Genre: Action/Superhero
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writer: APJ
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bryan Cranston, Jonathan Pryce, Ralph Fiennes, John Cusack, Tatiana Maslany, Madelaine Petsch, Bella Heathcote, Eddie Marsan, Matt Smith, Kristin Lehman, Alicia Witt, Kelsey Grammer
Plot: Bruce Wayne (Jake Gyllenhaal) is attending a Halloween charity ball to benefit the Gotham Museum of Natural History with his girlfriend, model Julie Madison (Bella Heathcote). They dance on dance floor where Julie thanks Bruce for letting her wear his mother's diamond necklace. He tells her that she is the first person to wear it since his parents died. Just then, Bruce receives a message from Alfred (Jonathan Pryce) telling him that someone has hijacked a train. Bruce excuses himself from the dance floor and tells Julie that he has to attend to an urgent business emergency, but that she should stay and enjoy the party. Julie heads into the restroom where she finds a young woman, Selina Kyle (Tatiana Maslany), crying. Julie asks her what's wrong, and the woman tells her that she just found out her boyfriend is cheating on her. Julie comforts Selina until she calms down. Selina asks for a hug, thanks Julie for everything and leaves the restroom - with the diamond necklace.
Onboard the hijacked train, The Riddler (Matt Smith) is forcing the passengers to answer riddles. Those who answer correctly get to live, while those who answer incorrectly are thrown from the speeding train to their probable deaths. Batman (Jake Gyllenhaal) drives the Batmobile up next to a bridge the train is about to go over and uses his grappling gun to catch onto the speeding train. Onboard the train, Riddler shoots a passenger who gets one of riddles wrong. Riddler aims the gun at Batman and asks him a riddle. Batman correctly answers the riddle and asks the Riddler a riddle of his own. While the Riddler pauses to think, Batman throws a Batarang at him, knocking the gun out of his hand. Batman then knocks the Riddler out. Gotham City Police Department Captain James Gordon (Bryan Cranston) and his men find the Riddler tied up, hanging by his feet from the bridge. Gordon laments that while it's nice that Batman stopped the mad man, it would have been better had he tied the villain up where they could reach him.
Back at the museum fundraiser, Julie is talking with Detective Sarah Essen (Kristin Lehman) about the stolen necklace. She isn't sure who could have possibly stolen it, but needs it found soon since it's a one of a kind necklace that belonged to Bruce Wayne's mother Martha. Essen tells Julie that's why she was put on the case. Essen doesn't normally work robbery cases any more, but Captain Gordon personally asked her to handle the investigation.
Cryogenics expert Dr. Victor Fries (Ralph Fiennes) tearfully plunges his wife's disease-riddled body into a tank of a cryogenic solution to keep her alive until there is a cure for the deadly Gracanin-Dorn Syndrome (GDS), which has left her paralyzed as her nervous system essentially cannibalizes itself. While doing research to try to figure out how to cure her, he reads a study written about a scientist working on a cure using the DNA of a rare breed of bats. Fries goes to meet the scientist, Dr. Kirk Langstrom (John Cusack). Langstrom tells Fries about how the bat's DNA naturally targets certain diseased cells and eliminates them. He believes that he can develop a cure for GDS using a form of stem cell therapy from the bats, but that his grant money has dried up and he lacks further funding to conduct more tests. Fries offers to help fund Langstrom's work in exchange for his wife getting the first usable antidote and that he would get a percentage of future profits made from the antidote.
Selena Kyle, dressed up as a cat, enters the Iceberg Lounge and asks to see "The Penguin." Club security brings her into the back office where Oswald Cobblepot also known as The Penguin (Eddie Marsan) is holding court with a few beautiful women. Penguin shoos away the other women, and assuming Selena is there for social reasons, invites her to sit in his lap. Selena rebuffs him and tells him she is there strictly for business. Penguin mentions it's odd that a Catwoman would be all about business. Selena pulls out Martha Wayne's diamond necklace and sets it down on the Penguin's desk. He is impressed by the necklace but asks why she's bringing him jewelry. She wants to sell it to him and nobody else will offer her a fair deal because of who it belongs to and how it was acquired. He offers to match her asking price, but she'll owe him a favor. She agrees and they finish the transaction.
