I can't watch Robert Pattinson as Batman. I'll just watch the Dark Knight again and again.
Matt Reeves explores the detective side of Batman in DC’s latest relaunch of the franchise, The Batman. Batman finds himself drawn into a serial killer case when the killer leaves riddles addressed to him at the crime scenes. Starring Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, and Andy Serkis, the film has a strong cast; though Pattinson isn’t a particularly compelling Batman. And neither is the story for that matter. In fact, it’s needlessly convoluted. Also, the film’s near 3-hour length and slow pacing doesn’t help either. However, the fight scenes and chases are intense and exciting, and there are some interesting changes to the Batman mythology. Additionally, the score by Michael Giacchino is quite good, and helps to set a dark, noir-ish tone. The Batman is one of the weaker takes on the DC property, but is still entertaining.
I recommend the "The Batman Unmasked" fanedit.
An above average Batman movie. And Batman was always my favorite vigilante franchise anyway.
The cons:
The pros:
Could perhaps have been an 8/10 but I'll deduct one point for it's excessive duration.
i'm not going to rate it, because clearly i was not the intended audience for this movie. cinematically it is gold. pattinson's batman is also the most accurate to source material i've seen -
but this movie was so damn slow. i was so bored. it just felt unnecessarily long for no reason just so they could squeeze in all of the cinematic shots, and then the plot didn't make up for the wait.
this one wasn't for me.
It was a long film, but that in itself is a very neutral quality. I liked this film since it had wonderful cinematography, acting, and a respectable amount of action. It also had a plot that I found to be interesting, somewhat tedious in some areas, but overall strong with an alluring villain (who likes telling riddles)! Of course, there was chemistry between the main leads as well, which also helps to elevate this film. As a whole, the Batman movie was a long but fun ride, and I can't wait to see more from Robert Pattinson.
I was cautious about "The Batman", as it had the potential to be the best DC film in a long time or yet another pretentious flick. I'm happy to say it's the former, as "The Batman" went ahead and surpassed my expectations, squashing any doubts I might have had. Matt Reeves' arteur approach and understanding of the character's mythos blend together to create a crime thriller unburdened by the clichés of superhero cinema.
Robert Pattinson was an interesting choice to play the titular vigilante, one I had a feeling would go on to become the definitive live-action rendition, and so he did. His Batman flows smoothly between aggression and stoicism, with the former being more prevalent as we see a man completely absorbed by a futile crusade. A major theme is Batman's methodology in dealing with crime, and it's clear that the two years he has spent fighting it have done much damage both to himself and to Gotham. Bruce Wayne is hardly of any importance, this being a conscious choice. I should mention that the edgier portrayal of the billionaire might throw some people off a little, but I've yet to see someone go out of their way to complain about it. It seems that most of us revelled in the broken person that he is here, and we are likely to see his growth as the film series continues.
Gotham is another main character, the best realised version of the fictional city yet. A blend between the theatrics of Burton's and the grittiness of Nolan's movies, it's dripping in its own filth. Rain is a common companion, city lights haze amidst the shadows. Crime lurks everywhere, and so does Batman. A perfect parallel to him, the worst enemy of Gotham is its own people. Musically, "The Batman" utilises horror film cues, minimalistic melodies, and a few moodier licensed tracks. "Something in the Way", one of the best Nirvana songs, was prominently featured in trailers and the same is true for the film itself. I wasn't big on the overblown trailer rendition, but it's perfect as a backdrop to decadency of the city. Besides its tunes, "The Batman" has excellent sound design. One of my favourite moments was when the Batmobile showed up and the theatre bass went crazy.
"The Batman" is unique in that it is the first live-action film adaptation to put focus on our masked hero's title of World's Greatest Detective. The action remains at a smaller scale, the real thrills come from the mind games set forth by the incredible rendition of iconic villain the Riddler. A serial killer whose clues are all carefully planned out to put him at an advantage, it's enticing to see how the plot unravels. Each thread is carefully placed and plot conveniences are never an issue. The story took quite the risks, all while maintaining believability.
Plenty of subplots reside beside the main mystery and connect with it. "The Batman" is layered and rich, in my opinion justifying its lengthy runtime. Perhaps it could have cut down on some ten-twenty minutes, but it's not a major issue as each scene had its place and evoked interest. Zoe Kravits was great as Catwoman, perhaps the best we have seen on the screen, and her tale was gripping. Criminals like the Penguin and Falcone played a major part in the story and everyone around them brought details to Gotham's underworld. Andy Serkis played a great Alfred, while Jeffrey Wright was a fantastic Gordon.
I'll go as far as to say that "The Batman" is my second favourite Batman film. It does a great job at telling a proper Batman story, embracing the character's lore, while also adding many of its own strokes and being able to wrap up all of its themes in a satisfying manner. A must-watch for Batman fans and sceptics of superhero cinema. I cannot wait for the sequel, and am fully invested in what else Matt Reeves and co have planned.
A potentially great film being held hostage by its PG-13 rating and its messy, all over the places screenwriting.
By PG-13 I don't simply mean its visuals/goriness, but most importantly its dialogues, themes, and storytelling it tries to raise. Let me explain.
First, the dialogues.
The film opens with murder and Batman narrating the city's anxious mood. We get a glimpse of noir in this scene, but it soon falls flat due to a very uninteresting, plain, forgettable choice of words Batman used in his narration. Mind you, this is not a jab at Pattinson - Pattinson delivered it nicely. But there is no emotion in his line of words - there is no adjectives, there is no strong feelings about how he regards the city full of its criminals.
Here's a line from the opening scene. "Two years of night has turned me to a nocturnal animal. I must choose my targets carefully. It's a big city. I can't be everywhere. But they don't know where I am. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning to them. Fear... is a tool. They think I am hiding in the shadows. Watching. Waiting to strike. I am the shadows." Okay? Cool. But sounds like something from a cartoon. What does that tell us about you, Batman?
Compare this to a similar scene uttered by Rorschach in Watchmen. "The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood. And when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. All those liberals and intellectuals, smooth talkers... Beneath me, this awful city, it screams like an abattoir full of retarded children, and the night reeks of fornication and bad consciences." You can say that Rorschach is extremely edgy (he is), but from that line alone we can tell his hatred towards the city, and even more so: his perspective, his philosophy that guides him to conduct his life and do what he does.
Rorschach's choice of words is sometimes verbose, but he is always expletive and at times graphic, making it clear to the audience what kind of person he is. Batman in this film does not. His words are always very safe, very carefully chosen, which strikes as an odd contrast to Pattinson's tortured portrayal of Batman as someone with a seemingly pent up anger. His choice of words is very PG-13 so that the kids can understand what Batman is trying to convey.
And this is not only in the opening scene. Throughout the film, the dialogues are written very plainly forgettable. It almost feels like the characters are having those conversations just to move the plot forward. Like that one encounter between Batman and Catwoman/Selina when she broke into the house to steal the passport or when Selina asked to finish off the "rat". They flow very oddly unnatural, as if those conversations are written to make them "trailer-able" (and the scenes indeed do appear on the trailer).
Almost in all crucial plot points the writers feel the need to have the characters to describe what has happened, or to explictly say what they are feeling - like almost every Gordon's scene in crime scene, or Selina's scene when she's speaking to Batman. It feels like the writers feel that the actors' expression just can't cut it and the audience has to be spoonfed with dialogues; almost like they're writing for kids.
