Genre: Action/Superhero
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writer: APJ
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bryan Cranston, Jonathan Pryce, Taron Egerton, Tatiana Maslany, Madelaine Petsch, Caleb Landry Jones, Kelsey Grammer, Adrien Brody, Matt Smith, Eddie Marsan, Bella Heathcote, Julia Garner
Plot: Selina Kyle (Tatiana Maslany), dressed as Catwoman, manages to break into the vault of a luxury jewelry store. She takes a large, precious diamond from the vault as the alarm begins to blare. Barbara Gordon (Madelaine Petsch) hears about the robbery on a GCPD scanner and suits up in her Batgirl costume. She gets on her motorcycle and speeds off toward the jewelry store. She speeds past the police on their way to the scene. When she arrives, she sees the Catwoman escape through a fifth floor window and begin scaling the side of the building. Batgirl breaks into the building and runs up the staircase to the roof. When she gets to the top, Batman (Jake Gyllenhaal) is there and tells her to sit this one out. Batgirl is confused and asks where Catwoman is, and Batman points up to a neighboring rooftop. Batman launches himself toward the other rooftop with his grappling gun.
When he gets to the other rooftop, he finds Catwoman sitting there waiting for him. She tosses him the diamond and tells him that she didn't really want to steal the diamond, she already stole one earlier in the week that they haven't even discovered yet. Batman tells her if she didn't want the diamond, why she stole it. Catwoman tells Batman that she wanted to contact him, but didn't have his phone number for a more traditional way of reaching out. He asks her why she wanted to see him, and Catwoman tells him that she missed him. Batman asks her not to rob any more stores to get his attention, calling her Ms. Kyle. Catwoman is surprised he knows who she is and says that clearly he knows where he can find her. She then jumps off the roof and makes her getaway down a fire escape.
When the police arrive at the jewelry store, led by Captain James Gordon (Bryan Cranston). The police corner Batgirl, who starts to make her getaway, but not before Gordon recognizes her as his daughter. He shows up at her dorm room that night, and asks Barbara why she is dressing up like a Bat and chasing after crooks. She says crime fighting must be in the family's DNA, but Gordon tells her there is a difference between maintaining order as an officer of the law, and acting as a vigilante. Barbara says she just wants to make a difference. Gordon asks why her IT internship at the GCPD isn't enough of a difference for her, and she asks to join the GCPD academy so that she can be a detective like him. He says that's out of the question. Barbara responds by saying that she will continue to fight crime at night to help make Gotham a better place to live.
With Gotham City's professional basketball team, the Knights, on strike, the arena has hired the Grayson Family Circus to take over a residency of the arena. Long gone are the days of tigers and elephants, but the Graysons have kept their particular circus alive by upping the ante on their death-defying stunts. The youngest of the Grayson family, Dick Grayson (Taron Egerton), performs a high-flying trapeze act, and halfway through the performance, he announces over a microphone that he'd like the safety nets below removed for his next maneuver. With the nets gone, Grayon leaps through the air, narrowly grabbing the next swing. After the show, his family is annoyed that he risked his own life with such a stunt, but he tells them that their usual repertoire is not going to keep the audience entertained for much longer and then they'll be back on the road again.
At the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, the chief of psychiatry Dr. Hugo Strange (Kelsey Grammer) is sitting down with the mysterious criminal known only as The Joker (Caleb Landry Jones). Strange says that Joker's fingerprints don't show up in any government database and his face doesn't show up in any facial recognition systems. Strange asks how the Joker managed to accomplish such a feat, the feat of being completely anonymous in a world of well-kept public records, social media and constant surveillance. The Joker refuses to answer Strange's questions. Frustrated, Strange leaves the room.
In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne takes off his cowl and Batsuit. Alfred Pennyworth (Jonathan Pryce) emerges and asks if he brought Miss Kyle into police custody, and Bruce shakes his head no. Alfred says the soft spot Bruce has for a jewel thief like Kyle is not only out of character, but it's also a tad worrisome. Bruce says there's just something about her, and that if you took away the criminal record there is a good person there. Alfred comments that it doesn't hurt that she looks good in a catsuit. Bruce cracks a rare laugh and agrees with Alfred's assessment.
Dr. Strange sits in his office with Dr. Jonathan Crane (Adrien Brody), one of the psychiatrists employed at Arkham Asylum. Strange asks how Crane's latest experiment is going, and Crane raves that not only has he developed a syrum that increases fear in people, but he has also created a serum that does the opposite, and eliminates the chemical response that leads to fear. Strange commends Crane on his work and suggests they give it a test in the field.
