The Batman (film)

[Neil]

Just don't trust DC to make a solid superhero film at the moment... Especially for character which we've seen done over and over and over and over now?

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[MinionZombie]

It looks kinda cool.

They seem to be going a bit 'Year Zero' in their own way for this one, a more rageful Batman. I just hope that they do Catwoman properly, not just have her be brilliant at everything and have all the personality of a plank of wood while always putting down her male co-stars ... hopefully they don't do that and write an actual character for her.

There is an element of 'why?' with this, though - we've seen so many Batman movies, live action and animated, so what can this really bring to the table? Still though ... the trailer has promise.

[JDP]

What?? Batman is not gay and black??? The Riddler is not a paraplegic senior citizen??? The Penguin is not a housewife going through a midlife crisis???? This is not woke enough!

[EvilNed]

This looks like a slightly watered down Batman Begins.

[ProfessorChaos]

i'm digging the vibe on this one. i'm not at all a fan of the connected franchise films like the mcu where there are like a dozen superheroes running around dropping one-liners and fighting cgi spacegoblins or whatever the threat of the week is, so a more grounded and gritty standalone film with one main character is right up my alley.

[Neil]

The brutality looks interesting!

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[MinionZombie]

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Lookin' pretty schweet. :)

[Neil]

I do hope DC can finally bring back the magic!

[bassman]

It looks good and Reeves makes good movies, but I can’t really get excited about it. Feels too similar to Nolan’s trilogy and the “ gritty realism” thing is feeling played out. We shall see, hoping for the best.

[MinionZombie]

It looks good and Reeves makes good movies, but I can’t really get excited about it. Feels too similar to Nolan’s trilogy and the “ gritty realism” thing is feeling played out. We shall see, hoping for the best.

Kinda looks more like Batman mixed with a serial killer/horror movie type of vibe. Looks kinda ruthless.

I'm digging the feel I'm getting from the trailer.

[Neil]

Kinda looks more like Batman mixed with a serial killer/horror movie type of vibe. Looks kinda ruthless.

I'm digging the feel I'm getting from the trailer.
Yeh, a more brutal, dark and ruthless Batman might work well...

[bassman]

I’m certainly up for a more brutal Batman, but Batfleck was already branding criminals so they’d be murdered in prison and I remember people not liking it….


Nolan’s realistic take was wonderful, but I feel it’s time we get a more outlandish Batman. Affleck was close, but aside from The Flash, he seems to be done. We need other, more scifi villains. Let it be dark and brutal, but also let it be a comic book.

[Neil]

Reviews seem... good?

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[paranoid101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlMLQmvYnqo&t=300s&ab_channel=kermodeandmayo

Pretty positive from Mark Kermode, looking forward to seeing this.

[Neil]

Well I found it generally a bit of a flat mushy affair. There were some nice aspects and scenes too it, but generally you didn't get into the characters enough to particularly care about them, and the script was just convoluted.

If we take Batman Begins and especially the Dark Knight, I'd say those were superior films. You cared more about the characters. The equipment was beautifully explained. And the story seemed more solid.

That's not to say The Batman wasn't good, it was, and had a couple of nice aspects to it, and was desperately trying to be film noir. But it just felt a tad flat and overbloated...


If you think back to Batman Begins the wonderful scene like Bruce Wayne turning up to a hotel with two beautiful women in tow, selling his alter ego disguise. He bumps into Katie Holmes and is caught by her basic disappointment in him, and the desire to be honest with her. And of course Bruce's childhood memories of his father. Of Michael Caines brilliant depiction of Alfred. There's lots of humanity injected into that film and at times it very moving. In "The Batman" there's precious little of it. Indeed we rarely even see a "Bruce Wayne".

Robert Paterson's Batman was basically so f***ing miserable the whole film, and rarely had any redeeming human side of him exposed (well by the script), it was hard to engage with him.

6/10.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeh, watching Batman Begins now... And while The Batman has some great arty sequences and original artistic ideas, Batman Begins is such a more solid, emotive and engaging ride.