Second, the storytelling.
Despite being a film about vengeance-fueled Batman (I actually like that cool "I'm vengeance" line) we don't get to see him actually being in full "vengeance" mode. Still in the opening we see Batman punching some thugs around. That looks a little bit painful but then the thugs seem to be fit enough to run away and Batman let them be. Then in the middle of the film we see Batman does something similar to mafias. Same, he just knocked them down but there's nothing really overboard with that. Then eventually in the car chase scene with the Penguin, Batman seem to be on "full rage mode", but over... what? He was just talking to Penguin a moment ago. The car chase scene itself is a bit pointless if not only to show off the Batmobile. And Batman did nothing to the Penguin after, just a normal questioning, not even harsher than Bale's Batman did to Heath's Joker in The Dark Knight - not in "'batshit insane' cop" mode as Penguin put it.
Batman's actions look very much apprehensive and controlled. Nothing too outrageous. Again, at odds with Pattinson's portrayal that seem to be full of anger; he's supposed to be really angry but somehow he still does not let his anger take the best of him. The only one time he went a bit overboard that shocked other characters is when he kept punching a villain near the end of the film. But even then it's not because his anger; it's because he injected some kind of drug (I guess some adrenaline shot). A very safe way to drop a parent-friendly message that "drug is bad, it can change you" in a PG-13 film.
And all that supposed anger... we don't get to see why he is angry and where his anger is directed at. Compare this to Arthur Fleck in Joker where it is clear as sky why Arthur would behave the way the does in the film. I mean we know his parents' death troubled him, but it's barely even discussed, not even in brief moments with Alfred (except in one that supposedly "shocking" moment). So... where's your vengeance, Mr. Vengeance? And what the hell are you vengeancing on?
Speaking of "shocking" moment... this is about the supposed Wayne family's involvement in the city's criminal affairs that has been teased early in the film. Its revelation was very anticlimactic: the supposed motive and the way it ended up the way it is, all very childish. If the film wanted the Wayne to be a "bad person", there's a lot of bads that a billionaire can do: tax evasion, blood diamond, funding illegal arms trade, fending off unions, hell, they can even do it the way the Waynes in Joker did it: hints of sexual abuses. But no, it has to be some bloody murder again, and all for a very trivial reason of "publicity". As if the film has to make it clear to the kids: "hey this guy's bad because he killed someone!" Which COULD work if the film puts makes taking someone's life has a very serious consequence. But it just pales to the serial killing The Riddler has done.
Even more anticlimactic considering how Bruce Wayne attempted to find a resolve in this matter only takes less than a 5 minute scene! It all involves only a bit of dialogues which boils down to how Thomas Wayne has a good reason to do so. Bruce somehow is convinced with that and has a change of heart instantly, making him looks very gullible.
And of course the ending is very weak and disappointing. First, Riddler's final show directly contradicts his initial goal to expose and destroy the corrupt elites. What he did instead is making the lives of the poor more difficult, very oxymoron for someone supposed to be as smart as him.
Second, the way Batman just ended up being "vengeance brings nothing and I should save people more than hurting people" does not get enough development to have him to say that in the end. Again - where's your vengeance? And how did you come to such character development if nothing is being developed on? And let's not get to how it's a very safe take against crime and corruption that closely resembles Disney's moralistic pandering in Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Last, the visuals.
I'm not strictly speaking about gore, though that also factors in the discussion. The film sets this up as a film about hunting down a serial killer. But the film barely shows how cruel The Riddler can be to his victims. Again, back to the opening scene: we get it, Riddler killed the guy, but it does not look painful at all as it looks Riddler just knocked him twice. The sound design is very lacking that it does not seem what The Riddler done was conducted very painfully. Riddler then threw away his murder weapon, but we barely see blood. Yet when Gordon arrived to the crime scene, he described the victim as being struck multiple times with blood all over. What?
Similarly, when Riddler forced another victim to wear a bomb in his neck. The situation got pretty tense, but when the bomb eventually blow off, we just got some very small explosion like a small barrel just exploded, not a human being! I mean I'm not saying we need a gory explosion with head chopped off like in The Boys, but it does not look like what would happen if someone's head got blown off. Similarly when another character got almost blown off by a bomb - there's no burnt scar at all.
Why the hell are they setting up those possibly gory deaths and scars if they're not going to show how severe and painful these are? At least not the result - we don't need to see blood splattered everywhere - just how painful the process is. Sound design and acting of the actors (incl. twitching, for example) would've helped a lot even we don't see the gore, like what James Franco did in The 127 Hours or Hugh Jackman in Logan. In this film there's almost no tense at all resulting from those.
I'm not saying this film is terrible.
The acting, given the limited script they had, is excellent. Pattinson did his best, so did Paul Dano (always likes him as a villain), Zoe Kravitz, and the rest. Cinematography is fantastic; the lighting, angle, everything here is very great that makes a couple of very good trailers - perhaps one could even say that the whole film trades off coherency for making the scenes "trailer-able". The music is iconic, although with an almost decent music directing. And I guess this detective Batman is a fresh breath of air.
But all that does not make the movie good as in the end it's still all over the places and very PG-13.
Especially not with the 3 hours runtime where many scenes feel like a The Walking Dead filler episode.
If you're expecting a Batman film with similar gritty, tone to The Dark Knight trilogy or Joker, this film is not for you. But if you only want a live-action cartoon like pre-Nolan Batmans or The Long Halloween detective-style film, well, I guess you can be satisfied with this one.
Pattinson is the best Batman ever.
he is so tortured, his emotions are sincere. He's the darkest and most precise batman out there.
the visuals and the soundtrack are incredible and take you into the thoughts of the character.
For me it’s a masterpiece.
I just want to thank the cinema gods for this absolute dream. It feels like I passed out and when I came to I could remember a very good and satisfying Batman film.
Worst Batman movie ever. Those costumes were a joke(And so we're the actors). At least the Batmobile was cool.
The Worst Batman Movie of All Time
Fucking awful
Why the fuck is everyone whispering, all the time?
Everyone on this cast is irrelevant, no clue why any of them were cast for a Batman movie.
Could go to any crackhead in LA, give him $10 worth of crack and he'd make a better movie.
Sllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. terrible reboot. not worthy of your time. 2 hours 56 mins you are NEVER getting back.
Pattinson is poor as Emo Wayne. I like the setting and the look, but boy was it boring. A 90 minute film stretched out to double the length.
I don't make a habit of watching comic movies, but the DC content I have seen recently was a lot more fun and irreverent than the Marvel identikit movies. This, however, was as dull and portentous and po-faced as anything from the Marvel cookie cutter.
Highly recommended. Great cinematography, soundtrack and atmosphere.
More details, no concrete plot spoilers but I'd rather not spoil it for some who want to go completely blind: First half or two thirds of the movie are amazing, dark without going over the top. Last half or third of the movie is a little weaker (adding a lot of unnecessary clichés that had been avoided until that point, costing it its 10/10), but still very enjoyable. Was my favorite Batman movie until that point, now I'm not sure.
It was long and forgettable.
Didn't like it. Aborted watching in the middle of a movie. Personally I like other versions better.
An unexpected visitor: Knock Knock...
Some random security guy: Who is it?
A noob hero waiting at the front door. I'm Vengeance!
What a disaster.
