"Dark Knight"

The “Dark Knight Rises” releases this July. I was wondering is it just the Batman or the genius of Nolan that makes these movies what they are. So I followed back to the old original batmen series, just to compare and see what really makes these movies click.

The first two batman movies were created by Tim Burton. Like Nolan, Tim is a genius, his movies are of some different genre that only he can make. The Batman movies were into the right and able hands. It is hard to compare the series then with all the technology we have now. But if you have watched Burton’s Batman, you will definitely know how Nolan has used his brilliance to keep the audience loving this character.

The first “Batman” (1989) was a classical work. The setting of a dark city and the gloominess in the environment make it perfect for a Batman. The performances of actors were good. Not much of us know Michael Keaton but he did a commanding job as a Batman, and off course Jack Nicholson as Joker was great. Many of us may find it stupid what he has done in the movie, but believe me he was a complete psycho. It’s always the city the batman is saving, and the villain somehow is notoriously capable to destroy the whole city. The movie is enjoyable, and batman gadgets don’t disappoint. The car looks awesome, may be even better than the modern one. And we have a personal plane also, which batman uses to throw out the poisonous balloons out of city’s environment. And in the end they set up the Batman halogen to call their savior. Also if we see on a personal side Bruce Wayne is more social, he attends functions, go to parties. He is romantic, tries dating a girl and wants to tell her the truth.

“Batman Returns” (1992) was a strange movie, somewhere I can’t decide whether to like it or not to like it. The Penguin man performed by Danny DeVito is not as powerful character as Joker, but he was no less a psycho. A man with physical disorder abandoned into the sewage of Gotham where penguins took him and he came back becoming a crazy man. The movie promises too much but fails to deliver the charm of a Batman movie, the villain is dangerous but you never feel this guy can do something and there is CatWoman, who is again a weird character. The movie has the basic ingredient of Gotam turning into a disaster place but the characters are weak. The BatCar is same and in the last part of movie yes we can see that it can turn into a BatPod which was a good show. Here again Bruce Wayne is fed up of his mask and wants to live a normal life.

Coming back to where it started, how Nolan has made his movies into classics?

The Beginning, how batman was made, how he suffered his parents’ loss turning into an angry young man and how he comes back to Gotham to turn his fears into his advantage. The story makes the audience love him, Bruce becomes the real hero.

Gordon, the Batman (1989) has Gordon, but he is role is very short lived, very passive. Nolan gives us the guy who became Batman ally in the beginning, a guy who Batman can trust, a brave officer who faces the turmoil in Gotham. Another character we love.

Mr. Fox, seriously it’s not very hard to convince yourself that Fox is a central character in the movie, the source of Batman’s technology, the source of his ultimate vehicle, a faithful employee of his firm who is played by a powerful actor “Morgan Freeman”.

Rachael, superheroes and there love interest can never be underestimated. It is a trump card to bring out the emotional aspect of a superhero, to portray how he suffers to serve others; how his life is abnormal so that he can keep lives of others normal. It was a disappointment though that they have to change the actress in the 2^nd installment.  

Can’t finish this without mentioning Christian Bale, he has given a powerful touch to the batman like he has done for many years in his movies. He is a fantastic actor and he delivers exactly what is required of him.

Christopher Nolan has strung these characters so beautifully that it’s impossible not to like them. In one month’s time “The Dark Knight” rises will hit the theatre, and as we have seen in the trailers it is going to be one heck of an experience. “Bane” will be screened first time in a batman movie, and we have seen a private plane for Batman. Anticipations are high, Nolan is coming after Inception. Don’t know how much it will deliver but my mind says, ‘this movie is going to break all the box office records ever’.