After another circus performance, Dick Grayson leaves the arena on his motorcycle and rides to a rundown area. He stops outside of a seemingly abandoned warehouse near the harbor and walks toward a door. He knocks and is let in by a door man. Grayson walks down a staircase and finds himself in the middle of a cage fighting event. Oswald Cobblepot (Eddie Marsan), the criminal known as the Penguin, enters the cage to announce the next event. He thanks everyone for turning out and braving the Bat, and announces the next two fighters. On one side of the cage is a tall, muscular cage fighter Penguin called "The Condor". On the other side of the cage is Dick Grayson. Penguin looks him over and announces his name as "The Robin" due to how small he appears opposite the other fighter. Grayson says he could do without the bird-themed name, but Penguin ignores him and announces to the crowd that betting on the match is about to close. When the fight begins, Grayson attacks the Condor with aggression, launching at him with a barrage of kicks and punches. The Condor hits the floor, knocked out cold. The crowd boos, indicating that the Condor was clearly the betting favorite. Just then a small black device with a blinking red light falls into the middle of the cage. Penguin and Grayson both look at the device. Suddenly, thousands of bats crash through the windows of the warehouse and begin swarming the crowd. Batman then descends from the roof. He knocks the Penguin out with a single punch. Grayson starts running away, but Batman blocks his path. Grayson manages to land a couple of hits on Batman, but Batman is clearly stronger. He tells Grayson that he doesn't want to catch him hanging around the likes of the Penguin again and allows Grayson to escape the warehouse as it is slowly surrounded by police sirens.
Gordon and his men are arriving at the warehouse as they see Grayson starting up his motorcycle to flee the scene. Gordon blocks Grayson's escape route with his squad car, causing Grayson to crash into the police car. Grayson is sent flying into the air, landing in the middle of the street with a thud. Gordon orders an officer to check on him and cuff him while he goes inside to check out the scene. When Gordon enters the warehouse, he finds the Penguin tied up in the middle of the cage. Grayson is handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
Dr. Strange sits across from the Joker again, but he continues to refuse to speak with him. There's a knock at the door, and Strange gets up to answer it. In walks Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Julia Garner). Strange has her take the seat across from the Joker. He tells the Joker since he doesn't want to talk to him, perhaps a more feminine approach will lead to better results.
Bruce Wayne sits across from Julie Madison (Bella Heathcote) in a crowded restaurant. He tells her that he isn't sure about the future of their relationship. She asks if he's breaking up with her. He apologizes to her, telling her that he has developed complicated feelings for another woman and doesn't want to be dishonest about it. Julie throws her drink at Bruce and leaves the restaurant. Paparazzi cameras flash, capturing the entire scene.
Strange meets with Crane to discuss how to best test the fear syrums Crane has created. Strange comments that the general public doesn't have enough fear recently due to the image of the Batman defending the city against crime and evil in all its forms. Crane proposes that they could disperse the fear toxin in a public place to see how people respond. Strange suggests they could give the reverse toxin to a criminal to see if it changes the interactions with the Batman. Crane asks if Strange has anyone in mind. Strange says that the Joker is too unpredictable to let loose, and frankly, doesn't seem to have any fear of the Batman. Crane suggests the Riddler, and Strange likes the idea. The walk to the cell of Edward Nygma (Matt Smith), also known as the Riddler, and unlocks the door. Strange has some orderlies pin Riddler to the floor while Crane injects him with the reverse fear syrum. Strange tells the Riddler that he now needs to overpower the orderlies and escape from the facility. Crane hands Riddler a night stick. Riddler beats the orderlies with the night sticks and escapes down a corridor. Once the Riddler has made it to the exterior of the facility, Strange sounds the alarm for appearances.
The Joker hears the alarms blaring and smiles. Quinzel asks him why he's smiling. The Joker tells her that alarms have always pleased him as they create chaos. Quinzel asks Joker why the chaos pleases him, and he tells her that chaos is his normal state so he thrives while others are busy freaking out. Quinzel begins taking feverish notes. The Joker stops talking and starts looking Quinzel up and down. He asks her why she thinks Strange sent her in to talk to him. She admits that she isn't exactly sure why he chose her since she is still an intern, but she thinks that maybe he thought the Joker would be more willing to talk to a female. The Joker laughs at the suggestion, and Quinzel says that so far Strange's assumption is proving to correct. The Joker says he doesn't talk to Strange because Strange just wants to use him for his own gain, which he finds uninteresting.
