I.I BATMAN
BATMAN: LEGEND OF THE KNIGHT (2008)
DC Comics ©
Logline
When his young ward goes missing, Bruce Wayne forms an alliance with his old mentor to ensure his surrogate son’s safe return. As he scales the globe, he crosses paths with a former flame.
Source Material
Batman: Daughter of the Demon
Batman: The Demon Lives Again
Batman: Son of the Demon
Plot Summary
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, as the crimefighting duo Batman and Robin, infiltrate the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub which is a front for the criminal Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin. A fight ensues between Batman & Robin and the nightclub's security as the duo pursues The Penguin through the establishment.
The Penguin almost escapes because of the duo's poor communication. Once they've captured The Penguin, the two argue. Robin asserts that Batman won't acknowledge him as his crimefighting partner, only as a sidekick. Batman escorts The Penguin to the G.C.P.D. (Gotham City Police Department). Robin leaves to return to the Bat-Cave.
Batman delivers The Penguin to Police Commissioner Jim Gordon atop the G.C.P.D. Gordon notes Robin's absence and Batman explains their quarrel. Gordon stresses to Batman that Robin's not a kid anymore, so their dynamic is bound to change. He speaks from experience with his own daughter, Barbara. Detective Harvey Bullock arrives and takes The Penguin down into the precinct as Batman departs.
Whilst en route to the Bat-Cave, Robin is ambushed by assassins and after a brief scuffle, abducted. When Bruce returns to the Bat-Cave, he asks Alfred, his butler, where Dick is. When Alfred informs him he is yet to return, Bruce assumes he's just be blowing off steam after their argument. However when several hours pass, he re-dons his cowl and returns to the night to investigate his ward's whereabouts. He finds Dick's motorcycle abandoned in an alleyway. After some detective work, he deduces that he's been abducted.
After spending several days investigating Dick's whereabouts, Bruce is approached by Ra's al Ghul, a former mentor of his. Ra's successfully infiltrates the Bat-Cave and informs Bruce of his own daughter's abduction. Bruce and Ra's daughter, Talia, had a close relationship in their youth. They trained together under Ra's tutelage, alongside Quin Landor. Quin vied for Talia's affection, but it was not reciprocated. Because of this, he became jealous of Bruce. Bruce and Talia were betrothed, albeit briefly. Bruce returned to Gotham to honour the vow he made to his parents, leaving Talia heartbroken.
Bruce is surprised by Ra's appearance, who doesn't look much older than when he last saw him 25 years ago. Ra's suspects that Quin is responsible for not only Talia's abduction, but Dick's too. He shows Bruce a photograph he received, showing Talia held hostage, with Dick visible in the background, also restrained. As Bruce examines the photo, Alfred enters with a letter addressed to Bruce. It contains a similar photograph with Dick. Bruce agrees to travel with Ra's to Arabia to rescue Dick and Talia.
When Bruce, Ra's, and Ras's bodyguard Ubu, arrive in Arabia, they're ambushed by assassins. The trio manage to evade capture and Ra's leads them through the mountains as they continue their quest. Bruce is separated from Ra's and Ubu during another attack. The two are seemingly killed in an explosion. Bruce continues his pursuit alone. He investigates a dwelling in the mountainside and finds Dick and Talia being held there. Upon his arrival, he's congratulated by Quin. Quin demands a duel, stating that if Bruce wins, he will let both Talia and Dick go. Bruce accepts. When Bruce asks Quin what he stands to gain from this, it's Ra's who answers.
Ra's appears from the shadows and explains his elaborate ruse. How he orchestrated Dick's kidnapping as a way to ensure Bruce would leave Gotham. How his daughter, Talia, was never in any real danger. And, how Quin is simply the final test he must pass in order to be a worthy successor and take his place as the leader of Ra's organisation, The League of Assassins. Bruce refuses.
Bruce reveals that he caught on to Ra's deception as soon as he examined the photographs. He simply played along as he was sure it would lead him to Dick sooner. Bruce asks Talia to reconsider her place by her father's side, and asks her to return to Gotham with him. Tearfully, she refuses and tries to convince Bruce to accept her father's offer.
Insulted by his refusal, Ra's orders Quin and his bodyguard Ubu to kill him. Bruce is a better fighter than both of them, but together, they overpower him. Talia, who can't stand to see Bruce killed, frees Dick from his constraints. Together, Bruce and Dick are able to render both assailants unconscious. Ra's is impressed by the duo, but sees Bruce is steadfast in his commitment to his parents and Gotham. He demands a duel to settle things between them once and for all. Bruce accepts.
Dick is eager to help Bruce in his battle against Ra's, but Bruce insists it's something he must do himself. The two duel with swords, much like they did as mentee and mentor all those years ago. The dual leads to the cliff side, and as Ra's gets angrier and angrier at Bruce's refusal to take his daughter's hand and stand by their side as successor, he loses his footing as he lunges at Bruce with a killing stroke. Bruce evades the attack and Ra's plummets off the mountain side to his death, leaving Bruce victorious. Bruce consoles Talia and tries to convince her to return to Gotham with him and Dick. She refuses and honouring her father's word, allows Bruce and Dick to leave as she takes her father's place as the leader of the League of Assassins.
As they return to Gotham, Bruce apologies to Dick and acknowledges that he's not a kid anymore. Dick appreciates his apology but has decided he needs to step out of Batman's shadow and become his own man, and that he can't do that as Robin, so he retires the mantle and hands Bruce his uniform. When they return to Wayne Manor, Dick packs his belongings and leaves. Alfred tells him he always has a place at Wayne Manor. As Batman, Bruce arrives on G.C.P.D. roof where Commissioner Gordon is waiting for him next to the illuminated bat-signal.
Post Credits
Back in Arabia, Talia retrieves her father's body and submerges it in a Lazarus Pit. Ra's remerges, his eyes glowing green.
Cast
Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) … Bruce Wayne aka Batman
Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger) … Dick Grayson aka Robin
Faran Tahir (Iron Man) … Ra’s al Ghul
Natalie Portman (Thor) … Talia al Ghul
Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger) … Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin
Michael Douglas (Ant-Man) … Comm. James Gordon
Sterling K. Brown (Black Panther) … Lucius Fox
Anthony Hopkins (Thor) … Alfred Pennyworth
John C. Reilly (Guardians of the Galaxy) … Sgt. Harvey Bullock
Alexis Denisoff (The Avengers) … Det. Larry Lance
Scott Adkins (Doctor Strange) ... Quin Landor
Damion Poitier (The Avengers) ... Ubu
