Batman III: Nine Lives

Batman III: Nine Lives

WARNING!!! Spoilers for Batman: The Dark Knight!

The following is an enticing capsulation of what I think the next Christopher Nolan “Batman Film” should consist of, followed by an explanation. I call it “Nine Lives”!

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Black.

- Alfred (voice over):
This time it isn’t about protecting Gotham.

Cut. See Bruce Wayne on a building top with flames behind him. He lifts up his head and is covered in ash crying.

-Alfred (voice over):
This time, they want you.

Cut to Black.
Fade in. Batman, cape flowing, in a dark office. Commissioner Gordon is there too.

-Gordon
This thing has gone too far.

-Batman
It’ll go as far as it has to.

-Gordon
They’ve hired someone. Someone to catch you.

Cut. We see Commissioner Gordon being introduced to a man named Edward Nigma (The Riddler) by Crispus Allen. Nigma carries a cane.

-Allen
Commissioner. Allow me to introduce you to Edward Nigma. He’s been assigned by the Mayor’s office to aid in the Batman investigation.

-Nigma
The pleasure is mine.

Cut. Walking into a jewelry store there are police lights outside. Nigma enters seeing the place completely emptied. Gordon and Allen are behind him.

-Nigma
When does a painter use a trigger instead of a brush?

The two cops look at each other. Nigma looks at the place again and then reaches down and picks up a fine hair on the ground.

-Nigma
When he’s a stick up artist.

Cut. We see Bruce Wayne looking over his newly built Bat Cave.

-Gordon (voice over)
They say he is even as smart as you are.

Cut. In the Bat Cave, Wayne dressed in work out clothes runs an obstacle course in the cave.

-Batman (voice over)
Brains don’t always win the fight.

Cut. Batman lands on a rooftop with his cape flowing over him.

-Catwoman (voice over)
Meow.

Batman turns around to see Catwoman standing there leaning against a wall and spinning her whip. Music builds!

Cut. Batman and Catwoman fight on a rooftop. Batman is scratched and whirled around by the whip.

Cut. We see a look at the newly built Wayne Mansion.

-Nigma (voice over)
How canst thou keep a rooster from crowing on Sabbath morn?

Cut. Alfred opens the Mansion door to see Nigma standing there with two police cars outside.

Cut. Nigma stands at a window looking over Gotham and slams his cane into his gloved palm.

-Nigma
By killing him on a Saturday night?

Cut. Building! Batman runs across a rooftop with police helicopters chasing wildly after him.

Cut. Batman finds himself battling a score of SWAT officers.

Cut. Alfred runs down a flight of stairs to the Bat-Cave hurriedly.

Cut. Batmen enters into a room where Catwoman unmasked turns to look at him. They acknowledge one another.

Cut. Lucius Fox in the board room of Wayne Enterprises falls down clutching his chest.

Cut. Commissioner Gordon rounds a corner with his gun out and points it at Batman, he fires several rounds.

Cut. In a study, Nigma as The Riddler attacks Wayne with his cane. Wayne dodges it skillfully.

Cut. Batman spins Catwoman around supporting her back as if to kiss her. Gotham’s lights make them into silhouettes.

Cut. Commissioner Gordon is placed into handcuffs by Crispus Allen.

Cut. Climax! Wayne runs down the hall in his suit screaming and reaches for a closed door when it explodes blasting him backward.

Cut. Slower! Wayne sits in the corner of a bed with his face in hands. Fade to black.

Black.

-Nigma (voice over)
I need to know everything you can tell me about the Batman.

Cut. Nigma has his head leaning against jail bars desperately. Inside of the jail, shrouded in shadow and dressed in a prison outfit, the Joker looks up sheepishly.

Black.

Title: “Batman III: Nine Lives”

Cut. Catwoman walks past Batman casually. Batman follows her with his eyes. Catwoman turns to him.

-Catwoman
What? You got a patent on spandex?

Black.

End.

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Key things that I think would make a great third Batman film:
1. Riddler
He is a man who can best Batman in the brains department. He could start off as being hired by the police to help them track down Batman. The hunt, however, will drive him crazy in that Batman will find someway to ruin his pursuit. Driven into despair, The Riddler will go over the edge with the one riddle he can’t solve: How to kill Batman! With the aid of Crispus Allen, a cop under Gordon who has mixed feelings on Batman, he will rally the police to track down Batman. In the end, Batman will reveal the Riddler for the lunatic he really is.

2. Catwoman
If the Riddler can best Batman in brains then Catwoman can best him in might. Both The Riddler and Catwoman pose interesting foils for Batman. The Riddler because while he is working for the police. He represents what Wayne could be if he had gone into law enforcement. Catwoman, however, is a criminal. She uses her talents to aid the less fortunate in her neighborhood, while taking a little for herself. More over, however, she just loves the excitement of crime, and more particularly of Batman. The two will initially quarrel, but ultimately Batman will have no choice but to turn to Catwoman to help to defeat the Riddler. This will be the first step in warming Batman up for the idea of a partner, like Robin, in the fourth film.

3. Gordon vs Batman
Commissioner Gordon is left in a tough spot at the end of TDK. At the one end he is forced to hunt Batman but he also considers him an invaluable ally. The Riddler will see this and find a way to turn Gordon against Batman. In the end, however, Gordon will side with his true heart and side with Batman instead. This will initially get him arrested until the Riddler is seen for the maniac that he is.

4. Alfred to the Rescue
For Bruce Wayne, Alfred is the grounding rod. After a rough day of wading around in the refuge of humanity, Alfred is the one to remind Wayne that there is more to life than crime fighting. This will be an important element as the Riddler tries to undercover Batman’s identity by attempting to draw him out. One way he will do that is by killing Lucius Fox.

5. Fox Dies
As much as I love Morgan Freeman, Lucius Fox has to die. There is only so many people in Bruce Wayne’s life and Fox would be a perfect target for the Riddler to exact his revenge on. By killing Fox, the Riddler would hope to prove that Wayne is Batman. Also, it would get rid of the additional father-figure. Wayne only needs one and the role in already filled by Alfred. The only problem is that Wayne will need a new way to get “all those wonderful toys”.

6. Make it about Bruce
Gotham has been torn to pieces twice now! In order to not sound redundant, this film has to focus on tearing Batman apart instead. I recommend this approach, so that when the fourth film comes out it can be focused back on the destruction of Gotham in a major way.

Well, those are my ideas. I only wish I had a way to get them to Christopher Nolan. Oh well, at least I got it out of my head. Night!