'Batman Begins' not quite badass

Since Bob Kane created "Batman" back in 1939 it's seen numerous onscreen incarnations. By serving as militaristic propaganda in the '40s, cheeky fun in the '60s, dark materialistic malaise in the late '80s and queer neon garishness in the '90s, Bruce Wayne and his titular alter ego have worn numerous cowls throughout the years. Now comes "Batman Begins," a flawed yet oftentimes enlightening origin tale with a fat running time (nearly two and a half hours) and a phatter cast (Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman and Ken Watanabe).\nTo clear the air right out of the gate: "Batman Begins" isn't a prequel à la the "Star Wars" flicks of late but rather the birth of a brand-new franchise altogether -- hence the title. \nBale inhabits the dual role of Batman and Bruce: succeeding in the latter, failing in the former (just listen for the growl). Still scarred in adulthood after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas (Linus Roache, exuding great warmth with little screen time) and Martha (Scottish actress Sara Stewart) as a child, Bruce is adrift. Looking for the proper means to make amends for his familial injustice, Bruce finds himself in a Himalayan prison where after trouncing an onslaught of his fellow inmates he becomes acquainted with Henri Ducard (Neeson). Under the tutelage of Ducard, Bruce learns the ways of Ninjitsu -- setting the groundwork for his future endeavors in superherodom. \nAfter an ethical difference separates teacher and pupil, Bruce flees the Himalayas for his hometown of Gotham City. Once there he rekindles relationships with his loyal butler Alfred (Caine, imbuing the stock role with flinty wit) and childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (a useless Holmes). Also in Gotham are Lucius Fox (Freeman, again in fine form), a weapons researcher for Wayne Enterprises, and Sgt. Jim Gordon (Oldman, playing way against type), one of Gotham's only honest cops -- both of whom aide Bruce in becoming Batman. This is lucky for Gotham as a psycho shrink by the name of Dr. Jonathan Crane (a creepy but arguably too young for his role Murphy) takes on the identity of The Scarecrow and teams with Ducard's associate Ra's Al Ghul (an under used Watanabe) to poison the city's denizens with an hallucinogenic neurotoxin.\n"Batman Begins" works best when dealing with the birth of Batman. Once Bruce ceases to be Bruce and fully becomes Batman is when the flick loses its bearings. Unlike the previous pictures, "Batman Begins" thoroughly explains the who's, what's, when's and where's contributing to the Dark Knight's mythos. Ironically, such tactics demystify the superhero. Granted, this was the film's goal and it works to great effect. Perhaps too great -- once Batman truly begins I missed the young man looking for answers. Then again ... that wouldn't be a "Batman" movie.