The Batman movie review

The Batman movie review

Matt Reeves gave us a Bat flick for the ages with this one.

Pharaoh721

Matt Reeves is one of the best directors working in the big-budget film industry. Robert Pattinson is one of the most underrated actors of the past decade. Because of these ideas, I was pretty damn excited for The Batman. After finally seeing it, it easily skyrockets to one of my favorite adaptations of the caped crusader.

The movie follows Batman earlier in his career, a stark contrast from the prior Ben Affleck iteration. Because of that, Batman is still a bit rough around the edges. You can tell he’s got a lot to learn and that he’s still coming into himself as a hero. Pattinson plays this excellently. He captures the essence of Batman; the fact that Bruce Wayne is the persona and Batman is the true character.

via GIPHY

What really reeled me in about The Batman was that it’s a straight up mystery. Clearly inspired by Se7en and Zodiac, this story leans really hard into Batman’s detective side. The Riddler is constantly toying with both the Gotham City Police Department and Batman, and the game of cat and mouse is super compelling. I was constantly trying to figure out the ongoing mystery just as the characters were, and was actually surprised by a couple twists and turns.

Speaking of The Riddler, Paul Dano is insanely good. They straight up make him a twisted serial killer, and the movie honestly borderlines horror in some sequences. It’s a delicious take on the character, and I think what makes The Riddler in this movie so creepy is that he feels like a real person, somebody that could exist in our world.

via GIPHY

While I’m talking about performances, let’s take a collective moment to appreciate the gem that is Zoe Kravitz. She’s an amazing Catwoman. Not only is she incredibly charming and cutthroat, but her chemistry and dynamic with Pattinson’s Batman is excellent. I leaned forward in my seat every time she was on screen, and it wasn’t just because she’s insanely attractive. 

The Batman is without a doubt the most visually stunning Batman film I’ve seen. The lighting, the use of color and shadows, it’s all gorgeous. You can tell that there’s a wildly talented cinematographer (Greig Fraser) helming this thing. I also loved how Matt Reeves framed combat, allowing the choreography to shine.

This movies also does a good job at bringing Gotham City to life. In my review of Batman 89, I mentioned how modern Batman films have drab Gotham Cities that just look like New York or Chicago. The Batman’s Gotham City feels like the fantastical take on Chicago that we get in comics. It’s evident in the architecture and layout of the city. Gotham Square and the nightclub are a couple locations that really stand out to me.

via GIPHY

If I had to give a complaint about this movie, I’d say it does start to feel a bit long at the tail end. The movie’s got a 2hr 56 minute run time, and the last 20-25 kind of drag on. I’ve got no problem with longer flicks, but there’s definitely a few minutes of footage that could have been left on the cutting room floor.

I’ve never been a die-hard fan of the character, but The Batman makes me excited about the future of the caped crusader on film. I’m just hoping that Matt Reeves and the rest of that creative team stick around for potential sequels. If you were curious about checking out the movie, I give it my highest recommendation.

Review for
The Batman
9
9
Pros

Excellent performances all around

Great detective noir/mystery

Beautifully shot

I just want more of this world

Cons

You start to feel the run time by the end

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 8, 2022 6:04 PM

    The Batman movie review

    Read more: The Batman movie review

    • reply
      March 8, 2022 6:21 PM

      Welp looks like I am going to see this after all.

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      March 8, 2022 6:55 PM

      Amen! Yep I enjoyed the movie. Some great action sequences, some great detecting...it has it all from a Batman perspective! Great sound! Great cinematography!

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      March 8, 2022 8:01 PM

      Great review, thanks for posting!

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      March 8, 2022 9:47 PM

      Great movie, agreed. Cat woman gives me boners.

