The Batman

I’m a little mixed on the villains of The Batman. Ferrell is unrecognizable and interesting as The Penguin, and much joy was had seeing Turturro on the big screen. But as much as I enjoyed Dano, The Riddler was much better in the first half, having become a caricature by the end. The puzzles were great, and the sinister Discord server was even better. I was out at the moment when the end-of-the-world plan was introduced. That said, the violence is perfect, and the Saw-like torture devices looked downright scary, considering we never see any of them work on camera.

Kravitz is sexy as hell, and she knows what she wants. Catwoman fights to save her friend and take down the true villain. Reeves balanced her screentime perfectly against the titular character, giving us enough Catwoman without turning the film into a team-up. I can’t wait to see her in the sequel.

What’s Wrong With The Batman?

I’ll describe The Batman as a great movie with flaws. Unfortunately, it breaks down in the final act, allowing you to leave early without missing much of importance. It’s at this moment when the film turns from being a Se7en-like thriller to a typical DC superhero production. In other words, the tone changes drastically. Without saying much, we’re transported back to the 60s as Batman takes on the Riddler’s henchmen. I kept thinking of Adam West throughout the big finale ending, complete with a Joel Schumacher explosion.

There’s a single line from the Catwoman that threatens to ruin the entire film for some. Yes, it pulled me out for a moment. My eyes rolled, and I lament that this trend of virtue signaling is infecting our cinematic adventures (thanks Twitter trolls). After that, I got over it, but it pointed out the overarching problems with the story.

“…feels fresh and different. I loved Pattinson’s take.”

See, Reeves never sets the stage correctly for the big tentpole moments. The controversial line pulled me out because the reason Catwoman says it was not developed at all. It’s a statement about “privilege,” but so far, this movie was about the broad themes of justice and injustice — good vs. evil. Privilege has nothing to do with this eternal battle that has fraught humanity since the beginning of time.

There’s also a twist involving the Wayne family. The problem here is that the resolution of this in Bruce’s mind is not allowed to fester or cloud his judgment. Instead, The Batman resolves it two scenes later and feels like its revelation serves only the plot.

But, the most significant disconnect is the final battle. When the third act begins, an election has been won by the new mayor. Honestly, I totally forgot there was an election going on in the first two acts. Really, when did Batman or anyone involved have time to vote? You’d think with mob involvement, voting would be critical. I’m being facetious. Still, this does come out of nowhere and feels out of place. There had to be a better way to set this up.

In the end, I liked The Batman a lot. Those first two acts feel fresh and different. I loved Pattinson’s take. He’s not a pretty boy, he’s a conflicted human being. He’s a hero who’s not so super. But, at three hours, I’m not so sure I’m going back to the theater to see it again.