"The Batman" is not a movie, it's actually just a four-part mini-series that is shown one after the other, in one piece, as a film. Just like "Dune" and many other new movies, that are unnecessarily long, tell the story extremely slow and seem to last forever. What's wrong with a 90 minute or at most 2 hour movie? What's wrong with a fast paced movie with lots of action? Why do movies suddenly have to be 3 hours long or more? This makes most movies boring. That goes for "Dune", "Tenet" and many others and it also goes for this movie "The Batman"! Had the film been an hour shorter, the simple story could have been told fascinatingly, as it should be in a movie. But now the film drags on like a soap opera, with long-winded shots of stares and boring dialogue that add nothing to it. Even the music, shamelessly borrowed from John Williams, cannot ad any to it. It can still be a good movie, when cut down to 90 minutes. In fact, only the last James Bond movie has managed to captivate the viewer for 3 hours, but all the other more than 2 hour films of recent times all bear the stamp of the HBO, NetFlix, Prime, Apple and Disney series: slowness, to keep the viewer streaming as long as possible, so they don't go to the competitor. For a 4 part miniseries I would have given "The Batman" 7 stars, for a 90 minute movie probably 8 starts, but now it deserves no more than 4.
As huge batman fan this movie is best live action batman i ever seen.i enjoyed every second of it. I understand some people don't like it cuz they never seen this side of batman in previous live action.
To me this movie is like reading a comic book . I love it!
This may be the Batman we deserved, but definitely not the one we need.
In another timeline it would have been pretty good. But did we really have to do a nth reboot/standalone Batman that tries to impose its own style ? Definitely not.
This is a death sentence to the DC-verse. Looks like they're giving up because they still weren't able to build a consistent universe even across so little movies. This clearly doesn't fit with the previous ones, and it is definitely too dark to build a universe around. What DC needs is to manage to make their movie part of something greater. And this clearly wasn't designed for that.
Now let's be clear, it is not a bad movie in itself, but that was not the movie DC, and we, needed right now.
And even the good parts are too excessively played on.
So what's good ? It's dark, very dark. It really builds its own style and atmosphere. Gotham really look the worst we've ever seen, but in a good way. The absolute full-on corruption of Gotham elites, all implicated in a grand scheme, potentially including Thomas Wayne is interesting. But it's too much, they did not have to also be drug addicts and implicated in call girls murders... Half the cops are also dirty, including top brass, but Gordon didn't even suspect anything ?
There is a lot of work on image, on camera work, etc.
But it's too much too. Rapidly you only see the work and not the result.
There are basically three kinds of shots in the whole movie.
1⃣, scenes where you can't see clearly what happens. Because it's either too far or too dark (from in the shadow, to full black momentarily lighted by gunshots), or too blurry.
2⃣, scenes shot in successions of extreme close-up. Not the into the action close-up, no. This, but then let's bring the camera still a bit closer, so that you can't see any context around the subject and even the subject doesn't quite fit into the frame. You know, to give an experimental/edgy feeling.
3⃣, a combination of both
This really cover 99% of the movie. It gives a distinctive visual style, and it gets ok results. But after a while it really is way too much in your face that that's what you see instead of the expected effect. And once you notice it (it really doesn't take long), that's basically all you can see in every single scene.
You're also warned early as the first minutes look more like an experimental movie than anything else. And the soundtrack is on the level. Lots of weird noise more than music.
The story is good, there's a good pace, a good progression,it's interesting to see Batman doing more detective work and a bit less of fighting. The Riddler's enigmas are good, not great.
The action is ok. Fights, car chase (though the way it was filmed it got very uninteresting very fast), gadgets. Expected, nothing crazy either.
What's less good ?
The characters.
I love Andy Serkis, but probably one of the worst Alfred ever.
Batman is actually pretty ok, even good, but I guess it's easier.
However Pattinson as Bruce Wayne sucks. At least they tried to match the character to him, it's not the usual billionaire playboy, more of a recluse emo teenager. That means is not badly acted, just that there's not a single moment where you think "that's Bruce Wayne I'm seeing"
Catwoman knows how to fight a bit, but mostly the character is a sexy sexist cliche from 30 years ago. There probably was a lot more to be done here.
The Riddler is pretty different from what we're used to. First he looks more like Bane than anything else. Despite his supposedly high intellect, he has clearly an inferiority complex (instead of the opposite). He engages physically with his victims and is prone to bursts of violence. Mostly a crazy pathetic loser, that probably gets a high from his number of tiktok followers, a bit of an incel mixed with a Jan 6 rioter. Pretty disappointing. (Note that Paul Dano is very good though, but crazy psychos are his thing)
Gordon is good though.
Penguin: good actin but useless.
Not sure where this is in the timeline, but it's pretty weird that basically all cops are against Batman except Gordon that even brings him on crime scenes. I mean, all the police is against it. How the hell do they let this huge ass signal in the sky, that seems to be on a lot ? Gordon does not have the authority to do that, or bring him on scenes.
It's supposed to be dark, and it is pretty violent, but none of the gruesome parts are ever shown. Not that we really need gore, but it is weird how it is totally ignored. A guy has supposedly his face eaten by rats, but we don't even see a rat. Alfred is involved in a explosion at a few centimeters distance and in the hospital he doesn't even have a burnt hair, let alone skin. This one is really weird. Real is shot in the chest and just walks around in water a few minutes later. Etc.
Not sure whether the Riddler's followers army is supposed to be a Jan.6 reference or not.
tl;dr: A very dark atmosphere and original visual style that could be good but are so very overplayed that they become a hindrance. An ok story with meh characters. As expected Pattinson works as Batman but is an horrible Bruce Wayne. Standalone movie that can in no way fit into the current or any future DCverse.
im not a batman fan but WOW this movie its excellent i love it. battinson its just a GOD and ofc the riddler its the best villian ever !!!
It's fine. It's not great, it's not bad.
It has the same problem that DC movies always have, it takes the natural ending point and then tacks on an additional 90 minutes for no good reason.
Pros:
Batman is a detective
Batman actually is a detective and a good one
Strong villain with believable motivations
Great actors
Cons:
Batman is a caricature of Batman - overly moody and dark
Bruce Wayne is also moody and dark - a pretty bad alternate identity
The tacked-on arc at the end feels out of place and goofy in addition to dragging the movie out (but had potential)
Redemption/development of Batman seems bland due to the lack of nature
Wayne subplot is uninteresting and distracting
I'd probably watch it again, but it's not a priority
Like a solid punch in the gut, only you're the one punching for a change.
A hard-boiled Gothic grunge tour de force.
There's a lot to talk about with this film. I mean, how can there not be when it's almost three hours long.
First, I want to discuss two comps. One that might feel obvious, and another less so. That is Watchmen and Dune. There's superficial similarities, such as length, with all three of these films running 2.5+ hours. In the case of Watchmen, you could also point to the narration based on the journaling of a masked vigilante. On top of that, there's the excellent production design, costumes, and cinematography. But the reason I point to these films as comps has less to do with those things, and more to do with the overall approach. All three films are heavily atmospheric. Oozing with style. If I had to label the category, I would call them auteur blockbusters. This is a relatively uncommon pairing due to the fundamental conflict between the risk associated with a singular artistic vision and the expense associated with big budget productions. In the crowded superhero genre, there's a lot of films that feel made-by-committee. Marvel has a reputation for their second unit directors, who film the action sequences for every MCU film. I don't know how accurate that reputation is, but the MCU certainly feels like it's struggled against a same-y quality that results in some of their films not having a lasting impact. The fact that several auteur directors have joined and subsequently abandoned MCU projects (e.g. Edgar Wright with Ant-Man or Scott Derrickson with the Doctor Strange sequel) certainly seems supportive of this conflict. Meanwhile, The Batman (and Watchmen and Dune) feel like they went all in on a singular artistic vision and, for the most part, I think they were better for it.
