The Batman

The Batman is a great way to take a new path and not disappoint viewers pampered by Nolan. Matt Reeves is the guy who can take a simple plot formula and make such an engrossing spectacle that intoxicates the audience with every scene over the course of three hours. The deliberate slowness of many of the scenes with their polished staging more thoroughly stylizes the characters and builds up the dark atmosphere of the hopelessness of a dirty, corrupt setting. Giacchino is unrecognizable and, especially in the suspenseful scenes, he transcends the shadow of his own creativity. The actors are well cast and directed (Farrell is again the most expressive of them), and the new Batmobile makes a grand entrance. What diminishes the film’s potential is its PG-13 rating – its very dark spirit in combination with the plot concept involving the hunt for a psychopathic killer, heavily inspired by Fincher’s Seven, needed a bit of graphic violence. In the films greatest display of rage, Batman pounds his fists into the bad guy’s face without even bloodying his nose. And the film contains a lot of such nonsense, sometimes purely logical, that stands in stark contrast to the otherwise fantastically well-crafted filmmaking details. (13/03/2022)

Batman as a Fincher-style whodunit for depressed photophobics? I’m in! Finally an adult comic book experience – what a relief after all the one-note Marvel coloring books. And in the words of an advertising slogan for a refreshing drink: "100 percent atmosphere, zero percent cliché!". (11/04/2022)

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. (28/02/2022)

This is an intimate, depressing, gothic noir emo that at times looks like a nightmare of a light-headed sociopath, on the one hand lonely, on the other thrown into a claustrophobic space where law and crime embrace each other so tightly that it is impossible to distinguish them. A cleverly adapted origin story and a tale of a man consumed by revenge are superimposed on an almost Fincher-esque thriller. It's slow, sometimes driven to maximum effect, backed by the famous Riddler... three hours doesn't seem like a problem to me, because Reeves does it with precision, heavy-handedly, and unlike Snyder, it's not a masquerade at the bottom of dead mannequins, but still a human drama - even if simplified compared to Nolan. Pattinson fits the role perfectly, but the main asset is Paul Dano as the king of the incels. Reeves has delivered his own similarly willful project like Villeneuve recently did. For me, it's a hundred times better than the comically depressing Joker charade and several levels above the DC duds of the last decade. Finally the darkness breathes, the scars don't heal and the rats gnaw at the flesh. (28/02/2022)

It's impossible not to see a hundred or more sources of inspiration; from 1970s Lumet to thriller Fincher to early Proyas. Ditto when it comes to the inspiration for specific comics, games and cartoons featuring the Dark Knight. And yet, it's purely Reeves's singular vision that doesn't go for traditional blockbuster gilding. It builds on atmosphere, grime, big city corruption, style (just the camera and lighting work), subliminal tension and pacing (or lack thereof). Gotham is more of a character than most of the ensemble. Pattinson plays Batman purely through stubborn silences and penetrating glances as a "voyeuristic inexperienced weirdo in a costume" instead of a traditional (super)hero. What Reeves didn't manage well, however, is the running time. Not that there's anything that feels out of place, and not that it drags, but several of the themes and characters (including Bruce) are so far down the road that they could (and should) be in the eventual sequel. That said, as an origin story of a grounded Bat-universe, it’s flawless. (02/03/2022)

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. (02/03/2022)

