Batman Begins
Common Sense says
- PG-13
- 2005
- 141 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Batman Begins features hard and fast violence, martial arts and shootings conveyed through dark, abrupt, sometimes scary imagery. Less cartoonish than the Spider-Man and X-Men movies, these scenes are loud and rough. The caped crusader's origin story includes the murders of his parents, his ensuing depression and attempt to shoot the shooter, martial arts training and fighting, frightening subjective images brought on by hallucinogenic drugs, brief debauchery (drinking, smoking, and swimming-in-a-hotel-fountain with vacuous starlet-types), an even briefer kiss with his romantic interest, a faux drunken speech, and some raucous driving in a seriously armored Batmobile.
Wondering if Batman Begins is OK for your kids?
Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus. Join now
Stay up to date on new reviews.
User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Dark
Incredible Start to the Trilogy
Batman wings it after his heavil critisied movie Batman & Robin
First Batman film in the dark night trilogy is adult and dark
What's the story?
In BATMAN BEGINS, traumatized by the murder of his parents when he was a child, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) loses his way. When tempted to assassinate the man responsible, Bruce instead watches as someone else guns down his parents' killer. Wayne then disappears for several years. When others try to recruit Wayne to join them in destroying Gotham City, in order to destroy its evil, Wayne instead returns to fight for her and rid her of the evil within. He enlists the help of butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and Wayne Enterprises gadgets-maker Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) in order to create the "image" of Batman. Intended to intimidate villains, the new hero wears an elaborate Bat-costume and drives a frankly awesome Batmobile, a futuristic all-terrain military vehicle painted bat-black and capable of all manner of vehicular acrobatics.
Is it any good?
A meditation on the different motivations for violence, this is smart and entertaining, with some harsh action scenes. Bruce is full of grit and fury in Batman Begins, a well as grim arrogance and a sense of comedy.
Self-righteous, flagrantly emotional as well as coldly rational, Batman's sense of mission aligns him with last good cop Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman). It also means his methods aren't always so distinct from the criminals', but he is effective, as deterrent and as what Gordon calls "escalation." Both villains and Batman can only do more.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about Bruce Wayne's relationships with various father figures in Batman Begins, including his biological father (who is murdered), his martial arts trainer, his butler, and his gadgets-maker.
What's the difference between vengeance and justice as the film presents it? Do you agree?
How does Bruce put his anger to use for the "public good"? How does the film differentiate between "good" and "bad" uses of violence?
Movie details
- In theaters: June 15, 2005
- On DVD or streaming: October 18, 2005
- Cast: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes
- Run time: 141 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements.
- Last updated: November 15, 2019
For kids who love heroes
Our editors recommend
Top advice and articles
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
Streaming options powered by JustWatch