Getting into the actual film, Robert Pattinson continues to impress in his post-Twilight career, making for both an excellent Batman and Bruce Wayne. That said, I was somewhat disappointed that we didn't get more of the latter. Thinking back to Batman Begins, Christian Bale's portrayal of the playboy billionaire got plenty of screen time, with numerous memorable and character developing scenes. By comparison, Robert Pattinson seems to spend most of his time in the mask. This isn't a major issue, as ultimately we're here to see the caped crusader, but I do wonder how things could have looked with a slightly more balanced ratio. I was also impressed with Paul Dano's Riddler. His costume was suitably creepy, his dialogue suitably psychotic, and his performance suitably chilling.
As for the story, it didn't exactly blow me away, but it gets the job done. For such a long film, the plot actually seemed to move pretty quickly, feeling very comic book-esque as it jumped from one clue to the next as Batman tries to solve Riddler's ultimate puzzle. While I generally enjoyed the detective work, there are plenty of instances where suspension of disbelief is threadbare as some questionable logical leaps take us from one location to the next. Also, the culmination of the story didn't really land for me. Exposition dumps came fast and loose toward the finale, in one instance with contradictory reveals seemingly coming back to back (i.e. a character gives devastating news in one scene, and the very next scene a different character says "nope, that was wrong"). Additionally, Falcone's ultimate villainy felt like something of a false-twist, making the whole rat investigation feel like it didn't go anywhere interesting. Luckily, none of these problems are egregious enough to drag down the solid foundation.
Speaking of the length, I think there's a reasonable argument to be made that the film was longer than necessary. It's jam packed with lingering shots, to the point where you could probably cut 20 minutes without losing a single line of dialogue or plot point. Now, that's not to say that I would recommend such extreme measures. There's merit in letting certain moments hang, and the cinematography alone justifies plenty of these shots. That said, I still think some were overdone and that prudent trimming could be justified.
Some quick final thoughts. While my typical anti-narration stance remains, I wasn't too bothered by its implementation here. In fact, I thought the opening monologue and set-up with the various criminals all afraid of a potential encounter with Batman was well executed. Finally, regarding the action, I thought the hand to hand combat through most of the film was excellent. However, I do think there were a couple non-hand to hand moments that got a little over the top, such as the Batmobile chase that culminated in ramping off of a truck (although I will acknowledge that the upside down follow up shot, with Batman silhouetted by the explosion as he approached the Penguin, looked badass). Additionally, the finale set-piece with all of the shooters in the stadium rafters was a bit questionable, as it had Batman taking a lot more direct gunfire than you'd expect.
The comments here really are a fine example as to why Batman has the most toxic fanbase in existence.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE
Brain dump of thoughts... In the order they come out in.
Overall, I'm not unhappy I saw it. It holds no rewatch value for me though. Far too slow, far too uninteresting when it had played out. And if they make a sequel, I'd catch it a few years down the line on TV I suppose.
6.5/10
Truly remarkable world-building that we’ve not seen in other Batman’s. You feel more of the city’s pulse and nightlife here. The cinematography was beautiful at every turn. Tension was constantly high without dragging on. Poignant score and spot on casting.
The Batman 2022
Lived totally upto the hype i had for the film. Matt Reeves totally did justice for the all the characters. The casting was too good to be said anything bad about. Pattinson, Kravitz, Dano, Wright, Farrell, Turturro were all simply brilliant. And the music by Michael Giachinno was such a pleasure to experience and the cinematography and editing were top notch work too. And yes the film had certain influences. Matt Reeves's Batman is a film that should be consumed in it's entirety.
Why? Why? Why is there another Batman movie? At this point, studios should be paying us money to go watch another remake of a movie. I really hope this movie flops so badly that they never think about making another Batman movie ever again (unless of course it's something more original).
I’m pretty sure this was supposed to be a 10h tv show, wrapped up in the worst possible way to get a big screen release, because no writer could do this abomination without a fair reason.
Horrible! I lost my interest after 30 minutes. Since 30 years it's always the same story, over and over again. His parents died and he wants revenge. Yes, I can't stand DC but I'm still trying to find something to like, but there is nothing. Maybe one of the worst movies ever made. What an utter waste of time. Oh, and why are they whispering the whole time and turn the techno music up? Maybe to distract from the fact that there is no story? Seriously, to make a movie with no story, you have to be John Wick, then you're at least cool. Oh boy... Sooooooo bad!
Horrible Batman, this should of went straight to VHS
Everyone is breaking their back to say how much better this version of Batman is. I think it is just "okay." Certainly gritty and dirty, but not all that "super hero-ey."
I think I'll just watch the Gotham TV series if you don't mind.
It wallows too much in its own darkness, and once again the writers of Batman and superhero movies flaunt their poor grasp of realpolitik. But that's not the purpose of this movie and any superhero movie's. So just stock up on snacks and wallow along. Because it's damn fun wallowing. And everyone is so damn good. What's more, Batman is returned to his detective roots.
Was kinda boring in a lot of scenes. The hero costumes looked cheaply made. Robert's voice as bruce and batman were practically the same. Not much action or gadgets to make him feel like batman. Glad I wasn't hyped for this movie, otherwise I'd be really disappointed. And thankfully, I saw it for free.
Underneath the bridge
Tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I've trapped
Have all become my pets
And I'm living off of grass
And the drippings from my ceiling
It's okay to eat fish
Cause they don't have any feelings
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Underneath the bridge
Tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I've trapped
Have all become my pets
And I'm living off of grass
And the drippings from the ceiling
It's okay to eat fish
Cause they don't have any feelings
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way
Mmm-mmm
Something in the way, yeah
Mmm-mmm
I liked many (not all) of the previous Batman movies for different reasons but this is the new benchmark for me. I liked every second of it and even at three hours I never felt bored.
This will also be hard to follow up because now expectations are sky high.
Boring, so damn boring. And that catwoman? When will we have a real blond fair beautiful Catwoman again?
But a very good movie if you have insomnia.
The Batman
I don't understand what's all the praise about.
Maybe Pattinson didn't appeal to me as much as Affleck or Bale did. had less action than usual but the music was great.
the only dark shade was the music.
change my mind.
Paul Dani is electrifying as the riddler
To be honest, this is a really good movie. Hang on? So why did I only give it 2 out of 5 stars? Well, this is really personal but, to me, it is not a good Batman movie. I really had problems writing this review because it is a very good movie. I just did not like it as a Batman movie.
The movie is really dark, gritty and noir. Not really a problem. It works for some movies. But it is also quite slow at the beginning and the first quarter of the movie was actually boring. Remember, this is a three hour movie so a quarter is more than half an hour of “boringness”.
The “boringess” was broken up by a pretty cool car chase. Some people seem to not really like the batmobile and I have to say that it was not very inspired but it was not all bad either. Unfortunately the movie turned rather boring for a while again after that.
The movie tries to bring out more of the detective part of Batman than the previous movies, which is fine, but there is just too much moping around with Batman / Bruce Wayne walking around oozing sadness all around him.
