"The Batman" - NO SPOILERS

[Gotham Knight]

The thing about Pattinson that works great for me is how it looks like there will be plenty of room to develop and evolve his version of the character in sequels. No idea if that was intentional. But the way people describe Pattinson's portrayal of the character, there are many ways to grow and refine him.

I don't think any previous incarnation of Batman onscreen has ever been in quite this position before.

It's a huge reason why I'm so eager for the sequels. The people who say Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is lacking can't really use that as a complaint when they're witnessing the opening gambit of a character arc. The portrayal is deliberate and designed to grow. I see why at least three HBO Max spin-offs have been bandied about as well. There's a lot of ground covered in The Batman, but with such a complex Gotham City having been created it's screaming to be fleshed out. Because as I said previously, I'm not sure if three films would be enough otherwise. People would be left wanting more to see the full developments take place.

Indeed. I think (based on what I've seen and heard thus far) that Bruce 'lacking' may indeed be the point. I've heard Bruce Wayne in this universe isn't really good at doing Bruce Wayne and rarely does it. I hear they play up the 'weird' aspects of Batman which some folks just don't wanna deal with. The mere notion that he might be psychologically eccentric or calling attention to the possibility mortifies some.

Getting back to bad reviews coming from TDK enthusiasts, I've noticed that a lot of these reviews are prefaced by 'hey remember when Batman was fun?!' as though The Dark Knight films were a comedy cavalcade or didn't portray Batman as a messed up guy. It might be that the Nolan series portrays him that way, but decides in the end to be unambiguously on his side despite his flagrant and frequent lapses.

[The Dark Knight]

The film telegraphs that changes need to be made for a variety of reasons. Being vengeance full time has side effects. Bruce Wayne as a character doesn't exist yet - he's simply Batman whether he's wearing the suit or not. In comparison, it's remarkable how lighter Nolan's trilogy feels to Reeves in terms of comic relief and tone. Those films feel like more traditional blockbusters. It's my belief that The Batman is the starkest difference from Adam West you will find, and it's another reason why I like having different portrayals to satisfy different moods. There are varying degrees of lightness and darkness now.

[BatmanFurst]

Idk what to think about it as a whole quite yet. I'd like to see it again. For me it's no Dark Knight, and it has less action than you're probably expecting. However, this has to have the most Batman screen time in comparison to the other live action movies. Surprisingly Bruce Wayne is the character that's barely in it.

You're right it's no TDK. People were trying to say the closest series it could be compared to is Nolan's trilogy. But The Batman doesn't fit in with any pre-existing Batman movie. Given that difference, some will find it jarring. As ViewerAnon tweeted, at a screening the "crowd was expecting to cheer and holler like it's No Way Home and instead they got #TheBatman, a long slow-burn detective story."

It's like listening to Michael Giacchino's score beforehand and wanting epic Zimmer action cues everywhere. After seeing the movie I truly get what The Batman is about. Right now, the understated and sparse references to Giacchino's main Batman theme are the best because they capture the vibe. I particularly love 'Hoarding School', and the scene that accompanies it would be a top Batman moment for me. And it simply involves Batman and Gordon walking through a certain environment with flashlights. Embracing the silence and the darkness is to embrace The Batman.

Only big complaints I had were Paul Dano's performance as Riddler. I felt like he didn't fit with the rest of the movie and there are moments where he's trying to act crazy and it had me cringing. Also, his final plan didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

I have something more to say here but will save it for the spoiler thread. I will say his plan is more straightforward than Ledger Joker or Hardy's Bane, but no less devastating. I liked that element, because while it required planning, it had less plot convenience. Another reason I liked the final act is that with Zodiac types when you think the ride is over, it isn't. Riddler could be a one and done villain in this universe and I wouldn't be dissatisfied. He got his point across.

I saw it again yesterday and the movie did work better for me once I knew where it was headed. However, to go off of your final point this movie is billing itself as a murder mystery detective story, but I didn't really think that Batman was key in solving anything. It's the same problem I have with Mask of the Phantasm where you could remove Batman from this story and Riddlers plan would still play out in the same way.

