I'm excited about a new update that makes it clear that my favorite aspect of best Batman films are the ones focused on the character's darkness.

Both The Batman and The Dark Knight hit that head-on. Director Christopher Nolan brought to life one of the best superhero trilogies of all time with his The Dark Knight trilogy. More grounded than the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other superhero franchises, Nolan managed to bring back the darker version of Batman to the big screen perfectly after years of absence. I still think that The Dark Knight is the best Batman movie, but I can't help but like Matt Reeves' The Batman more when it comes to a key aspect, and The Batman - Part II's story will repeat it.

I Loved How The Batman Made Bruce Wayne Its Clear Focus

Robert Pattinson Was A Great Choice For The Role

The Batman features a lot of what I wanted from a movie based on DC's Dark Knight. While I still hope to see a more fantasy-oriented depiction of the character and his world in the DCU's The Brave and the Bold Batman reboot, with the Bat-Family included, I'm glad that there is such a dark and gritty take on the hero going on in an Elseworlds franchise. The main aspect of the movie that I enjoyed was how it treated Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne, as The Batman always kept the focus on its lead character.

Robert Pattinson's Batman and Bruce Wayne looking shocked in The Batman
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Bruce is always an active force in the film, with The Batman featuring the best adaptation of the Dark Knight's detective skills in a live-action movie. The Batman's cast of characters pulled from the hero's long comic book history, featuring many classic players from Batman comics, like Catwoman, the Riddler, the Penguin, Carmine Falcone, and more. While the DC movie was packed with Batman villains, no other character was as important to it as Pattinson's Bruce Wayne. The Batman did a great job of diving into the character's mind, and I loved the focus on both Bruce and Batman alike.

The Dark Knight's Story Couldn't Have Used The Batman's Approach

Heath Ledger's Joker Outshines Christian Bale's Batman

The Batman's choice to focus on Bruce Wayne was different from the approach Nolan had in The Dark Knight. While I liked that Bale played a more classic version of Batman's dual role in the film in comparison to Pattinson, showing a clear divide between the Bruce Wayne and Batman personas, the DC movie shined a brighter light on its villain. Heath Ledger's Joker is the true star of The Dark Knight, not Batman. Every time the actor appears onscreen, the Joker completely becomes the main focus of all the scenes he is in.

Heath Ledger's Joker performance was generational, to the point that he received a Best ing Actor Oscar posthumously for the role.

Having such a Joker-focused story, I don't think The Batman's approach would have worked for The Dark Knight. Pattinson's Batman spent most of the movie searching for Riddler and finding clues to understand his motives and plans. In The Dark Knight, Ledger's Joker is a much more present force in Batman's life, appearing opposite the character more frequently and being the cause of several disasters and deaths along the way. I think it worked out perfectly for The Dark Knight, which has greater highs than The Batman, but the latest live-action Batman film did better where Bruce is concerned.

I’m Happy That Matt Reeves Wants The Batman 2 To Be All About Bruce Wayne

Robert Pattinson's Batman Will Continue To Shine

While I can't wait to see a very comic book-accurate depiction of Batman in the DCU, with the character part of an expansive universe, I'm also very excited about the future of Pattinson's Batman. No details have been revealed about The Batman - Part II's story so far, other than that HBO's excellent The Penguin series serves as a bridge between both movies. That said, the first tease of what to expect from Bruce Wayne has me happy. Speaking with Collider, Matt Reeves revealed The Batman - Part II will once again be all about Bruce. Check out the full quote below:

“To me, the thing that I really feel is that I also believe that Rob [Pattinson] is so special in the role. My goal has always been to do these point-of-view stories that allow the character to always be the emotional center of the story. Because a lot of times what happens is, after you do the first one, then suddenly other Rogues Gallery characters come in, and they kind of take over, and then Batman takes a backseat sort of character-wise, or emotionally.”

The Batman director hit the nail on its head, commenting on how past Batman films, like The Dark Knight, let the focus on Bruce Wayne go in order to shine a light on the hero's large Rogues Gallery. After a movie that made Bruce's state of mind as important to the story as Batman's detective and fighting skills, I'm glad to see that The Batman - Part II will not see him take a backseat character-wise or emotionally. After the first movie laid the ground, that recipe could lead to The Batman's sequel topping The Dark Knight.

  • The Dark Knight (2008) Movie Poster
    The Dark Knight
    9.0/10
    Created by
    Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer
    First Film
    Batman Begins
    Latest Film
    The Dark Knight Rises
    Cast
    Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Liam Neeson, Aaron Eckhart
    Movie(s)
    Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises
    Character(s)
    Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Lucius Fox, Bane, The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face

    The Dark Knight franchise, also known as The Dark Knight Trilogy, is a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film series directed by Christopher Nolan. It is a darker and more realistic take on the Batman character, exploring themes of justice, chaos, and redemption. The trilogy revitalized the Batman film series and is often credited with raising the bar for superhero films, particularly through its exploration of complex moral dilemmas and the iconic portrayal of villains like the Joker.

  • The Batman Poster

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    The Batman
    PG-13
    Crime
    Action
    Drama
    8/10
    173
    8.6/10
    Release Date
    March 4, 2022
    Runtime
    176 minutes
    Director
    Matt Reeves

    Cast

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    The Batman follows a young Bruce Wayne as he investigates a sadistic serial killer targeting key political figures in Gotham. As he delves deeper, he is confronted by the city's hidden corruption and questions surrounding his own family's legacy.

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