Movie Review: The Batman

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

You know guys, since i've reviewed THE Suicide squad, i've talked about how DCEU was started very badly for it depicted or the execution for the story or the development they tried their best to competing MCU, but going badly like being tripped by shoe laces being untied. But yes, as we going upward the end of 2010's to the beginning of 2020's, they've finally going much better, whether its the directions or even a sorta reboot that became much better or even something what it should've been, but then we have a this film in today's review that was originally planned since we first introduced in Batman V Superman, but ended up changing, at the right time.

"The Batman" is a 2022 DC Superhero film that was written/produced/directed by Matt Reeves, co-produced by Dylan Clark and co-written by Peter Craig.

Ever since we first meet Ben Affleck's Batman in Batman V Superman, he was pretty much a mixed bag for his role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, for me personally, even though Affleck tried, but he's not my kind of Batman, yes he has some unique moments and brutally badass, but it just it doesn't work for both nearly emotionless, his execution and probably Affleck's passion. In fact, during the making of The Batman, Affleck was not only act as a main role, but also worked as a writer, producer and a director, but with a combination of mixed reception, lost his passion and, like some celebs' problem, he had a substance abuse with alcohol, leaving him bowing out of production and it was rebooted by Matt Reeves at the right place, since he's a huge fan of the cape crusade, not only he works as both writer, producer, but also as a main director, but we need the new role of Batman. When we heard Pattinson as Batman, we're aren't sure since he got used of him as the bland vampire protagonist in the godawful Twilight saga (even though Pattinson is on our side how looked back, he's disgusted to be in the saga, even to this day), even if he had a breakthrough like The Lighthouse. But after what we saw the trailer, it surprisingly didn't disappointing us.

So, with all that said, is the movie a worth of vengeance, or is this movie made of lies with riddles?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

Even though this movie is another regular superhero plot movie, but this movie focuses on murder and murder mystery with challenging riddles that im very impressed.

The movie starts with the mayor Don Mitchell Jr had a phone call during the election for the next mayor of Gotham City, after hung out the phone, he was murdered by the mysterious killer who we call "The Riddler". After the incident, Bruce Wayne narrates that Gotham is filed with crimes during long Halloween (aka Halloween version of The Purge) and introducing himself as the vengeful Batman after being operated for 2 years while brutally beating up bad guys with his bare hands. After that, Batman heard the report of Mitchell's murder that he joins for investigation, based on his detetive, he and his lieutenant partner James Gordon notice a riddle with lies that left for Batman before The Riddler is going to murdering anybody for his next target, its up for Batman for solving the riddles from the mysterious Riddler.

Its quite impressive that rather than another kind of superhero of coming to save the day in a typical threat or even invasion on Earth like we always get used to it, here, it focuses more of solving the murder with riddles in a dark and grungy style, which is something i like what they're going for, especially that back then Batman isn't just a vigilante, but he's also a detective to solving the villains case back in the golden era, which is something that old school comic fans really miss the old element, and i respect that idea. Not to mention, the movie is also has a politic as a plot element where it takes place in election for the next mayor in Gotham, especially for who used to run for mayor before the birth of Batman with some secret truth behind mayor runner, though i won't give a spoiler detail, but its quite of thought provoking for how Batman has a PTSD, or so i thought. The movie also has a subplot with the inclusion of Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman, but she's back since i reviewed Catwoman Hunted) who's going who murder her roommate Annika, leaving her also doing a murder case with Batman, despite he also using her for interrogation about Annika before her body is discovered, even though its another film to have a relationship between Batman and Catwoman, but instead of out of context love interest, this one is the purpose for solving the murderer in Gotham, despite their different roles where Batman is more focus on detective, while Selina is nearly going nuts to find the killer.

However, one problem that i have is that this movie is dragging on, i know its a nearly three hour long film in order to build up the evidence and the action, but sometimes it gets slow and sometimes we forgot to focus of finding The Riddler, but more about finding the second murderer, i sometimes overreact how its nearly long as 3 hours long movie like "Looks like we got the murderer, lets live happily ever-- Wait, there's 50 MINUTES LEFT?! WTF?! Oh wait, the election thing!". I mean, i've watched Avengers Endgame, but at least its the purpose for long journey for the Infinity Stones and the biggest war ever, but here, its just a solving murderer in a dark and grungy superhero, dammit!