[Silver Nemesis]

I just saw it. Wow. I want to talk about every aspect of this film in depth over the next few weeks, but for now my immediate spoiler-free reaction is that I loved it. I went in with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. I'd say it's easily the best Batman film since The Dark Knight, and – notwithstanding my nostalgic preference for some of the older films – it's a serious contender for the title of best live action Batman movie ever. I thought it was that good.

It's beautifully shot and boasts top notch cinematography. I liked how there were so many quieter scenes where the characters and plot were allowed to breathe. It's less dependent on dialogue than some of the earlier Batman films, which results in effective cinematic moments where plot points are revealed visually and not just verbally. I'm confident it'll net some Academy Award nominations next year. If nothing else, it should get nominations for best makeup and editing. Regarding the runtime, I was so absorbed by the characters and the world Reeves created for them that I didn't feel the movie dragged. Many CBMs are long because they're bloated with repetitive CG action scenes, but The Batman is long because it takes its time unfolding its labyrinthine plot. I was too immersed in what was happening to ever feel bored, but it's possible the length might be an issue on repeated viewings. I'll have to wait and see.

I've got family connections to Liverpool and that makes me biased in favour of its use as Gotham, but even without that I still think The Batman has one of the best depictions of Gotham City that we've seen in live action. It feels just as gothic as Burton's Gotham in its own way, but it also feels more like a real expansive city. The action scenes serve the plot and never feel like a substitute for it, and none of them drag on for too long. I'd like to analyse Battinson's fighting style in more depth at a later time, but for now I'll say that his approach to combat seems to involve a fusion of boxing, Jiu-Jitsu and street fighting. The fight scenes weren't quite as slick as the warehouse scene in BvS, but that makes sense since this is a relatively new Batman and since the tone of the film is a lot more grounded than Snyder's. This Batman gets tagged in combat. He gets hurt. He gets tired. But he doesn't kill anyone, which just goes to show that you can have a dark gritty Batman and still have him abide by his golden rule.

The score is very effective. The use of cellos and a waterphone are particularly creepy and help punctuate moments of suspense and horror. Speaking of horror, Reeves has succeeded in updating the Riddler and making him frightening for 21st century audiences. The core of the comic book Riddler remains intact, and there are elements adapted directly from Geoff Johns' Earth One: Volume 2 and Scott Snyder's Zero Year, but Reeves also adds some original touches that help distinguish his interpretation in the same way that Burton put his own spin on Catwoman and Nolan put his own spin on the Joker. I know a lot of people are comparing Dano's Riddler to Jigsaw or John Doe from David Fincher's Se7en, but more than anything he reminded me of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif) from The Exorcist III. There's one particular scene where it almost feels as though Dano is channelling Dourif's performance, but I'll write more about that in the spoiler thread. Bottom line, this is the dark updated version of the Riddler that fans have been waiting for and I don't think they could have handled the character much better.

Pattinson's very good in the lead. It's hard to judge his Batman entirely, since he's yet to establish the public Bruce Wayne side of his persona. But as far as the costumed side goes, he's calm and sinister and I liked his bat-voice more than Bale's or Affleck's. I loved all the sequences with him and Gordon investigating crime scenes and working together to crack the Riddler's clues. I also preferred Kravitz's Catwoman over Anne Hathaway's or Halle Berry's, though I didn't like her as much as Michelle Pfeiffer's version. Since the public Bruce Wayne has yet to be defined in this universe, there's no real Bruce/Selina relationship like there was in Batman Returns. It's just Batman and Catwoman. But that works in the context of the story Reeves is telling, and Pattinson and Kravitz have more screen chemistry than Bale and Hathaway did.

There's lots more to say, but for now I'm just throwing together some of my immediate reactions in no particular order. Hence the messiness of this post. I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman and I can't wait to see where Reeves takes us with the sequels. He's already delivered so many of the things I've been asking for in a Batman movie – the emphasis on detective work, the adherence to the no kill rule, the Halloween setting, etc – that he's either been browsing these boards or else he's just thinking along the same lines as us fans. Either way, the Batman franchise is in very safe hands as long as Matt Reeves is at the helm.

