Livingability is the basis for ranking Batman’s Movie Gothams
The Batman was released in cinemas on March 4 and brought the most recent big-screen portrayal of Gotham City, the Dark Knight’s home. Gotham was originally based in New York City in 1940. However, it quickly developed into its own unique locale. This is something that cinematic representations of Batman’s mythos have drawn upon over the years. Every entry in the Bat franchise has shown a different side to Gotham. The one thing that unites these sometimes wildly disparate metropolises is their common – and often staggering – crime rates.
Fans often choose the movie that has Gotham City as their favourite because it offers the best atmosphere, skyline, and storytelling potential. These are important things to think about, but rarely is the question, “Which Gotham City would you choose to live in?” We have ranked all versions of Gotham that appeared in a feature movie (sorry, 1940s serials) based on how liveable they are.
Batman’s Gotham
Gotham’s most recent movie version is also the most dangerous place to live. First, there are violent gangs that roam the streets while Drops, a new highly addictive drug, is largely unchecked. The corrupt public institutions in the city are perhaps more corrupt than any other Gotham version on this list. City hall and police are not only in bed with the most notorious crime boss in town, but they also created an illegal fund out of cash that was originally intended for an orphanage.
As if this weren’t enough, The Batman’s Gotham, which was submerged by (justifiably so) the city’s militant underclasses, is still partially submerged when the credits roll. This joint is going to be a disaster. We wouldn’t recommend moving to Gotham as they could be giving away houses.
Batman and Batman Returns to Gotham
This list would be even more disappointing if it were solely based on first impressions. The Gotham of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns and Batman Returns would have been lower. This Caped Crusader home turf is the first to be set. It features a brutal mugging, and it only gets worse from there.
While the elected officials and police are doing to combat organised crime (bent copper lieutenant Eckhart aside), well-meaning people like Commissioner Gordon or District Attorney Harvey Dent wouldn’t be able to do it without Batman’s support. Gotham’s nightmare town planning is another issue. This is great for people who enjoy the beauty of every ugly architectural style in human history mixed, but not for everyone.
Although Gotham is still in a state of flux, Batman Returns will be able to show that Gotham has made some progress. Batman and the police have mostly cleaned up the streets, and Gotham’s architecture is now less oppressive and gothic. White-collar crime is still a problem. Max Schreck (one of the city’s largest corporate benefactors) is secretly responsible for numerous crimes and felonies. Schreck is also close to installing Gotham’s mayor, the Penguin. Despite the supervillain of pint-sized size waging terror campaigns that culminate in the terrifying Christmas tree-lighting ceremony ever.
If you want to see how broken Batman Returns and Gotham is, then visit the abandoned zoo. The facility’s marine-life exhibit is connected to Gotham’s sewer system. Staff apparently left the penguins to their own devices when the zoo closed.
Joker’s Gotham
Joker director Todd Phillips admitted that he based his view on Gotham on his childhood in New York City in the 1980s. This movie portrays Gotham as representing the Big Apple in 1980s New York. This is evident in Gotham’s high crime rate, wide-ranging wealth inequality and underfunded social services programs. Joker’s Gotham, however, is a city that has many mundane problems. Living there is not easy, but there aren’t any supervillains.
Wrong. Joker’s third act is already complete, and Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill comedian, has become Gotham’s first-ever themed criminal. This sends the city into a downward spiral. This reality’s militant Occupy movement causes violent riots throughout the city, leading to prominent citizens such as Thomas Wayne being shot in the street. We wouldn’t recommend apartment hunting in Gotham City…