Actually, this brings us to my main gripe with this movie. The choice of actor for the Batman is just wrong for me. He is more like a sad puppy than the Batman. The script that makes him mope around, have emotional outbreaks and, occasionally, being downright stupid like just staring dumbfounded when explosives go off in his face does not really help of course.
To me the Selina Kyle character had more charisma than the Batman, especially when the Batman was in his Bruce Wayne alter ego.
And I really, really dislike that twist about Bruce’s parents. That was such a lazy Hollywood writer hack thing to do just to create (unwanted) drama.
Then we have the Riddler. Compared to the charismatic villains that we have come to expect he is just a sad little psychopath with a bunch of equally sad fanatical internet followers.
Now, all of this would have worked great if it had been a movie about some, unspecified, vigilante. The movie is really well done. The detective story, the action (especially towards the end) and the noir setting would have worked great. Even at its three hour bloated length it would have been great although cut down to two hours or a bit more would have been even better. If it had not been a Batman movie!
Just more woke Hollywood crap imo worst Batman movie I have ever seen, So bad in fact I’m not even gonna purchase it to add to my DC collection.
It feels like the Batman universe got its own Watchmen remix, with Robert "Edward Cullen" Pattinson's emo boy Bruce Wayne in the spotlight, and I have so many issues.
First, I really wish the universe could get its own stories already, instead of remixing, for the umpteenth time, the characters' backgrounds, origins, roles, and by and large their looks as well. It's impossible to keep track of, and it's tiresome to re-learn every time a new movie comes along. As if the universe didn't have more than enough characters (some very colourful ones at that) to use.
Second, I'm not sure Batman needed a Watchmen remix, to be honest. The setup just doesn't work, especially when Batman doesn't even has his own companions (except for on-again-off-again Selina Kyle, ofc), and it's just the sole hero in a single city against a bunch of loonies, deep diving into his own past yet again. The length kinda fits (minus the ultimate cut), everything else though...
Third, I'm sorry but Robert Pattinson is just a weird choice. I didn't really get just how old Bruce is supposed to be here from the movie itself; and his characterisation sure doesn't help either, looking (and acting) like a bad stereotype of the emo teen - the rare one or two times when he isn't, he comes off an old man. And as Batman... this "slowmo" approach kills it. As if every step he takes is a struggle, and yet we're supposed to believe he's capable of all the stunts and fighting? There's no immersion.
Fourth, the ... tech, I guess? I'm so confused as to where we're supposed to be: in some parts, it looks like there's all the high tech computer stuff - and then in other parts it's like everything's almost analogue, not even digital. The range is really jarring here and only serves to further erode immersion. Especially the Riddler's little videos and some of his other stuff (hell, even his look) felt like they came from some 90s VHS movie. Absolutely bizarre.
Fifth, the rating indeed. I said it's a Watchmen remix with Edward Cullen - this is why. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to immediately be reminded of Rorschach's opening monologue: it feels like they tried very hard to imitate that... except it got utterly destroyed by sounding exactly like some inane rambling from Twilight. And, well, it is indeed that guy, from that movie, as it later turns out: in more ways than one. But that's not the only crime committed in keeping the rating this low. There's corruption, there's an outright den with all the bad guys, there's regular gangsters, there's this absolute mastermind of a psycho doing what he does, and... we barely get to see any of it, save for some explosions featuring a lot of fire because that's easy to make big and can conveniently cover up everything. Yet more immersion ruined.
To reiterate: I really wish Hollywood stopped trying to reboot and remix Batman (yet again, after, what? three movies in the previous attempt?), there's more than enough material to establish a foundation and work from there. But to add to it: I really wish Hollywood stopped trying to reimagine these universes in more "realistic" ways, too. There's no need for everything to be so gritty, for everything to have its root in reality, for everything to be politically correct and oh-so-woke. Especially when it comes to superhero flicks: these are meant to entertain, to let the viewer switch their brain off for a few hours and just enjoy a movie. If I wanted a documentary or some real life nonfiction drama, there's plenty of those to choose from.
It wasn't the worst Batman by any means but wasn't as groundbreaking or as entertaining as the series with Bale, or even Keaton. Pretty much boiled down to an emo remake of Batman Returns but Batman is more in touch with his feelings and the characters are a little more woke. I've watched The Dark Knight a couple of dozen times and I've seen the first Keaton version a few times but I don't think this one is worth a re-watch. Maybe the next one will be better but Pattinson doesn't make a very good Batman.
wokeman to the rescue. Seriously, wtf is this trash. Batman needs to save gothem city from rich, white people?
Not sure who's idea that stupid trash was, but it's a good way to offend your entire customer base no matter what skin color they are, since batman is suppose to be a hero (or antihero in some cases) for everyone and not some woke social justice warrier.
They killed any idea of a shared world / universe as well, after the reboot of Justice league finally put them on the right track.
The movie is unnaturally slow, and it just grabs on for no reason at all at points. Act 3 should have just been removed completely.
They decided to make it pg13, which helped make it even more out of place. There were other odd submessaging, like all the white people are evil in some way but the black chars are good somehow.
Not to mention, they had the justice league chars in a TV show on hbomax like a week ago which doesn't line up to this at all.
0/10
Wonderful, amazing cinematography, actors, story. Haven't been bored for a second, and it is a very long movie. Recommend watching it! :slightly_smiling:
10/10 Amazing cast, amazing soundtrack, interesting plot with possibly the second best live action batman villain next to the great Heath Ledger. Pattinson and Kravitz had great chemistry. Batmans portrayal was my personal favourite out of all the live action ones
The mature and dark crime/drama/detective Batman movie I wanted for years!
I would put this masterpiece near the dark knight but …. Better than it in a small level
very monotonous, I know Batman is the greatest detective in DC comics, but they had to make a movie that boring and why don't they use the other villains from his gallery, like Batman has one of the best villains galleries ever Super heroes.
When are you going to use Mr Freezer, Clay Face, Human Bat, Solomon Grundy po It's high time to get over the Nolan movies and move on and do something more different that captures the spirit of the 90's Bataman animated series
So... I had such high hopes for this movie. The trailer looked absolutely incredible.
I was so excited I went to an early access screening in IMAX, just to see it 2 days early!
But... not to be a Nolan fanboy, but the Dark Knight movies absolutely nailed the perfect balance between making Batman a cool, mysterious superhero, while also convincingly existing in the real world.
This movie works so hard to make Batman real that he is no longer interesting at all. The one time we see Batman try to fly in this film, he fails spectacularly and crashes HARD.
Want to see a realistic, gritty crime thriller like Zodiac? Watch Zodiac.
Want to see Batman? I recommend sticking with the Dark Knight trilogy.
turned off movie at 1hr42min after the "White Privilege Assholes" comment by Catwoman. Hollywood just can't help themselves. I wanted to enjoy a movie without rich racist POS Hollywood writer's preachy Woke nonsense.
Far too long. Got bored after 30 minutes. Only the last 30 minutes saved this movie.
An incredibly messy and janky script that doesn't know what it wants to be. It's stuck between trying to be a neo-noir detective story and a superhero movie with a supervillain and fails spectacularly at being either and both. So many scenes that are supposed to be tense that have zero stakes set up including the finale, which comes out of nowhere, dramatically raises the stakes with no setup at all and is executed awfully. And so. many. plot. holes.