My opinion of this movie might change once my hype has died down and I've had more time to think about it, but for now I'm giving it a confident thumbs up and recommending all Batman fans go see it.

[BatmanFurst]

I just saw it. Wow. I want to talk about every aspect of this film in depth over the next few weeks, but for now my immediate spoiler-free reaction is that I loved it. I went in with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. I'd say it's easily the best Batman film since The Dark Knight, and – notwithstanding my nostalgic preference for some of the older films – it's a serious contender for the title of best live action Batman movie ever. I thought it was that good.

It's beautifully shot and boasts top notch cinematography. I liked how there were so many quieter scenes where the characters and plot were allowed to breathe. It's less dependent on dialogue than some of the earlier Batman films, which results in effective cinematic moments where plot points are revealed visually and not just verbally. I'm confident it'll net some Academy Award nominations next year. If nothing else, it should get nominations for best makeup and editing. Regarding the runtime, I was so absorbed by the characters and the world Reeves created for them that I didn't feel the movie dragged. Many CBMs are long because they're bloated with repetitive CG action scenes, but The Batman is long because it takes its time unfolding its labyrinthine plot. I was too immersed in what was happening to ever feel bored, but it's possible the length might be an issue on repeated viewings. I'll have to wait and see.

I've got family connections to Liverpool and that makes me biased in favour of its use as Gotham, but even without that I still think The Batman has one of the best depictions of Gotham City that we've seen in live action. It feels just as gothic as Burton's Gotham in its own way, but it also feels more like a real expansive city. The action scenes serve the plot and never feel like a substitute for it, and none of them drag on for too long. I'd like to analyse Battinson's fighting style in more depth at a later time, but for now I'll say that his approach to combat seems to involve a fusion of boxing, Jiu-Jitsu and street fighting. The fight scenes weren't quite as slick as the warehouse scene in BvS, but that makes sense since this is a relatively new Batman and since the tone of the film is a lot more grounded than Snyder's. This Batman gets tagged in combat. He gets hurt. He gets tired. But he doesn't kill anyone, which just goes to show that you can have a dark gritty Batman and still have him abide by his golden rule.

The score is very effective. The use of cellos and a waterphone are particularly creepy and help punctuate moments of suspense and horror. Speaking of horror, Reeves has succeeded in updating the Riddler and making him frightening for 21st century audiences. The core of the comic book Riddler remains intact, and there are elements adapted directly from Geoff Johns' Earth One: Volume 2 and Scott Snyder's Zero Year, but Reeves also adds some original touches that help distinguish his interpretation in the same way that Burton put his own spin on Catwoman and Nolan put his own spin on the Joker. I know a lot of people are comparing Dano's Riddler to Jigsaw or John Doe from David Fincher's Se7en, but more than anything he reminded me of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif) from The Exorcist III. There's one particular scene where it almost feels as though Dano is channelling Dourif's performance, but I'll write more about that in the spoiler thread. Bottom line, this is the dark updated version of the Riddler that fans have been waiting for and I don't think they could have handled the character much better.

Pattinson's very good in the lead. It's hard to judge his Batman entirely, since he's yet to establish the public Bruce Wayne side of his persona. But as far as the costumed side goes, he's calm and sinister and I liked his bat-voice more than Bale's or Affleck's. I loved all the sequences with him and Gordon investigating crime scenes and working together to crack the Riddler's clues. I also preferred Kravitz's Catwoman over Anne Hathaway's or Halle Berry's, though I didn't like her as much as Michelle Pfeiffer's version. Since the public Bruce Wayne has yet to be defined in this universe, there's no real Bruce/Selina relationship like there was in Batman Returns. It's just Batman and Catwoman. But that works in the context of the story Reeves is telling, and Pattinson and Kravitz have more screen chemistry than Bale and Hathaway did.

