Rhys Reviews

Tag: dc

  • Legacy of The Bat: Tim Burton’s Batman

    Michael Keaton as Batman

    Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in the pages of Detective Comics #27 in 1939, Batman has become a pop-culture phenomenon that has transcended the comic book page. The story of Bruce Wayne, a man shaped by the death of his parents in his pursuit of costumed crimefighting on the streets of Gotham, has become an iconic narrative that has lit up the cinema screen repeatedly. Initially making his live action debut in a pair of serial features in 1943 and 1949 respectively, played by Lewis Wilson in Batman and then Robert Lowery in Batman and Robin, the character would return to the big screen and the small screen at the same time in 1966. Adam West played the titular character in Batman: The Movie, and the three season show that ran between 1966 and 1968.

    In the years since, the character has been played by Val Kilmer in 1995’s Batman Forever, George Clooney in 1997’s Batman and Robin, Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ben Affleck across the DC Extended Universe series of films and Robert Pattinson in 2022’s The Batman. The character has also lit up the cinema screen in the animation field, appearing in the Lego Movie, Lego Batman Movie and Lego Movie 2, voiced by Will Arnett, and iconic voice actor Kevin Conroy in 1993’s Mask of the Phantasm, based on Batman: The Animated Series, and 2016’s The Killing Joke, based on the graphic novel of the same name.

    Adam West as Batman

    Wide varieties of the character have appeared on the big screen across the years, based on differing takes on the character, from the comedic takes in West’s, Kilmer’s and Clooney’s take on the character, to the more grounded and serious takes on the character from Bale, Affleck and Pattinson. This latter takes on the iconic comic book character would not exist however without the release of easily the most influential take on the character, Tim Burton’s Batman, released in 1989. Starring Michael Keaton in the titular role, the film moved the needle in the public perception of the Dark Knight and launched the career of one of the most influential directors of the modern day. 1989’s Batman follows the early days of the caped crusader, inspired by the comics, The Dark Knight Returns and Year One by Frank Miller, and Alan Moore and Brian Bollard’s The Killing Joke, as the hero comes into conflict with his archnemesis, The Joker, played by Jack Nicholson.

    Going into the release of Burton’s take on the Batman, the public perception of the character was shaped heavily by the television series that predated it in the 60s. The Adam West-starring show was based on the current era of the hero who had moved away from his darker routes and became more involved in sci-fi adventures, with his adventures becoming pulpier and more comedic. West’s show followed suit by focusing on the goofier side of the character, emphasising the costumed criminals, the gadgets, the relationship between Batman and his sidekick, Robin, played by Burt Ward, and going full forth with dance numbers, silly action and action balloons, The comics would soon jump back into serious adventures, with the release of graphic novels like The Dark Knight Returns and Year One, but the wider media stayed with the goofier side of the character, public perception continuing to be shaped by animated series like The New Adventures of Batman and Super Friends. The promise with Burton’s take on the character would be to return the character to his roots, the darker stories that Bob Kane and Bill Finger focused on when the character was first published would be focused upon again.

    Tim Burton behind the scenes with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson

    Tim Burton got the job directing the feature after the success of Beetlejuice in 1988 and was most well-known for Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, a 1985 big budget comedy which served as the director’s directorial debut. Fan expectation was at a all time low when both director and star were announced for the film, with Keaton, at the time, being most well-known for his comedy roles, with fans clearly having flashbacks to the goofier take on the character that had predominated the culture zeitgeist in the last decade. The superhero genre had also recently returned to the world of camp and unpopularity, with Christopher Reeves’ tenure as Superman coming to an end, with the release of the critically panned Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Various versions of the Batman script were penned after the release of the initial Superman feature, with Warner Bros Pictures taking on the role of producers for the project.

    Directors like Ivan Reitman, Joe Dante and Wes Craven were approached and thought of to helm the project, with a script being used by writer Tom Mankiewicz, which was rewritten at least 9 times during early production. Once Burton came on board the project, he hired comic book fan, Sam Hamm, to rewrite the script, believing the film to be too campy, and to trim the excessive amount of characters included in the various drafts, with characters like Silver St. Cloud, Dick Grayson, who would become Robin, and Rupert Thorne being removed from the script.