It is not worth measuring how The Vengeance stands against Tim Burton's or Christopher Nolan's concepts; this was primarily about defending Matt Reeves' perspective on Batman's existence. And even though there are many things that don't sit well with me, the living Gotham still immediately gets under my skin and the main character with it. Robert Pattinson doesn't fail for a second, even though this fragile psychological approach could have crumbled in his hands. Bruce Wayne walks in the rain with strands of hair falling on his face and as Batman writes crushing cries like "I am the twilight" in his diary. And yet he never passes into absurdity, he never crosses that emo boundary in such a way that I couldn't take his painfully personal quest seriously in the next scene. Which is crucial because he's literally investigating throughout the entire movie. The crime aspect is so paramount in the film that I even wondered if the comic book stylization was just an obstacle to the creators, distracting them from their obvious desire to make a Fincher-esque movie of their own. Unfortunately, the references to Se7en are so overwhelming that they disturb me and with them the result loses its own uniqueness. The second incomprehensible aspect is the length, which is unnecessary; if they had shortened it, there would have been fewer scenes of watching the dirty and shady city in the background and monologues or dialogues about the dirty city infested with shady individuals. On the other hand, thanks to this, the scale of storytelling never diminishes, as it thoroughly builds a foundation for escalating key scenes (the funeral). In the end, my feelings are mixed, just as they are in the movie, but because they all work, I support the idea that this confident approach should continue and fear not to venture into Batman's enemies and directions. The complete absence of mysticism, or at least caution with supernatural and science fiction elements, could quickly lead to predictability in future sequels. (11/03/2022)

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%. (18/04/2022)

A smoothie made of Se7en and Zodiac, filmed as a PG-13, with no blood and explicit dialog. To cap this, we have Batman playing the role of chief investigator of a series of unexpectedly personal murders. Comic-book poeticism vies with a realistic approach and, despite several small hiccups caused by the not completely perfect script, most of the time Reeves successfully manages to balance them both. From time to time, the slow and atmospheric story is interrupted by a skillfully sound-engineered, visually impressive and un-confusingly filmed action scene, the greatest treat of which is the car chase with Oz. Bob Pattinson does quite a good job of Batman, his aggressive style of keeping order is likeable, but had not enough time to be convincing as Bruce Wayne. Catwoman is a fox. Dano enjoys his part. The final confrontation with the Riddler is perfect. The Batman Oreos was a nice treat. Nobody!!! (03/03/2022)

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. (06/03/2022)

The Dark Knight is Batman's take on Heat and The Batman is a clear salute to Seven, Zodiac, 8mm, Black Rain and all similar (neo)noir movies, but Matt Reeves doesn't rip them off because his film is just another one of them. Comparisons to previous Bat-films are unfair, but they can't be completely avoided either, because The Batman is still Batman. It's not even true that he's just now becoming a detective, because he's already investigated quite a bit in The Dark Knight. But the film's clear trump card is its atmosphere, which really hasn't been seen before – dark, ugly, rainy, dirty, lurking in the shadows and aggressive, a full-on Gotham that brings out perhaps the worst in all the characters. Pattinson's Batman is perfect, and I loved how the weird costumed vigilante seems almost out of place in the cop scenes, for example. But Pattinson as Bruce Wayne is just as good, although we don't get to enjoy him much. I also really liked Zoë Kravitz and John Turturro, whom I only recognized because of his name in the end credits. Paul Dano as the Riddler can proudly stand next to Ledger's Joker, and Colin Farrell clearly enjoyed Penguin as well. The film looks and sounds absolutely amazing, Giacchino's score is the second best Bat soundtrack after Elfman's Batman Returns, surpassing Zimmer's tracks in that it can be listened to on its own and you get something out of it. There are a great many scenes (in fact, ideally the whole film) that I would like to see again immediately, but two of them really stand out, the one at the funeral and the one with the Batmobile. The silence in the cinema was sepulchral and tense, as it should be. (03/03/2022)