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      March 9, 2022 12:55 AM

      I already talked about it in my MM thread so I'll mention a few tidbits I really liked that weren't mentioned in my thread:

      - The recurring use of overhead shots to provide new context on information or events (also just felt very comic book-y)
      - The intro sequence with criminals being scared of the shadows when they saw the Bat Signal. Probably the best visualization of Batman's classic "I am the night" line, plus how much they did with just darkness and his footsteps.
      - The Penguin, although he's a scumbag, is actually totally straight-up the whole movie. I don't think he ever lies about a single thing.
      - Michael Giacchino's main theme reminded me of the ostinato in the Jaws theme, which was specifically crafted to evoke a terrifying, driving force of nature
      - Placing Wayne's home and the Batcave in the center of Gotham actually makes a lot more sense than him being out in the country
      - How unglamorous this Batman was. He doesn't always wash off his eye makeup (nice to see it acknowledged) and his batsuit looks rough and hand-made
      - The interior of Wayne's home straight-up looks like a Gothic cathedral on steroids
      - How Wayne was oblivious to the sexual creepiness he was submitting Selina Kyle to when he asked her to go into that club

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      March 9, 2022 1:20 AM

      [deleted]

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        March 9, 2022 3:16 AM

        It would be smart for DC to just embrace their movies as a platform for filmmakers to do their own takes. They missed their opportunity trying to copy the success of the MCU, and their best movies are standalone.

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          March 9, 2022 4:17 AM

          Agreed. The MCU formula is getting tired now. I'd rather just have bonkers standalone movies with real artists doing unique takes anyway.

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        March 9, 2022 7:20 AM

        I'm totally with you. I'd be very happy if they just kept this iteration of Batman its own thing.

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      March 9, 2022 1:43 AM

      Good review! It makes want to see it in theatres, something I was not planning.

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      March 9, 2022 5:01 AM

      Awesome, going to see it Thursday

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      March 9, 2022 6:35 AM

      Hmm. It occurs to me that any actor playing Batman could actually be a Bruce Wayne-type in real life. They're all wealthy, good-looking, used to the power wealth brings, and often very fit.

      The fact that none of them turned into crimehfighters means they're all cowards, though.

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      March 9, 2022 8:14 AM

      [deleted]

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      March 9, 2022 8:52 AM

      For those that have seen it, can you comment on the following argument against the film. I haven't seen it, but I've seen some arguments that it is basically an anti Batman film. As in, it's a Batman film made by people who don't really like Batman. Not talking about wokeness here - more that the film fundamentally either doesn't understand who Batman is and/or fundamentally doesn't like who Batman is. It makes me hesitant to see it. Kinda spoilers.

      The end premise is that Batman shouldn't be a caped crusader who beats up bad guys. Something about him realizing that he's no different than the bad guys, and that the right thing to do is not to beat up bad guys but to go help non violently rescue the innocent. Aka, being a vigilante is bad, even if the cops are corrupt and the city is corrupt and nobody else will help fight the bad guys. Is that really the ultimate message of the movie?

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        March 9, 2022 8:59 AM

        no, he realizes he needs to do more than just get vengeance. He realizes that the reason he is doing what he is doing is to help people. To be a true hero. He will still fight bad guys but for different reasons now.

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        March 9, 2022 9:00 AM

        Those arguments are a bad take.

        He realizes that he can't just be a personification of vengeance, he has to be more than that to be any good for Gotham, being a symbol not only of fear but hope as well. He also seems to realize he needs to do more for the city as Bruce Wayne, who at this point is a recluse and had no philanthropic endeavors.

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        March 9, 2022 9:07 AM

        Frankly it's all bullshit. The people behind this understand batman better than any who have tackled an adaptation so far, aside from maybe Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.

        It does make a point about who Batman needs to be, but that view is 100% in line with how he's been in the comics.

        Honestly, you should be fucking scared of anyone who had an issue with it's position. They don't understand Batman and their outlook could well justify some real violence.

