Batman 'begins' all over again

The last time we laid eyes on the caped crusader he was flying through the tacky neon jungles of director Joel Schumacher's poorly crafted "Batman & Robin" -- a sure sign that in 1997 the death knell had sounded for the Dark Knight. And yet this past summer, "Batman Begins" sounded the trumpets of resurrection as the film became a blockbuster smash, proving that all the character needed was a major overhaul. \nWith "Begins" we are given the origins of not only Batman but the man behind the mask, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). After the murder of his parents, Wayne travels into the far corners of the world where he is imprisoned one moment and is taught martial arts tactics the next by Ducard (Liam Neeson). In due time, Wayne returns to Gotham City, now an empire of lost souls and criminal masterminds, to don the cape and cowl and clean up the filth on Gotham's streets. \nThey say that with an A-list cast you can make a grade-A movie and this rings true on every level for "Begins." Bale is not only the best Batman; he is also the best Bruce Wayne, creating a multi-layered character who is able to be a troubled college student, playboy, arrogant billionaire, drunken blowhard and other personas. His supporting cast is made up of some of the finest talent available today. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, the man responsible for supplying Wayne with the suit and gadgetry, with gracefulness and a bit of the ol' Freeman charm. Gary Oldman goes way against type as a very warm Jim Gordon. Katie Holmes is decent as Wayne's semi-love interest Rachel Dawes. Most impressive and important though is Michael Caine as Alfred, who acts not only as a father figure to Bruce but supports him no matter what. Caine plays the part so well that he deserves an Oscar nod for it. \nOf course the villains are equally impressive. Cillian Murphy plays Dr. Jonathan Crane (a.k.a. Scarecrow) with an aggressive madness. Ken Watanabe, while somewhat underused, makes for one intimidating Ra's Al Ghul. Tom Wilkinson also goes way against type as the vile gangster Carmine Falcone. But it is Liam Neeson who does the complete 180 by playing the sinister Ducard, who will stop at nothing to destroy Gotham City. \nIf for some reason you bought the single-disc version of "Begins," hopefully you left it in the shrinkwrap since all you get with it is a lousy trailer. The impressive 2-disc set comes with so many extras you'll be in geek-out mode. There are featurettes for everything: building Gotham City, miniatures, the Tumbler, costumes, special effects, you name it. Small documentaries give you insight into the production process and there are plenty of hidden Easter eggs to uncover. Also there is an awesome 72-page mini-comic book with excerpts from issues that inspired the movie. Sadly, the DVD does not feature commentary by the brilliant Christopher Nolan, whose directorial efforts turned "Batman Begins" into a masterpiece. \nSo go out now and just buy "Batman Begins. Not rent, buy it. This is one of the best films of 2005, with action, drama, expert storytelling and sheer greatness in all the right doses.