The Dark Knight Trilogy is a rare example of a series of comic book movies that are all commercially and critically acclaimed. All 3 films received high praises from critics and fans and were box office smash hits. Well, Batman Begins did OK but we can chalk that up to a bad taste left over from the original Bat-films. Once people saw it they were blown away. I had many people after the film came out tell me that they loved it and were really surprised by how good it was. Here’s something you may not know about me – I’m a huge Batman fan. Oh you did know?
How could you tell?
Anyway, these films, in my opinion, are the perfect Batman movies. They had just about everything I ever wanted to see in a Batman movie. All three were great explorations of not only Bruce Wayne but his relationship to Gotham City, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Selina Kyle, and his rogues gallery. Please keep in mind that I’m going to keep this list specific to the best “Batman” moments from the films, because if we talk about Heath Ledger, well that’s gonna take up a whole other list. And we’ll get to that. But for now here are my TOP 10 GEEK OUT MOMENTS FROM THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY:
"I'M NO EXECUTIONER" from BATMAN BEGINS:
Bruce has survived the training with the League of Shadows. Now it’s time to “demonstrate his commitment to justice.” Believe it or not, this is the first time in any of the live action Batman films that Bruce explicitly states that he won’t kill. Ducard/Ra’s says that his compassion is a weakness but Bruce disagrees. Bruce lost his family in a violent act of tragedy and feels that he can be different from his enemies by choosing reform over death. Also, the training scene was freaking great!
"TRYING TO CATCH THE LIGHT?" from THE DARK KNIGHT:
Coleman Reece has discovered Batman’s true identity! He’s going to expose it for the whole world, but the Joker stops him with his threat to blow up a hospital. Bruce races to protect Reece in classic Batman fashion, but of course, it’s the middle of the day so of course he’s not gonna put on the suit! Instead, he’s got the Lamborghini, following Gordon’s caravan LIKE A BOSS!
Bruce notices that a truck driver is getting ready to ram the van so he gets in the way, destroying his expensive car protecting Reece. It’s a great moment and it calls to mind Rachel’s statement from earlier in the film when she says, “I now know the day will never come where you no longer need Batman.” Bruce can’t help but be Batman. It’s who he is. And he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people of Gotham. In this case, it’s destroying a very expensive car and then acting like it was a total accident. “So you think I should go to the hospital?”
"THEN YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO DIE" from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:
A hero is only as good as his villain and Batman has the best rogues gallery ever. After getting a brutal beat down from Bane earlier in the film, Batman returns (haha) to Gotham to kick some ass. While Bane does still hold the upper hand in terms of sheer brutality Batman plays it smart, knowing when to take his hits and dish it out when needed. When Batman does get the upper hand it’s a great moment to see him unleash his anger and give Bane a taste of his own medicine. There’s nothing I love more than seeing a beaten hero rise up and kick the villain’s butt. Not only that, but if they can deliver a bad ass line in the process, it makes it all the better for me. In Batman’s case, he’s gonna taunt Bane with his own line, “Tell me where the trigger is. Then you have my permission to die.” Of course, Batman isn’t gonna kill Bane (he lets Catwoman inexplicably get away with that), but it’s a great moment when he does finally let his enemy know that he is stronger than ever.
"BACKUP" from BATMAN BEGINS:
In a moment taken directly from "Batman: Year One", Batman needs to escape a police blockade so he calls on his bats to help distract the police. It was one of the best moments from "Year One" and I was so happy to see it on film. The reactions from Flass and Gordon are pretty hilarious. Another thing that's great about this moment is seeing Bruce able to walk among the bats and no longer be afraid of them. Now they are his allies. He's truly become the Batman.
"I KILLED THOSE PEOPLE" from THE DARK KNIGHT:
If you ask me, the Dark Knight is the perfect Batman film. It had just about everything I ever wanted from a Batman movie. Better yet, it had moments that I never knew I wanted. The ending of the film took me by complete surprise. Why would Batman sacrifice his reputation for Harvey?The more I thought about it, I realized that it makes perfect sense. Batman could be the villain of the piece if it meant protecting Gotham City. It wasn’t about saving Harvey Dent.
Fuck that guy!
It was about saving Gotham City. He had just watched the Joker lose with his “social experiment” and he had to maintain Gotham’s security and sanity. For Bruce, it was a small price to pay to keep his promise about protecting Gotham City. He claims that he's not a hero, but we all know that he's a better hero than Harvey could ever have hoped to be.