This isn't a bad movie but it had no right being as long as it did. A tight 2 hour script that ended at a certain point would have made for a perfectly fine detective crime movie with a little bit of the Batman sprinkled in. As it is, it's a really meh film that ruins its own good parts with an equal amount of bad
3 hour film that could have been done in less than 2, very little action and an awful lot of meaningless chat.. Very disappointing film..!!
I really think all these high scores are from Covid lockdown and so anxious to see a movie anything would be good.
If you compare the villains it does not even come close in the trilogy. Also, the action scenes are weak sauce. Even the gadgets are so basic. I thought it was way too long with not much going on. It was worth a watch but not even close in my opinion to the trilogy of Christopher Nolan made.
Catwoman wears a beanie hat with a huge hole for eyes. That's all you need to know about this movie.
bad acting, catwomen like robot..
I want to watch this again just to confirm my opinion on it, but this is a series of great individual Batman moments that struggles with connecting them together in a coherent package (which is surprising considering the amount of footage here).
Stylish, gorgeous and oppressively dark, this is possibly one of the best looks and takes on the character, but I can't help but feel like something is missing to make it feel complete. It does have the feeling that it's going to make a superb sequel though.
"It can be cruel, poetic or blind. But when its denied, it's your violence you may find."
This is the Batman I have been waiting for. I am so happy Matt Reeves is getting his chance to do a trilogy because this is what this character was needing. They are putting "Detective Comics" back into Batman. Paul Dano is incredible, and Gotham is so gritty and dirty, yet cinematic. It felt a little long and yes, the third act isn't perfect, but this film was a much needed direction change. Shout out to the incredible sound design team and the strong soundtrack.
I went into this expecting it to be either atrocious or amazingly well done. I can tell you that DC may have fucked some things up in the past, but this was so refreshing. This was beautiful, suspenseful, and incredibly engaging. It's something new. I love it. Please if you're going to do something, go see it.
"Fear is a tool. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning."
Let me start off by praising Robert Pattinson. He is so much better then I could've hoped for. Really enjoyed him as Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Anyway The Batman looks fantastic. The way Gotham is portrayed is simply fantastic. It took me back playing the Arkham games. Which is amazing. I also loved the slow-paced story. Almost no back story just drop us right in. We all know the Bat's story by now right?
Overall the cast is fantastic. Colin Farrell as the Penguin who you also don't recognize, Jeffrey Wright rocks it as Commissioner Gordon, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Andy Serkis not in a CGI role and Paul Dano as the updated Riddler. Fantastic casting.
So yeah the Batman is a great start of the new trilogy and hopefully Reeves will stay attached. The film looks fantastic, never fails to entertain and is dark and gritty.
A new Batman era has begun and who would've thought our Batman would be Robert Pattinson. Go watch this one ASAP. I'm off playing Arkham City.
This is the Dark Batman movie that Dark Knight Rises should have been.
While I still rate the Nolan Triology both collectively and individually as the best Batman movies ever made, there are elements in The Batman that far surpass what Nolan did in his approach.
The soundtrack is impecable, the cinematography hypnotic (that hallway fight lit by the rifles' shots looks amazing), and the cast is superb in its own way. I started this review by comparing this movie to the Dark Knight Triology, but you really can't. It's a whole different movie, not an action thriller, not the world's greatest detective, but rather a slow, deep cutting mystery where you see the Hero come to terms with his own flaws, his own grief.
This movie is a Journey and you should take it as such. Go into it with whatever expectations you have, and ler it take you somewhere else. Amazing!
Very fine. But I don't think there is anything to say around this movie, and it really doesn't warrant any new discussion.
Ben Affleck is still the best Batman but this film is the best solo Batman movie to date. I know a lot of fans love the Nolan Batman trilogy but I'm not one of those fans. As much as I rate Christian Bale as an actor, I didn't like his take on the dark detective. However Pattinson does a very good job of portraying Batman in his early years and with the backing of a great supporting cast who all do well in their parts, this ends up being a really good story that focuses more on the detective side of Batman's story.
I very much look forward to more of this Batman and his story.
Well done matt on directing a well made batman film with fantastic effects and quality cast that all did well in their roles, it did drag little thought and lacked action for your normal batman film but can’t complain because it was definitely worth my time.
The 6th best Batman film ever made
Surprisingly dark and good! :bat:
I like the open of this movie a lot and the way the voice over plays out, you can visualize how it would be laid out in the panel of a comic book and I sort of appreciate the feel they are going for it just doesn’t ultimately land for me. I don’t really need Batman to be this dark and gritty, it starts to become self parody and the grounded realism makes the guy standing in the crowd with a bat suit on look goofy. A lot of this wouldn’t stand out as much if the movie could justify its runtime, but it ends up being a dull, long version of Seven that has a super hero bomb set piece at the end.
Caught a sneak preview in IMAX tonight. You will not be disappointed. Great movie and glad to have Batman back.
Not even xompleted or released yet - Due in 2022 but already 100 votes giving it a r ating of 84% . Some RP fans , Batman obsessed fans, DC fans - Distorting Real rating even before movie is seen by public to be accurately call a hit/miss. This is whay I do not trust ratings anymore because these obsessed fans cannot be trusted to leave unbiased ratings and reviews to them just a trailer is worth a 10/10. RT , IMDB , Crot* Critics of the past were more trustworthy with ratings and opinion. Pre social media reviews were honest and popularity etc was based on a great film being promoted by word of mouth i.e friends and family recommending to each other. A good film does not need PR, Falso* falsified ratings and disg* dishonest reviews from fans to prove itself worth the hype/awards.
Robert Pattinson, we are together!
"The Batman" is the latest installment in the long-running series of films based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, the movie offers a fresh and intriguing take on the iconic character.
The movie tells the story of a young Bruce Wayne as he begins his journey to become the legendary crime-fighter known as Batman. The story is well-written, with a mix of mystery and intrigue that keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. Pattinson does a great job as the brooding and intense version of Batman, bringing a new layer of depth to the character that we haven't seen before. The supporting cast, including Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman and Paul Dano as the Riddler, also give strong performances.
The film is visually stunning, with incredible set design and special effects that transport the audience to the gritty streets of Gotham City. The action scenes are well choreographed and thrilling to watch. The score, composed by Michael Giacchino, is also a standout, adding to the overall atmosphere of the film.
One of the highlights of the film is how it explores the psychological and emotional side of Batman as he navigates his way through the corruption and crime that plagues Gotham City, it shows a more human side of the superhero making it more relatable.
However, the film isn't without its flaws. Some of the plot elements feel a bit convoluted and some of the subplots don't get as much attention as they could have. Also, the story is a little bit darker that some of the other Batman movies, this could be a pro or con depending on the preferences of the audience.
Overall, I would give "The Batman" an 8 out of 10. It's a fresh and exciting take on the iconic character that offers a new perspective on the hero's journey. It's a well-made film with a great cast and impressive visuals, although it has some narrative issues. Fans of the comics and the Batman character should definitely check it out.
Another masterpiece, the film at the beginning is a bit confusing, but as it unfolds, it turns out to be a great plot, quite consistent.
The amazing thing about this movie is the old villains from previous ones.
The new actor who plays batman, married the character well. I look forward to the continuation of the plot.
For me, this was a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre.
Both Pattison and Dano delivered masterful performances capturing a dark and gritty Batmam that DC needed in a time full of over the top and over produced superhero movies.
The cinematography and score of this film are perfection and while long I didn't tire and was always kept engaged with the story.
I can only praise this film and can't wait to see what comes next.