Matt Reeves promised to take a different approach to Batman than Nolan and Burton. He said he'll toughen up, leave out the humour and serve up a dark whodunit with a lonely, brooding vigilante that doesn't play by the rules of traditional comic book blockbusters. The Batman is 175 minutes long, longer than the epic Fellowship of the Ring, and it certainly delivers on the aforementioned promises. It's a dense reacquaintance with Gotham's masked hero that, instead of psychologically motivated flashbacks, takes the path of fierce combat with adversaries in an environment that is riddled with crime and corruption through and through. Robert Pattinson takes off his cowl only minimally, and although he appears in almost every scene, Batman is more of a methodical investigative brawler than the cool billionaire he often was as Christian Bale. Reeves doesn't stray from the key detective storyline unfolding from the bloody deeds of the mysterious Riddler, with every dialogue and scene only leading to the next clue that the dogged and reclusive Bruce Wayne follows. And although there is too much talking in the last hour and the otherwise steady pace is somewhat diluted by the fact that the script has to connect the investigation with the family history of the characters, the result is surprisingly coherent and not boring. You won't see that many really big action scenes, but the few there are definitely look essential and have an intense effect. And something similar can be said about the formal aspect as a whole, which maintains its impressiveness and originality even though it often copiously describes everything possible – the rainy, corrupt city and the pursued serial killer are reminiscent of Fincher's Se7en, and the cinematography, which mostly replaces epic shots with dimly lit scenes with little depth of field, breathes the inspiration of film noir. It’s as if we are in the world of Blade Runner, stripped of its futuristic context, where a bat-like phantom emerges from the shadows, its strength lying mainly in its vulnerability. Reeves repeatedly stresses that he’s not telling the story of an invincible superhero, but of a rich guy who feels and falls to his knees as much as any mortal. And while this claim to believability and the almost complete absence of science fiction motifs doesn't always quite mesh with the flashy enough style and story that draws from multiple genre traditions, The Batman is a remarkable and exciting blockbuster. 80 % (01/03/2022)

I've always had a bit of a problem with the character of Batman - a rich orphan who has money, gadgets and stuff. Matt Reeves's take on the Batman definitely has its charm, and it's not a carbon copy of previous Batman films. There isn't a lot of action at the forefront as much as there is tension and a very uncomfortable atmosphere at times, going hand in hand with a dark crime story. You sense from The Batman, as with Joker, a rather evident (and exceedingly topical) critique of a society ruled by money, connections and corruption. Who is the villain and who is the victim? I commend the visuals of the film, some scenes stuck in my mind due to their art and stylization. I also liked the unmistakable musical score, which complemented the atmosphere of each scene. Robert Pattinson wasn't so bad in the lead role after all, and I certainly found him more likeable than Ben Affleck. I'm definitely curious about any follow-up films that The Batman may have set the stage for. (12/03/2022)

Reeves's The Batman is a well-informed original that knows that few are curious about another long introduction of a hero mentioned hundreds of times, and therefore assumes the viewer is already familiar with the general Bat-canon. That's why he only spends the first twenty minutes (which feels like a long montage and is utterly grist for the mill) describing the deviations from previous takes on Batman, so that he can then get straight into developing the character. And he does this through visually lavish episodes that leave you marveling at just how deep into darkness a scene can be plunged for anything to be visible at all. From a technical standpoint, it's a breathtaking spectacle that, in the action scenes for example, creates almost self-defeating obstacles. It either takes place in complete darkness and we navigate through flashes from gunshots or faint reflections on characters' costumes, or it takes place in a completely smoky space. And when the car chase comes, the camera captures almost all of it from fixed positions on the vehicles. I've so far considered Reeves a successful presenter of Weta promo-reels, but there's so much work going on here that I have to apologize to him. It's not likely to be as good anywhere else than in the cinema, since you simply won't see a good half of the film at all. (10/03/2022)

A neurotic, idiosyncratic, ambitious, and above all, perfectly functional contribution to the Batman mythology from the unconventional Matt Reeves, who serves up a slight diversion from the mainstream under the aegis of a huge studio juggernaut. Naturally, it comes closest to Nolan's trilogy in its realism, but on top of that it adds a strong noir atmosphere (if I had to lean towards a genre, it's seriously a detective story more than anything else) and its "darkness" in terms of production is very reminiscent of Burton's second Batman. It's a bit of a black emo cocktail, in which the brilliantly rendered Batman character stands out the most, along with the slightly bizarre romance with Catwoman. Zoë Kravitz was a big surprise and ranks very respectably alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway. Robert Pattinson is very emo as Bruce Wayne, but somehow I kept thinking all along that this was more by design than any fault of Matt Reeves. It's true that the contrast between Batman and Bruce Wayne is beating a dead horse at times, but I can't say that it bothered me particularly. And the Nirvana thing found a place in my heart since that first trailer. [80%] (04/03/2022)