The Batman is my favorite comic book movie.
Most of my blog posts will be about video games, but occasionally they might be about movies as well, because I love going to the movies. My favorite superhero movie is The Batman, which might be a bit surprising to people. When it comes to Batman movies, an easy favorite is The Dark Knight. That is an amazing film. The entire Nolan trilogy is. But I actually find Batman (the character) one of the least interesting parts of those movies. The villains, especially Heath Ledger’s Joker, take the center stage. The villains and side characters make those films shine.
When I meet someone who says Batman Begins is their favorite from the trilogy, I know they are a true Batman fan who is really interested in Bruce Wayne as a character and the mythos. For me though, Batman in those films is not that interesting. His voice became so much of a parody that it took me out of the moment. And Nolan’s Gotham looked too much like Chicago or New York. It did not have its own identity.
Reeves made Batman interesting. He made Gotham interesting. Gotham looked like a terrible place to live. It was dark, constantly raining, gritty, and gross. Sure, there were some European-style buildings because of where it was shot, but it did not look like a recognizable American city aside from its own version of Times Square. Gotham had an identity.
Reeves captured an early-years Batman so well. A Batman full of anger. Full of vengeance. He says it himself: “I’m Vengeance.” We have seen so many versions of Batman say “I’m Batman” which has become somewhat of a parody. This version is focused on vengeance, on driving fear into the criminal element. He is not there for civilians, not yet. You see it in the opening scene: after beating the goons, the civilian is terrified of him. Batman offers no comfort, nothing to ease his fear. His singular focus shows again during the car chase with Penguin. Penguin is causing wrecks, explosions, and likely casualties, but Batman does not notice. He is locked in on Penguin. Everything else is just an obstacle.
The Riddler is psychotic, but he is about vengeance too. That is why he thinks Batman is on his side the entire time. The Riddler is vengeance, and it is not until the final act that Batman grows and realizes he has to be something more. At first, I used to see the final act as the weakest part of The Batman. The big villains are sidelined, and the climax is just goons and a flood. But it is actually the most important part of Batman’s growth. He cannot be just about vengeance. That is what the Riddler was. He has to be better. He has to be there for the city. He has to be there for the civilians. He literally becomes a guiding light, leading people out of the flood. He has to be hope.
Reeves’ Batman is not perfect. Actually, he is kind of bad at times. He does not solve every riddle. He does not prevent the flood. He does not even capture the Riddler himself. But he grows into what Batman is supposed to be. Combined with the amazing cinematography, setting, music, and performances, The Batman becomes something special. I am really interested in seeing where Reeves takes him next. I want to see Batman challenged on the nuances of his no-killing rule. No live-action version has nailed that yet, and I am rooting for Battinson’s to finally do it.
To see a perfect take on what Batman should be, I recommend watching this clip from Justice League Unlimited:
