Should There Be Another Batman?

Lately, articles have been popping up regarding the possibility of a Dark Knight sequel not happening. Rumors such as Warner Brothers having a short-list of replacement directors to close sources saying that Nolan won’t return to the film due to Heath Ledgers’ death. As much as many want a sequel to The Dark Knight, should there really be one?

The Dark Knight was a box office juggernaut grossing a little over 1 billion dollars world wide. It is a no brainer that Warner Bros. is pushing Nolan to bring in a sequel regardless of the quality. The hype surrounding Dark Knight, which was also helped by the untimely and unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, propelled this movie into being a must see not just for comic book and pop culture fans alike, but also for all movie goers. My own opinion on the movie, it is the epitome of what Super Hero movies can be when given care and development.

Regardless of the fanboy trolling or praise, or movie studios thirst for money, should there really be a sequel to The Dark Knight? I’m on the side of the fence that is saying to not even go there. Personally, TDK is one of the greatest translations of a comic book character to another medium. As much as I and others would like to see a continuation of the world that Nolan created for the new Batman, the ability to be consistent with the quality of story always comes into question.

Heath Ledgers death unfortunately help propel the movie to a much higher success. Whether the success of the movie would have matched it based on hype alone and not his death will be something we will never know, but Ledger’s brilliant performance as The Joker outshone and made The Dark Knight. Any actor taking up a villain role either as The Joker or someone else in the rogues gallery has to live up to the standard set forth by Ledger and under Nolan’s guidance to fit into the universe. It wasn’t like the Tim Burton interpretation where Jack Nicholson played as The Joker. Ledger became The Joker. Transforming into a character and becoming something unrecognizable to yourself is difficult and almost unmatched by Ledger’s performance.

Christopher Nolan has a clear vision and story he intends to tell with Batman and the characters surrounding his interpretation. Reports stated but never confirmed by Nolan that his latest film was to feature The Joker as the prominent villain in the sequel. While Ledger’s Joker would have been great to see in a sequel to TDK, it seems more of a retread as many will say that The Joker was the star and villain of TDK. As much as mainstream pop culture and the nerd fanbase love the Clown Prince of Crime, in Nolan’s Batman introducing or reintroducing one of Batman’s many villains would allow the world to grow and tell other stories surrounding Gotham City, Batman, and the people.

As any movie studio that hits a cash flow boom with a successful franchise, they want to continue that cash flow. The one name that keeps popping up as a replacement director in case if Nolan decides not to return to his Batman world is Zack Snyder. The problem with changing directors with different styles is the shift in tone and execution. Nolan’s Batman films are very story driven filled with more drama then a high school prom. Zack Snyder visual style is very slick and sexy but has been shown that he is very dependent on the source material using it as a literal translation from page to movie screens. If Snyder or any other director were to take the reigns of Nolan’s Batman they would be put under pressure by the public and the studio to make another Dark Knight.

History tends to repeat itself but with the Batman franchise the 90’s is plagued with bat-nipples along with the rest of the camp and crap of the first franchise. Movie studios should not mess up a good thing and ruin this franchise the George Lucas way by shoveling half-assed stories just because “that’s what fans want.” If Christopher Nolan walks away from this series then the franchise should take a rest and wait 5 to 10 years before relaunching with a new director with a new vision.

More importantly what do you guys think of a sequel to The Dark Knight?

Posted by Nerd Boy Wonder 29 June Permalink

Batman Begins/The Dark Knight: What Does it All Mean?

When we look at the Batman movies, we all feel there is something more to them. This isn’t your standard movie about a man in a cape busting super villains to a pulp. This isn’t about the cool gadgets, the spiffy costume or how chicks dig the car. These films awaken in us the deepest yearnings of philosophical meaning, psychological impact, and sociological study.

