An empty movie theater due to the same movie plots being repeated. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels.
By Brandon Ramos, Staff Reporter.
With what seems to be yet another attempt at reaching global popularity, DC Comics and Warner Brothers Studios have released their latest Detective Comics property, “The Batman.” played/portrayed by Robert Pattinson. “The Batman” director Matt Reeves is attempting to keep the Dark Knight out of the shadows with this recent film which was released in Mar. 4. Batman portrays the mythos of the caped crusader and billionaire from Gotham City, Bruce Wayne. He is here to save the day, yet again, as it is the third reboot, in the last ten years. Which poses the question: Is another Batman film necessary?
Superheroes have always had a prominent role in the pop culture world that we live in today since the inception of actual comic books. Due to their immense popularity over the past 20 years, the superhero genre of movies has become synonymous with big box office revenues from a massive and dedicated fan base.
Gone are the days of comic books fueling the plot of superhero movies but now these films are being made into new action thriller films with the hero as a selling point.
There are always big name superheroes that stand out more than others and Batman is one of them. Possibly the most difficult role to fill in Hollywood is that of the cape crusader because there will always be a side of the fanbase that does not support it.
When we talk about an actor committing to a role we have to mention Christian Bale. Bale was the best batman in my opinion. Not only was he a stud and had already built a strong reputation as a solitary character due to his role in “American Psycho,” but the way he cemented himself as a billionaire in Gotham was unlike any other actor portraying the superhero before him.
“The Dark Knight” franchise gave Batman a storyline that lasted three films and explained from beginning to end the story of Batman. There was no need for another one, that plot has concluded. Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale had left a very good Batman story that gave us an ending that a majority of the audience appreciated in The Dark Knight trilogy. All of that hard work and storytelling is getting thrown away and forced to be questioned with the making of this new film.
Ben Affleck has got to be the worst Batman ever. He never got a stand alone Batman film but I think it was for the best. His role as Batman was very short lived but due to the lack of enthusiasm and the sluggish effort at trying to reach the bar that Keaton and Bale had set for him, it was ok that he was cut as Batman during yet another reboot.
Affleck is a talented actor and any romantic comedy or drama would fit him perfectly, however, I just don’t see him being a vigilante that is out looking to save Gotham. It feels too forced, and I understand the millions of people who created petitions wanting him out.
This brings us to the newest Batman reimagining, played by Pattinson. Pattinson is well known as Edward Cullen, the vampire from the “Twilight” franchise who gave us countless hours of fighting werewolves and protecting his family. The last “Twilight” film was released 10 years ago and the general audience still remembers him as a sparkling vampire.
Pattinson has always seemed that his lifestyle is very dark and gothic which rolled over into the film and how it was announced. The trailers and promotional material all seemed very grungy and different as to how most superhero movies are currently being made today.
Every few years Batman gets tossed around in an executive meeting and they decide to make a movie. I do not mean this in a good way. It seems that Batman is something that gets brought up every so often to make money due to its significance within pop culture.
Not only are the plots of these movies very predictable but throughout the course of film history they have simply become redundant and overplayed. Everybody knows that Batman is going to show up at the end of the movie and save the day, and set up another member of his rogue gallery to fight in the sequel. If anything our intelligence might be getting insulted by being offered a film that we all know how it is going to end.
Superhero movies can be fixed and here is my proposition. For starters we need new heroes, we have been having the same superheroes save the day for ages. If we had more superheroes that were relatable or had something fresh to look at this would create more enjoyable viewing experiences.
Secondly, let the hero lose sometimes. I am not saying kill them off in the first film but if they get injured or lose a battle that helps to create a more interesting story and leaves the audience wondering about the credibility of those heroes.
Lastly, can we please get some new storylines and plots. Every superhero movie has a very predictable ending that relies on the hero beating the bad guy and saving the city. We might not need saving in every film, why not an origin story or a glimpse into the life of the alter-ego. This could create an entirely new formula for how superhero movies are created.
Although the superhero genre might be very predictable and redundant, that might be the reason why we still go to the movies and watch these films year after year. It could be that a sense of comfort has been created knowing that someone is there to save the day or possibly we simply would like to feel as though we are the ones that are saving others from their suffering by living vicariously through our favorite heroes.
Regardless of the reason, The Batman had an opening box office revenue of $134 million. Batman movies may be the most replayed and overdone superhero movies in cinema history. We do not need another Batman film. Another Batman movie just brings more attention to the fact that there are so many other Batman movies out there and making another one would just be the same old song and dance that has been working for decades. Unfortunately, with or without our approval, Batman movies will continue to be produced, and people will continue to see them.
