I enjoyed Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice better than The Batman, a brand new entry to the pantheon of Batman that stars Robert Pattinson as Batman and is directed by and co-written by Matt Reeves, of Cloverfield and two Planet of the Apes reboots fame. Admitting that Batman vs. Superman, the globally loathed Ben Affleck as Batman picture, is better is probably saying something about the new picture. It also says a lot about DC versus Marvel movies. Whereas the Marvel movies exist in a thriving, sustainable, cohesive universe that continues on a somewhat set, continuous path, the DC movies seem to stutter start and stop and re-emerge every few years like a phoenix. Ben Affleck was the new Batman in Batman vs. Superman and also had a bit part in Justice League, but for whatever reason, Affleck's solo Batman movie never got made. It was supposedly more of a James Bond, Batman as a spy type of a picture, which Reeves, when being named director, wanted no part of. Hence Affleck leaving, Pattinson showing up, and this new film with a new Batman arriving. And now that Pattinson said he's not playing Batman again, DC will have to start anew, again. Why is DC failing where Marvel has soared?
Batman of course is comic book's best character. His comic book has the best villains and best location. You would think it wouldn't be very hard to make a fantastic movie out of it. But what are you looking for? A great film or just a dumb, fun, popcorn flick? Marvel decided to go the popcorn route and thus ended up making billions. None of the Marvel films are great movies, but at least they entertain in a fun way. The new Batman movie is kind of the opposite of, say, Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor: Ragnorak, which were colorful and smile inducing. The Batman is dark, sour, sullen, rain swept, and gritty. And at 3 hours long, it's often a slog. The main villain is a take on the Zodiac killer. Robert Pattinson broods like a mascara wearing lead singer of a 90's emo band. The plot involves death, fatherless children, funerals, drug addicts, corruption, murder, and the mob. Enjoy going to the theater on a Friday night and having a great time out with that slab of melancholy.
The basic plot in The Batman is that this is year two of Bruce Wayne being Batman. Everything kicks off with The Riddler killing a man running for mayor in Gotham City. One of the first shots in the film, featuring the first shot of The Riddler, is a fantastic, well shot piece of filmmaking. The politician, talking on the phone, walks to his right and we suddenly see a dark figure standing in the shadows behind him. Menacing, creepy, and very cool, this is only one of the great looking shots in the film. Dune cinematographer Greig Fraser was the DP on The Batman, and he's a master. I'm still baffled at how he didn't win the Oscar for his work filming Foxcatcher, although he did pick up an Oscar for Dune. Fraser also seems to love shooting closely from behind; behind someone's head as they walk, behind a person on a motorcylce as it races, behind a car as it barrels down a dark highway. At 3 hours, there better be some fantastic shots in the movie, and there are, and it's one of the ways the movie does stand out from a typical, been-there-done-that flick. The other engrossing aspect of the film is the score. While everyone is harking on the fact that there's a Nirvana song in the film, the score is actually the thing everyone should be talking about. It's no Danny Elfman Batman score, but it's still fantastic and really gives the film a beating heart when it needs it.
The Riddler is killing famous, corrupt people in Gotham, which is the basic premise, and, unfortunately, it never really amounts to much of interest in the end. The Penguin also shows up, in a fairly superfluous part, although Collin Farrel has a good time hamming it up in a fat suit. Catwoman is in this, too, and Zoe Kravitz basically steals the whole movie. She's fantastic as always. Pattinson, though, is totally forgettable, which is a surprise, because he's been knocking it out of the park left and right on the art house scene in films like The Lighthouse and Good Time.
While there are some great shots, and some action sequences that are engaging, like the car chase scene, the big problem is that the script isn't all that great. The Riddler as a Zodiac-esque killer is an interesting idea, but ultimately by the end that fails when we never get a great climax with him versus Batman. The big finale, which, disappointingly, involves a mass shooting incident, is kind of something you would see in a Batman comic book (a villain attempting to flood the city), but in this movie, which seems to be attempting to do what Nolan did (make Batman more realistic and less like a comic book), doesn't mesh with the rest of the picture.
The Batman is certainly really good in parts, but mostly hit-or-miss and ultimately not exactly a classic or memorable entry in the canon. With such a great character, a great menagerie of villains, and a movie setting to die for, we really deserve something much better than this. **1/2
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