Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: The Joker has been let loose and Batman must contend with him, aging, a new commissioner, and Superman.
Review: Picking up immediately where the first part left off, this film is more focused than the previous entry as it centers on Batman's further struggle with aging, the Joker going on a rampage, and Superman being asked to end Batman's vigilantism once it becomes apparent the police cannot contain him. The Joker plotline presented here is especially dark as he is killing people left and right and in quite grisly ways. I don't know, the story was good and this was an interesting take on the character, but there was a certain charm lacking from this incarnation. He was just more of a psychotic madman rather than trying to tell a sadistic joke through his antics which took me out of the situation a bit. I suppose perhaps this had something to do with the fact that the Joker seemingly wanted Batman to finally give in and just kill him, but I couldn't figure out why he would decide this now. Regardless, Batman did finally give in and pretty much kills the Joker which kind of irked me since I am a purist; there were also more moments of Batman wielding a gun which seriously angers me even further than the first part did! It's also worth noting that the comedian Conan O'Brien cameos as the voice of a late-night talk show host that the Joker dispatches of. The Superman vs. Batman plotline was the obvious highlight to the film since it is the clash of the biggest titans of DC. I never liked this aspect of Superman being a lapdog to the government, but I suppose it works here. It was cool how Superman is presented as well since people often just refer to him as, you guessed it, "Him." Although, one would have to wonder, would the US government really be so concerned over Batman's activities especially after rallying the city's people to work together? Regardless, the fight is epic as Batman prepares a special suit to use against Superman and arranges for Green Arrow to use an actual green arrow, in the form of kryptonite, to take down Superman. Considering this is a Batman film, Superman is still presented respectfully for fans, but the match ends predictably with Batman as the technical winner. This leads me to the final plot element which is the aging Bruce Wayne. During the fight, Batman fakes his death since he finally acknowledges his time has passed as he prepares to let Robin and the former mutants be properly trained by him to uphold the defense of Gotham City. Throughout the film, as a whole, we see Bruce's further struggles to come to terms with his age, limitations, and the fact that he is obsessed; this was the best part in the first entry and continues to be a strong plot point this time around. I still don't like how bulky they make Batman since we see his agility and speed emphasized as his strongest abilities besides his intelligence, but I understand the want to be accurate to the comic. Overall, the story is compelling and fun and a definite recommendation if you liked the first part. There are some downsides that I have already discussed that prevent this from being truly memorable, but it is still a great interpretation of an aging Bruce Wayne as well as many of the other famous characters.
Notable Moment: When Batman and Superman fight. People really seem to want this fight to happen, but as much as I love Batman more than Superman, Batman would not stand a chance.
Final Rating: 7/10
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