Batman: Year One

**Batman: Year One** is a 2008 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Tom Pelphrey, Scarlett Johansson, James Franco, Willem Dafoe, Emma Stone, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons, Gary Oldman, and John Doman. It was released on May 2, 2008 and grossed $603.9 million against a $150 million budget. It ran 131 minutes and received critical acclaim, with praise toward its story, visual effects, action scenes, acting, thematic elements, and Nolan's direction. *Batman 2* was released on May 7, 2010, followed by *Batman 3* on May 3, 2013.

## Plot

In 1994, ten-year-old Bruce Wayne becomes scared after an incident with a bat. Afterward, his father, Thomas, shows him the caverns underneath their estate, Wayne Manor. Wayne is orphaned after his father and mother, Martha Wayne, are mugged and murdered. In present day, Bruce Wayne has been travelling abroad for five years, training to be able to face the injustice of Gotham City. Upon his much-publicized return to Gotham, Wayne officially takes over Wayne Enterprises, his parents' company, while reuniting with his butler Alfred Pennyworth, who raised him after his parents' murder, and Harvey Dent, his best friend growing up. Wayne meets Lucius Fox, the CFO of Wayne Enterprises. At a charity gala, a gang of criminals attempt to rob the building, while Wayne prepares to take them on. Retrieving a mask from his office and taking some unfinished tech, he manages to scare the gang off. After the incident, Wayne meets Detective Jim Gordon, who dislikes the idea of a vigilante running around Gotham. The gang is revealed to be working for Sal Maroni, a crime boss and rival of fellow mafia don Carmine Falcone. Maroni wants to take over Wayne Enterprises, as Falcone has already taken over most of Gotham's highest businesses.

Wayne and Gordon work together to uncover Maroni's involvement in the raid, though they are unable to get an arrest warrant due to the corrupt nature of Gotham's justice system. Maroni sends Selina Kyle/Catwoman, a hired assassin, to kill Gordon, though when she prepares to do so, Wayne shows up, again masked and armed, and takes her on, causing her to escape. Gordon is put into protective custody with his teenage daughter, Barbara. Wayne tasks Fox with creating a suit for Wayne's vigilantism, modeled after a bat, along with more tech. Fox agrees to keep Wayne's secret, as he begins going out at night to take care of the crime in his city, due to the cops not caring enough. Maroni and Falcone both receive word of the "Batman", the nickname given to Wayne. Maroni sends Selina after the Batman, and they fight again, though both make it out.

Alfred deduces Bruce's identity as Batman, while Bruce attempts to uncover further evidence against Maroni to imprison him, though he is unable to. Meanwhile, Gordon also attempts to find something against him. Eventually, the two work together and are forced to team-up with Falcone to get Maroni imprisoned. However, as Maroni is arrested, a shootout occurs, in which Selina uncovers the fact that Falcone is actually her father, something which Maroni prevented her from learning. Bruce pleads with her to help them fight Maroni, though she leaves instead, though Maroni is still arrested. Dent takes the case against Maroni despite Bruce's worries about him getting involved in a gang case. Bruce holds another charity gala to celebrate Maroni's arrest, which Selina shows up to. Bruce and Selina do not recognize each other outside of their costumes, but after dancing with one another, they realize their identities. Before they can say anything about it, Wayne is forced to leave after hearing word of a mishap at Maroni's trial. Arriving at the courthouse, Wayne and Gordon learn that Maroni threw acid in Dent's face, severely disfiguring him and this caused a mistrial. Maroni got out free after bribing the court in the break period.

Fed up with the constant ignorance of Maroni's crimes, Bruce goes after him as Batman. Gordon leads a squadron of GCPD officers to catch Batman, though Gordon switches allegiances and orders his squad to take Maroni in. Eventually, Selina shows up and stops Maroni from escaping, leaking everything he has done to the public, causing an uproar in Gotham and forcing Maroni to be tried. Falcone celebrates Maroni's imprisonment, though is shocked to learn that Selina has also leaked his instances of tax evasion, causing him to be arrested as well, in an act of revenge for giving her up as an infant. Bruce asks Selina to join him at Wayne Enterprises now that her former employer is in prison, though she chooses to go on her own path, promising to see him again. Wayne visits Dent, who is still in a coma, while the media continues to wonder who "Batman" is. In a post-credits scene, Dent awakens, while Amanda Waller, Director of A.R.G.U.S. orders an investigation into Bruce Wayne.

## Cast

* Tom Pelphrey as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Scarlett Johansson as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
* James Franco as Harvey Dent
* Willem Dafoe as Sal Maroni
* Emma Stone as Barbara Gordon
* Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox
* Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
* Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon
* John Doman as Carmine Falcone

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Batman: Year One** grossed $180,010,950 (29.8%) in the United States and Canada and $423,889,404 (70.2%) in other territories for a total of $603,900,354. Worldwide, it is the sixth highest-grossing 2008 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $81.6 million.

### **Critical reception**

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes *Batman: Year One* holds an approval rating of 90% based on 313 reviews, with an average rating of 7.53/10.