Hello Fellow Journeyers,
We take a look at another movie, the first of 2022. One that I've been excited for since 2020 because as always, it's Batman! Not connected to the DC universe and utilizing the darker aesthetic, everything was set for a showstopper.
What's the story about: The Batman takes places in the early days of Batman's career (specifically year two) when he's not the experienced vigilante most audiences know him as. He's young, learning what it takes to be a hero, and makes mistakes along the way. And Gotham is in rough shape (probably the roughest iteration seen on screen). As Batman navigates the streets, he finds himself caught in the Riddler's exceedingly dangerous game of cat and mouse. Another aspect to this one that the movies haven't utilized to much degree is Batman's detective side, which, with the Riddler as the villain, makes sure to be fully on display during this iteration.
At nearly three hours, The Batman is a long movie, but this choice was not overtly necessary nor was it wasted time. This story is slow, methodical, and progresses in a naturally gradual pace that wears on you, but doesn't really feel too long until the last hour. The next worthy point is the music. The atmospheric music was utterly enthralling and elevated the thriller side of the movie from start to finish, which helped the runtime not feel so drawn out. It was rife with suspense and intrigue as the mystery unfolded. And then there is the casting of Robert Pattinson as Batman; it was a peculiar, but ultimately right choice in this movie, even if Batman could've used an adrenaline shot in the optimism category. He's cynical, dark, and the most broody of any Batman we've seen to date. Which leads to Batman's action, which is some of the best, if not the best action and combat we've seen on screen from a Batman movie. It's brutal, a little clumsy, but he gets the job done and it's definitely worth watching the movie for. All in all, the director knew how to film each detail and it really shows up during the action sequences.
Now, my biggest beef with this movie is that it felt like the antithesis of a superhero movie. Not because it needed to be a Marvel movie, but at no point did I feel like the good guys would actually win, or reverse the villain's terrible exploits (and spoiler alert, they barely do). I felt grimy when Batman "did what it took to solve the mystery," upset at the realism of Gotham's underground and people's secrets, and depressed while watching the Riddler take victim after victim down, all for legitimate reasons, because each person was as filthy and corrupt as the last. It felt like this movie, while being a Batman movie, lacked severely in the hope department. Batman and Gordon were the ones fighting the bad guys, but literally everyone else is equivalent to a scumbag, and that wears you down after awhile.
Lastly, something that hit especially hard was how the movie decided to push its rating as far as it could without being rated R. This movie seethed with the desire to be rated R and be as real and raw and visceral, but was kept to the PG-13 rating in order to acquire more viewers. I just think it's lame when movies choose to push the envelope in order to be more realistic (more like nihilistic). If you wanted to make an R Batman movie, just do it. And for that matter, I can skip seeing the movie altogether. Examples of this include the villain being a serial killer, people dying in visceral ways such as strangulation and torture, drugs that control people's lives, and ruthless criminals and citizens everywhere. Nothing was censored with the fiction of a movie. Batman's work after two years seemed to have made little to no difference and this contributed to the overall lack of hope this movie conveyed.
Final Verdict: ★★★ 2.5 Stars - The Batman truly jarred me. This one is difficult to rate, because nearly every element that makes a great movie was there: the cinematography was top notch, the music was phenomenal, the acting was real and impactful, the plot was compelling and engaging; everything breathed with what the creators saw as realism from the world. And yet, that's where it faulted. The real world is depressing, but also uplifting. The real world can surprise you and be brighter and better more often than this movie portrays. There is goodness in this world, not just darkness. And I won't say that Batman movies should be positive or happy, but there should be a reason for the darkness and not just have darkness for darkness's sake. I left the theater drained, sad, and with less hope than I should have after Batman "triumphed" over evil. And during a time like this, who needs a movie that refuses to see goodness and hope?
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this movie, other reviews, or talk movie recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.