Or its just a cool way to spend a few hours? The above sounds pretentious I know, but these series of articles are about Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I want to show and of course discuss how the movies enlighten us, and why we are so attracted to them. Also I want to show a friend that Batman Begins is just as deep as The Dark Knight, and in many ways is essential to viewing.

This week I want to study the idea of Hell and the Devil in the Batman universe. In the movies, it’s the first scene that really delves into the idea of Hell. The man who attacks Bruce says that he (Bruce) is in hell and that the man is also the Devil. Bruce replies that he isn’t the Devil, he is practice. An interesting thought:  Is Bruce actually in Hell?

Yes, if you believe Hell is where you deserve to be. There is an idea in our society that Hell is where people who do bad things go. What bad thing did Bruce do to deserve to be sent to Hell? He feels responsible for the death of his parents. Though Bruce says that his anger outweighs his guilt, he in fact cannot escape the fact that he is responsible for his parents’ death.

In the comics, Bruce routinely evokes God, at one point saying, “God hates a coward” during the Knights End storyline. Bruce was afraid during the play and therefore wants to retreat. The retreat takes him to the alley, and that is where his parents are shot. He never stops feeling guilty for that moment of fear.

But that’s not the only thing Bruce feels guilty about. It’s the guilt of wanting Chill dead, vengeance, and the anger that Bruce has for Joe Chill. Many fans were exasperated by the fact Bruce carried a gun, but I persist in thinking it was a way to show why he would never use a gun again. Bruce, up until Rachel says so, never connected the gun to his parent’s death. He connected his fear to their death. It’s only when Chill is shot dead, Rachel slaps him and tells him that his father would be ashamed, that Bruce realizes that the gun is a coward’s weapon.

It is only when he purges not just his fear, but his wrath, that Bruce finally wants to go back to Gotham. His choice not to kill the murderer is his real test, his choice to face fear is only secondary to that. Only then does Bruce fight back and escape Hell and return to Gotham. But Gotham too, is a hell.

If we view Hell as a place devoid of hope, Gotham is that place. Bruce represents hope, but that is for another article. Gotham soon will no longer be the Hell it once was. But what of the other line near the beginning of the film: “You’re not the devil, you’re practice.”

Obviously Bruce makes short work of this man who thinks of himself as the devil, but he is right. The man was only practice as he faced the true Devil in the Dark Knight: The Joker. What makes the Joker so easy to identify as the Devil? What is the Devil?

The Devil has gone through more character changes than comic iterations of either the Joker or Batman. The easiest way to sum him up is the tempter, the one who tests humanity in some ways for worthiness. The Joker of The Dark Knight takes it up a notch; he is testing them to see if they are as human as they wish they are.

The various tests the Joker arranges in the film are there to test how far our own rules and morality go. What are the extents of society’s rules, their understandings, and their own base needs? With the Joker, he revels in making you break your own rules because he believes the world has none.

The Joker is devoid of origin,  which many say is the influence of Alan Moore, but really you can trace it back to the Prince of Lies. The Joker’s stories reach the point of making one sick over the sadness of each, where he is scarred or causes his own scars. Is there a point to these stories besides frightening you? The stories show the moral decay that each person being TOLD the story might one day endure. The mob boss is seen as a father type by his men. What happens when the father turns against you? Rachel wants to be a bride, but what happens if that bride becomes disfigured?

Finally, imagery plays a key role. Fire is the Joker’s calling card. Destruction, mayhem and the loss of hope are what he seeks. He is creating a new Hell for Gotham to descend into. Even when Batman confronts him at the Prewitt building, three dogs guard him much like Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards Hell.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight show that the filmmakers are mining various mythologies when creating the ideas of Hell, both personal and literal. Their creation of The Joker is filled with the malice and the characterization of Lucifer. Next time I am going to show how they delved deep into the heart of legacies, something every comic geek knows about, and why “the mantle” makes both films truly connected.

Dark Spirit

Posted by Nerd Boy Wonder 5 February Permalink