    A dark route is what the film went for, initiating a new look and feel for Gotham City, one that emphasised the cities Gothic look, and formed a connection to the look of German Expressionist features. Famous for films like Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the movement was formed after the first World War, after the German government banned the release of foreign films in their film markets. The movement emphasised artist’s inner emotions and feelings over trying to match any sort of reality, rejecting cinematic realism with the movement highly influencing the future of gothic cinema. Sets were hyper expressive, made to look unnatural and not realistic, and that matches Gotham City in Burton’s feature, a city marked by gothic backdrops, contained in overwhelming darkness, but still home to skyscrapers and architecturally absurd buildings that create a contrast between the streets and the skyline. The German Expressionist movement would continue to be an influence on Burton throughout his career, notably in films like Sleepy Hollow in 1999, Edward Scissorhands in 1990, and Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2007.

    Michael Keaton’s casting was controversial, but it is hard to argue against how wrong initial reactions to that casting would be. Keaton plays the version of Batman that the fans needed at the time, a dark and brooding hero, who creates an interesting dichotomy when compared to playboy Bruce Wayne. Like Reeve in his Superman outings, Keaton plays both characters differently but still emphasises a connection between the two whenever the perfectly formed mask of Bruce comes falling off. A controversial aspect of the character comes from his willingness to kill, he almost seems to love it in various sequences, with the character being famous to comic book fans as a willing unable to kill. However, if the film is wanting to strike back to the early days of the hero, basing itself off returning to the roots of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, then it is still accurate. The hero did indeed kill in his first appearances, brandishing a gun as a weapon of use. This killing nature of the character seems to be one that has stuck with most cinematic versions of the character, with only Clooney and Pattinson seeming to be the only ones unwilling to take a life.

    Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton behind the scenes of Batman

    The Joker debuted in the comics in 1940, initially designed as a one-off villain who would be killed in his debut in Batman #1. The character would soon become the most iconic villain in the rogue’s gallery of The Batman, known as his archnemesis. The character was initially depicted as a prankster character, one who was in line with the comedic side of the brand and soon turned into one more aligned with Nicholson’s depiction of the character, as a gangster costumed criminal. Years after the release of the 1989 film, the character would revert to a serial killer and frequently moves between each depiction of the character. Nicholson plays the character with a level of tension, he is scary but also funny, blending the world of the prankster and the gangster together perfectly. Nicholson accepted the role under strict guidelines, which gave him top billing, a portion of the film’s earnings and his own shooting schedule. The film would be controversial for some variations from the established Joker lore, with the film giving the character a new origin and identity.

    Based on the Killing Joke graphic novel, the film depicts his vat of acid transformation, but removes his connection to the Red Hood Gang, in favour of making him the murderer of the Waynes, a role which was given to character Joe Chill in the comics. This change was controversial but adds a close connection to villain and hero for the film, exploring the trauma of Bruce Wayne in a way no other outside media had been able to yet. The inclusion of his name, Jack Napier, was an original idea for the film, and would be a name that would be reused across various other adaptations. Various other characters would appear across the film’s runtime from the comics, notably Vicki Vale, who debuted in the comics for Batman #49 during 1948, as the character’s love interest, who shared a lot in common with Lois Lane. Bruce’s butler, Alfred would also play a large role, played by Michael Gough, who would play the character four times consecutively until Batman and Robin, with the character debuting in the 1940 Batman serial. Billy Dee Williams also appears as Harvey Dent, seeding the promise of sequels with him becoming costumed criminal Two Face, which would eventually happen, but without Williams. The character debuted in the comics in Detective Comics #66 in 1942.

    Michael Gough and Michael Keaton in Batman

    The success of the feature cannot be understated, with the year being marked by a ‘Batmania’, where over $750 million dollars of merchandise being sold about the character in response to the feature. The film grossed $411.6 million against a $48 million budget, marking a new franchise and the return of the superhero feature. A sequel was guaranteed, with Batman Returns debuting in cinemas in 1992. The film doubled down on the dark gothic atmosphere, a choice that alienated child-friendly audiences, with the film reflecting the character’s new mature focus. The film featured the debut of two classic Batman villains, with The Penguin, first appearing in Detective Comics #58 in 1941 and played by Danny DeVito here, and Catwoman, first appearing in Batman #1 in 1940, being the newest villains that Batman would have to face. The film was made with a higher level of control from Burton, with the film gaining a notable pushback from audiences after being marketed similarly to the previous film, falsely marketing a more sexual and violent feature as a child-friendly feature. The film was still a success at the box office, breaking various records, but fell short of the previous feature’s gross, only making $266.8 million.

    Though, not as successful, the film would be equally as important to the character, with the series, Batman: The Animated Series being made off the back of the success of both features. The series, which would be followed by various other animated shows in the same universe featuring DC Comics characters, would become the posterchild for the popularity of the character, and the blueprint for how to adapt a comic character into animation. Danny Elfman’s fantastic score for Batman and Batman Returns would also live long past these two features, becoming known as essentially the score for the character, returning in use in Batman: The Animated Series, the Lego Batman games and 2017’s Justice League.

    Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito as Catwoman and Penguin in Batman Returns

    Batman’s cinematic history has forever relied upon reacting to the previous iteration of the character, as come the 2000s, Batman was once again a joke in the public consciousness after Batman Forever and Batman and Robin returned to the campy nature of the character. The negative perception to Batman Returns led to Joel Schumacher taking the director’s chair, with two films that acted as sequels, just without the main star returning, with the appearances of new Batman villains to the big screen, notably Two Face, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Mr Freeze and Bane. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy would return the character back to his gritty and dark roots, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman would act as a reaction to the negative perception of Ben Affleck’s tenure as The Dark Knight in 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice League and 2017’s Justice League.

    Batman commonly moves between perceptions, from goofy to serious, but that former version is always going to be rooted in Keaton and Burton’s take on the character. Forever the character is going to be connected to his gothic depictions, and the character proves his popularity in this form, with Keaton returning as the character in 2023’s The Flash.

    Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson face off in Batman

  • Superman (2025) Review

    David Corenswet as Superman

    Genuine human kindness stands out as rebellious in the modern day, where the news focuses on so much death, war and attempts to divide us. It is normal to be cynical and cruel nowadays, but director James Gunn’s newest feature, Superman, puts a spotlight on the belief that being generally kind and heartfelt is the way we should be. In the past decade where the Man of Steel was depicted as an unfeeling, God-like being through the films directed by Zack Snyder, it is fundamentally refreshing to see a film which depicts Superman as the closest yet to Richard Donners’ original big screen take.

    Gunn’s newest big screen depiction of the Man of Tomorrow follows the hero as he sees his worldview and his public status tested when he saves lives in the middle of an ongoing war. When uncertain truths are revealed about his past, the hero sees himself coming into conflict with fellow heroes, the United States government and his archnemesis Lex Luthor.

    David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in Superman

    Gunn has worked with ensembles throughout his career in the superhero genre, with his four previous features all following superhero teams, namely the Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. Crafting a solo feature is a different task for the director, and the extended cast for this film could have been a detriment for sure, but this talented director always makes it work.

    This film feels the closest a director has come to capturing the tone and feel of an actual comic book, the film opens in media res, the characters already exist, and the origin stories are skipped, like the audience has opened a comic book in the middle of a story arc. All the characters have important roles to play in the film, but they all enter and exit the movie as the story requires of them, feeling like a Superman story with crossovers. Starting this new cinematic universe with the superheroes already active and the world being built around that really makes it stand apart from the competition. The film does get bogged down in some exposition in the first act, but the movie really functions perfectly without any need for justification of the events or the characters. The film also just retains its character-focus by the plot being so focused on the conflict between Lex and Superman.

    Nathan Fillion in Superman

    David Corenswet is the newest actor to take on the iconic role of Superman. He is the linchpin of this film, the most important character who dictates the tone of the film, and Corenswet impresses as the character. The film reflects the light-heartedness and the earnest portrayal of the character, giving Corenswet so much opportunity to mark out a unique take on the character that sets him apart from both Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill. He is a hero who believes in love, kindness, the fundamental ability for people to change and the protection of all life, to the point that so many action sequences in this film pay specific attention to the hero saving people and protecting them from harm’s way. The hero is charming and warm, brimming with personality and he uplifts the film’s cheesy nature into feeling hopeful and bright.

    David Corenswet’s Clark Kent in Superman

    The actor also just has magnificent chemistry with co-star Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane. Brosnahan delivers a levelled Lois Lane performance, depicting the character as troubled and untrusting, but so filled with the need to seek the truth. She is a realist, which clashes with Superman’s look at the world which may seem naïve to an audience, but is proven right through the character’s actions.

    Nicholas Hoult portrays the film’s lead antagonist, Lex Luthor. Luthor is among the most iconic comic book movie villains, portrayed throughout the decades by many talented actors with vast different takes on the character. Hoult portrays the obsessive nature of Luthor, he is cold and calculating, treating his staff terribly, the only passionate speeches from him comes from talking about killing his archenemy. His character acts as an anthesis to the message portrayed by Superman, he represents the realistic evil of humanity, his xenophobic and cruel side opposing the kindness and emotional nature of the protagonist. His role also serves to configure the movie’s political analogy with the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict, with the waring nations that Superman takes part in being a clear analogue to this real-world conflict. The film takes a clear side in the conflict and critiques the American government and the upper class for the role in the conflict through Lex, a hard stance that is a surprise for a mainstream Hollywood film.