Langstrom is in a meeting with the board of a major pharmaceutical company pitching his in-progress antidote to them. He never mentions Fries or the deal made between them during the meeting, which ends with Langstrom selling off all future rights to the GDS antidote as well as his research on the subject. When Fries hears about the deal he confronts Langstrom in his lab. Fries is furious and beats Langstrom to a pulp and ties him upside down like a bat in the lab. Fries pulls out a canister, telling Langstrom that it is a highly concentrated airborne version of GDS. Fries puts on a gas mask and dispenses the virus, purposely infecting Langstrom with the same disease his wife is dying from. Fries tells Langstrom that he better work quick if he is going to cure himself and his wife before the symptoms start taking over. Fries then leaves the lab with Langstrom still hanging from his feet. Langstrom is finally freed when a cleaning crew comes in during the weekend to clean the labs. They help him down and ask if he wants them to call the police, but he declines, telling them he needs to get back to work.
At Gotham University, Barbara Gordon (Madelaine Petsch) attends a Halloween party dressed in a female Batman costume. She feels out of place at the party and decides to leave early to go workout. She bids farewell to her friends and leaves. Outside she is attacked by a mugger with a knife. Barbara, still wearing her "Batgirl" costume, kicks the knife out of the mugger's hand and knocks him out cold with a roundhouse to the face. She alerts campus security and heads back to her dormitory.
Bruce asks Alfred to access the Gotham City Police Department servers to get all the information on his mother's necklace that they have. Through the servers Alfred watches the security footage of the fundraiser. He sees Julie enter the restroom with the necklace, and not long after he sees another woman exit. He uses the GCPD facial recognition program to identify the woman as Selina Kyle. Alfred tells Bruce the contents of her police record, including petty theft, fraud, and how she has been a suspect in several other robberies. Bruce thanks Alfred and puts on the Batsuit.
Gordon and Det. Essen lay in bed together sharing a cigarette. Gordon asks Essen if she has any leads on the Wayne diamond case. She tells him there is a person of interest she has been trying to track down, but that they haven't been able to locate the woman or the necklace so far. Gordon comments that Wayne has friends in high places and that for all he knows he could be buddies with the Batman as well.
In a back room of the Iceberg Lounge, the Penguin is overseeing his men counting money. The power suddenly goes out. When it turns back on, the Penguin's men are on the ground, knocked out. Batman suddenly grabs the Penguin by his collar and demands to know if someone brought a diamond necklace in. Penguin says that some woman dressed like a cat came in and wanted to sell it. Batman demands to know if he knows where to find her. Penguin tells Batman that he knows how to contact her.
Langstrom is quickly beginning to succumb to the disease with shooting pains through his body and is starting to lose his motor functions as well. Not seeing any other options, Langstrom decides to test his antidote on himself. Suddenly his body goes into convulsions. Rolling around on the floor, his body begins transforming into a hideous bat-like creature. He finally gets up, looking more bat than human. Langstrom, now the Man-Bat, destroys the lab in a rage. He jumps out the window of the lab and flies down to the streets below. He goes on a rampage through the streets of downtown Gotham, unable to control the animal instincts he's feeling. The police arrive, led by Gordon and Essen. Man-Bat makes easy work of Gordon's unit, throwing them around like rag dolls. Gordon tells Essen to hide and confronts the creature. As Man-Bat charges at Gordon, Gordon empties an entire clip from his gun into the creature. All it does is slow Man-Bat down, who picks Gordon up and throws him through the window of a shop-front. Essen calls for backup and an ambulance on her police radio and rushes over to Gordon's side.
Upon hearing of a bat-like creature responsible for terrorizing the city, the media is quick to blame Batman for the attack. The mayor and the new police commissioner declare a manhunt for the Batman is underway. Barbara is watching the news in her room and doesn't believe the news at all, having previously met the hero. She tells her roommates that Batman wasn't responsible, but they don't believe her.
Gordon is unconscious at Gotham General Hospital. His wife, Barbara Kean (Alicia Witt), sits by his side. Essen enters the room and is surprised to see Barbara there. Kean reveals that she knows all about Gordon's affair with Essen and that she just wanted to see Gordon one more time. She takes off her wedding ring, leaves it at his bedside and leaves. Essen sits down next to Gordon as he wakes up. She tells him that his wife was just here. He notices the ring, and tells her that he and his wife are getting a divorce. Barbara arrives at the hospital not much later. She tells him that everyone is blaming Batman for the attack, but she knows it isn't true. He confirms her belief in Batman's innocence, but that nobody's going to listen to him right now.
