Post Production Supervisor: Jessie Thiele
• CG Supervisor: Nicolas Chevallier
• Casting Assistant: Julie Harkin
• Thanks: Paul Dini
• Post Production Assistant: Catrin Cooper
• Chief Lighting Technician: Cory Geryak
• Steadicam Operator: Steven A. Adelson
• Costume Supervisor: Dan Grace
• Supervising Art Director: Simon Lamont
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Stephane Ceretti
• Stunts: Brian Christensen
• Art Direction: Dominic Masters
• Makeup Artist: Laura McIntosh
• Art Department Coordinator: Sarah Robinson
• Boom Operator: Kate Morath
• Assistant Sound Editor: Niv Adiri
• Propmaker: Sophie Tarver
• Music Editor: Simon Changer
• ADR Mixer: Sandy Buchanan
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Doug Hemphill
• Dialect Coach: Francie Brown
• Aerial Coordinator: Craig Hosking
• Still Photographer: David James
• Gaffer: Perry Evans
• Script Supervisor: Annie Penn
• Visual Effects Editor: Collette Nunes
• Associate Producer: Cheryl A. Tkach
• Animatronics Designer: Tim Jordan
• Set Designer: Lotta Wolgers
• Greensman: Ian Whiteford
• Visual Effects Producer: Aurelia Abate
• Aerial Director of Photography: Hans Bjerno
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Janek Sirrs
• Unit Manager: Piers Dunn
• Assistant Location Manager: Tom Crooke
• 2D Supervisor: Charlie Noble
• ADR Editor: Howard Halsall
• Sound Effects Editor: Justine Angus
• Stunts: Mark Mottram
• Unit Publicist: Claudia Kalindjian
• Draughtsman: Toby Britton
• Hairdresser: Deena Adair
• Stunts: Sy Hollands
• Wardrobe Assistant: Brendan Handscombe
• Visual Effects Editor: Derek Burgess
• 3D Supervisor: Dayne Cowan
• Makeup Artist: Nancy Hancock
• Scenic Artist: David Packard
• Storyboard Artist: Martin Asbury
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Eric Richard Lasko
• Set Dressing Artist: Thomas J. Glynn
• Orchestrator: Brad Dechter
• Dolby Consultant: Julian Pinn
• Rigging Gaffer: John P. Friday
• Publicist: Dennis Davidson
• Carpenter: Martin Duffy
• Extras Casting: Joan Philo
• ADR & Dubbing: Michael Miller
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Dan Glass
• Chef: P.J. Haines
• Creative Director: Andrew Booth
• Stunts: Tom Struthers
• Armorer: Greg Corke
• Visual Effects: Rohan Claassen
• Sound Recordist: Peter Lindsay
• Dialogue Editor: Iain Eyre
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Stephen Andrzejewski
• Assistant Costume Designer: Gabriella Loria
• Video Assist Operator: Kevin Boyd
• Costumer: Gina Panno
• First Assistant Editor: John Lee
• Color Timer: Peter Hunt
• Stunt Double: Paul Lowe
• ADR Recordist: Alexander Beddow
• Foley Mixer: Ed Colyer
• Conductor: Gavin Greenaway
• Color Timer: John Ensby
• Hairstylist: Jane Body
• Production Supervisor: Jennifer Campbell
• Makeup Trainee: Sarah Downes
• Systems Administrators & Support: Peter Guyan
• First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
• Property Master: Brad Good
• Stand In: Steve Morphew
• Production Consultant: Rick Senat
• Production Accountant: Mark Birmingham
• Head of Research: Julian Mann