10/10 - Outstanding film, a must see
just very bad writing, unnecessarily slow pacing
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I like the extremely gritty tone and the OST is also good, but something is missing from this. I also don't like emo Bruce Wayne, he's a bit much for my taste. The flamboyant genius is more my jam. It's fun to see a more Detective-minded Batman tho, but it bugs me that he doesn't actually solve anything. What's the point of watching Batman if he doesn't prevent or solve a crime? Riddlers' plan was executed almost perfectly and he let himself get arrested in the end. Everyone who was supposed to get killed by the Riddler got killed by him and he blew up the dam so hundreds (thousands?) more died. But hey, guess Batman got a few people to safety inside the flooded stadium. What a joke.
One of the most boring action movies I have ever seen. Slow, but noisy. Plenty of scenes with angry-whisper dialogues. Truly not a movie for me
Really dull, slow-moving and pointless.
“Fear is a tool. They think I’m hiding in the shadows but I am the shadows. I wish I could say that I’m making a difference but I don’t know. They might all roll together in a rush. Behind the mask. Sometimes in the morning, I have to push myself to remember everything that happened.”
Absolute cinema! Honestly, so incredible. The film-making from Matt Reeves is so excellent and well crafted, with such skill you forget you are watching a superhero movie. Dark, but with a slick style. The more I think about it, the more I love it. Just from the opening scene with the Riddler and Batman’s voice-over monologue while we see the ongoing crime in Gotham City, I knew we were all in for something spectacular.
The movie is three hours long, but I could watch a six-hour version of this.
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, but mostly Batman, is the perfect casting, and from day one of his castings, I knew he was going to bring it, and he did! He did some fantastic acting from his physicality and eyes that captured his thoughts and feelings. I liked his Batman voice, quiet and whispery. Not too forced like bale nor too advanced like Affleck. His Batman/Bruce Wayne, with no other way of describing it, is emo, but then again, Batman as a character is the definition of emo when you think about it. His long, messy, dark, and damp black hair hung over his face, giving his vision the equivalent of window blinders. His skin is as pale as a British introvert. He wears dark eyeliner under his Batman mask, and whenever he takes it off, the eyeliner smudges due to sweat and heat underneath the cowl. Whenever he is in the suit, he never breaks his detective’s eye, but when out of the suit, he cannot make eye contact with anyone. Before he appears, you hear his heavy footsteps on the rock-hard pavement, and then him slowly coming out of his darkness was just... goosebumps. The way he approaches criminals is no different from Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers.
There’s a thrilling car chase that ends with the vehicle flipped upside down and from the POV of the criminal, you see the black silhouette of what looks like a bat-man creation, with fire in the background from the aftermath of the chase, almost like IT came from hell, as it moves closer to the vehicle, and the way it moves its body is so unnatural. Of course, that scene is the Penguin and Batman car chase, with the POV from Penguin and the creation being Batman. It’s terrifying just reading that description with no context of the scene itself, and that’s why it’s so brilliant.
You get a lot of depth with this version, the unseen trauma. Pattinson is the most Batman that ever was and one of the best.
Also, his Batmobile is a killer!
Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman was another stand-out and the heart of the movie. I liked her characterization of a thick-skinned yet vulnerable and feminine. The scenes between her and Pattinson were the best part of the movie, as their chemistry was on point. Her character could’ve easily fit in a Brian De Palma movie.
Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon is so good in the role, and the dynamic duo between him and Pattinson brought some surprising comedic moments. While this Gordon isn’t quite the police commissioner, we see a different side to the character; the no-nonsense type that’s devoted.
Paul Dano as the Riddler was a mixture of creepiness but still maintains the sinister sense of humour of the troubled intellectual character. I also liked his costume, as it felt homemade and fit this type of movie. This version of the Riddler is inspired by the Zodiac killer, a real-life Riddler who sent out ciphers that were hard to crack. Fifty years after the case, and only last year that one of the ciphers was cracked. In the same vein as the Zodiac, he taunts the police and leaves none of his DNA at the crime scene. So, it makes this version of the character scary because it's something that could happen in real life. This version of Riddler is straight-up Jigsaw.
Andy Serkis isn't in the movie that much, but he delivers a solid portrayal of the trustworthy Alfred. The relationship between him and Bruce is "icy", a tragic withdrawn situation that I hope mends in the future. So icy that if these two ever crossed paths in a hallway, things would be awkward. However, there is a beautiful and moving scene, which takes place in a hospital, after Alfred stains injuries after a failed bomb attack from the Riddler, and during that scene where these two finally talk because, despite the rocky relationship, Bruce still cares for him. He thought that he mastered his fear, but at that moment, he feared that he lost him. A touching scene and Serkis was brilliant in it.
Colin Farrell as the Penguin is honestly one of the best transformations in movie history, and yes, of all time. I mean, it's been three months since the movie came out, and I still can’t believe that’s him. He is unrecognizable not only for the make-up but his voice as well. The make-up artist behind this work did an incredible job. Both Farrell and the make-up artist deserve high praise here.
John Turturro as Falcone, who rarely got shown in the marketing, is a surprise standout here and has not got enough credit. What a presence he brings to the movie, and I liked his take on the ruthless mobster.
Peter Saarsgard is another actor that isn’t getting talked about because he acts the hell out of the role of the corrupt Gil Colson. The scene with the bomb collar was intense, and Saarsgard was great in it. It felt like a scene from a “Saw” movie where the villain is in complete control. I mean, there's not a single weak actor in this movie.
I loved the score from Michael Giacchino; very epic, Gothic, but jampacked with emotion. There is some distinct character work with compelling themes from Batman, Riddler, and Catwoman, especially from the bat himself, whose score perfectly captures the tragedy and the heroism. His sounds commanding, yet unresolved, almost like Bruce Wayne’s trauma. Catwoman’s theme sounds like a classic noir film when the mysterious woman enters the detective’s office late at night. And the Riddler shares a couple of familiarity with Batman’s theme, in terms of suspense, build-up, and a grand feel to it. Although with an ominous and mysterious tone to it.
I liked how detailed the movie was, whether that’s characterization, acting, writing, directing, etc. I can tell that everyone who worked on this movie truly cared and put a lot of thought into every scene, and I love that so much. I bet on a re-watch there will be new things to pick up on.
The cinematography is the best part of the movie. No other superhero movie in recent times has looked this well-crafted, so captivating, with its incredible atmosphere, darkness, and lighting. Cinematographer Greg Frasier keeps outdoing himself.
Everything else from a technical standpoint is outstanding. The sound work is tremendous and adds to the immersion. The production design, costume, editing, and direction were all mwah!
I liked how dirty and grounded Gotham City looked, where everything is so cramped together, how it was always raining in this city, or how everything always looks so damp. This Gotham feels diseased, old yet new at the same time. Even the day scenes looked like a stormy evening. Despite that, that does not take away its strange beauty.
The movie is more character-driven than anything else, diving into the detective side. Sure, there is action, which is great, but it’s character moments that stuck with me the most. I must admit the third act made me teary-eyed. It was a beautiful scene that involved character growth. While the movie can be dark, brutal, and at times wickedly funny, on the other hand, there is also a sense of hope. Because despite the bleakness of this world, here you have a broken and flawed man who endured all the pain, trauma, and rage, and finally had the strength to put aside it and put himself out there for those who suffer.
So yeah, I liked the movie a lot.
