Now before I get into this I want to stress that Heath Ledger is a phenomenal Joker, and his performance is, in my opinion, why The Dark Knight is so highly regarded. THAT BEING SAID, Batman Begins is a far superior Batman movie.
Blasphemy! You yell, filled with rage at the thought of an Oscar nominated film being bested by Nolan’s first Batman adventure, but please, hear me out.
The Story
The biggest thing for me is the comparison in the stories. While the Dark Knight has fantastic characters and great performances, the story is little more than pure chaos and craziness orchestrated by the Joker that relies a lot on coincidence and dumb luck. There’s not much of a narrative. The Joker does stuff, Batman reacts, and in the end proves people are generally good. Batman Begins on the other hand is far more fluid. It’s a story of the rise and fall of Gotham as well as the motivations and mentality of Bruce Wayne that prompt him to wear the cape and cowl. It’s the realization that he and his mentor don’t see eye to eye, and the conflict between their points of view that lead to their face off in the finale. Good vs evil and stopping a grand plan to destroy Gotham. Simple, flowing, straightforward and effective. DK, and DKR for that matter, both have a montage-y feel to them, where each scene doesn’t feel entirely connected to the one before it. BB has far better flow, and story progression, which I see as a more enjoyable viewing experience.
Gotham
My second reason Batman Begins stands above DK, is Gotham itself. The city feels unique and has its own character. From the Narrows that end up being the stage of The third act to the upper city which shows more structure, the city itself lends a huge hand to making BB feel like it’s own world. Gotham in DK however, feels little more than a generic version of New York or Chicago.
Ra’s Al Ghul / Scarecrow
Although I will still give DK it’s props for the villain, Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are no slouches in their performances either. Murphy’s calm yet chaotic take on Scarecrow, and Neeson’s sleek and charismatic performance make them a great One-two punch for the caped crusader to take on.
Wayne Manor vs. Downtown High-rise?
One of, if not the biggest gripe I have with DK is the setting of a lot of Bruce Wayne’s dealings. Although his underground cargo dock lair is undoubtedly cool, it’s no Bat-cave. Not only that, but how can you not smile as Alfred hits the notes on the piano to open the bookcase to the bat-cave?! Having Batman perched in a downtown high rise just feels sacrilegious.
The One-liners
Okay, this is a bit of a stretch, but I love the dialogue and (somewhat) cheesy one liners spewed around Batman Begins. DK seems to take itself really seriously, whereas, although dark and brooding, BB tips it’s cap to the campiness and goofy antics of its predecessors regularly. “Does it come in Black?” “I’m not gonna kill you… but I don’t have to save you.” “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” “…take mine.” Come to mind in particular.
Duality
Although I could probably go one for countless more categories, I’m going to go with the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman as my final point. Throughout BB there is a clear distinction between the cocky and arrogant act Bruce puts on and his far more real self under the mask (should’ve added this in the “story” section). DK focuses far less on this aspect of Batman in favor of a more dark Bruce in general (RIP Rachel), which doesn’t always do the character Justice. In BB, Bruce feels more vulnerable, and at times exposed, especially when facing off with Ra’s (see Manor Arson Scene) than the majority of DK. The Joker never knows who is under the mask, which makes him seem more protected, even with the loss of Rachel. This helps make Bruce a far deeper character in BB, although more emotional in DK.
Now don’t get me wrong, both films are phenomenal, and have great moments that will go down in cinematic history, but to me Batman Begins is a better Batman Movie. It includes everything that Batman has always stood for and has ever been, all while not taking itself too seriously and embracing the campiness if the past. It blends this with a heroic and emotional story, in a setting that is very unique and full of character. Even if you don’t side with me, in the end we can all agree, they’re both better than The Dark Knight Rises.
FlickFix 