![“THE Batman” depicting a new standard [Mizumaru Kawahara’s CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.66]](https://cinemore.jp/images/4e23686e1e63589d6c9bb76d584a88e0afd7a40dc9b4d4e9e65694498a917ae5.jpg)
Not a tank, but a car
What caught my eye this time was the Batmobile. Of course, for me the 1989 Batmobile is the best (I wonder if there will be anything that surpasses it in the future), but this new version has a completely different appeal.
The fact that Nolan's Batmobile (also called the "Tumbler" after the armored car it was based on) looks almost like a tank is probably due in large part to Nolan's logical reasoning. The Tumbler Batmobile was born because a prototype of a sturdy armored car lying dormant in the Wayne Company warehouse matched what Bruce Wayne wanted, whereas this Batmobile is not The Batman, but The Car. The only thing that makes it Batman-like is the pointed wing-like rear (of course, like previous Batmobiles, it runs while breathing fire), and its silhouette with almost no decoration makes it look like a stylish car. It doesn't seem to have the toughness of the Tumbler version, nor the diverse gimmicks of the 1989 version, but it suits the Batman in this film.
It has the feel of a typical American muscle car, but it's probably more like a detective's favorite car than Batman's combat vehicle. It reminds me of the Batmobile from the 1960s TV series. Batman and his partner Robin ride together in a black open-top car with red trim, but this one also has a more normal car-like design compared to the Batmobile from the 1989 version onwards (the base was a concept car announced by Ford in 1955). This super car-like Batmobile may also be a return to that image.
It's cool to see it roaring as it chases bad guys, but what's new is that the flames that spew out of the rear of the Batmobile, a staple of the Batmobile, are pale blue this time. The sight of it spewing blue flames in the darkness gives it a somewhat ghostly atmosphere. Of course, the Tumbler version is like that, but it's probably essential for the Batmobile to be scary if you're being chased. Before seeing the movie, I thought, "It's just a car," but after watching it, I suddenly wanted a plastic model or a set of Lego blocks.
There's still a lot I want to talk about. I want to delve deeper into my favorite villain, the Penguin, and I can't forget the slightly wild Alfred played by Andy Serkis. Above all, I'm personally happy that Wayne Manor (at least its interior) is once again in a sinister, gothic style. Batman, or rather Bruce Wayne, deserves to live in an old castle-like place and sleep like a vampire during the day. As for Batman's secret base, the Batcave, it's a good mix of low-tech and high-tech, and I might like it more than the Nolan version.
Anyway, I feel very happy to have come across a new standard for Batman. I want to follow this series. Above all, I'm happy to see Gotham City with Batman again after a long time. It's a fictional city that shows different faces from time to time, but it's nice that it feels like a nostalgic place. When I think about it like this, I realize that I have a lot of feelings for Batman. Welcome back, Batman.
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Illustrations and text: Mizumaru Kawahara
Born in 1991. Illustrator. In addition to illustrations and covers for magazines and books, there are also illustration columns for movies and books.
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