Comparing two icons
The Batman is finally out, and with it comes the age-old question: how good is it in terms of other Batman movies? Or rather, how good is it next to The Dark Knight? Since its release in 2008, The Dark Knight has not just been termed as the best Batman movie, but one of the greatest comic book movies in general. It still holds relevance to this day. The brilliant Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker still holds great value to fans. But does Matt Reeves’ The Batman come close to The Dark Knight in terms of story or performances?
The two stories
Both The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Batman made the stories grounded. There are no super-powered beings. No one is travelling at the speed of light or destroying buildings with their bare hands. There lies a city, an entity on its own, that just keeps breeding criminals in a never-ending cycle. The one big difference is between the two Batmen themselves. Christian Bale had the Bruce Wayne persona mastered well from the start. He made sure no one ever suspects his secret life.
On the other hand, Robert Pattinson struggles throughout. He is not aware how to be Bruce Wayne. He is not smiling, or making jokes, or walking with a supermodel in his arm. As Batman, you can see how criminals, the police, and he himself sees him as a different entity. We get a narration in his own words, on the kind of impact he’s made in Gotham. This is something the other movies sorely lacked.
Then comes the detective works. The Dark Knight had Batman do some slight work in crime scenes, but they are easily forgettable. However, The Batman is a detective movie throughout. We see Batman working on clues with Gordon, Alfred, and Catwoman.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s not right to compare the two movies. They seem alike, but yet so different at the same time. Both movies have darkness, something that is overlooked in the Marvel age. But both give meaning to the darkness, and that’s where the true beauty lies.
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