"HE DOES THAT" from THE DARK KNIGHT:
I always loved on Batman: the Animated Series when Batman would appear and disappear at random. True he’s dressed like a giant bat but that’s never stopped him from entering or exiting a room as he pleases without anyone noticing. I mean, he was trained by ninjas, it’s the first thing you learn at ninja school!
Second lesson is punching
I love that there are several times where he just disappears on the characters. Gordon’s line, “He does that” is perfect. Plus there’s the moment in Rises where Catwoman does it to him and he gets a taste of his own medicine. “So that’s what that feels like.” Fun fact - that was actually based on a moment from the graphic novel "Kingdom Come." The scene is between Bruce and Superman, but Superman leaves in a hurry without Bruce noticing. Bruce chuckles and says, "So that's what that feels like." I recognized it when I saw Rises and it made me laugh.
Some of the best Batman moments are the ones where he isn’t even in costume. When the Joker has attacked Dent’s fundraiser, Bruce goes to get his suit when he’s ambushed by one of the Joker’s men. He yells, “Hands up, pretty boy.” Without missing a beat, Bruce beats the crap out of the guy and breaks his gun in half. It’s so perfect. Bruce has no time for the Joker’s punks. It's just a quick scene, not longer than a few seconds but it says everything you need to know about Batman. He's focused, determined, and won't be distracted.
"YOU ARE IN FOR A SHOW TONIGHT, SON!" from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:
There are a lot of criticisms toward Batman’s portrayal in The Dark Knight Rises. Most will tell you that he’s not in the film enough. Well, growing up with Batman and Batman Returns, I didn’t really mind it or even think about it much to be honest. What mattered to me was as long as when we do see Batman, he’s unforgettable. The Batpod chase scene in Rises after the Wall Street theft is my favorite scene in the movie. It’s so classic Batman at his most bad ass. There's a moment where one cop shoots at him and Batman just gives him the most annoyed look ever. Then a minute later, he picks up one of the robber's tablets. He looks around and realizes that he's being chased by the police. He doesn't panic or even look concerned. He finds an exit and books it outta there! I love it! I might watch it right now . . .
"THEN YOU'RE GONNA LOVE ME!" from THE DARK KNIGHT:
This little exchange between Batman and the Joker is so perfect that it makes me cheer every time I watch it (apologies to my neighbors). The Joker is taunting Rachel but she isn’t afraid of him. She knocks him back and of course this just gets the Joker going, “A little fight in you. I like that!” Then Batman appears out of nowhere and responds, “Then you’re gonna love me!” And kicks the Joker away. That moment is so perfect for those two characters that it could’ve been said by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in an episode of the animated series.
There they are!
It’s moments like that that really sell Batman’s awesomeness to me. He's gonna pop out of nowhere, deliver a bad ass line, and then kick ass!
"I'M BATMAN!" from BATMAN BEGINS:
We all knew this one was obvious right? I stated before how Michael Keaton’s delivery of this line remains my all time favorite live action Batman moment and I stand by that. However, if we’re being honest that moment wins for pure nostalgia (and the whole 'informed me of who Batman is yadda yadda yadda'). When Bale said it, he became this generation’s Batman. The whole scene is so perfect to Batman’s character. He’s treated more as a villain from a horror movie rather than a superhero. And that’s exactly how he should be portrayed. Batman is a creature of the night, striking fear into the hearts of criminals. He should scare the audience a little bit too. This first scene with Bale in costume was pitch perfect. It's another moment that makes me cheer every time (again, apologies to my neighbors).
HONORABLE MENTION:
"WE'D BOTH KNOW THAT YOU'D MADE IT" from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:
The last few minutes of the Dark Knight Rises made me so happy. For the most important people in Bruce’s life he left something to let them know he was alive and well. In Lucius’s case it was confirmation that he had fixed the auto pilot on the Bat. For Gordon, he gave a new Batsignal. For Blake, he left the keys to the Batcave. And for Alfred, he let his fantasy of Bruce’s happy ending be real. It was a great moment and although it didn’t have the theatrical, cape billowing in the wind ending like the first two films, it did give us closure on Bruce Wayne’s story. I will agree with you that in the comics, Bruce would have stayed in Gotham and continued protecting Gotham City. But if there were to be an ending to the Bruce Wayne story, this was the way to do it.
Like I said these movies were perfect to me. Begins and Rises told perfect Bruce Wayne stories and Dark Knight gave me the perfect Batman movie. Ben Affleck will have his hands full trying to top these movies for me. But then again, he's gonna be apart of the Justice League so it's a whole different ballgame. For now, I can watch these movies knowing that Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale gave me the Batman films that I deserved and needed :)
Till next time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie
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