Directed by:
Matt ReevesCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
Michael GiacchinoCast:
Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson (more)VOD (5)
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Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City. (Warner Bros. US)
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Matt Reeves and his dark neo-noir detective Batman! I was hoping that the new Batman would instantly join the top 10 films I've ever seen and unfortunately that's not going to happen, as some of the individual elements didn't quite work for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't a solid film that everyone should see in the cinema. In fact, I can't really imagine seeing the film at home and not falling asleep. Matt Reeves pulls us into a three-hour dirty and dark Gotham that is no stranger to crime and corruption. The acting is very precise, Robert Pattinson as Batman is perfect, Zoë Kravitz is the sexiest Catwoman ever, Jeffrey Wright as Gordon is very solid, and Paul Dano is very good as the villainous Riddler (although at times I thought he overacted quite a bit, but nothing distracting). Colin Farrell as the Penguin should also be praised, he managed to shine in a small space as well. The atmosphere of the film is really reminiscent of Fincher's Se7en, and I was reminded of Saw in a few scenes (probably due to the puzzles). As a detective film The Batman is very good, with great crime investigation, but I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get much action itself, given the long running time, I would have liked at least a more spectacular finale (apart from a couple of ground fights in the dark, there's really nothing wow on my part), which unfortunately means I won't be in a hurry for a second viewing. Praise must also go to the music, which is spot on, and above all the cinematography and technical aspects are of the highest possible standard. I had goosebumps twice, during the one-shot Batman flyby and also when the Batmobile starts up (although surprisingly it was only used once!!). All in all the three hours were fine, there is a lot of quality work done in many ways, but it is so exhausting that the experience is not multiplied by euphoria as I had hoped. Maybe on a second viewing I'll enjoy the film even more, maybe the experience needs to mature, but either way, satisfaction prevails. Story 4/5, Action 4/5, Humor 2/5, Violence 3/5, Entertainment 4/5 Music 5/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 5/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 5/5. 8/10.
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A truly dark take on Batman — though let’s be honest, anything else wouldn’t feel right for the character. This version, however, has a slightly different kind of darkness compared to Christopher Nolan’s. It leans more into the comic book vibe, which actually works in its favor. The runtime feels appropriate for the story, and I appreciated that the filmmakers didn’t blatantly reveal the villain from the start, which made the surprise much more effective for me. Even Robert Pattinson impressed me; though he played the role with his usual restraint in terms of emotion, I didn’t expect him to be such a force. The action, especially the car chases, were top-notch — almost reminiscent of Mad Max, which is a big plus. I think what kept me from giving it five stars was the lack of a standout moment in the script. The story was more straightforward and simpler than I anticipated. Still, as a dark detective tale set in an alternate New York, it works really well.
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It has been a decent number of years since Hollywood realized that current commercial trends, which brought with them a wave of comic book adaptations and fantasy blockbusters, practically pushed aside the stream of cinema intended for the adult generation. The idea arose to give pop-cultural phenomena an artistic touch by approaching them "seriously," attempting to add some "depth" to them, and everyone can then find their own thing. The result is films that only play at being adult. When it comes to the moment of truth, the naivety and ridiculousness of old comic book characters and stories are revealed in full nudity. The adventures of a man in a rubber suit with a lovely little bat cap, in front of whom everyone around fervently pretends not to recognize the character of an important member of the local elite society by voice or by the exposed part of the face, simply must be processed with a great deal of irony, but Matt Reeves, similarly to Nolan in his trilogy, is not capable of that. Reeves' Batman proudly showcases the game of fate, beats with a two-foot dick, and does not spare any pathos. The connection of completely contradictory genres - noir and superhero epic - also feels out of place, as they require a different approach to the characters. Catwoman cannot be a mysterious femme fatale, and her relationship with Batman lacks the proper erotic dimension. When we overlook the shallow motifs and banal dialogues, the traditionally strong weapons of major studios remain in play, namely production design and cast (I didn't even recognize Colin Farrell as Penguin), but that is not enough for me. I give two stars for the world of Gotham, as well as with other films that play poorly at being adult. Overall impression: 45%.
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If the world of Batman that Christopher Nolan created didn't exist, Matt Reeves's The Batman would be a more than worthy upgrade to the old Burton films, because the main assets of the original films, i.e. the gothic sets, the dark atmosphere and the intense orchestral music, are solidly restored, modernised and upgraded for the contemporary viewer. However, the "higher scale" that Nolan imprinted on the main character with his unmistakable signature is not worked with here. So while you can check all the boxes in Batman Begins, the reboot is really just a convoluted, dark noir detective story with an interesting narrative and a number of well-written characters. But watching this 176-minute colossus, in which every other shot, gesture and look is 3 times longer than it should be (and yes, even the car chase is insanely long and unimaginative), is a real chore.
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Matt Reeves delivers a confident vision of the world of Batman, going in a completely different direction than his predecessors. As he sees it, Gotham is an ugly and dirty city, and its inhabitants are tired of corruption and crime. So it's no surprise that Reeves’s and Pattinson's Batman is no pushover. The new Batman doesn't gloss over the inspiration in crime dramas from the 1990s and thrillers from the 1970s, recalling Se7en, Serpico and Death Wish. And there's a lot more talking and investigating, as Reeves made a primarily crime thriller set in a much more realistic and believable world than his predecessors. It looks nice, it sounds great, and Robert Pattinson is very good as Batman. Unfortunately, he's not very good as Bruce Wayne, and overall the work with his “civilian hero” is a bit jarring. Mainly because despite the three-hour running time, they ultimately didn't quite manage to pull all the motives, storylines and twists to a satisfying conclusion, making some elements of The Batman feel sort of half-hearted. In short, there's an awful lot to deal with, and Reeves doesn't always manage to pull it off to a satisfying conclusion. Less is sometimes more, on the other hand it all still works enough to make a good film.
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