It's Just Movies

— by JOSUE SANCHEZ —

There are many superhero characters, but few are as beloved as Batman. He inspires movies, books, comic books, fan-fiction and graphic novels. Another aspect that had become popular is fan-films.

In the last decade, we have seen various Batman fan-films that were so spectacular they became Internet hits, and at times these rivaled the actual movies produced by the million, or should I say billion, dollar industries.

If you had a chance to watch the 10-minute long hit “Batman: Dead End,” then you will completely understand where I’m coming from. In that movie, Batman is pitted against the Predator (yes, you read right the “Predator”). Oh sorry, I forgot to mention, he also faces against an Alien and the Joker.

The sets, and lighting and all the props were borrowed from actual movies and gave the movie the quality and feel of a big-budget film.

This is the case with the new fan-film “City of Scars,” a Batman short film written and directed by Aaron Schoenke. This movie cost $27,000 to film, but make no mistake, it is an all-out Batman movie, and it is already a huge on-line success. “City of Scars” manages to bring to life our the troubled dark hero and the trials he faces as brilliantly as any of the works by the large productions companies and their writers.

“City of Scars” reminds us why we love Batman, why we love comic books, and why we love super-hero movies. Even though it has a dark feel to it, it is still action packed and fun. Although fun is probably not the right word for this, especially after you watch the psychopathic performance of the Joker, played by Paul Monar.

Here is the movie description: “When the Joker escapes from Arkham and murders the parents of a young boy, Batman (Kevin Porter) recalls the pain of losing his own parents as a child. He is pushed past his limits to the point where his focus becomes revenge on all who stand in his way, including many of Gotham’s underworld. Finally, Batman is forced to look at the psychological profile of his own mind and accept the consequences of his life to find resolve.”

Batman took up his mantle in an attempt to stop what happened to him from happening to someone else. This story is a wake up call for the dark hero, a painful reminder maybe some of his prior decisions were not the right ones.

I really like the costumes. Batman’s suit is just like the comic books, and similar to the ones from previous Batman fan films such as “Dead End.” His boots are especially cool. The Joker’s costume is simple and just what you would expect a jail-breaker to be wearing.

I love Batman’s motorcycle, too. All I can say is that if you are a fan of Batman, this movie will not disappoint. I felt it had a great story, it ran a good pace, and for a fan made movie, it is surprisingly spectacular. Watch it below, and share your excitement with us in the comment section.

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Follow Josue Sanchez on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Josue_can.