Barbara goes back to her dorm room and puts on her "Batgirl" costume. Angered that her dad was almost killed and that the police aren't looking for the right culprit, she heads to the scene of the attack to look for clues.
Fries is in his lab looking over his wife as she rests in cryostasis. He holds back his tears and starts gathering materials to make a "freeze gun" using the same technology he developed to freeze his wife.
Catwoman is in the process of breaking into a jewelry store when she is stopped by Batman. She bolts down an alleyway. Batman gives chase, following her up the fire escape of a building. She jumps through an open apartment window and continues running through the inside of the building and up the stairwell to the roof of the building. Batman is there waiting for her. He grabs her and demands to know why she stole the diamond necklace. He tells her to return the jewelry she just stole, and clearly having a weakness for her tells her to stay off her radar or he'll be forced to capture her. She says clearly she shouldn't steal from billionaire playboys with superhero friends anymore. Catwoman gives Batman a kiss and leaps from the rooftop.
Victor Fries puts on a cryo-fuel tank, grabs his freeze gun and walks into Gotham Central Bank. He demands that the bank manager empty out the vault. The bank manager refuses, so Fries uses his freeze gun on him, freezing the manager solid. Fries then hits the manager, shattering him into hundreds of pieces. Barbara hears about the bank robbery over a police scanner. She decides to put on her Batgirl costume to intervene.
Fries has shut all of the bank employees and customers in the bathroom and frozen the doors shut as he loads the money into his getaway vehicle. Batman arrives on the scene and orders Fries to stop what he's doing and surrender. Fries asks if that ever works and fires his freeze gun at Batman. Batman throws a batarang at the same time. Batman's feet are frozen to the ground, but the batarang hit Fries' cryo tank, rendering his gun unusable. Fries flees the bank while Batman is stuck. Batgirl arrives and breaks the ice, freeing Batman. Batman thanks Batgirl for the help, but tells to let the professionals handle it from here. Batman gives chase in the Batmobile. Batgirl gets on her motorcycle and follows along. Fries spots Batman catching up and dumps a barrel of his cryo solution onto the road, freezing it. The Batmobile and Batgirl's motorcycle both slide out in the unexpected ice, allowing Fries to get away.
Back in the Batcave, Bruce asks Alfred to figure out who could possibly have developed such a freeze gun like the bank robber that got away. Alfred finds that a former Wayne Enterprises employee had been working on finding practical applications of cryo-technology before he quit in order to take care of his dying wife. Alfred shows him the company file of Victor Fries. Bruce says he'll look into it.
Langstrom wakes up in the bat cave at the Gotham City Zoo. He has no idea how he got there. He exits the zoo and heads back to his lab. He finds his lab trashed and starts to remember the night before. He considers getting back to work, when hears a noise. He hides as two detectives enter the lab to look for clues to Langstrom's disappearance. He waits for the police to leave and grabs all of his notes and sets the lab up to explode before leaving.
After the firefighters put out the blaze at Langstrom's lab, Batman arrives to investigate. He finds strange hairs around the lab and collects them. He is confused by the analysis of the hairs which have genetic features of both bats and humans.
Back on the job following his hospital stay, Gordon is forced by the mayor to head a Batman task force following the downtown attacks. Gordon tells the mayor that he doesn't believe Batman is responsible, but he is ordered to capture the Batman or else.
Bruce Wayne shows up at Victor Fries' lab. Fries is surprised to see Bruce, but lets him into his lab. Bruce tells Fries that he wanted to see how he's doing with his wife's illness and his work. Fries explains that he was able to develop a cryo-solution to keep his wife alive until a cure can be found for Gracanin-Dorn Syndrome. Bruce wishes Fries luck and tells him to let him know if he needs anything. Back in the Batcave, Bruce tells Alfred that he suspects Fries may be the bank robber and that he'll break into Fries' lab that night.
