Movie Breakdown: The Batman
Pre-Screening Stance:
Ben Affleck just starred as Batman in The Snyder Cut and he’s still set to appear in The Flash, so the introduction of a new Caped Crusader right in the middle of it all feels awkwardly timed. With that being said, Matt Reeves is a very good director and The Batman is loaded with quality actors – I’m definitely excited to see it.
Post-Screening Ramble:
The Batman is and isn’t a superhero movie. At its core you’ll find Batman/Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) and his cohort Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), who are both desperately trying to catch a murderer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano). Also in the mix: Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravtiz), the Penguin (an entirely unrecognizable Colin Ferrell), and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). I’d give you more than that, but then things would get all spoiler-y.
If you’re one of those people that’s long been calling for a movie that fully shines a light on the detective side of Batman, then you’re really going to like The Batman, as it’s a total slow burn, gritty procedural. However, this is what I meant when I noted that it is and isn’t a superhero movie – instead it mostly plays like a beefy, stylized mash up of two David Fincher affairs, Se7en and Zodiac. It really isn’t until near the back portion of this film that it starts to feel like an entry into the Batman franchise, which I actually liked a lot, but if you’re looking for something on the scale of (or in the tone of) what Christopher Nolan did with the character, then I think you may find The Batman and its near three-hour runtime to be a bit slow and lacking in all-out action. On the performance side of things, everyone is good, but Pattinson is definitely the standout. His Bruce Wayne has been swallowed whole by the Batman, and Pattinson plays both sides with an impressive level of determination and self doubt.
The Batman will hit theaters this Friday, March 4. You should see it because it’s a really well made crime thriller, but definitely don’t go into it expecting a summer blockbuster level of fun.
One Last Thought:
Batman is like Bond, he’s never going to be a small screen kind of character, but after watching this detective-leaning iteration of him, it all really seems like something that would be a great fit for a series format.
