Batman Begins (2005, USA) C-141m. SCOPE **½ D: Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, Mark Boon Junior, Linus Roache, Morgan Freeman. Star-studded action blockbuster goes back to the winged crusader's roots, more or less ignoring the previous BATMAN films. As title indicates, this is one long prologue, following Bruce Wayne's frustrations after his parents' murder, his ritualistic exile and his decision to go back and fight crime in the streets of Gotham City. Takes a long time to get going and never really hits its stride, despite high-octane action scenes and a typically intense turn by Bale. One may also wonder why the film shows hardly any comic book style. The choice of the villain (Scarecrow Murphy) is slight as well. Coscripted by director Nolan (MEMENTO).