There's lots more to say, but for now I'm just throwing together some of my immediate reactions in no particular order. Hence the messiness of this post. I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman and I can't wait to see where Reeves takes us with the sequels. He's already delivered so many of the things I've been asking for in a Batman movie – the emphasis on detective work, the adherence to the no kill rule, the Halloween setting, etc – that he's either been browsing these boards or else he's just thinking along the same lines as us fans. Either way, the Batman franchise is in very safe hands as long as Matt Reeves is at the helm.

My opinion of this movie might change once my hype has died down and I've had more time to think about it, but for now I'm giving it a confident thumbs up and recommending all Batman fans go see it.

Happy to hear you liked it. I definitely appreciated what you were saying about the quieter scenes. This gets back to the type of filmmaking that I liked about Burton's films in that there is a lot of visual storytelling in here. Things are left implied or ambiguous. I loved Catwoman and Batman's relationship and a lot of it is conveyed through what's not said between them.

[DocLathropBrown]

The film was a friggin' masterpiece.

Sure, there's a few quibbles--I wish the costumes were more comic-booky, and that the Batmobile had fins.

...but that's about it.

Objectively, it's the best film starring the character that's ever been made. Boy, was I glad to be so wrong.

[BatmanFurst]

The film was a friggin' masterpiece.

Sure, there's a few quibbles--I wish the costumes were more comic-booky, and that the Batmobile had fins.

...but that's about it.

Objectively, it's the best film starring the character that's ever been made. Boy, was I glad to be so wrong.

Hold up, are you on Reddit with the same name? I talked to you on a post regarding Batman 89 not too long ago. I can't believe I didn't recognize you from here.

[DocLathropBrown]

The film was a friggin' masterpiece.

Sure, there's a few quibbles--I wish the costumes were more comic-booky, and that the Batmobile had fins.

...but that's about it.

Objectively, it's the best film starring the character that's ever been made. Boy, was I glad to be so wrong.

Hold up, are you on Reddit with the same name? I talked to you on a post regarding Batman 89 not too long ago. I can't believe I didn't recognize you from here.

Yup, I'm the only "DocLathropBrown" on the internet lol

I get around.

[thecolorsblend]

Just came out of the movie. Absolutely loved it. What makes the movie for me is the detective angle.

I can understand why people compare it to TDK. That's the closest thing overall to what TB is so that's what people mention. But honestly, the two movies have nothing in common with each other.

I want to digest the movie a bit before seeing it again. I know I love it. But where does it stack up with everything else? That's harder to answer. Still, I can't recommend TB enough. Assuming there are any more holdouts here, I highly encourage seeing this movie as soon as possible.

[The Dark Knight]

I just saw it. Wow. I want to talk about every aspect of this film in depth over the next few weeks, but for now my immediate spoiler-free reaction is that I loved it. I went in with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. I'd say it's easily the best Batman film since The Dark Knight, and – notwithstanding my nostalgic preference for some of the older films – it's a serious contender for the title of best live action Batman movie ever. I thought it was that good.

The film was a friggin' masterpiece.

Sure, there's a few quibbles--I wish the costumes were more comic-booky, and that the Batmobile had fins.

...but that's about it.

Objectively, it's the best film starring the character that's ever been made. Boy, was I glad to be so wrong.

Just came out of the movie. Absolutely loved it. What makes the movie for me is the detective angle.

I can understand why people compare it to TDK. That's the closest thing overall to what TB is so that's what people mention. But honestly, the two movies have nothing in common with each other.

I want to digest the movie a bit before seeing it again. I know I love it. But where does it stack up with everything else? That's harder to answer. Still, I can't recommend TB enough. Assuming there are any more holdouts here, I highly encourage seeing this movie as soon as possible.

Glad you all liked it. I think our feelings on the key points are universal. It's a different beast, it's pure Batman and a breath of fresh air. I've spaced my second viewing out and it's worthwhile to approach it that way. I enjoyed myself even more, and think it's on equal ground with Burton in terms of appreciation but for other reasons. I'm glad you saw it in the cinema colors, because this movie particularly needs that level of immersion.