    Nicholas Hoult’s villainous portrayal of Lex Luthor in Superman

    Corenswet, Hoult and Brosnahan are joined by a massive cast of supporting actors who range in importance. Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett and Mikaela Hoover serve as the team behind the Daily Planet newspaper, each having a small but memorable role in the film. Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi portray the heroes that make up the ‘Justice Gang’, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Mr Terrific respectively, three heroes that serve as supporting players in action sequences and as moral support. The characters serve as more of a taster for what’s to come, as a promise of more solo adventures in this new universe. Action sequences serve as a major highlight of the film, as Gunn makes the use of the heroes’ wide variety of powers to convey interesting and unique action sequences. Filmed on IMAX, Gunn’s direction consistently amazes and surprises, shooting flying sequences so dynamically and with head-on shots that remind of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick.

    A common critique of the Marvel films is their flat directions, commonly grey and dull in colour with very little stylistic flair. Gunn’s work has always stood out as visually interesting, and Superman is his most visually distinct yet. The film is colourful and bright, matching the tone with a direction which looks like it was ripped out of the comic pages. Gunn’s work is also commonly critiqued for its tonal mismatches, the mixture of both comedy and emotional moments leads to one overpowering the other. This film feels like his most tonally consistent film, the emotional beats land and the comedy feels contained and concentrated, and there is still a sizeable number of jokes that for everyone that doesn’t land, there will be one that does. The music needle drops are also very contained and focused to only two in this film, compared to the cohesive soundtracks of the director’s previous work.

    Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi in Superman

    Composers John Murphy and David Fleming’s score puts a great end stone to the film’s style, marking a hopeful film with an equally hopeful score, remixing John Williams’ original Superman score into something unique and vibrant. The electric guitar marks a connection to punk rock, connecting to Superman’s central vision, that human kindness and empathy is the true punk rock.

    David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan soar in Superman

  • The Impact of Superman (1978)

    Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978)

    On the week that the Man of Steel flies again onto our cinema screens, through the release of director James Gunn’s take on the character, it is only natural to look back on the cinematic history of the character. It has been twelve years since the last cinematic version of the character debuted, with Henry Cavill taking on the role in 2013’s Man of Steel, returning to play the character in 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2017’s Justice League, 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League and finally 2022’s Black Adam. The character is synonymous with the superhero genre, adapted to live action so many times at this point that he, Batman and Spider-Man would be argued to be the faces of the genre, but pre the superhero boom of the 2000s, Superman would start any interest at all in the genre in the late 70s, where Christopher Reeve donned the suit for the first time and made people take the superhero film seriously.

    George Reeves portrays Superman

    Christopher Reeve was not the first actor to don the cape, Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play the character in 1948’s Superman serials, and George Reeves would play the character in 1952’s Adventures of Superman television series, but Reeve has easily become the most iconic take on the character. Released in 1978, Superman the Movie was marketed as the film to make you believe a man could fly, marketing the film as almost much of a science-fiction film as it was a superhero feature. What is today a well-known origin story that has been done to death in superhero cinema, was fresh and new at time of release.

    The film saw the first cinematic depictions of the destruction of Superman’s home-planet, Krypton, his childhood in Smallville by earth parents Ma and Pa Kent, his debut as Superman, starting his work as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent and romance with Lois Lane in Metropolis, and his first showdown with long-time nemesis Lex Luthor. All conveyed across a two-hour runtime, the movie is almost a filmic epic in the amount it conveys to its audience but doing such a herculean task with such confidence in front and behind the camera.

    The cover of Action Comics #1

    Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1938 for Action Comics #1, Superman is essentially the modern superhero, he is the archetype for every superhero that would follow on the publishing scene. It is because of this character that so many tropes of superhero media have since become typical, Superman wears a costume, has a masculine physique, uses a codename and makes the use of extraordinary powers. At the time of the release of the film as well, Superman had the largest array of powers possible for a comic-book character, not simplified for a long time after the release of the film.

    The superhero comic was popular in the 1940s as war propaganda but soon became to slip in popularity after the world returned to normal, and this was when comics became sillier in nature. The general depiction of comics to the general masses would be based on the adaptations of the work, and mainly that would be from the Adam West-starring Batman television series, and its accompanying film in 1966. The material reflected the camp that was contained in superhero narratives at the time and changing that general audience perspective would be the focus going into Superman the Movie.

