We’ve seen a hundred fan-made films that chronicle the adventures of many of our beloved characters, oftentimes with less than stellar results. Not so with the case of BATMAN: PUPPET MASTER, a fan-made Batman film that lives within the Christopher Nolan Bat-verse. The filmmakers of this little opus have set the film after the events of THE DARK KNIGHT, which is probably the coolest thing about it, aside from being rather clever. The short is about 15 minutes long, so set aside some time to catch the whole thing.
Take a look:
One of my biggest complaints about THE DARK KNIGHT RISES was that they chose to send Batman into hiding after the events of THE DARK KNIGHT, never to be seen again, effectively destroying the ending for that film. I doubt anyone walking out of THE DARK KNIGHT thought, “Well, that’s it. Batman drove off into retirement.” For me, I felt like it was the catalyst for Batman, which would propel him even further into his journey as the Caped Crusader.
BATMAN: PUPPET MASTER employs some really solid technical skill, weaving the gadgetry, tone, and mystery of Nolan’s Bat-films into a short that fits nicely into that universe. These are the types of things I’d imagine Batman would’ve gone through to become a seasoned superhero vet, rather than early retirement as a recluse. The short has some issues, sure, but I think the concept trumps the weaknesses for the most part. If you’re going to put time and energy into a fan-made short, this is the way to do it.
Check out the official site here.