Film The Batman

[diarm]

Saw it tonight.

Spoiler: Stuff I liked:

The first hour or so. Loved the train scene and the narration at the start, but the scene shot from the back wheel of his motorbike was the best in the entire film.

I thought Farrell, Dano Wright and Pattinson were all brilliant in their roles and Kravitz is .

The settings, outfits, vehicles and general thrmese were superb. The music/sound was excellent and Gotham really felt like it should.

Spoiler: Stuff I didn't like:

Some of the storyline felt very tired. Is it really impossible to have a Batman film that doesn't spend half of it on his parents? Surely we can take it for granted that everybody watching knows that backstory at this stage?

As much as I love Andy Serkis, I didn't think he was right for the Alfred role. The relationship between them didn't feel right and the writing for his character, particularly in that hospital scene was awful.

The whole falling for Falcone's shite, only for Alfred to point out the obvious seemed a bit ridiculous for someone the first half of the film was so keen to show us was a Sherlock Holmes type genius detective.

Not as bad as a woman who is supposed to be half cat, continually jumping out of her skin having been snuck up on by the world's loudest motorbike though.

I was also in the world's hottest cinema, so the ridiculous length was even more apparent than it would've been. That last half hour was absolute torture.

 

[Tarrou]

i liked it but it's way too fecking long

I was in a cinema where you can order drinks on an app and they bring them to your seat, was smashed by the end of the movie

 

[Lennon7]

The cinematography is amazing in TDK, Nolan hadn't gone insane and started war against people's ears, it's really well paced, yah dah yah dah.

The fight scenes are indeed bloody terrible but I felt they more than made up for it with the bike/truck chase sequence.

On another note; I was totally pissed off when I found out that they had choreographed an amazing fighting style for TDKR and then all we ended up getting was really poor continuity and people punching air.

Yeah, TDKR was even worse. The whole first film was about him perfecting his art yet all he can do is throw soggy wide punches. No venom at all, no kicking or variety. Nolan’s Batman films are lacking for me because of this and in contrast this latest Batman film is class (for the combat)

 

[Sylar]

Saw it tonight.

Spoiler: Stuff I liked:

The first hour or so. Loved the train scene and the narration at the start, but the scene shot from the back wheel of his motorbike was the best in the entire film.

I thought Farrell, Dano Wright and Pattinson were all brilliant in their roles and Kravitz is .

The settings, outfits, vehicles and general thrmese were superb. The music/sound was excellent and Gotham really felt like it should.

Spoiler: Stuff I didn't like:

Some of the storyline felt very tired. Is it really impossible to have a Batman film that doesn't spend half of it on his parents? Surely we can take it for granted that everybody watching knows that backstory at this stage?

As much as I love Andy Serkis, I didn't think he was right for the Alfred role. The relationship between them didn't feel right and the writing for his character, particularly in that hospital scene was awful.

The whole falling for Falcone's shite, only for Alfred to point out the obvious seemed a bit ridiculous for someone the first half of the film was so keen to show us was a Sherlock Holmes type genius detective.

Not as bad as a woman who is supposed to be half cat, continually jumping out of her skin having been snuck up on by the world's loudest motorbike though.

I was also in the world's hottest cinema, so the ridiculous length was even more apparent than it would've been. That last half hour was absolute torture.

I agree regarding Alfred.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Spoiler

How good was Jeffrey Wright as Gordon ? When I first heard he'd be playing the character I thought it was fantastic casting.

 

[MadMike]

What a great film. Solid 8/10 for me.

Pattinson killed it and Kravitz, Dano and Farrell were also excellent. I loved grungy, emo Batman. I liked the omission of OP technology. I really enjoyed the plot and Batman being forced into more of an introspection about his own family. I loved the depiction of Gotham and the Se7en vibes I got through out the film. The soundtrack fit perfectly too.

Gonna watch it again I think.

 

[Bosws87]

Thought it was dreadful tbh, from start to finish.

I even managed to fall asleep for some parts in the cinema

 

[Redlambs]

I didn't hate it, and I like the direction they tried to head, but boy is it a boring slog. And it's not boring because of the lack of action (in fact those scenes were largely trash anyway), it's boring because it's just not very clever with the detective stuff (and Batman is a terrible detective in this, it's always being spelled out to him!) and dialogue. So it's just a lot of irrelevant nonsense. Like Catwoman, Alfred and Penguin, they all might as well not be there.

