The Batman Begins

The Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film and a reboot of the Batman film series, helmed by Sam Mendes. The film stars Eric Bana, Christina Hendricks, Bryan Cranston, Geoffrey Rush and Arnold Vosloo.

Plot
Young Bruce Wayne falls down a closed up well on the Wayne Estate and finds himself in a dank underground cave. Before he his rescued by his father Thomas Wayne, Bruce is attacked by a swarm of bats.

Shortly thereafter, the Wayne family attend the theatre and afterwards, as it begins to rain, decide to take a short cut through a back alley. A young man approaches them and reveals himself as an armed mugger and trying to keep everyone calm, Thomas willingly hands over his wallet. However, the mugger then makes a move for the pearls around Martha Wayne's neck. Thomas, infuriated, orders the mugger to leave his wife alone and attacks him, but is fatally shot in the struggle. When Martha begins to scream, the mugger panics and shoots her to. Horrified by what he has done, he quickly flees the scene, leaving Bruce alone with the bodies of his parents.

Bruce is raised by the Wayne's faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, but eventually decides to travel the world. However, he is arrested in China and thrown into a dank jail cell, where he meets the enigmatic Henri Ducard, who is willing to train Bruce to become the greatest warrior of them all. They travel the world together, training and fighting crime, which becomes Bruce's absolute goal. However, one day, in a mountain base, they are ambushed by a group of assassins that Ducard identifies as the League of Shadows. Bruce and Ducard battle the men but are outnumbered and their hideaway catches fire. One of the rafters collapses and falls on top of Ducard, killing him. Bruce then manages to escape the assassins.

Bruce returns to Gotham and informs Alfred of his plan to become a symbol for the good people of Gotham. He meets again with his childhood friend, Vicki Vale, now a reporter. Working with Wayne Enterprises employee Lucius Fox, Bruce builds an armoured suit in the image of a bat and creates a bat-themed arsenal of gadgets. He also targets mob boss Carmine Falcone and while investigating, learns that Falcone is in fact the mugger who killed his parents. He becomes even more driven for revenge.

Bruce begins to work with police sergeant James Gordon, who comforted Bruce on the night of his parents' murder. Gordon is one of the only remaining honest cops in the city.

One night, Bruce, in his new disguise, intercepts a drug shipment at Gotham docks, with Falcone present. Falcone hides in his car while his men are taken out one by one. Bruce breaks through the roof of the car and is finally given the chance to kill him and avenge his parents. However, Falcone halts him by asking who he is. Bruce triumphantly states "I'm Batman" and knocks Falcone out, tying him to a searchlight which forms a bat-like image in the sky, and leaves him for Gordon.

At a party at Wayne Manor, Bruce is introduced to a mysterious guest, Terry Gene Kase, and is then accosted by a group of ninjas. Kase returns and reveals himself as Ra's al Ghul, the leader of the League of Shadows, and tells him that he is knows he is the Batman and informs of his plans to destroy Gotham. Bruce frees himself and tricks his guests into leaving as the League begins to burn the manor down. Bruce and Alfred escape into an underground cave known as the Batcave as the manor is destroyed.

Meanwhile, Vicki has been investigating both the Batman and corruption on the police force and is kidnapped by Gordon's corrupt partner, Arnold Flass, who takes her to an abandoned factory with some of his other dirty colleagues with malicious intent for Vicki. Gordon follows and Batman sets out to try and save both Vicki and stop the League. With his men soon down thanks to both Gordon and Batman, Flass takes on Gordon in a brutal fist fight. Gordon fists Flass to the floor but Flass grabs an iron bar and strikes Gordon. Just then, Vicki tasers him from behind as Batman crashes through a skylight. Batman warns Gordon of the League's plans and he goes after them, leaving Vicki with Batman. Vicki finally deduces his identity but he is forced to leave when she confronts him.

While Gordon pursues the League underground, Batman chases Ra's, who tries to escape on a train with a low amount of passengers. Ra's kills the train operator and takes the passengers hostage, but Batman gathers the passengers into the last car before detatching it, leaving him alone on the train with Ra's. Ra's reminds him of how he killed Ducard and now Batman will suffer the same fate. Meanwhile, Gordon engages the League in a deadly shootout at their underground hold up and ignites a gas explosion, destroying part of the train track. Inside the carriage, Batman finally beats Ra's but refuses to kill him, instead offering him his hand. Ra's refuses and tries again to kill Batman, forcing the hero to leap from the train as it reaches the break in the rail and crashes through an underground parking garage, killing Ra's.

Having saved Gotham and captured Falcone, Batman is hailed as a public hero. Bruce and Vicki know that they cannot have a relationship as long as Bruce is the Batman. Batman meets Gordon, now a lieutenant, on a Gotham rooftop, where he unveils the Bat-Signal, before informing Batman of a new criminal who leaves Joker playing cards at crime scenes. Batman then takes off into the night.

Cast
Eric Bana - Bruce Wayne/The Batman

Geoffrey Rush - Alfred Pennyworth

Bryan Cranston - Sergeant James Gordon

Christina Hendricks - Vicki Vale

Billy Dee Williams - Lucius Fox

Sean Connery - Henri Ducard

Arnold Vosloo - Ra's al Ghul

Sequels
The film was followed by The Dark Detective in 2008 and The Bat Rises in 2012.