Batman Begins (2005)
Evil fears the knight.
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.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 10 June 2005 |
| Genre | Drama, Crime, Action |
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Starring | Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Liam Neeson |
| Runtime | 140 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.10/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 85% · Metacritic 70/100 · TMDB users 7.7/10 |
| Budget | $150 million |
| Box office | $374 million worldwide |
Where to watch Batman Begins
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What kind of watch this is
Christopher Nolan’s 2005 film runs 140 minutes, a stretch that feels deliberate rather than bloated. He treats the superhero genre with the gravity of a crime thriller, asking how a man becomes a monster to fight other monsters. Christian Bale anchors the role, bringing a weight to Bruce Wayne that makes the cape feel like a burden rather than a costume. The tone is gritty, grounded in shadow and concrete, stripping away the camp to expose the psychological machinery underneath. It is less about flying or punching and more about the cost of obsession. If you want a superhero movie that behaves like a serious drama, this is the one.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 85%, a score that suggests the crowd leaned in. Metacritic offers a cooler 70 out of 100, a number that lands squarely in the "generally favorable" column. James Berardinelli liked how the script probed what drives the hero, a depth he felt Burton’s version missed. Not everyone bought it. David Denby called the climax cheesy and the writing dull, a verdict that stings a little more because he compared it to the Burton films.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $150 million. It took in $374 million worldwide. That is a solid profit, even if the studio’s own polling suggested audiences viewed it as the best of the Batman films. The crowd was 57 percent male and 54 percent over 25. It ranked as the 7th highest-grossing film of 2005 in the US. The numbers are respectable, if not record-breaking.
What came next for the cast
Christian Bale traded the psychological tension of The Machinist for The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Prestige. The credits can list what followed, but they cannot prove the film caused it. Michael Caine swung from Austin Powers in Goldmember to Interstellar. Liam Neeson jumped from Schindler’s List to Taken, and later Ted 2. Katie Holmes moved from Phone Booth to Jack and Jill. It is a strange mix of prestige and popcorn, but the trajectory is undeniably varied.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Batman Begins.
Read more: The Dark Knight · The Dark Knight Rises
Sources
- Batman Begins on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q166262 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Batman Begins” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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