Rpatz is decent as Batman though (even if he does need to drop some timber!). Oh and I couldn't stop laughing at RoboBat everytime he walked anywhere, what the feck is with that?

 

[Mockney]

It’s fine.. it starts very well but becomes less and less interesting as it goes along. It would’ve probably been incredible and revelatory if it’d come out 17 years ago (and it does some things better than Nolan) but it didn’t, so instead it’s just kinda like “yeah, we’ll done, you did that again but a bit wetter and with a smidge more subversion”

I’ve heard people say it finally shows him being a detective but, does it? I mean, I guess, but not a good one. He doesn’t really solve anything or stop anything of any import. He doesn’t catch the Riddler, or get to the bottom of any mystery that isn’t basically laid out for him to do so. In fact the film doesn’t really even have a mystery, even though the genre films it’s aping and the two comics it’s mainly based on actually do…. And despite the Riddler being apparently heartbroken at Batman foiling his plan in a completely unnecessary late cameo scene that would’ve really been interesting if it came out 17 years ago, but is now just obnoxious and exhausting, he basically achieves 90% of his goals. Batman’s post-disaster volunteer work feels like a pretty Pyrrhic victory. It’s like when there are actually more dangerous Dinosaurs out of containment after the big Jurassic World final battle, but the sun comes up and the film has to end, so the movie just acts like it was a big triumphant win for our heroes and moves on!

Eh, I’m probably being harsh. I like Matt Reeves and It’s well shot and some of the scenes very well done. Don’t think it’s anything significant cinematically though, and I actually thought Pattinson was pretty one note (and I generally rate him… but then Batman isn’t really a role for range. It’s fecking Batman!)
Farrell was very good though and Kravitz was fun… or what passes for fun in a humourless film at any rate.

I did think it was very nice of the Gotham PD to take an unconscious bomb damaged Batman in clear need of medical attention and who none of them really trust all the way back to their station without taking his mask off though. That was cool of them.

 

[Donaldo]

It’s fine.. it starts very well but becomes less and less interesting as it goes along. It would’ve probably been incredible and revelatory if it’d come out 17 years ago (and it does some things better than Nolan) but it didn’t, so instead it’s just kinda like “yeah, we’ll done, you did that again but a bit wetter and with a smidge more subversion”

I’ve heard people say it finally shows him being a detective but, does it? I mean, I guess, but not a good one. He doesn’t really solve anything or stop anything of any import. He doesn’t catch the Riddler, or get to the bottom of any mystery that isn’t basically laid out for him to do so. In fact the film doesn’t really even have a mystery, even though the genre films it’s aping and the two comics it’s mainly based on actually do…. And despite the Riddler being apparently heartbroken at Batman foiling his plan in a completely unnecessary late cameo scene that would’ve really been interesting if it came out 17 years ago, but is now just obnoxious and exhausting, he basically achieves 90% of his goals. Batman’s post-disaster volunteer work feels like a pretty Pyrrhic victory. It’s like when there are actually more dangerous Dinosaurs out of containment after the big Jurassic World final battle, but the sun comes up and the film has to end, so the movie just acts like it was a big triumphant win for our heroes and moves on!

Eh, I’m probably being harsh. I like Matt Reeves and It’s well shot and some of the scenes very well done. Don’t think it’s anything significant cinematically though, and I actually thought Pattinson was pretty one note (and I generally rate him… but then Batman isn’t really a role for range. It’s fecking Batman!)
Farrell was very good though and Kravitz was fun… or what passes for fun in a humourless film at any rate.

I did think it was very nice of the Gotham PD to take an unconscious bomb damaged Batman in clear need of medical attention and who none of them really trust all the way back to their station without taking his mask of though. That was cool of them.

Pretty much this. Felt like a film student watching Se7en, reading Watchmen, Morrisson and Moore's Batman runs, then trying to make a 'different' Batman/superhero film and not doing a very good job at all.

Didn't hate it, but didn't like it much either beyond some bits here and there.

 

[afrocentricity]

The balance remains... Mockney and Lambs disliked it.

 

[Lennon7]

I didn't hate it, and I like the direction they tried to head, but boy is it a boring slog. And it's not boring because of the lack of action (in fact those scenes were largely trash anyway), it's boring because it's just not very clever with the detective stuff (and Batman is a terrible detective in this, it's always being spelled out to him!) and dialogue. So it's just a lot of irrelevant nonsense. Like Catwoman, Alfred and Penguin, they all might as well not be there.

