Batman Begins

I was more excited about Batman Begins this year than the new Star Wars movie. Can you blame me? The latest Star Wars films have been nothing but a glorified tech demo and shadow of the brilliance that was found in the original trilogy (especially in The Empire Strikes Back). However, since the temporary demise of the Batman film franchise back in 1997 with Batman and Robin, there had been much hope with the revival of superhero films that maybe the Caped Crusader could return. And return he has. In a big way.

A few thoughts. It has been proven over the last few years that one of the ways to do a successful comic-book translation is to at least hire a director who has a passion for the character. Just look at Sam Raimi and Spider-Man for a prime example of this, and, to a lesser extent, Bryan Singer and the X-Men (though he has since declared that he likes Superman a whole lot more). With Batman Begins, those controlling the money tapped Christopher Nolan as director, and his passion for the project oozes from every inch of footage. Arguably on the same level of entertainment as Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins struggles to knock off the first Batman film, and largely succeeds (though I still rank Batman ahead of Batman Begins, but perhaps a fresh viewing of that film will change my mind somewhat…or not).

While following Batman and Robin might not leave this film with too much of an esteemed pedigree, the music side finds strong fan support for Danny Elfman’s score to the first two films. In most minds out there, Elfman’s theme is, and will always be, the penultimate theme for the Batman character. It was the theme that found itself in the only other Batman staple that was any good (which was Batman: The Animated Series) and it has been so ingrained throughout the years that it’s hard to divorce one from another. But divorce they will because the first blow to people’s hopes that the theme and style could return to thrill another day was the announcement of James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer as composers on this film. The second blow is the soundtrack itself. The Batman that Danny Elfman gave us is no more, for now at least. In its place is a darker, grittier, and less epic version.

Perhaps such a move was wise. Nolan’s vision of The Batman attempts to lead us to believe that a man dressing up as a six foot bat and fighting crime could actually work in the real world, this jettisoning the fantasy elements that Tim Burton weaved into his versions. This makes the musical world of Batman as heard through Elfman’s pen a little too much. And it’s not like we get The Rock version of Batman (although this basic style does exist here). Instead, the composing duo of Newton Howard and Zimmer focus on the main thrust of the film: fear, and the fact that Batman, as a character, has an emotional complexity to him. This is the not the smug, triumphant Batman of the first film. This is the guilt-stricken, fearful Batman that is just getting started in his crusade. And this is what the music reflects.

For the first half of the album, this is the primary treatment of the score. There is only one action cue of note, and it sets the tone of what will follow in the second half. Instead, much of the opening portion consists of setting the stage. While the typically atmospheric cues would seem to be bland, they are surprisingly not so much here, and actually manage to hold interest for the most part. Of course, given that Zimmer and Newton Howard are there to hold each other in check as far as this is concerned, it would seem that each played on the strengths of the other. The atmosphere only really overwhelms the listener during “Tadarida”, but the electronic “bat-effect” that first comes into play here is actually interesting. It pops up occasionally after this, and works best in appearance during the action cues.

It’s interesting to note that Zimmer’s contribution to this score effectively updates and matures the Media Ventures sound that is typified in The Rock and The Peacemaker. It’s at once recognizable, but different all the same, and is very much improved over all those 90s scores. A grand showing of this is in “Molossus”, a terrific action cue (and one that you hear in the later trailers and the preview segments shown variously on TV). You’ll get the full performance of this theme in the track (the only time it really stands out), and it’s good as far as an action movie type theme goes (and it’s used well for the score), but it’s definitely not in the same league as Elfman’s.

A score that will probably find more enjoyment after a viewing of the film itself, Zimmer and Newton Howard have turned in a great effort, but one that will work best if you leave your memories of Elfman’s work behind when you listen to it.