Holy smoke, Batman! For those of us old enough to have grown up with the caped crusader (prior to the Nolan reinvention), we've seen old Bats transformed from a classically camp superhero into a 'Dark Knight' antihero. 'Batman Live' slots itself neatly in the middle of these two eras. The show has more in common with Schumacher's 'Batman Forever' and towards the second half, the video game 'Arkham Asylum'. While this doesn't lend itself to complex narrative and dialogue, it does allow the show to dazzle in its greatest strength - acrobatics.
A strong cast of gymnasts and circus performers make up a healthy chunk of the two hour (ish) running time. These scenes mostly involve a tussle between Batman and a whole host of henchman. I hesitate to use the word 'fight' as it's more a slight kick here and a push there. Not exactly the ultraviolence of the Joker's interrogation scene in 'The Dark Knight'. Still, we have to remember this is a show aimed at a younger audience. A scene involving a 'trick with a pencil' would undoubtedly be entertaining for me but I imagine the parents would be in uproar. And this leads me to my main problem with 'Batman Live'. While I found the theatrics and spectacle of the show very entertaining, I couldn't help wishing we could have seen the darker side of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Not too dark for the kids but just enough that we could glimpse that inner struggle he has always had with his demons. People have compared this show to the comics. To me, that's false advertising. Have they even read a recent storyline?! They are darker than the Nolan films!
The main strengths of the show are the performances (particularly Harley Quinn who sounded exactly like her video game counterpart). The Batmobile obviously stole the show and you wouldn't expect anything less from the guy who designed the McLaren F1. The explosions and overall humour of the show were fitting. Okay, there were some cliches here and there but you can forgive them because the comic timing is so perfect onstage. The set design was inventive and allowed you to become immersed in Gotham City's dark underbelly.
'Batman Live' easily does its job of entertaining the audience throughout. It never lets up and a brief intermission does nothing to detract from the main action. There are rumours this show will go on tour for the next five years. While I enjoyed the experience, I'm not sure it is a strong enough to warrant extended periods of touring. Still, only time will tell. And with the release of the final film in Nolan's trilogy - I think it's safe to say next year will belong to the Dark Knight.
