Batman Live – Review

August 24th and I am sat in the O2 arena, the last of the audience are shuffling in, I’m sat wondering just whether the production is going to be as questionable as I had expected.
The house lights go down and the music rumbles, Batman is about to begin.

As you might have guessed I really didn’t expect much from Batman Live, to be wholly honest I blame the trailers I had been shown on the run up to the production, though it showed the characters and costumes it didn’t show anything, the static content just didn’t show enough of the content to really get me excited.

Plot-wise, Batman Live shows us initially the origin of the caped crusader, through to the equally tragic start of the boy wonder, we see a whole slew of Gotham’s criminal elite plotting to take down Batman with a final all out brawl to be remembered.

The costumes were bright and easy to view from my vantage point half way up the arena, they showed a clear comic element, from the Joker’s self referential waistcoat to the use of colour and shape on the ladies costumes.
Batman’s outfit was effectively a gray muscle suit, no doubt designed to be seen all the way back in the nose-bleed seats while allowing a complete range of movement, the only negative I could pick from the costume itself is the superfluous muscles built into the legs but even then it’s not a deal breaker and not something focused on while watching.
One thing that did annoy me however, was Catwoman’s whip, specifically because I didn’t know she had one until almost the very end of the show, a black whip wrapped around a black costume is not easy to see.

The set was an imaginative use of space, from buildings rolled out on wheels to carnival bunting shooting out on wires mid-transition, the most impressive piece of set design however must be the backdrop, not simply content with a static drop Batman Live uses an animated screen to provide transition between scenes, to give back drops to each act and in one instance even acting as the Batcave’s computer.
I doubt any comic fan would be far from smiling when the screen zoomed out from one comic book panel into another as the next piece of scenery wheeled out on stage.

The action is all choreographed to the nines, the Flying Graysons performing impressive stunts on the trapeze, Batman and Catwoman having a wire-fu moment through to the combat between the good guys and bad though I must admit, I have never been to see the Circus, I can not imagine it being as able to keep my interest as a Bat themed extravaganza can.
But through out the entire production, my favourite moment is when Harley Quinn vanishes from a death trap only to re-appear later with a “Ta-dah!”

I went into Batman Live with low expectations, by the intermission I was excited and involved, by the end I wanted it to carry on.
So far I have seen reviews blasting the show for not being dark enough, but it is a fun family production and should in no way be related to the Bale era of gravelly voiced Batman, though maybe I just have fond memories of the far too camp Batman television series from the 1960’s but Batman Live slots nicely in the middle, it doesn’t take itself too seriously but does not get too silly.
I enjoyed Batman Live far more than I thought I would, I wonder if the girl sat next to me with the Batman themed case on her iPhone and iPad felt the same way.

If you’re a fan of Batman, or if your children are, then Batman Live is not going to disappoint you.

I’m giving Batman Live 9 bat signals out of 10.

As a side not, Harley was my favourite of all the bad guys, she was just so bouncy..

❤

Pics source: [BatBlog][Comics Alliance]