Nitpicky aside for a nearly 3 hour long film, at least the plot of finding The Riddler and having Batman being a dark detective is a nicely work for the execution.

The Presentation

For a movie with a budget cost between $185–200 million (as im writing this), the presentation of this film is pretty cool, even if it needs to be lightened, but understandable for the visual.

For the filming location/presence, the look of Gotham City looks pretty cool, in order to make it look dark and grungy look how Gotham be like, basically a grungier version of New York that i can't help what it looks like, although this movie was actually filmed in England, especially with the background bridge that i can definitely notice its a London Bridge, which it explained why its filmed in London and the cemetery part is filmed in Glasgow Necropolis in Scotland before moving to Liverpool, keep in mind if you already know, they began to filming since January 2020, which is before the over spreading the virus all over the world. Although some exterior shots are filmed in Chicago, Illinois as outside of filmmaking in England.

As for the the designs and the visuals, they're quite impressive for their own concepts.

The visuals are mixed for me, yes, it looks pretty impressive for how it presented, as well as using StageCraft since Disney+'s The Mandalorian, its just that while we like to see the actions and the looks, my problem is that its too dark that i had a hard time to look at either for the evidence, a plot convenient or even the look of Batman or Catwoman, i know its the purpose how the film is presented, but its just that don't like of the film is nearly covered in black. Even when its a daytime, its still somber. Again, i understand its the purpose how to make a dark and grungy movie version of Batman in Reeves's mind, but couldn't at least to lighten up a bit?

Visual nitpick aside, at least the designs are pretty good too. For Batman, i find his suit to be impressive with his tactical gear with armor on his chest to preventing bullets, a mask that surprisingly similar to Adam West's Batman and i appreciate to make the Batsuit to be feel realistic, i think they succeeded what they came up. As for his Batmobile? Im very impressed that rather than being iconic exotic from Tim Burton version or big and bulky in Nolan's Dark Knight, this one is basically a customized muscle car with rocket on its back, even though it may sounds a bit cheap looking to be a Batmobile, but i think i like giving Batman a powerful muscle car, especially with the car chase with Oz Cobblepot, sure its dark, but we can see how intense it is.

As for Catwoman, she's slightly similar, wearing black latex, have whips, but instead of claws on her gloves, she has spiny nails has her claws like any cats, which i appreciated to make realistic, but the one part that im not a fan, is her mask, it looks like she's wearing a mouthless ski-mask without the goggles and fake car ears.

And finally, we have The Riddler himself, i gotta say, out of all the Riddler appearance that we've seen from wearing a bodysuit with question marks or green business suit, this version of The Riddler is my favorite, and it is super obvious he was based on a mysterious serial killer nicknamed "The Zodiac Killer", based on the hood he's wearing and a glasses, its like a combination of two composition sketches together, with riddle element to make a unique cryptic message to riddling us and Batman for the dark secret answer from his lies against politic. As for other designs, i find some of then are decent, especially with some thugs during the opening in Halloween.

And finally, as for the action scenes, they're pretty cool and yet brutal, especially the scene we first introducing Batman in front of thugs in Halloween, like brutally beating the leader with one right hand in his Vengeance. Even though its a PG movie that im probably disappointed that i don't see some pool of blood in this movie, which is the same problem that i had with Venom (twice), but in their defense, they want the fight scene similar to Tim Burton's Batman, while Burton's Batman is kinda slow and have a nice fight, this movie goes quicker and again, having a brutal fist-fight that even Superman wants to tell Batman to slow down.

Darkness problem aside and not a fan of Catwoman's appearance, the movie presentation is certainly pretty good what they brought us.

The Characters

For a grungy version of Batman, the characters are fascinated from get-go, even though some casts that i never heard of, but some that i know the name.

First is our titular vigilante Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (played by Robert Pattinson), he's basically a dark, brutal, calm and serious protagonist for not just being a vigilante in the night, but also being a detective for looking at the evidence when the murder or other case has occurred. Aside of Riddler's Zodiac Killer, this version of Batman is also based on real person, this time, its based on the late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, who was a great lead vocalist/guitarist, but revealing he was a very broken person from the past from separate family, legal trouble, an unlikely relationship with Courtney Love and, like any celebs, he has a substance abuse before taking his own like with his gun in 1994, he was only 27 like any artists who passed away in 27 of age. Which im assuming that since Bruce is depicted a dark, brutal and depressing hero that he has a substance abuse and similar hairstyle like Kurt, which his look behind the mask is there, but the whole drug addiction of Bruce feels unnecessary, since he's more into vigilante and detective than taking drugs or alcohol, though it could've gone worse. Like i said, i was unsure of Pattinson's role of Batman, but when he did when it came out, he did a pretty good work of his role, which we can all agree that he deserves a lot better than his bland emo vampire saga.

Next up is Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman (played by Zoë Kravitz, which its the second time she played the character since The Lego Batman Movie), in this movie, not only she's a cat burglar and affectioning to Batman, she's also work as a waiter, a drug dealer (pretty unlikely and instead of being seductive femme-fatal for her own will, she's seeking over her roommate. I find her not bad, though she may look beautiful, but then again, her look of Catwoman is not my good taste as we've her in couple of previous films (along with Catwoman Hunted that i covered before). Like Batman, she's vengeful for the sake her beloved roommate, other times she's going nearly insane if they don't give her answer on her way. I find her not bad, while Kravitz did a nice work of her role, i find while good on paper, i find her to be the weakest part, more about her look and, once again, unnecessary drugs element.

After that, we have the main villain of the movie, Edward Nashton, aka The Riddler (played by Paul Dano) a mysterious masked killer where he targeting citizens in Gotham, livestreaming of his plans and playing mind game at Batman and Gotham's police department with riddles. He's a one helluva villain for his distaste of politic in his terrorist/murder threat and even being the smartest villain what he believed that the people saying is untrue. Like i said before, he's based on Zodiac Killer for he's presented and his riddling game against anybody on his way for killing activity, and he's also insane for his threat, especially on his livestream, Paul Dano did a great work for how he delivered for being an evil riddling terrorist/murderer for playing mind games at our heroes.

As for the rest of the characters, they're fascinating too, even though im in a mood of protagonist, femme-fatale and antagonist, James Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright) who's Batman's sidekick who's the lieutenant in GCPD than commissioner, similar to Gary Oldman's Gordon in Nolan's Dark Knight (Huh, another Batman movie references, i think i've seen a pattern here, though im assuming for his build up for future sequel), Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro) is the crime lord with his mysterious daughter, which for some reason, being Riddler's next target, despite Falcone is also a villain as a crime lord, Alfred Pennyworth (played by the great mocap actor Andy Serkis) is Bruce Wayne's butler and sorta father figure to comforting Bruce, even if the relationship isn't as good what they used to, Oswald Cobblepot (played by Colin Farrell) is Falcone's chief and the owner of Iceberg Lounge for plot convenient to help our heroes, even though he's not a villain, until he will in future sequel, Bella Reál (played by Jayme Lawson) is the mayor runner in Gotham City, Martinez (played by Gil Perez-Abraham) who's the officer of GCPD who's not a fan of Batman, and Pete Savage (played by Alex Ferns) is the commissioner of GCPD before Gordon evolves.

While some have problems i have, but these characters are quite nice and have some great moments and great acting.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, The Batman is a pretty good film that i call after the development has been changed due to Affleck's declining (well, except when he came back in Snyder's cut), the story simple, but execution's done pretty well, the presentation decent for some great designs and brutal fight scenes and fun car chase, and the characters are well-written from get-go.

Although the movie might have some problems with the unnecessary drugs elements, the film's visual could've lighten up that i like to see what's going on or how it looks, while some characters like Catwoman, which again, while potential in theory, but could've gone better.

This is the film that you should definitely check it out, its no wonder why everybody liked to talking about it when it first came in theaters before released on Crave (which i using it since its available in my homeland Canada). Go watch it that its simply a recommended film that we can safely agree that Pattinson's Batman is better than Ben Affleck's Batman.

For that, im gonna give this one an 8/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.