Throughout April, we’re counting down to the release of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 with our picks for the Greatest Comic Book Movies of All Time; here’s #2…
Batman Begins, 2005.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe and Mark Boone Junior.
Eight years after Joel Schumacher brought the Dark Knight to his knees with Batman & Robin, British filmmaker Christopher Nolan breathed new life not just into Batman franchise but the entire comic book movie genre Christian Bale donned the cape and cowl for Batman Begins – a movie which simultaneously reinvented the superhero movie and also served as the opening chapter for one of the finest film trilogies in cinema history.
Although only a modest success financially – earning $372 million globally, placing it second at that time behind Tim Burton’s Batman in terms of the franchise’s highest earners – Batman Begins was immensely well-received by fans of the character, and proved popular on hugely popular on DVD as word began to spread that Warner Bros. had finally banished the ghost of Schumacher and got the series back on track. Criticial reception was also favourably – especially with regards to its realistic approach, strong characterisation and dramatic storytelling – while director of photography Wally Pfister was recognised with an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.
As well as paving the way for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins was responsible for coining the “dark and gritty” superhero movie, and was subsequently cited as an influence on the likes of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (yes, really) and X-Men: First Class, as well as The CW’s hit superhero show Arrow.
Taking second place, Batman Begins marks the fifth appearance in our countdown of the Greatest Comic Book Movies for Bob Kane’s Dark Knight Detective, with Batman Returns at #27, the animated Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm at #25, Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman at #9 and The Dark Knight Rises at #7 – and with just one spot left to go, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing him again…
Keep up to date with our entire countdown here.
Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen – Available now via Amazon.co.uk
Originally published April 24, 2013. Updated November 30, 2022.