• Art Department Assistant: Amanda Dazely
• Camera Loader: Zachary Gannaway
• Animal Coordinator: Daniel Naprous
• Key Grip: Malcolm Huse
• Negative Cutter: Steve Farman
• Electrician: Dawn Copeland
• Thanks: Simon P Thorp
• Transportation Co-Captain: Calvin Chin
• Projection: Jan Meade
• Digital Compositors: Richard Briscoe
• Set Decoration: Andrew Hodgson
• Construction Coordinator: Troy Osman
• Painter: Michael Finlay
• Sculptor: John Blakeley
• Standby Painter: Peter Edge
• First Assistant Camera: Andy Borham
• Grip: Jaime Dawkins
• Seamstress: Anna Jartin
• Set Costumer: Gina Marie Ome
• Driver: Michael R. Cairo
• Production Office Assistant: Adam Teeuw
• Set Production Assistant: Thomas J. McDonough
• Transportation Coordinator: Roy Clarke
• Utility Stunts: Gary Robert
• Lighting Technician: Neil Munro
• Key Rigging Grip: W.C. ‘Chunky’ Huse
• Production Coordinator: Andrew Keilman
• Assistant Sound Editor: Gemma Nicholson
• I/O Supervisor: Craig Allison
• Special Effects Supervisor: Duncan Capp
• Sequence Leads: Matthew Twyford
• VFX Artist: Ryan Lastimosa
• Additional Production Assistant: Siobhan Barnett
• ADR Voice Casting: Abigail Barbier
• CG Artist: Emily Cobb
• Focus Puller: Ashley Bond
• Assistant Property Master: Martin Kingsley
• Fight Choreographer: Andy Norman
• Key Costumer: Stella Cottini
• Libra Head Technician: Joe Buxton
• CG Animator: Nicolas Seck
• Payroll Accountant: Karen Turner
• Contact Lens Technician: Jemma Scott-Knox-Gore
• Visual Effects Production Assistant: Senica Billingsley
• Assistant Accountant: Becky Maxwell
• Best Boy Grip: Gary Smith
• Dressing Prop: Colin Ellis
• Sound Assistant: Nathan Duncan
• Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Winter
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Victoria Cadiou
• Head of Production: Michael Elson
• Key Accountant: Jennifer Griffin
• Costume Assistant: Peter Edmonds
• Data Wrangler: Andrew Baggarley
• Post Production Coordinator: Katie Reynolds
• Digital Compositor: Michael Bell
• Additional Third Assistant Director: Chris Burgess
• Daily Grip: Matt Lopez-Dias
• Third Assistant Director: Ben Lanning
• Costume Coordinator: Janie Nugent
• Construction Buyer: Roger Tyrell
• Supervising Carpenter: Alan Brooks
• Special Effects Assistant: John Cluff
• Special Effects Technician: Jonathan Barrass
• Stunt Driver: Rich Denikas
• Assistant Camera: Elli Cassata
• Camera Trainee: Therese Hvattum
• Clapper Loader: Simon Gilmour
• Second Assistant Camera: Chris Dame
• Colorist: Lee Twohey
• Location Assistant: Sam Arnopp
• Extras Casting Assistant: Enero
• Floor Runner: Andy Madden
• Health and Safety: Leah Chalk
• Rigging Grip: Timothy Jippin
• Matchmove Supervisor: James Tomlinson
• Production Assistant: Winston Gallagher
• Production Executive: Kevin Trehy
• Production Runner: Fiona Baldwin
• Production Secretary: Sharon Lomasney
• Researcher: Wyatt Pow
• Rotoscoping Artist: Paul Birkett
• Second Assistant Accountant: Ericka N. Shane
• Senior Modeller: Laurence Harvey
• Set Runner: Zoe Margolis
• Stunts: Clare Aldington
• Fight Choreographer: Justo Dieguez

