Poster
Gotham Knights is the reboot of the Baman movie series for the DC Cinematic Universe. The film is directed by Doug Liman and written by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. Some of the film is inspired by the Batman storylines "The Killing Joke" and "Death in the Family".
Plot[]
In Gotham City, four mysterious vigilantes, Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, have started to cease crime in Gotham. They regularly communicate with Police Comissiner James Gordon who trusts them with his life. The only person who doesn't trust them is Harvey Bullock, who thinks that Batman works with the criminals. Batman's secret idenity is billionare Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne who witnessed the death of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, at age 7. Batgirl's secret idenity is Barbera Gordon, the comissiner's daughter and computer expert. Robin's secret identity is Jason Todd, a teenager who Batman took in after he tried to take the wheels from the Batmobile. Before Jason, Dick Grayson was Robin. Dick Grayson was the son of two circus performers who were killed by the Joker, one of Gotham's deadliest criminals. Bruce Wayne took him in and left five years ago over differences. The only person who knows they're secret identities is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler who raised his since his parent's death.
A woman named Harleen Quinzel who works at Arkham Asylum helps The Joker's goons break out The Joker. Batman, Batgirl, and Robin try to stop the Joker's goons. They are joined by Dick Grayson, who has become a hero called Nightwing, who claimed to be part of a superhero team. The Joker and Quinzel get away when Batman notices Robin almost killing one of the goons. Batman is against this because if they killed someone, they would be on the same level as the Joker. Batgirl and Nightwing find out that Harleen Quinzel who was once a psychiatrist. She fell in love with the Joker after treating him inside Arkham Asylum, where he tells her that he was abused as a child by his alcoholic father who gave him scars and killed his mother. She develops an obsession with him, and turns to crime just to win his love. Harleen becomes The Joker's sidekick, dubbing herself "Harley Quinn".
The Joker belives that they need to take out the loved ones of Batman. The two decide to take out the sidekicks. The Joker and Harley stage a bank robbery the next day. Batman sees that they are getting rid of the money and relizes that it's fake. Harley ends up shooting Batgirl's legs. She is unable to fight for two weeks. She is also unable to meet with her father because then he will get suspicius. The Joker feels like he needs to take out the sidekicks even more, when Jason kills most of the goons. This gets Batman angered even more.
Harley hijacks the TV stations and a message from The Joker saying that he wants to face off against Robin. DIck and Barbera gaurd Jason so he won't go. Jason manages to leave Wayne Manor and meets up with The Joker. He is defeated and held captive by The Joker. He is repeatly beaten by The Joker. Batman and Nightwing try to get there in time but it's too late before The Joker blows up the place. The Joker and Harley are subdued by Nightwing as Batman finds Jason's body and tells him 'I forgive you".
Batman interrogates the Joker and Harley and discovers that Harley has put bombs all over Gotham. Everyone is the city evacuates on Ferries. However, Batman finds out that the bombs are fake. Later, Bruce, Dick, and Alfred find out that The Joker and Harley rigged two ferries with explosives to escalate chaos; one ferry is full of citizens, the other full of prison inmates and guards. He then gives the passengers of each ferry the choice to blow the other up before midnight — otherwise, both ferries will explode. The passengers ultimately refuse when Batman give a speech over the speakers.
Batman asks Alfred to use a city-wide tracking prototype device to find the Joker; Alfred agrees. Nightwing tries to help Batman, but he gets kidnapped by Harley Quinn. Barbera tries to save him, despite her injuries. She suceeds and the two fight Harley and reveal that the Joker lied to her. After defeat, she decides to turn herself in. Meanwhile, The Joker dresses up hostages as his men, luring Gordon's SWAT team to strike them. Batman fights off the SWAT team and the Joker's men, then rescues the hostages. Batman tracks the Joker to his hideout — an abandoned world's fair amusement park. Batman battles with the Joker, a struggle that ends in Batman subduing the Joker on a rooftop with unsteady pillars holding it up. The roof collapses and and The Joker falls to his death. The Joker dies laughing at the fact that Batman admits that he tried to save him.
Barbera is able to walk again. Dick asks Bruce what Jason was like (he only knew for a short amount of time). This causes Bruce to have a flashback of Jason’s first day as Robin, in which the boy declares that it is the best day of his life. Dick also asks Bruce if he tried to avenge Jason by killing The Joker. Bruce says no and Dick asks why. Bruce tells Dick that he never wanted to get revenge on The Joker because Batman was not about revenge. He also said he never wanted to kill anybody because he feared that he would end up killing more like killers. Dick says that he feels like an idiot for trying to get revenge on his parents' killer as a kid. Bruce tells him not to think that because he was younger and angrier when it happend. Bruce finally tells Dick that he also didn't want kill him because he planned on taking The Joker to jail and the day his parents were murderd, the killer was sent to jail and didn't plan on getting revenge. The movie ends with Alfred hearing this and giving Bruce his late father's will.
"The last will and testament of the deceased: Thomas Wayne. In the event of my death, I hereby declare that all my worldly possessions pass to my son, Bruce Wayne. Bruce, I ask that you honor the Wayne Family legacy, and commit yourself to the improvement of Gotham City, its institutions, and its citizens. Please, be strong. You are young, but destined for great things. Make the most of your opportunities. Use them to give back to a city that has given us so much; to change the lives of millions of people. Do not be frivolous with this wealth. Please, do not waste it all on fast cars, and outrageous clothes, and the pursuit of a destructive lifestyle. Invest in Gotham, treat its people like family. Watch over them and use this money to safeguard them from forces beyond their control. My deepest regret, as I will not see you grow into the good man I know you will become. And finally my son, I ask that you never abandon this city to fate.We have lived through dark days, and no doubt there are more to come. But it is the good and great men who stand up for Gotham when others turn and run. In death, I will love you forever."
- Your father, Thomas.
Cast[]
- Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Crispin Glover as The Joker
- Christina Ricci as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
- Andrew Garfield as Dick Grayson / Nightwing
- Emma Stone as Barbera Gordon / Batgirl
- Freddie Highmore as Jason Todd / Robin
- Matt Damon as Comissiner James Gordon
- Jermey Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
- Paul Giamatti as Harvey Bullock
- Mel Gibson as Thomas Wayne
- Emma Tompson as Martha Wayne
Reception[]
Critical Response[]
The Batman recieved generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating based on 253 reviews.
Box Office[]
The film was a box office success as the film earned $114,101,023 on it's opening weekend. The film gained $332,191,110 in the U.S. and $689,276,000 in other countries, making a worldwide total of $1,021,467,110.
Sequel[]
In 2011, Affleck & Damon anounced that they wrote a draft for a sequel. At the film's premire, it was anounced that a sequel would be released in 2014 and that Yates would return to direct. Due to script problems, the film would be released in 2015. However, the film was moved to 2016 after it was anounced a Justice League movie was anounced. When the movie was delayed, the film moved to 2015 until it was revealed that Batman would be in the sequel to Man of Steel.
The sequel, Return Of The Batman, was moved to 2016 once again. Most of the cast reprised their roles, with the exception of Glover and Ricci. Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, Lee Pace. and Matthew Grey Gubler also join the cast.