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        March 9, 2022 9:54 AM

        Anyone who took that impression away from the movie is being incredibly dense and/or simplistic. Everything that everyone here has been saying is correct - What's wrong with Batman at the beginning of the movie isn't necessarily that he's fighting crime, but more that he's lashing out with his pain. Doing that isn't healing the city, and it's not healing him, either. That's it. It's not a story about how Batman becomes a peacenik.

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        March 9, 2022 9:58 AM

        I think those are the Zack Snyder movies

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        March 9, 2022 10:29 AM

        As others have said, the movie is not about that. Fundamentally though, there is no one true Batman. There are many interpretations of him. The latest ones try to explore the psychology and motives of an icon in different ways. How could a vigilante exist like that in our world?

        These fans that pine over what their hero should be are odd and are missing out on enjoying a story.

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        March 9, 2022 10:56 AM

        This is the best and most comic accurate portrayal of young batman.

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        March 9, 2022 11:07 AM

        [deleted]

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        March 9, 2022 11:32 AM

        the film fundamentally either doesn't understand who Batman is and/or fundamentally doesn't like who Batman is

        Which Batman are we talking about? The Batman from the comics, which range from early-era fairly light detective capers to some really dark stuff depending on the years and the author? The Batman from the goofy TV series? The Batman from The Animated Series from the 90's? Any of the various Batman portrayals from the last 30 years in film?

        The point I'm trying to make is that it's silly for any audience member to claim ownership over who Batman fundamentally is, because it's changed so much over the years and across all the mediums he's been portrayed in. Now if someone wants to say that don't particularly like this latest interpretation of Batman, so be it. But it's ridiculous to claim it's "anti-Batman".

        That being said, regarding your spoiler question, I'd say that my take wasn't that they were saying Batman shouldn't be a vigilante, but more that he realized that what Gotham needed was MORE than just a scarred, violent, vigilante driven almost purely by hatred and anger. Throughout the majority of the movie, Batman's voice-overs were very reminiscent of Rorschach from Watchmen, talking about how the city was diseased and he was what the city needed to help it. By the end of the movie, he realized that the city needed more than pure, unabated vengeance. It needed a hero. I don't see this iteration of Batman suddenly deciding he's going to stop being a vigilante and stop kicking the shit out of badguys, just realizing that what he started out as wasn't what the city needed to heal and become better. To me it's about growth and maturity and understanding that fanaticism can backfire even if you start with the best of intentions. There were many points in the film where victims were visibly scared by Batman, as much if not more so than of the criminals Batman was saving them from. And that moment at the end of the movie was the first time the public started to see him as a hero and savior, rather than just another violent criminal to fear.

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      March 9, 2022 9:07 AM

      Saw it last night and absolutely loved it.

      A masterful mix of mystery, horror, suspense and action. For it being such a dark, brooding, noir-esque detective thriller, the few bits of action were absolutely incredible. The fight choreography was top notch, probably the best since the original John Wick, and specifically the scene with Batman fighting the guys in the hallway illuminated only by the muzzle-flashes might be in my top 10 action/combat sequences ever. The acting was superb all around, with the one exception being Jeffrey Wright's performance as Jim Gordon. It wasn't terrible, but he's such a good actor that this didn't feel up to par for him. I think the top accolades for performance is a fairly even split between Zoe Kravitz and Colin Farrell.

      This is a solid contender for my favorite Batman film, and probably one of my favorite films of the last several years. Absolutely incredible, and I can't wait to watch it again!

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        March 9, 2022 9:10 AM

        One of the most brilliant parts of this movie: when the Penguin was shuffling around on his feet, like a penguin, after he was tied up at the legs

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          March 9, 2022 9:49 AM

          There were enough fun bits of visual storytelling that I'm very much looking forward to seeing it again.

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        March 9, 2022 10:28 AM

        [deleted]

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        March 9, 2022 11:11 AM

        [deleted]

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          March 9, 2022 11:14 AM

          Holy crap, how did I forget to mention the Badassmobile! Definitely my new favorite iteration of the Batmobile, and that chase scene was pure adrenaline!

          What a great movie!

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