Movie Reviews:

• John Chard: It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

  Bruce Wayne is constantly tortured by his childhood memories when he witnessed his parents being murdered. Taken under the wing of The League Of Shadows, a deadly ninja assassin army devoted to erasing crime with their own brand of harsh justice. After completing training, Wayne refuses to join them on account of not agreeing with their methods, he returns to Gotham City to reek his own one man war against crime.

  Director Christopher Nolan literally goes back to Batman origins to not just give the dead franchise a kiss of life, but actually to spark it into a sort of triumphant homecoming. Gone is all forms of camp veneer so evident in Joel Schumacher’s offerings, and in place we have a darkly rich picture intent on fleshing out Batman’s motives, and crucially, his fractured persona.

  One of the most pleasing things to me was that Nolan paced this picture to perfection, the build up of character, and then birth of the Bat, dominates for practically the first hour of the piece. This gives Batman Begins some crucial heart, it really helps us to focus on this weird super-hero now that we have some meat on his bones. We then follow Wayne from a Chinese prison to The League Of Shadows monastery, watching his transformation from brawling man of anger into a controlled fighting machine. A machine that still roams with a revenge laden heart.

  Then its to Gotham City where he then births Batman and all bad guys are on his agenda. Mob boss Falcone, the mysterious Scarecrow, and also a face from his past that rears its surprising head. Wayne is driven by powerful motives, and it’s here in the second part of the film that Batman Begins rewards those who indulged in the character build up. In come the stunts and outrageous sequences, all played out in Nolan’s desperately dank Gotham City (a far cry from Tim Burton’s dark Oz like scapes). This Gotham is pot boiling to disaster and is crying out for the Bat to sweep all before it, and thankfully Nolan and his cast fulfil all the early promise to deliver a wonderful action fantasy that caters for all ages.

  Christian Bale dons the Batsuit and it fits like a glove, his Bruce Wayne may lack the ebullient charisma that Michael Keaton’s had, but his Batman is mean and moody and comfortable with the zippy dialogue. Michael Caine plays Alfred the loyal servant to the Wayne family, much heart and emotive drive from Caine ensures the role is a roaring success. Cillian Murphy is Dr Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow who actually scares more as Crane with his piercing eyes and devilishly smirky leer, whilst both Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon) & Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) are solid with what little they actually have to do. Liam Neeson gets his teeth into a meaty role as Henri Ducard, and as a character arc he gets the best scenes (Nolan clearly having great fun here).

  Minnor let downs to me without hurting the picture are Katie Holmes (pretty but hardly convincing as Assistant D.A. Rachael Dawes) and Rutger Hauer as Earle (a little bit of menace wouldn’t go amiss here Rutger old man). Still, as I said they are very minor let downs because as comic book adaptations go, Batman Begins is from the top draw, a franchise re-suited, rebooted and completely reinvigorated. But now the test comes with that all important sequel… 9/10

• molleigh: i’m beginning to think people only say a movie is good because of it being long and having a good camera. to me the only highlight was cillian murphy’s performance. the rest of this was just some dumb, boring trek.
• NoxiousScythe: Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” shows us exactly how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) transforms into the caped crusader we all know and love, Batman. Admittedly like many others, even though this is the first entry in the Dark Knight Trilogy, I watched it is as my last one, and that is due to me not even knowing of it’s existence, which is thanks to it being heavily overshadowed by the critically acclaimed sequel, “The Dark Knight.”

  Batman Begins has a simple plot to follow full of twists. A young Bruce Wayne travels to the Far East, where he’s trained in the martial arts by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), a member of the mysterious League of Shadows. Ducard later reveals the true purpose of the League, the complete destruction of Gotham City as they feel it is an unjust cesspool full of criminals that is too far gone to be saved and must be cleansed to preserve their duty and for justice and balance to be restored. Bruce does not agree with the League’s morals and returns to Gotham on his own determined to clean up the crime-ridden and corrupted city without resorting to murder. With the help of his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), a tech expert at Wayne Enterprises, Batman is born.

  The number one takeaway from this film that I did not experience as much in any other Batman movie, was that it really makes you care and feel compassion towards Bruce Wayne himself, not the masked vigilante he disguises himself as. The real Bruce is tragic, realistic, relatable, quite unstable, and frankly doesn’t know what his purpose is or what he should be doing with himself. This is the origin story, and you get to first hand see the traumatic events that turned him into the lonely, guilt ridden bitter man you see today. His feelings and actions are completely justified, and I’ve gained a lot of respect for the character.

  Now this is a dark, gritty and mature film clearly made for adult fans, do not expect the colorful, campy comic book styled “Joel Schumacher” treatment here, this is going to get real, real fast. I can and do appreciate the attempt to not be a generic superhero film and head towards the crime drama genre, and don’t get me wrong it’s a great movie, but there a few issues that keep it from being perfect movie status like the sequel in my books. It was maybe a bit too serious for it’s own good, and ends up being so focused on becoming an art piece that it almost stops being fun. Primary antagonist Ra’s al Ghul is great, but secondary villain Dr. Crane a.k.a. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) has an apparent lack of quality visual effects and proper screen time. The long run time was not wasted, but they probably did not need to include so many side characters, world building and lore into what could have been a quicker, neat, well done origin story.

  Overall I liked and can get behind Batman Begins, I do not think it’s the best in the “Dark Knight Trilogy,” but it’s a top quality film on it’s own accord especially if I stop comparing too much. This film delivers a uniquely cold, cruel, and memorable experience that will make you see and appreciate Bruce Wayne and his Batman persona from a completely new perspective.

• AstroNoud: ‘Batman Begins’ is a strong introduction to the Batman thanks to the magnificent cast and a superb score by Zimmer and Newton Howard.

  9/10