The Batman

***The Batman*** is a 2007 superhero film, based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. It is the first installment in the DC Shared Film Universe and the first installment of Phase One.

It was directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Jason Sudeikis, Rachel McAdams, Jude Law, Jeremy Irons, Gary Oldman, and Michael Ironside. The film spawned two sequels: *Batman: Assault on Arkham* in 2009 and *Batman: The Dark Knight* in 2012. The film was released on May 25, 2007 to gross $709.7 million on a $150 million budget. The film ran 143 minutes. The film also received mixed reviews.

## Synopsis

Bruce Wayne is a selfish, partying, playboy billionaire running his parents' company, Wayne Enterprises. However, on the Anniversary of his parents' deaths and witnessing a terrible crime, Bruce turns his life around and becomes the secret vigilante, Batman, intent on stopping the crime-ridden Gotham City.

## Plot

In 1987, 12-year-old Bruce Wayne and his billionaire parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, exit a theater after seeing a movie. However, the family is mugged by a common criminal. Thomas tries to plead with him to spare their lives, though the mugger takes their money and jewelry and kills the parents, leaving Bruce to mourn his parents in the alleyway. In 2007, 19 years and 364 days later, Bruce goes to a party celebrating a new tech created by his lab at Wayne Tower, the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises in Bruce's home, Gotham City. Bruce gets drunk and meets the journalist, Vicki Vale. Vicki recognizes he is drunk and the two return to Wayne Manor, Bruce's mansion home, where they have sex. Bruce awakens the next day and is confronted by Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler and best friend, that he is trying to avoid the anniversary. Vicki learns of Bruce's traumatic experience as a child and leaves the house to let him grieve.

Bruce goes out to the theater that his parents were killed at and buys the building to finally demolish it. However, on his way to his company, he sees Vicki being attacked by a mugger and everyone around walking away from the crime. Bruce gets out of his car and helps Vicki, calling the police, allowing Commissioner Jim Gordon to arrest the criminal. Bruce tells Vicki that she should take defense lessons, which she takes into consideration. At the Gotham City Police Department, Gordon learns that his daughter, Barbara wants to become a police officer. However, Gordon tries to dissuade her from becoming a cop. However, Gordon's best friend, Detective Harvey Bullock secretly gives her advice for becoming an officer. At Wayne Enterprises, Bruce discovers a military-grade bulletproof suit. Bruce remembers saving Vicki and decides to do something about all the criminals in Gotham, by hiding his identity with the suit of armor and a mask in the shape of a bat. Bruce is recognized after a couple days and called "Batman".

A hitman, Red Hood, robs a bank to make a living before he is kidnapped and brought to Don Falcone, a mob boss. Red Hood leads a mob hit on Ace Chemicals, where the target is rescued by Batman. Batman and Red Hood fight until the latter falls into a vat of chemicals. Batman, believing the hitman dead, leaves the building, only for Red Hood to escape the chemicals, hair stained green, face now white, and lips bright red. The hitman is also now insane and calls himself, the Joker. Bruce asks Vicki on a date and discovers the two have a lot in common, only for him to leave when he discovers the Joker is attacking a childrens' hospital. Bruce gets into his suit and arrives at the childrens' hospital, only to be suprise attacked by the Joker. Bullock and Gordon arrive with others and try to arrest the Joker. However, Bullock's dislike of the Batman prompts him to shoot at Batman instead, allowing the Joker to escape. Barbara, after talking to Mayor O'Hara, gets a job as a beat cop.

Gordon tries to get Barbara to quit, fearing she will get killed, though Barbara tells him that she wants to be Commissioner when he retires, changing his perspective. The Joker kidnaps Vicki, forcing Bruce to reveal his identity to her and the Joker to prevent him from throwing her off the roof. However, he does anyway, though Gordon manages to save her. Batman and the Joker fight on the rooftops, leading Batman to throw him off the roof. Batman finds him still alive on the streets and Bullock arrests the Joker. However, one of his goons arrives and after killing Bullock, escapes with the Joker. Bruce apologizes to Vicki for lying to her, though the two make up and return to the mansion. However, before they can do anything romantice, Bruce is forced to suit up again to fight the Joker, who has taken the GCPD hostage. Gordon begs to keep Barbara alive, and she manages to escape. She gets Batman a way in, and he stops the Joker before he can kill anyone.

The Joker is arrested and taken to Arkham Asylum. Bruce and Vicki officially begin dating, Alfred suprises Bruce with revealing there is a cave underneath the mansion, which Bruce decides to use a base for his vigilante operations. Barbara is made a detective in the wake of Bullock's death and her helping Batman save the day, while Mayor O'Hara is revealed to have been dealing with the mob, causing Gordon to be offered the duties of mayor, which he declines. In a mid-credits scene, Joker is taken to his cell, attracting the attention of a young nurse. In a post-credits scene, Bruce and Vicki are in bed, when Bruce awakens in the night from a dream. He gets up and begins drawing a symbol over and over again on a notepad1.

1The symbol is the Omega symbol from DC comics, a common symbol for Darkseid.

## Cast

* Jason Sudeikis as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Rachel McAdams as Vicki Vale
* Jude Law as The Joker
* Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
* Alice Eve as Barbara Gordon
* Kenneth Branagh as Harvey Bullock
* Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon
* Michael Ironside as Mayor O'Hara

## Appearances

### Locations

* Gotham City
	+ Harmony Theater
	+ Wayne Manor
	+ Wayne Tower
	+ Gotham City Police Department
	+ Gotham City Bank
	+ Ace Chemicals
	+ Gotham Children's Hospital
	+ Gotham City Hall
	+ Arkham Asylum

### Events

* Murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne
* Hit on Eddie McClaine
* Attack on Gotham Childrens' Hospital
* Kidnapping of Vicki Vale
* Scuffle at GCPD

### Organizations

* Wayne Enterprises
* Gotham City Picture News
* Gotham City Police Department