Gordon arrives at Arkham Asylum and asks Strange what exactly happened. Strange says that Nygma overpowered two orderlies and managed to escape the facility. Gordon finds it suspicious that the Riddler would so easily escape a facility designed to house the criminally insane, but Strange says that it happened during a security shift change, so Nygma must have been studying the security patterns during his time at Arkham.
At the Gotham Arena, the Grayson Family Circus begins to prepare for their next show, this time without Dick Grayson, who is still in police custody. Dr. Crane and the Riddler sneak into the arena's ventilation room. Crane prepares the fear toxin and inserts it into the ventilation ducts. Crane then puts on a gas mask that looks like a scarecrow. He then turns to the Riddler and says they have some scares to generate.
Gordon sits down with Dick Grayson and tells him that he thinks spending a night in jail is enough to put Grayson back on the straight and narrow, but he doesn't want to bust him at any more underground fights. Grayson agrees to these terms and leaves the police station. He collects his motorcycle from the impound lot and races toward the arena, hoping to make it there before the end of the show.
The Graysons are performing their act high above the ground when the green gas of the fear toxin begins to fill the arena. Scarecrow and Riddler walk out into the middle of the arena and announce that they have all been infected with a dangerous gas. The crowd begins to freak out and clambor for the exit isles. The Graysons, suddenly striken with fear, fall to their deaths.
Alfred informs Bruce of a commotion at the Gotham Arena, and Bruce puts on the Batsuit. He speeds toward the arena in the Batmobile, seeing thousands of people screaming as they rush out of the building. Batman enters the building, unsure what to expect. He is affected by the fear toxin and sees thousands of bats beginning to attack him. Batman tries to fight off the imaginary bats when he sees his parents being killed right in front of his eyes. Batman radios Alfred and says that something is seriously wrong. Batman puts on a gas mask and slowly regains his composure. He heads deeper into the arena, but all he finds are the dead bodies of the Grayson Family Circus on the ground.
Dick Grayson arrives at the arena and finds it shut down by the police. He demands to know what is going on, and the police tell him there was a toxic gas attack at the arena and nobody can enter. He rushes past the police anyways and finds the bodies of his family being taken away by the coroners. Grayson demands to know what happened. The officers on the scene are surprised he hasn't heard that the Riddler and some new guy people are calling the Scarecrow, poisoned the audience, making them super afraid of everything. They tell him it's all over the news.
Bruce Wayne conveniently runs into Selina Kyle in public. After some small talk, Bruce asks her out on a date, but she says she isn't interested. Bruce is surprised since he usually doesn't have a hard time finding a date. That night, Bruce shows up on her balcony dressed as Batman. She kisses him. He tells her he think she doesn't need to steal anymore. She asks him what he expects her to do instead. He tells her he thinks she has the ability to help people. She says that nobody has ever helped her, so why should she help others.
Strange and Scarecrow infect Gotham's water supply with the fear toxin. Throughout the day, the entire city is affected by the fear toxin, resulting in mass hysteria and rioting. At Wayne Manor, Alfred is affected by the fear toxin. He sees a young Bruce Wayne laying dead next to his parents. Bruce finds Alfred weeping incoherently. Bruce is able to help Alfred recover from the tox and asks Alfred if he can work up an antidote to the toxin to give everyone. Alfred says he will try.
Dr. Quinzel and the Joker meet for their regularly scheduled appointment. Joker says it sounds like a lot of fun out there. Quinzel explains that something is making everyone in the city face their fears. The city officials have reported that someone has poisoned the city's water supply with an unknown toxin that has caused it all. He asks her what she's afraid of. She says that isn't an appropriate question. He tells her that he'll answer the same question if she gives an answer, quid pro quo. She relents and says that she is afraid of her feelings. She then asks Joker what he fears most, and he tells her that he fears spending the rest of his life in the same orderly routine.
Barbara dresses up as Batgirl and tries to help restore order out on the streets, but she is jumped and beaten by a handful of Gothamites who think she is a monster. Seeing his daughter Barbara injured, Gordon finally relents and says that he will consider helping her get into the GCPD academy, but only if she quits trying to be a vigilante. Barbara says she will consider it. This isn't the answer Gordon was hoping for, but leaves it there.
Batman finds Dick Grayson fighting with some of Riddler's thugs on the streets. Batman takes out the thugs and tells Grayson that he is out of his league. Grayson, wearing his trapeze outfit and a domino mask, tells Batman he can call him the Robin. Batman tells Robin to leave protecting the city to those capable of doing so. Grayson demands that Batman help him get his revenge against Riddler and Scarecrow. Batman tries to impart on Robin that there is a difference between justice and revenge and that which path Robin picks will determine his destiny.
