Batman Unchained

***Batman Unchained*** is a 1999 American superhero film, directed by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman. It is the fifth and final installment of Warner Bros.' initial *Batman* film series, with Michael Keaton reprising the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film, produced by Denise Di Novi and Burton, introduces the return of Charles Shreck as the notorious Black Mask to destroy Gotham City.

## Plot

In 1993, at 5 AM in Gotham Cathedral, almost a year after the Penguin's reign of terror, around Halloween time, a rainy thunderstorm occurs at the funeral of Max Shreck. His fried pop-eyed corpse is seen from the window of his coffin. The citizens of Gotham, including Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, James Gordon, Vicki Vale, Roscoe Jenkins, Alexander Knox, Rupert Thorne, Charles 'Chip' Shreck, and Harvey Dent attend the funeral to pay their respects. After the priest commends Shreck's funeral, Charles wants everyone to say a few words about his father. After Bruce and Roscoe Jenkins pay their respects, Gordon accuses Shreck of having been affiliated with the Penguin during the Christmas massacre. This made Charles scream at Gordon for insulting his father. Even though Harvey Dent tells Charles not to speak rudely to Gordon, Charles still continues to scream at everyone, making them panic. Charles then vowed to get back at Batman and the people of Gotham for everything that has happened to the Shreck family.

In 1999, six years later after the funeral, a criminal mastermind known as Black Mask has assembled a group of dozens of criminals called the False Face Society, using the Shreck crypt as their base of operations. Each member of the False Face Society wore a distinctive mask, and the gang's crime spree spread rapidly throughout Gotham, eventually attracting the attentions of the both Batman and the police. Black Mask arranges for Skull Face to kidnap Lieutenant Harvey Bullock and take him to the Shreck crypt where he offers the cop a deal: in exchange for a disc filled with information about the False Face Society's rivals in the criminal underworld - "enough potential cases for ten successful careers"- Bullock would give a testimony of Johnny Poodles-Black Mask's right hand man- that would dismiss the entire case. Bullock initially refuses the offer, however, he later gives in and starts eliminating all of Black Mask's rivals.

Meanwhile, Black Mask continues burning down several buildings owned by Wayne Enterprises which gets Batman's attention. However, Black Mask only did this to attract Batman's attention after deducing that he is actually Bruce Wayne. Black Mask then reveals himself to be Charles Shreck, who wants to seek vengeance on the city of Gotham for what happened to his father. Charles reveals that late in the evening, after the funeral was over, he broke into the cemetery where his father was buried. Seconds before he could unlock the Shreck crypt, a lightning bolt struck him, blasting the door open and hurling Charles headfirst into a nearby stone. Charles took the incident as an omen of his "rebirth" and entered the crypt, taking apart his father's face to form a mask with it, starting a new life as the crime lord Black Mask. Blaming Cat Woman for his father's death, Charles spent the last six years obsessively studying her and eventually deducing that she is actually Selina Kyle. Before Black Mask could kill Batman with a chainsaw, Skull Face intervenes and manages to save Batman just in time. Black Mask is still able to escape, however, it is revealed that Skull Face is actually Robin working undercover in the False Face Society.

Feeling ashamed for working with Black Mask, Bullocks grabs his gun, buys a pig mask, and robs a rival biker gang. Bullock later gives an honest testimony at the Poodles trial that ensures Poodle's conviction. Angered at this betrayal, Black Mask sends several members of the False Face Society to execute Bullock, however, Bullock lures the False Face Society into a territory belonging to the rival biker gang Bullock robbed. This results in a shootout that only leaves Bullock to be the only survivor.

Upset that he didn't have any more henchmen left, Black Mask kidnaps Cat Woman's sister Maggie and brother-in-law Simon. Black Mask cuts Simon's eyes out and forces Maggie to eat them, driving her insane. Cat Woman, feeling guilty for everything that has happened, confronts Black Mask and begins to fight him. Black Mask leads Catwoman down into his torture chamber. Upon entering the chamber and seeing her sister chained to a wall, near-comatose from sheer trauma, Catwoman begs Black Mask to release Maggie. In response, Black Mask offersthe thief a deal: he would release Maggie and send her to an emergency room, but in exchange, Catwoman would take Maggie's place on the wall so that *she* would be tortured to death instead.

Cat Woman agrees to Black Mask's conditions, however, after the thief is properly chained, Black Mask orders Maggie to be killed only for Batman and Robin to arrive to save her. Cat Woman wrests herself free of Black Mask's chains causing Black to flee from the torture chamber. Batman eventually corners Black Mask to reveal that Shreck killed his business partner Fred Atkins and later on Black Mask's mother after discovering that they were having an affair. However, Shreck was unaware that the affair resulted in Charles being born and Shreck still thought that Charles was his son even after killing his mother. Discovering that his whole life was a lie, Black Mask asks Batman to kill him, however, Batman arrests him instead.

After Batman congratulates Bullock for a job well done, Selina agrees to stay at Wayne Manor.

## Cast

* Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle / Catwoman
* Marlon Wayans as Dick Grayson/Robin
* Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
* Pat Horley as Lieutenant Harvey Bullock
* Andrew Bryniarski as Charles "Chip" Shreck/Black Mask
* Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale
* Robert Whul as Alexander Knox
* Michael Murphy as Roscoe Jenkins
* Pat Hingle as Commissioner James Gordon
* Jon Polito as Rupert Thorne
* Christopher Walken as Max Shreck
* Will Smith as Lucius Fox
* Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent