The Batman (in theaters)
This is one that I have most definitely been waiting on for probably a year or more. I have been a Batman fan for as long as I can remember. Michael Keaton will always be Batman for me, but I think that’s the case for most people from my generation.
Here’s my list of Batmans since I’ve been alive…in order from best to worst:
- Michael Keaton
- Christian Bale
- Robert Pattinson
- Ben Affleck
- George Clooney and Val Kilmer both sucked, so they tie for last place!
And honestly, the margin between Bale and Pattinson is very slim. I was SUPER impressed with his performance. As much as I loved pretty much everything about “The Dark Knight” trilogy, I was always super annoyed with Bale’s voice. I think the whispery Batman growl was way over-the-top.
Okay, so on to “The Batman.” When a sadistic serial killer who calls himself The Riddler starts terrorizing Gotham City by murdering key political figures, Jim Gordon relies on Batman to step in and help investigate the city’s hidden corruption as well as his family’s possible involvement. This is the first time we’ve seen The Riddler in a “Batman” movie since 1995’s “Batman Forever” when Jim Carrey played the madman. And it’s safe to say these two versions of The Riddler could not be any different! There is nothing campy or silly or funny or even cheesy about this new Riddler. He is dark and sadistic and kind of scary. Now I’m not knocking Carrey’s performance. At the time, he was perfect for the role; especially in the type of film it was. This new film is so much darker than anything we’ve seen before form the Caped Crusader.
Let’s get to the cast. Robert Pattinson (Twilight, The Lost City of Z) plays billionaire heir, Bruce Wayne. He is the youngest Batman that we’ve seen thus far, so the story is set back closer to the time that Wayne first takes on the vigilante alter-ego. In my opinion, Pattinson nails it. He’s angry/bitter and he wants vengeance and justice (as have all previous Batmans), but, to me, this Batman seems to care less about public perception or even about his own reputation (as Bruce Wayne.) The Riddler is played by Paul Dano (War & Peace, 12 Years a Slave). As I previously stated, Dano’s Riddler is terrifying. In an interview that I saw with the film’s director, Matt Reeves, he talks about how his goal was to make the villains more “grounded” than in previous “Batman” films.
One character that I’ve yet to mention here is Zoe Kravitz’ (Mad Max: Fury Road, Divergent) take on Salina Kyle/Catwoman. I think it was a solid performance. Though I didn’t hate Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman back in the 90s, again, this one was a little more believable and a little less campy. Now the main character in this movie that has me wanting to go watch it again is The Penguin, who is played by Colin Farrell (Phone Booth, Miami Vice.) Admittedly, this was my least favorite character form the movie, but the more I read about his take on the character, the more I want to go watch the film again and give it another chance. Yes. It was absolutely a more believable Penguin than that of the great Danny DeVito. However, I just didn’t love it. Maybe this is the one character that I wanted to be a little more campy. I can’t put my finger on it.
Other notable characters include Lt Gordan who is played by Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, Shaft), Alfred, who is played by Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Lord of the Rings Trilogy), and Carmine Falcone, played by the great John Turturro (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Secret Window.)
The acting is great in this movie. The cinematography is great. The soundtrack is fantastic! The action sequences are really fun. Paul Dano’s Riddler is quite reminiscent of Heath Ledger’s Joker, but it’s clear that this wasn’t some sort of copy-cat. The characters are maybe equally evil and psychotic, but they are most definitely they’re own characters.
“The Batman” brought in $128 million in just the first few days of it’s opening. It’s Warner Brothers’ highest grossing debut since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Director, Matt Reeves biggest opening yet. I won’t give any spoilers, but the film definitely sets the stage for sequels, which is what we’re used to when it comes to superhero films. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Joker in a sequel, and I can only imagine how demented Matt Reeves’ Joker would be. In the same interview I mentioned above, Reeves talked about how he’d like to maybe tackle a Mr. Freeze in the future, though he promises it to be more “realistic” than the 90s version played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This movie is almost more of a mob movie than a superhero movie. Many aspects of this movie have a real “Godfather” vibe to them. “The Batman” is a long one coming in at just under 3 hrs., so use the restroom before it starts and be careful not to drink too much soda during the movie. You won’t want to get up and go to the bathroom! The movie is rated PG-13 (somehow) for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material. Honestly, I’m really surprised it didn’t get an R rating. I’m giving this one a 4.8/5, and that’s just because of my feelings about The Penguin. That could certainly change when I see it again. In a word, go see this movie. Don’t wait for a streaming release. Just don’t wait. Make plans to go see this movie as soon as you can. If you love Batman movies, you’ll love it. If you don’t like Batman movies, or superhero movies in general, go see it. You might feel differently about this one.
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