batman begins is like way better than Bredo gives it credit for, seriously

Dear faithful film viewer,

Every once in a while there arises within the blog-o-sphere (see bankrupt! for an engaging take on the phraseology of "blog-o-sphere." No doubt bankrupt!'s parents are very pleased their hard earned dollars put him through college so he could extrapolate thusly from their back porch) a debate. Such is the case now between this venerable established blog and some little nobody blog hoping to make a name for himself. Reluctantly, I must accept the challenge he has laid down.

Bankrupt! makes a couple of claims in his "batman begins" article. In typical English major fashion, these claims are couched in tangential undeveloped quips housed in superfluous commas and armchair lanuage. It is up to me to decipher and debunk his claims. I am all to happy to do so.

Claim 1: Too many characters, especially too many bad guys...I don't get the sense of closeness in these bad guys[.] -Bredo
Response: Well it is true the bad guys never kissed or anything to show their "closeness," one might actually think such handholding would be antithetical to their bad guy nature. Also, too many bad guys? Are you drunk? More bad guys! More fight scenes!

"Claim 2:" Two; Bruce. Bruce is a rich kid, turned vigilante, with a mind and body! bent on justice, not revenge, with the base of overcoming fear. Ok, that is noble, but what really is his motivation? If not revenge, then good for the sake of good? His character is layered to the degree that he gets a sense of justice in him, and then that turns to self-righteousness, and then is balanced by the calm (English?) restraint of his butler, and his love for that go-getter girl. We are left wondering at his capacity for good action. He is reaction after reaction. But I do allow this point to be weaker, because batman ultimately is our darker, gothic hero. Hard for us to know what goes on in that bat mind. -Bredo
Response 2: You can actually see this criticism undermine itself as it is being written.

Claim 3: Gotham was too big, and too computer. I would have appreciated shots of chi-town, not mixed with shots of NY.
Response 3: The movie was shot almost exlusively in Chicago (this might not be readily apparent to those who don't live here) by a Chicago native. And besides the NYC shots show it for the ugly-fat-stepsister it is to Chicago's grand architecture and general classiness.

Claim 4: He [Morgan Freeman] played the same character in these movies. The old, wisened, "he said so knowingly", wink, underdog friend.
Response 4: So?

Claim 5: Alfred, oh Alfred, why couldn't we see more you you and your relationship with Bruce. And you could have been so funny!
Response 5: Butlers, by nature of their vocation, are meant to be seen and not heard. He lives in Bruce's shadow, which is both consistent with his job and personality and the comic. Sorry there weren't enought one-liners for the peanut gallery.


Claim 6: The girl. Forgettable
Response 6: but still busty and cute. Let's see...oh yeah, it's a comic book movie!

Claim 7: This movie took too long to develop.
Response 7: Maybe if Alfred cracked a few jokes it would have kept P.B.'s attention.

Claim 8: The movie was shot fast so that the watcher wouldn't notice the lack of dialogue.
Response 8: Let's see, it took too long to develop and was too fast...

Claim 9: Macabre needs quiet lurk, suspense, and then the violent. This movie was violent the whole way through.
Response 9: Does anyone agree with him on this one?

In conclusion....actually, Batman Begins was great.