On Sept. 16, theaters around the world played Batman films in celebration of the caped crusader’s debut in Detective Comics. This is a day to celebrate the long history of the beloved hero, and the films inspired by his origin.
Originally, this event was set to take place on July 23, the anniversary of the hero’s debut, but the date was later moved to September in order to collide with San Diego Comic Con, creating an opportunity for fans to celebrate together.
Movie theaters began screening Batman films on this day, with this year’s pick being Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy
Nolan’s trilogy made a combined 3 billion dollars, with “The Dark Knight” breaking several box office records in 2008. “The Dark Knight” has a similar story to “Barbie” in regards to its rapid growth at the box office. Coincidentally, the film was released on the same day as “Mamma Mia!” which mirrored the Barbenheimer phenomena.
Christian Bale was cast as Bruce Wayne and Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon. With both actors having such a rich background filled with critically acclaimed roles, many were pleased with the choices. The trilogy showcases a variety of well known actors portraying infamous Batman villains. This included Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, and Heath Ledger as The Joker.
The star studded trilogy smashed the box office, and continued to add to Nolan’s long list of triumphant films.
My Review
The showtimes of “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” and “The Dark Knight Rises” were all spaced out, allowing for a triple feature. Unfortunately, I did not have six hours to spare, and I only watched the objective best out of the three, “The Dark Knight.”
The plot of “The Dark Knight” is centered around The Joker becoming a major villain within Gotham. The Joker infiltrates major gangs and crime organizations in an attempt to get closer to Batman, and evidently kills him.
Harvey Dent is also introduced in this film, and later becomes another major villain known as Two-Face.
Both Dent and Joker are such interesting characters, and Nolan does a great job delving into each of their stories in such a short amount of time. Nolan also achieves this with Bruce Wayne, displaying how the image of Batman evolves throughout the film, allowing the audience to further connect with Wayne’s character.
I’ve seen this movie countless times, but seeing it in theaters was such an amazing experience. Being surrounded by Han Zimmer’s score, feeling the rumble of the tumbler Batmobile, and witnessing the chase sequences in person beats watching it at home any day.
Overall, Batman Day is a perfect opportunity to experience these films for the first time and fully delve into the character of Batman. Though some renditions are better than others, this is a great starting point for those interested in getting into these films.