Overall rating: HE IS VEGENECE!
I'm sorry, but I hate this Batman installment. So little of it rang true to the character, Pattinson is easily the worst Batman ever, he's just creepy. And honestly, 2 hours too long. If they trimmed out all the drama and slow play nonsense you would have a great first episode for a series. Of course, special effects are great, costumes are great, but oh boy is the slow and tedious.
A pass for me.
Great batmobile.. good villain too..its better than a 7 but just not 8 great
I though that Batman with George Clooney is the worst Batmen ever... but I was wrong, this is even worse
I never in my life thought I’d enjoy watching a movie with that wanna be vampire punk…. But I must say, not bad! I really wanna see what the sequel will bring. But Zoe stole the show… that is the hottest Selina Kyle ever…. Wow
after 30 minutes it whas enough
I hate this version of Batman. Simple as that. Mentally ill emo boy walking in shadows and winning gunfights with his fists. This works in comic books but in movie its funny. No chemistry with Alfred. Completely retarded version of Bruce Wayne, and i could go on and on….
Bring back master Nolan please.
this movie is about the riddler's parasocial relationship with batman
The Batman resembles a classic film noir. The soundtrack is great and Gotham City provides a fantastic backdrop. Matt Reeves hit it out of the park.
The tricky thing about reviving a long-lived franchise is, it’s always going to be compared to its predecessors. And, as the caped crusader goes, that history is awfully long and speckled. Tim Burton dealt with this when he helmed the 1989 iteration, dodging complaints that it was so fundamentally different from the Adam West camp of twenty years prior. Christopher Nolan fought an uphill battle in overcoming the damage inflicted by Joel Schumacher’s missteps. Now, in the wake of Ben Affleck’s turn beneath the cowl, Matt Reeves faces a different, but similar fight in justifying his vision of a spandex-clad detective in the crumbling urban decay.
Reeves gives us a younger Batman, less seasoned and polished than the Kilmer/Clooney/Affleck years, but also not a rookie. This isn’t an origin story; this bat’s reputation has already been established in Gotham and he’s fostered a tenuous working relationship with certain members of the police force. He’s visible enough to draw the attention of a violent, counter-culture master criminal who addresses hints and clues like love letters and sprinkles them around his prolific crime scenes. But he lacks that grand, accomplished sense of supreme confidence: a patrolman who’s still learning his beat, he makes mistakes and takes lessons from them. Actually, he makes a lot of mistakes. This Batman is neither impervious in a fight nor unmatched in an intellectual sense. He often seems like he’s out of his depth, reacting and improvising to events beyond his control. That can be humanizing, but it also limits his aura. In terms of raw energy and dramatic appearances, this rendition ranks near the bottom. I might even call him dull.
That’s a problem with the whole film, in fact. It has inspired and effective moments, isn’t demonstrably bad, but constantly feels clinical and lethargic. There’s very little dramatic spectacle, so I was never wowed. For all the boastful talk about emphasizing the detective aspect of his character, Batman himself doesn’t actually solve much. Alfred cracks most of the riddles, and when he’s eventually indisposed, the Riddler complains that his counterpart isn’t getting to the answers fast enough. Robert Pattinson’s take on the leading role is... okay. He looks the part while in costume, but often overacts, and his take on the brooding Bruce Wayne, as I’d feared, falls on the wrong side of the emo spectrum. Paul Dano’s Se7en-influenced Riddler is a fresh reimagining, but the conclusion of his story (or lack thereof) leaves an empty feeling. Hints and implications are dropped all over the place - about Gordon, the Penguin, Catwoman and other noteworthy rogues who shall remain nameless - but none go beyond the level of superficial winks. Batman and Robin’s Mister Freeze, for all his cheesy one-liners and bad costume effects, had a more cohesive, satisfying story than any of these characters.
I don’t want to give the wrong impression. This isn’t a bad effort. I admire its influences, and its chutzpah for wearing them loudly on its chest. Gotham is dark and gritty, its corrupt politicians serving as an appropriate mirror to their real-life counterparts. The costumes and set designs look great. But, in a strange way, I feel that it tries too hard to match the execution of 2019’s Joker without really grasping what made that movie tick or why the two should be distinctive. Both are deathly serious, heavily visual, mood-reliant character pieces, but where Joker limits its iris to a small, tight group of characters, The Batman is overwhelmed by its cast. Joaquin Phoenix takes us on a private journey in the former film, and it’s meaningful when his arc is resolved. Pattinson, by comparison, never progresses beyond looking mopey in the rain.
This movie felt like a side-quest on a Arkham video-game.
Not even a memorable moment that makes you want to rewatch again on Youtube.
Not on the top 3 of the best Batman movies.
Robert Pattinson was fantastic.
Thats it, thats the review.
8/10
Wow, this was god-awful! Not Pattinson's fault, nobody could have made this shitty script watchable
To start, I loved this film. It wasn't perfect, but it was a top tier superhero film that leaned heavily into the detective aspect of Batman's lore. The mood was oppressive in how dark it was, the characters all flawed in their own ways, and world felt real & lived in. Pattinson was surprisingly a great Batman and Kravitz was an inspired Catwoman. The rest of the cast was also top notch, with Dano a terrifying villain. The few things I didn't like we're the obvious setups for sequels or TV shows or whatnot. Is it just not possible to have a self-contained movie any more? Barring those details, the hype is warranted. This is a hell of a film. Easily worth the 3 hour investment.
I'm not a fan but gave Batman another try. Still not for me. Good cinematic, boring as hell. Had to fast forward quite a lot.
Very solid movie. Who knew someone could make an even more realistic Batman than Christopher Nolan. I thought it was clearly inspired by Fincher's Seven. The atmosphere, lighting and the plot.
I knew I'm going to like this when they showed the dark around the eyes makeup and also that it wasn't like 2 ridiculous circles. It was like a makeup gone wrong. Like every time he took off his mask, you think he was messy and he had cried a lot. Also this doesn't mean every Batman movie should be bleak and dark like this. You can try different things at different times.
Review by r96skBlockedParent2022-03-18T02:21:28Z
It's a cracker, no doubt about it!
Matt Reeves did a great job with 2022's 'The Batman'. It's difficult not to compare this to other Batman films, though that's DC/Warner Bros. fault for featuring him so much in recent times. I'll get this out the way early: I'd say 'Batman Begins'/'The Dark Knight' are superior, not by much, which is a similar case for the character performances too.
Robert Pattinson is a terrific Bruce Wayne, though Christian Bale still edges him out in my eyes. Zoë Kravitz is probably the best Catwoman I've seen, though the rest - from the Riddler to Penguin to Alfred - have been portrayed better; aside from Commissioner Gordon, with Jeffrey Wright being excellent. Paul Dano is the least enjoyable performer, for me, here, I found his showing to be a bit 'meh' - effective, but meh. Barry Keoghan makes a cameo, I won't say as who, but I don't hold high hopes for him in that role; though, apparently it won't be anything that happens anyway. For the best!
Anyway... the above sounds way too negative - as I did thoroughly and absolutely enjoy this film, hence the very positive rating. The pacing is very good, the cinematography is brilliant (Gotham looks fantastically bleak!), the story is engrossing and the dialogue is on point. The scenes with Pattinson/Kravitz and Pattinson/Wright are my favourite moments. It's a film that I'd consider as 'outstanding'.
It'll be cool to see what Reeves does with this trilogy (should it happen, of course).