Christian Bale in "Batman Begins" in the Batman Trilogy Marathon at the Putnam Museum & Science Center -- September 21.
Batman Begins: Saturday, September 21, 1 p.m.
The Dark Knight: Saturday, September 21, 4 p.m.
The Dark Knight Rises: Saturday, September 21, 7 p.m.
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
On September 21, fans of Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, and award-winning, critically acclaimed superhero blockbusters will be in big-screen Heaven when Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center hosts its Batman Trilogy Marathon, an event featuring back-to-back showings of 2005's Batman Begins, 2008's The Dark Knight, and 2012's The Dark Knight Rises.
Expectations for the origin story Batman Begins initially ranged from moderate to low, which originated from the poor reception of Batman & Robin that was credited with stalling the Batman film series in 1997. Yet after premiering in Tokyo on May 31, 2005,and being officially released in the United States on June 15, director/co-writer Christopher Nolan's comic-book thriller received highly positive reviews from critics, who deemed the film a significant improvement over the Joel Schumacher films of the 1990s. Batman Begins grossed more than $371.9 million worldwide, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2005, and was the second highest grossing Batman film at the time behind Tim Burton's 1989 Batman. Receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, the film elevated Christian Bale to leading man status while also making Nolan a high-profile director. Since its release, Batman Begins has often been cited as one of the most influential films of the 2000s. It was credited for revitalizing the Batman character in popular culture, shifting its tone towards a darker and more serious tone and style. The movie also helped popularize the term "reboot" in Hollywood, inspiring studios and filmmakers to revive franchises with realistic and serious tones.
Focusing on Batman villains Joker and Two-Face and released nationally on July 18, 2008, The Dark Knight received acclaim for its mature tone and themes, visual style, and performances—particularly that of Joker portrayer Heath Ledger. The actor, who passed away from an accidental prescription-drug overdose earlier in the year, received many posthumous awards including Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor, making The Dark Knight the first comic-book film to receive major industry citations. It broke several box-office records and became the highest-grossing 2008 film, the fourth-highest-grossing film to that time, and the highest-grossing superhero film.
Since its release, The Dark Knight has been assessed as one of the greatest superhero films ever and one of the best movies of the 2000s. It is considered the "blueprint" for many modern superhero films, particularly for its rejection of a typical comic-book movie style in favor of a crime film that features comic-book characters. Many filmmakers sought to repeat its success by emulating its gritty, realistic tone to varying degrees of success. The Dark Knight has also been analyzed for its themes of terrorism and the limitations of morality and ethics, and the United States Library of Congress selected Nolan's movie for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2020.
A showcase for the Batman villains Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), The Dark Knight Rises was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2012. The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who deemed it a satisfying conclusion to Nolan's superhero trilogy. The film grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, making it the second film in the Batman film series to earn $1 billion, and the highest-grossing Batman film to date. In addition to being Nolan's highest-grossing film, it became the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release, as well as the third-highest-grossing film of 2012. Additionally, The Dark Knight Rises was named one of the top 10 films of 2012 by the American Film Institute.
The Putnam Museum & Science Center's Batman Trilogy Marathon takes place on Saturday September 21, with screenings of Batman Begins at 2 p.m., The Dark Knight at 4 p.m., and The Dark Knight Rises at 7 p.m. Admission is $9-10 per film, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)324-1933 and visiting Putnam.org.
