THE BATMAN shows us Batman as we’ve never seen him before. The movie begins as a horror movie and it is amazing. It’s essentially about the hunt for a serial killer – not unlike Se7en and Zodiac. Read our full The Batman movie review here!
THE BATMAN is Batman in a way that perfectly suits the world we live in now. It’s a dark and brutal experience with even the soundtrack knocking you back in your seat. In all the right ways! In fact, even the new “The Batman”-theme reminded me of a very familiar Star Wars theme (probably because both are inspired by Chopin).
Even though this movie is a DC production with many familiar characters, the way in which it’s told feel very new. Quite frankly, it’s reminiscent of David Fincher’s Se7en and Zodiac. Something many critics are noting due to the serial killer storyline that drives the plot.
This is a movie that is so much better than I ever dared hope for. Even the runtime of almost three hours (officially 2 hours and 55 minutes) doesn’t seem too long for the story told in The Batman.
Continue reading our The Batman movie review below.
A dark and gorgeous new style for DC
Admittedly, Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was also dark, but still not in the way The Batman comes across. We are seeing Batman in a very new way which means this is very much a movie that is justified.
Forget all about the amazing and colorful universe of Tim Burton or the playboy Bruce Wayne from Christopher Nolan. Here, we begin when Bruce Wayne has been working the streets of Gotham as Batman for two years. He isn’t really able to see much (if any) progress and he is losing hope that things can get better.
Also, you don’t have to guess and assume these things. We hear them from the mouth of Bruce Wayne himself as he narrates parts of the opening sequence. All while the audience is seeing the worst sides of Gotham. In other words, this isn’t like the Spider-Man movies that essentially did the origin story three times with a new star.
With The Batman, we begin in the middle of everything and things just are not looking good. Basically, the opening scene is something from a really brutal horror movie. It’s scary and cruel, which means it’s perfect for setting the stage.
Batman has become more human(e)
You’ll probably notice very quickly that Bruce Wayne still has some black around his eyes when he takes off his mask. In the past, the face of Bruce Wayne was always very clean-cut the second he went from Batman to Bruce Wayne. That’s not the case anymore.
In fact, there really isn’t much life left for Bruce Wayne. The “rich kid” has dedicated his life to making a change in Gotham, which requires him to be Batman.
For the record, I always felt confident that Robert Pattinson could play Batman. If you’ve watched him in his recent roles (including Nolan’s Tenet), you’ll know that he is so much more than what we saw in Twilight. Obviously! Just as it’s the case for Kristen Stewart who is winning awards and currently Oscar-nominated.
Still, I will happily admit that Robert Pattinson actually does an even better job than I expected. In another key role, we have Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman. She also does an excellent job of showing just the right amount of fierceness and heart in this role.
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However, I do have to mention that I am in no way happy that she is so petite. Especially since the outfits highlight this with the corset-like designs. She has the smallest frame in the movie while all official posters and PR photos show her having a much larger chest than she does.
I mean, at least stand by the choice of having a small-framed Catwoman. This has nothing to do with the acting (or physical capabilities) of Zoë Kravitz. She does a truly amazing job in every way.
I just can’t help but notice that while Robert Pattinson is in good shape, he is far from having the bodybuilder-like physique of Ben Affleck and Christian Bale. Or most other superheroes, for that matter. In other words, he is more of a “normal” human being, while Catwoman has gone from a full-figured woman to a teenage petite.
Having said that, it is also the only issue I have with this movie. In the grand scheme of things, it is a tiny thing, but the contrast from Pattinson to previous Batman portrayals is as stark as that of Kravitz versus previous Catwoman portrayals. Just in very opposite ways.
In other roles, you’ll get to enjoy a completely unrecognizable Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin), John Turturro as the mobster Carmine Falcone, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. Also, you’ll see Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler.
Make sure you watch The Batman in a movie theater!
Some movies are just meant to be watched in a movie theater. The Batman is definitely one of these movies. The seat is virtually shaking as you feel yourself being pushed back by both the sound and visual impacts. Actually, this goes for most movies by Matt Reeves. At least those made in this century.
Matt Reeves is the director and co-writer of the screenplay. Peter Craig is the other writer and he previously wrote on The Hunger Games and is behind the story for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
I have to admit that I never cared much for any of The Batman trailers that were released. To me, they were focusing on the whole “The Bat & The Cat”-element too much. This is far from the strongest part of Matt Reeves’ amazing movie. Sure, it’s important to show the softer sides of both Batman and Catwoman. Just not defining.
Unlike the trailers, the actual The Batman movie managed to blow me away, which means I can only give it a whole-hearted recommendation. Or should that be cold-hearted based on the serial killer plot? In any case, you really don’t want to miss out on watching The Batman in a movie theater is at all possible. Enjoy!
The Batman is set to open in theaters on March 4, 2022.
Details
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright
Plot
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
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