Batman 3

**Batman 3**, also known in other countries as **Batman: The Long Halloween**, is a 2015 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. It is also a sequel to *Batman 2*. It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Hugh Jackman, Nicholas D'Agosto, Angelina Jolie, Crystal Reed, Adam Driver, Italia Ricci, Blake Lively, Kenneth Branagh, and Frank Grillo. The film ran 124 minutes and was released on April 3, 2015.

## Plot

One year after the events of *Justice League*, Bruce Wayne is approached by crime boss, Sal Maroni, who wants Bruce's help to launder money. Bruce refuses and on the way home helps out District Attorney Harvey Dent, who was beaten by Maroni. Bruce gets home where he is confronted by Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who reveals she was kicked off the mob, and the Falcones joined Maroni. Bruce tries to arrest her but just then he sees the Bat-Signal and she escapes. Bruce suits up and gets onto the rooftop, where he meets with Gordon and Dent. The three agree to end Maroni's reign by bending the rules if necessary, but not breaking them. Bruce learns the Gotham City Bank president, Richard Daniel, is considering giving Maroni the money. Batman shows up and convinces Daniel to step down, only for him to later be shot by Maroni's nephew, Johnny Viti.

On Halloween, Johnny is killed. Batman, Gordon, and Dent get together, though Dent reveals he does not care about the death of a hitman. Selina is revealed to be eavesdropping and gives them information which leads Batman and Dent to set fire to warehouse holding Maroni's $20 million. "The Irish", a gang of Irish hitmen for hire, are all put under Carmine Falcone's payroll to kill then-district-attorney Harvey Dent by blowing up his house. Dent and his wife Gilda survive. Later, on Thanksgiving, the Irish are all murdered. Then, on Christmas, Maroni's bodygurard is murdered. Maroni believes these murders to be the work of a rival. On New Year's Eve, the Holiday killer shoots Maroni's son, Alberto, overboard. His body is later found, severely disfigured, on Little Christmas. During the next few months Holiday starts killing members of the remaining loyal members of Falcone's mob. This leads to a huge gang war between Maroni and the Falcones, with several of their hitmen and guards killed by Holiday in the upcoming months.

Batman discovers a lead on where Holiday is getting his guns, only to find the gun-maker murdered on Mother's Day. Batman slowly realizes Holiday wants word that Maroni wants to find him. On Maroni's birthday, Sofia Falcone, the current leader of the Falcone family, is going to trial to testify against him. Before going to the stand, Sofia is handed a bottle of acid. During questioning, Sofia sprays Dent with the acid, disfiguring his face. Dent kills a doctor at the hospital and escapes. Dent has been hiding for a month, leading Gordon to believe that he was Holiday. Batman tries to find out where Dent is, questioning Selina, who refuses to reveal why she is obsessed with Maroni. Batman then realizes Holiday's next victim will be Sofia Falcone. Sofia is moved to a different cell, only to be killed by Holiday anyway. Holiday turns his gun on Gordon, who discovers Holiday's true identity is Alberto Maroni, who faked his own death. Batman arrives and he and Gordon arrest Alberto.

Dent releases all prisoners of Arkham Asylum and the inmates, Dent/Two-Face, and Catwoman force Maroni and his daughter into their penthouse. Batman intervenes, but is unable to stop Two-Face from murdering Maroni. During the following scuffle, Maroni's daughter falls out a window. Two-Face allows himself to be arrested and reveals there were two Holiday killers. Alberto, however, confesses to all the murders. Alberto is then sent to Arkham Asylum. On Christmas Eve, Gilda plans to move away from Gotham, but she writes an anonymous letter revealing she is the Holiday killer and took it upon herself to end the Maroni's reign over Gotham to get Dent off of his case to have a child. Her belief is that Dent took up the killings on New Year’s Eve and that Alberto is lying to the police with his confession. She also says that she knows Dent will eventually be cured and that they will reconcile, because she believes in him.

## Cast

* Hugh Jackman as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Nicholas D'Agosto as Harvey Dent/Two-Face/Holiday
* Angelina Jolie as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
* Crystal Reed as Sofia Falcone
* Adam Driver as Alberto Maroni/Holiday
* Italia Ricci as Patricia Maroni
* Blake Lively as Gilda Dent/Holiday
* Kenneth Branagh as Jim Gordon
* Frank Grillo as Sal Maroni

## Casting

Many fans were surprised when a cast list was announced and several of the main cast members of the series were not on it, only Jackman, Jolie, and Branagh returning. Christopher Nolan revealed this was due to the other actors having only two film deals, although with Jack O'Connell (Dick Grayson) having another film on contract but they could not find a role for him in the film without the others. Nolan also revealed that O'Connell, Katie Cassidy (Barbara Gordon), and Tom Cruise (Harvey Bullock) have signed on for a *Batgirl* film.

## Reception

### **Box office**

*Batman 3* grossed $652.3 million in the United States and Canada and $1.019 billion in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.672 billion.

### **Critical reception**

*Batman 3* has received generally positive reviews upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 72% based on 307 reviews with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "*Batman 3* can't match the feel of the first two films of it's series, but it's adaption of the classic comic is enough to enjoy it." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 49 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.