Riddler, who seemingly can't help but try to toy with Batman and the police, leaves a series of electronic riddles to be solved, which he says will lead them to the location of the people behind the fear attacks. Gordon lights a newly created bat signal in order to discuss the matter with Batman. Gordon and Batman split up the clue locations, and Batman gives Gordon a radio that will be able to contact him, although Batman says that the Riddler could very well
Dr. Quinzel meets with the Joker again. This time, the Joker tries to convince her help him escape. He says she knows he doesn't belong in a place like this. He isn't crazy, he just likes to stir things up. She says that it wouldn't be very professional of her to help someone escape where a court sent him. He asks her if she truly believes the justice system works, of if it just adding to the problems of society. Unlike them, he says he wants to shine a light on society's problems, not try to cover it up and hide it behind bars and padded walls.
While Batman and Gordon and his squad are out locating the Riddler's clues, Barbara uses her computer skills to trace the location Riddler has sent the messages from. She sends the location to her father via text. He tells her this is a police matter, but thanks her for using abilities to help Gotham. Gordon and his squad surround the building when the Batmobile pulls up outside. Gordon's squad aims their guns at Batman, but Gordon tells them to stand down and allow Batman to deal with the Riddler.
Robin confronts Scarecrow on a bridge where he is overseeing the transport of a batch of his fear toxin to another city, Bludhaven. Robin attacks Scarecrow. Scarecrow flees up to the top of the bridge where he infects Robin with the fear toxin. Robin begins panicking on top of the bridge, with the toxin indicating a new fear of heights. Scarecrow finds it ironic. Robin begins to envision he is falling from the top of a trapeze line, causing him to actually fall off the top of the bridge. Batman arrives just in time and manages to catch Robin with his grappling gun. Batman beats Scarecrow to a pulp, even after Scarecrow uses his fear toxin on him. Scarecrow is confused and asks how Batman is immune to his fear toxin. Batman reveals he isn't immune, he is just using his will power to overcome his fears. Batman then knocks Scarecrow off the top of the bridge, but catches him with his grappling gun.
Gordon's men retrieve a tied up and unconscious Riddler from a building and bring him into custody. Gordon says that something never sat right with him and uses the Batsignal to get Batman's attention. Batman flies his Batjet to the top of the GCPD building. Gordon tells Batman that he doesn't have any evidence, but he believes Dr. Hugo Strange at Arkham Asylum may be involved in the fear attacks since the newly captured Scarecrow worked for him at the Asylum and the Riddler recently broke out of the Asylum. Batman tells Gordon he'll look into it, but that if anyone would know it would be the Scarecrow, Dr. Crane.
During another meeting, Dr. Quinzel slips Joker a knife in a stack of paper. Joker's eyes light up with excitement. As Quinzel leaves the room, she subtly blows Joker a kiss. Joker reaches out and catches the imaginary kiss and puts it in his pocket. Joker then starts laughing with anticipation.
Dr. Jonathan Crane is in a GCPD holding cell. He is insisting that any reasonable jury will find him unfit to stand trial due to temporary insanity and he'll be back to work as a psychiatrist sooner rather than later. The lights go out in the cell for a moment, and when they turn back on Batman is in front of him. Batman injects him with the fear toxin. Batman then appears as a monstrous Bat-like creature to Crane, who cowers on the floor. Batman asks how Dr. Hugo Strange is involved. Crane says the whole plot was Strange's idea and that he was merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things.
Gordon and his squad arrive at Arkham Asylum to arrest Hugo Strange. Gordon says that the police may not have been able to prove Strange's involvement in the fear attacks, but that the Batman was able to get Dr. Jonathan Crane to sign a full confession that heavily implicates Strange in the attacks. Strange demands to see the Batman, claiming he has the right to face his accuser.
Batman finds Grayson at the still-closed arena. Grayson tells Batman that he doesn't want what happened to his family to happen to anyone else. Batman tells Grayson that he can help him with that and asks if Grayson really wants to go by the less than intimidating name of Robin. Grayson nods his head, saying he thinks it fits.
Mid-Credits Scene: Joker jumps out a window at Arkham Asylum. He has used the knife to stab and kill a guard, but not before carving a smile on the guard's face. He gets into a waiting car down the road. Inside is Dr. Quinzel. She gives him a kiss, and he tells her to drive.
Post-Credits Scene: Amanda Waller (Halle Berry) oversees the transfer of Gotham's deadliest criminals to a new D.E.O. SuperMax facility. Riddler is among the convicts loaded up for transit. He asks where she is taking him, and she tells him it's a mystery.
No comments:
Post a Comment