Langstrom once again transforms into the Man-Bat. He flies to Cale-Anderson Pharmaceuticals, the company he was secretly selling his research to. Now, instead of wanting to cure GDS, he wants to use his unfinished antidote in order to create more Bat-people. He breaks into the building, stealing everything he had given the company, and flies out the window.
Batman breaks into Fries' lab, but Fries isn't there. He takes a sample of the cryo-solution to compare to what was used during the bank robbery. Alfred tells Batman that there's been a break-in at Cale-Anderson Pharmaceuticals. Batman enters the building and heads to the floor where the alarm was set off. Catwoman is there, but insists that she wasn't the one who set off the alarm, only an amateur would set it off. She tells Batman that she was hired to steal some files, but someone already beat her to the punch. Batman steals a hard drive from a computer from an office that was broken into.
Gordon and the Batman Task Force arrive at Cale-Anderson Pharmaceuticals after security footage shows the Man-Bat breaking in. Batman spots some more of the same hairs he had found in Langstrom's lab. Catwoman asks Batman what exactly is going on, but their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the task force. Batman and Catwoman team up to dispatch Gordon's men, but just as Catwoman is about to attack Gordon, Batman stops her. Gordon gives Batman a nod and radios the precinct that the Batman got away. Batman and Catwoman then escape through the window. Batman drives her home in the Batmobile. Catwoman suggests that they do this again sometime, kisses Batman goodnight, before disappearing into the shadows.
Alfred scans through the computer files, finding an encrypted file containing some of Langstrom's research on GDS and his use of gene therapy using bat DNA. Alfred suggests that Langstrom could be the creature responsible for the attack. Bruce comments that Fries' wife suffers from GDS and feels there may be a connection between the two.
Langstrom breaks into Fries' lab. Fries tries to go for his freeze gun, but Langstrom pulls out a gun and ties Fries up. Langstrom then tells Fries that he plans to cure his wife's illness by turning her into a bat creature like himself. Just then Batman drops down from the ceiling and incapacitates Langstrom. Batman asks Fries what exactly is going on. Fries explains the whole situation to him and offers to turn himself in and testify against Langstrom if Batman will make sure his wife is taken care of. Batman agrees, but just then Langstrom begins transforming into the Man-Bat and attacks Batman. Man-Bat's superior strength gives him the upper-hand. Batman shoots his grappling hook through Man-Bat's leg to try to keep him from flying away. Man-Bat thrashes about the lab, breaking the glass of the cryo-chamber that Fries' wife is in. The cryo-solution spills out, covering Fries and freezing him.
Man-Bat bursts through the roof of the lab and goes flying into the night, with Batman hanging on with his grappling gun. Batman reels in his grappling gun, holding on to Man-Bat's back. Batman then covers up Man-Bat's eyes, causing him to crash right through a window at the Gotham City Police Headquarters. Gordon, Essen and the task force happen to be right there. Gordon orders the team to shoot the monster, not Batman. The police fire several shots at Man-Bat, putting several holes through his wings. Man-Bat howls in pain before passing out. The creature then transforms back into Langstrom. Gordon and the task force arrests Langstrom.
Batman heads back to Fries' lab where he finds Fries partially frozen and his wife in cardiac arrest following the spilling of the cryo-solution. Batman uses a defibrillator on Fries' wife and is able to get her heart beating again. He notifies the police and paramedics of the situation, leaving once he hears the sirens.
Victor Fries, due to his contact with the cryo-solution is rendered unable to survive outside of sub-zero temperatures. He is arrested for murder and the bank robbery and placed in a special refrigerated cell while he awaits his trial. Bruce Wayne shows up at the jail and informs Fries that he heard what happened and has had his wife preserved in the cryo-solution at a Wayne Enterprises lab until her illness is cured. Fries is only interested in talking about getting revenge on Batman for his current condition.
Barbara Gordon shows up at Wayne Enterprises and asks to interview Bruce Wayne for an economics term paper. Bruce allows her in. Barbara tells Bruce that she knows that he is Batman and tells him that she wants to help him stop the criminals of Gotham City. Bruce tells her he doesn't know what she's talking about, but Barbara tells him that she's going to be fighting crime with or without his help.
Edward Nygma, the criminal who calls himself The Riddler, is welcomed to the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane by the chief of psychiatry, Dr. Hugo Strange (Kelsey Grammer), who tells Nygma that they have a lot of work to do.
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