Batman Begins: Dark Cut

I was wanting to give this series a rewatch as this is my favorite version of Batman on the big screen. I have always felt that Begins was the strongest entry in the series (many people say TDK, but I've always prefered this). So I wasn't sure if it really needed an edit as aside from a line here or there, most things didn't bother me.

So as I was looking, I was checking the change list for different edits and this one really seemed different. I know it's not HD but it deserves and HD upgrade because this edit was AWESOME!

If I had to nit pick anything here I would say that the altered voice or Katie Holms was a little too artificial here and there and should have been pulled back some.

This edit is very much worth a watch!

Batman Begins has become a wildly-underrated movie in the wake of the character's later success. People often remember Keaton's first Batman film as being what defined the character, but when you watch it, there's still a lot of silliness and very little explanation for who the character is or what grounds him. It was THIS film that did the work of creating the modern Batman, and all films since have been living off the dividends. So I did not in any way need an "improved" version of it, though I was happy to give this edit a shot. (Full thoughts on the film here: https://boxd.it/3rjubD )

The largest defining feature of this edit will be for those who just have a hate-on for Katie Holmes. If you cannot buy a powerful lawyer with a cutesy face and a high voice, then this fixes that. I actually very much enjoy Holmes and had no issue with her, BUT it does make the altered portrayal in The Dark Knight tough. I mean, I know who I'd rather jump off a building for, but if you want them to seem like the same character, the voice alteration here does help.

What surprised me were all the other trims. Coming off the back of the '90s Batman films, this one was far and away the most serious and grounded ever. It's only again, after The Dark Knight, that elements of humor or suspension of disbelief stand out. However, we do now have TDK, so I have to admit it's better to not have Gordon in The Batmobile, to not have wanton explosive use and city destruction. The edits are all very solid and make the film better.

I did have to dock one point for the ending (spoilers?), which cuts out a vitally important line from Holmes' character. I have to assume that the faneditor's distaste for Holmes blinded him here, but the film's narrative hangs on it. The ending of this is a great tragic ending suitable for Batman, because he actually has become the man his father would be proud of. And his childhood love now knows and loves him for it, and there's nothing to stop them from being together. Except that she knows that he's sacrificed being a normal person, being able to turn off...he's now consumed by being Batman and there isn't any room left for a real Bruce Wayne, or for her. Her line about "Batman is the real you and Bruce Wayne is the mask." was the first time this was defined on film, even though it's been a staple in the comics for years. Without this line, it doesn't make sense that they go their separate ways, and it's also something that Bruce is just realizing at that moment, so the audience needs to SEE him realize it.

That one ending change aside, this is far and away a better film, and my preferred choice for re-watching. The edit is quite old and the file is lower quality by recent standards, so don't expect a crystal image. But it's very worth adding to your fanedit library, until someone does an updated version of it.

Years after discovering this edit, I STILL recommend it to anyone. This is a text-book example of fanediting at its finest. JMB had lofty goals and I will say he pulled it off completely. Character motivations are clearer, annoying dialogue is gone, Rachel's voice is now tolerable, and this has one of the best 3rd act endings I have ever seen from this site. I do wish an HD version would be made available though. This film is just THAT good!

I don´t like Batman Begins but JMB made me like it with his fanedit! The 15 min in cuts made a lot of difference and other small stuff like Rachel´s new voice, the dialogue from the videogame, the small insert of bomb in the final fight on the train... Such small and effective things! It was a great job and improved the movie a lot. If someday I rewatch Batman Begins it will be this version and not the official.

A wonderful edit that does exactly what it sets out to do.

Altering Rachel's voice is ingenious. Nothing sets this edit apart more than her change in character. Such a small thing, yet a great effect. Overall, the audio editing is perfect. Adding the video game-lines works fine and helps sell the self-driving Batmobile. A slight change in audio fidelity is noticeable when the video game-lines are inserted, but if one is not listening for it...

The visual editing is great and all the inserted shots works fine, from the sniper to the HUD. All the trims feel justified and are not done for the sake of trimming.

I think Batman Begins is a good movie, but JMB's Dark Cut tightens and makes it great.