    Director Richard Donner behind the scenes with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder

    Director Richard Donners’ goal when creating the film was to take the material seriously, to formalize audiences with a world that was now like their own. Lex Luthor would be reinvented from the original evil scientist that was found in the comics, to a rich businessman which would soon become the most iconic take on the character. The titular character’s father would die from a heart attack in an early scene to humanize the god-like character, showcasing that even with all these powers the hero could still not save everyone. The film reinvented Krypton as a planet of coldness and cruelty, from the world that had just advanced past humanity from the source text to one made up of crystalline structures and resembled a dystopia. Superman’s connection to Krypton would also be emphasized more throughout the film, with this feature being the first time the symbol on the character’s chest would be the same as the family crest that his Kryptonian parents would use.

    Christopher Reeve’s depiction of the Man of Steel would also become the blueprint on how to depict the character; his portrayal still being held to high regards after all these years. The actor would portray the two sides of the characters as two separate roles, Clark Kent would hold himself with a nervousness, a man with a large mass but looked small because of his bumbling nature, he delivers his lines with such pause and intentional bewilderment that he stands apart from the stoic Superman. The actor holds himself large and strong as Superman, his mass on full display as he portrays the character’s genuine warmth and happiness, the character was synonymous with the superhero genre because he is kind and comforting, a friend and not just a protector. The film depicts him wearing a clearly silly costume, but the film takes the hero seriously through Reeve’s performance.

    Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve as Lois and Clark in Superman (1978)

    Margot Kidder would portray the love interest of the feature, intrepid reporter Lois Lane, who first appeared in Action Comics #1 as well. She brings an ambitious spark to the character that was needed, sharing fantastic chemistry with Reeve in what would become one of the most iconic romantic pairings in cinema. After an interview between the costumed hero and the reporter, he takes her on a flight across the world, selling the wonder of the concept but also marking a wonderful connection between these two characters. The film made time for romantic beats, which would become a staple of the superhero genre moving forward. The superhero genre is a hybrid genre in nature, with Superman becoming the blueprint for so, blending the worlds of romance, action, science-fiction and comedy through the role of Lex Luthor.

    Gene Hackman portrays the hero’s archnemesis, who first appeared in the source material in Action Comics #23 in 1940. Depicted as the opposite of the text’s hero, Lex represents ego, the human’s reaction to aliens and superpowers, and the attempt of supremacy over those superpowers through intellect. When first introduced, the character was a one-off antagonist who was a villain because he blamed the hero for the loss of his hair, depicted as a mad scientist. Hackman’s portrayal of the character stays true to some of the silly renditions of the character but updates him to a businessman whose whole plot revolves around money. The character would soon develop into a ruthless businessman and politician in the source text after the release of the film, fuelled with racial discrimination for the alien immigrant main character. That fundamental change would be fuelled by this very film, where Hackman stands out from the crowd as a humorous villain who opposes the kindness of the lead.

    Gene Hackman as antagonist Lex Luthor in Superman (1978)

    The effects of the time were groundbreaking, there is a reason why the film was marketed with the promise of making you believe, the flying sequences are excellent. The film’s final act builds on a crescendo as Superman flies around the world multiple times to reverse time and save Lois from her fate, ending on a triumphant moment and a showcase of the hero’s impressive powers. The franchising possibility would also be threaded throughout the film, setting up the promise of future films through comic book references and easter eggs that would become important to the genre. The movie would begin with the imprisonment of classic Superman foes General Zod, Ursa and Non by the Kryptonian high council. The characters would return to the film’s sequel as the main antagonists, a film that was originally to be shot alongside the original film, but was paused 75 percent of the way through, only being resumed once the original was a success. Franchises would become the backbone of the superhero genre coming into the 21st century, and turning Superman into a 2-film epic would be the first sight of that.

    Christopher Reeve faces Terrence Stamp’s Zod in Superman II, Sarah Douglas and Margot Kidder also star

    Superman would become the first major hit of the superhero genre, and the first one to become a franchise. Released in 1980, Superman II would follow up on the tease of General Zod, a character who was a smaller villain in the comics, debuting in Action Comics #283 in 1961, and only becoming one of Superman’s biggest foes in response to his role in the sequel film. The film would continue the serious take on the character, with hints of camp, but would start a downwards trend for the franchise, with original director Richard Donner leaving the project. Followed by two sequels, Superman III in 1983, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace in 1987, the franchise saw diminishing returns in both box office and critical reviews. The serious tone was completely replaced by camp and a silly tone, returning the superhero genre to the angle it was seen as from before the release of Superman the Movie. The genre would only come back to prominence with the release of Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989.

    Even with the diminishing returns with the franchise, Superman the Movie still stands as an important piece of cinema. With the boom of the superhero film with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the continuing cinematic importance of Superman, it is the blueprint for an entire genre and stands as one of the sole reasons why the character still stands the test of time.

    Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978)