The Batman Vs Batman Begins (Ep. 0040)
Batman films serve as a time-stamped looking glass into the temperament of society. The stark difference in tone is evident when you watch 2005's Batman Begins after watching Tim Burton's Batman (1989). The inherent silliness that endears 1989's Batman seems like a spectacle when compared to Nolan's entries which embody the post-9/11 nihilism that we've discussed on the podcast many times. Yet somehow, 2022's The Batman takes the cake when it comes to channeling darkness. When you pair the truly noir detective roots of Batman with Matt Reeve's pandemic-born, post-election-inspired grunge opus, you get The Batman. Join Kyle, Drew, and Phil in the Movie Wars cave as we pit two celebrated Batmen against one another.
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Film Summaries
THE BATMAN
Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
Rating: PG-13 (Some Suggestive Material|Drug Content|Strong Disturbing Content|Strong Language|Strong Violent Content)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Director: Matt Reeves
Producer: Dylan Clark, Matt Reeves
Writer: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 2022 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $369.3M
Runtime: 2h 56m
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
View the collection: Batman
Info Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_batman
BATMAN BEGINS
A young Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels to the Far East, where he's trained in the martial arts by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), a member of the mysterious League of Shadows. When Ducard reveals the League's true purpose -- the complete destruction of Gotham City -- Wayne returns to Gotham intent on cleaning up the city without resorting to murder. With the help of Alfred (Michael Caine), his loyal butler, and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), a tech expert at Wayne Enterprises, Batman is born.
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Disturbing Images|Intense Action Violence)
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Larry J. Franco, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Writer: David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan, Bob Kane
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 15, 2005 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA): $206.9M
Runtime: 2h 20m
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
View the collection: Batman