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In case you haven’t noticed, the latest Batman movie hit theaters last weekend.

Steven D. Greydanus, the film reviewer for The National Catholic Register and the editor-and-chief of DecentFilms.com, has an interesting take on the film.

“Good guys may bend or break the rules, but they may also be willing to fall on their swords for the greater good, to take a hit for something they believe in,” he writes. “Even when all seems lost, people may still do the right thing, taking their last recourse in prayer rather than in Nietzschean ruthlessness.”

Thus, while some describe “The Dark Knight” as nihilistic (the Joker imposes his vision of meaninglessness and chaos onto Gotham City residents), Greydanus sees the movie as something more.

“The Dark Knight offers a bleak milieu punctuated by hopeful, even inspiring moments and choices,” he writes.

It’s too much for Harry Forbes, director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who writes that the film is “needlessly complex.”

“Despite the skill with which it was made, the film would have benefited from some judicious cutting,” Forbes writes.

We’re hoping to publish a review from Rebecca Bostic on The Catholic Sun Web site later this week.

I saw the film this past weekend, and I enjoyed it. While I’m certainly no movie critic, I will say that the recent onslaught of superhero movies reminds me of John Paul II’s canonizing of saints.*

I believe that the pope canonized so many saints because he thought we needed more good examples of how to be holy. The saints bring me hope that I too can grow in holiness.

Superheroes also bring hope, in a way. But, while we’re all called to work for justice, we’re not all called to dress up as flying mammals and chase down madmen. We’re called to be saints. The gifts God gives us are our “super powers,” so to speak. We can use these gifts to show others the meaningfulness of life, the meaning only God can give.

And the nice thing is that when we struggle to use these gifts, we can ask the saints for help. Go ahead and try asking Batman to pray for you. Doesn’t work. Trust me.

-JD

(Note: I tried to work in some clever reference to St. John of the Cross’ “The Dark Night of the Soul,” but it just didn’t take. I thought this line here, “God leads into the dark night those whom he desires to purify from all these imperfections so that He may bring them farther onward,” (II, §8) had possibilities.)

The film contains bloodless but intense action violence including shootings, explosions and vehicular mayhem, but virtually no objectionable language or sexual elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

*George Weigel wrote an interesting article in 2005 on why John Paul II canonized so many saints.