So here is my non-spoiler (if you've seen the previews) of The Batman:
The hype was legit – Matt Reeves has delivered a Batman film unlike any other in the character's 80+ year existence.
The Batman is a gritty film, with a 1970s flavor, ala Todd Phillips' The Joker. But The Batman is a detective story through and through, centered on stopping The Riddler from killing corrupt public officials and other bad seeds in Gotham City. It's hard to describe without spoiling the movie. But there are multiple threads that converge and it takes all of the three-hour running time to do it.
Here are some of my highlights:
Robert Pattinson as Batman – I never once thought he wasn't Batman. There was never a slip where I felt he was anyone other than the Dark Knight while in the costume. He's a violent Batman and had some incredible fight scenes and detective work.
Paul Dano as Riddler – Absolutely stunning performance. I can't say much, because if I mention things, I'll ruin it. Suffice it to say, he was as advertised.
Jeffrey Wright as Gordon – He was a perfect fit for the character, and he played him not unlike Gary Oldman did in the Dark Knight Trilogy. Which is a compliment.
The Batmobile – without spoiling it, yes, there is a massive car scene (you saw it in the trailers), and the ride is PERFECT for this particular film. It works. But what I also like is they didn't overuse the Batmobile.
The story – Once The Dark Knight Rises came out, I remember saying that if they did a fourth film, they should make Riddler darker and a serial killer. Well, Matt Reeves did just that. The story is complex, weaving clues, the killings and all sorts of threads that Batman, Gordon, and Alfred piece together. Very well written, although there is something I'll get to that I think could have made it better.
Some things I'm not as fond of:
The Catwoman story thread – as I mentioned above, there was one piece of the story that I think could have been edited out. There was really no need for Catwoman. Don't get me wrong, Zoe Kravitz was excellent. And there IS a reason for her character. But I felt like they put Catwoman in just to put Catwoman in. The story could have been tighter had they simply eliminated Catwoman and had a young woman in her place. There have been a lot of Batman-Catwoman stories over the past several years regarding their relationship and them getting close. Matt Reeves tells the story of those beginnings here. I just think it wasn't necessary given the rest of the movie. The....plot point... involving Catwoman could easily be served without it being Catwoman. And that's all I can really say.
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne – it's hard to like Bruce Wayne in this movie. There's a reason, this is a Bruce Wayne who is more of a loner who doesn't put up an act that he's a playboy. He's a total recluse. And given where the movie went (I need to be careful here to avoid spoilers), there's a maturation process, and I am sure in future films, I'll like him better. But his look and attitude were just “eh” to me.
3/6 comments after seeing it a second time -- I don't feel as strongly about Bruce Wayne's portrayal after seeing it it again. I still don't like the look, but once I saw it in Imax and just focused on things, I see what Reeves was doing more clearly.
Editing – a couple of times I really felt like something was edited out that should have continued. Scenes where there was clearly more and then it jumped to something new. If the “Bat and the Cat” thread wasn't there, I really feel like it may have enabled Reeves to let those scenes play out, instead of what he likely did in cutting them short.3/6 - I COMPLETELY changed my opinion of the editing after the second viewing. It seemed to flow a LOT better. Thus the strikethrough, but keeping it there.
REVISED Grade (on 3.6): A-
Overall Grade: B+
A very welcome return to a darker, more realistic take on Batman. Appropriate nods to the character's past, some timely social commentary woven throughout, and an enjoyable detective story. This film is certainly worth your time and Paul Dano's work as The Riddler is absolutely riveting.
Some other letter grades for comparison:
Batman '89 - A
Batman Returns - B-
Batman Forever - B
Batman and Robin - F
Batman Begins - A
The Dark Knight - A+
The Dark Knight Rises - A-
Batman vs. Superman - C
(I won't rate Justice League or Snyder's Cut of JL because they weren't "Batman" films - BvS was close enough)
edit:
I should add that if you really want a sense of why Bruce/Batman and Edward/The Riddler are where they are, the prequel novella really helps give that background:
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Batman-Original-Movie-Novel/dp/B09J1QXHMC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SSCHU38IUYPJ&keywords=The+Batman+novel&qid=1646324521&sprefix=the+batman+novel%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1
Topic: The Batman (non-spoiler review) - edited after second viewing on 3/6 (Read 5408 times)