Rpatz is decent as Batman though (even if he does need to drop some timber!). Oh and I couldn't stop laughing at RoboBat everytime he walked anywhere, what the feck is with that?

Catwoman is there to link that girl in the video to something. Can’t remember now but she’s at least relevant to the plot, and ends up just getting involved separately for revenge etc

Penguin’s just introduced in this. Sets himself up as the big boss when Falcone gets shot and will clearly be in the next one, but he’s linked to the whole rat riddle too.

 

[Mockney]

Pretty much this. Felt like a film student watching Se7en, reading Watchmen, Morrisson and Moore's Batman runs, then trying to make a 'different' Batman/superhero film and not doing a very good job at all.

Didn't hate it, but didn't like it much either beyond some bits here and there.

Yes it’s Se7en, only it doesn’t have the stakes required to actually be something like that because it can’t kill any established characters (it can’t even kill its villain - it’s got less stakes than Panic Room, let alone Se7en!) and it has to end with Batman “winning”, ideally in a big showcase battle, so it can’t be as nihilistic as it wants either, only hint at it through some nasty things happening largely off screen to some characters we don’t know or care about…

If Joker was baby’s first Taxi Driver this is baby’s first Fincher (only its a lot better, because Matt Reeves is a much better filmmaker than Todd “my main character is going to explain the theme of the film in every scene” Phillips.. - though this does have a voiceover - sometimes? - for some baffling reason!) and that’s fine, and fairly interesting for a bit… but it can’t be a 9 or a 10 movie, because movies can only be judged against what they’re trying to be (Airplane can’t be judged against the Godfather, only other comedies of its ilk, etc) and this is trying to be a David Fincher film, but by it’s very definition as a Batman film it can’t be the genuine article, only a good cosplay…

That’s why I reckon Nolan’s films are better. They were patently trying to be Michael Mann films (TDK at least) but they succeed a lot more at being that.

Again, yeah, it’s perfectly good, but as with Joker it’s not close to a masterpiece, unless your idea of a masterpeice is “I liked these other old films, but I wished they were saying less, were half as good and a man in a silly costume punched a lot of people at the end”

The first half of Begins is still the best a Batman film has ever been…. (The second half, not so much)

The balance remains... Mockney and Lambs disliked it.

I did actually like it.

 

[Redlambs]

The balance remains... Mockney and Lambs disliked it.

I liked the robobat bits! And rFatz as Batman.

 

[Redlambs]

Oh, I also like the Vader from Rogue One impression.

 

[Mockney]

The voice was a lot better than Bale’s… though it’s impossible no one worked out who he was considering how much time he spent moping around in very close proximity to lots and lots of people with basically the whole lower half of his face showing. Even that guy who was obsessed with him and had lots of pictures of him on his wall…. That was lucky, really.

I liked how they somewhat acknowledged that Alfred was essentially a father figure in this, since no iteration other than Lego Batman seems to have wrestled much with the concept of Bruce Wayne being raised from childhood entirely by a single old man, whom he makes serve food and wait on him in adulthood. Like a dick.

I mean, this also does that… but at least he’s kinda nice to him

 

[Desert Eagle]

It’s fine.. it starts very well but becomes less and less interesting as it goes along. It would’ve probably been incredible and revelatory if it’d come out 17 years ago (and it does some things better than Nolan) but it didn’t, so instead it’s just kinda like “yeah, we’ll done, you did that again but a bit wetter and with a smidge more subversion”

I’ve heard people say it finally shows him being a detective but, does it? I mean, I guess, but not a good one. He doesn’t really solve anything or stop anything of any import. He doesn’t catch the Riddler, or get to the bottom of any mystery that isn’t basically laid out for him to do so. In fact the film doesn’t really even have a mystery, even though the genre films it’s aping and the two comics it’s mainly based on actually do…. And despite the Riddler being apparently heartbroken at Batman foiling his plan in a completely unnecessary late cameo scene that would’ve really been interesting if it came out 17 years ago, but is now just obnoxious and exhausting, he basically achieves 90% of his goals. Batman’s post-disaster volunteer work feels like a pretty Pyrrhic victory. It’s like when there are actually more dangerous Dinosaurs out of containment after the big Jurassic World final battle, but the sun comes up and the film has to end, so the movie just acts like it was a big triumphant win for our heroes and moves on!

Eh, I’m probably being harsh. I like Matt Reeves and It’s well shot and some of the scenes very well done. Don’t think it’s anything significant cinematically though, and I actually thought Pattinson was pretty one note (and I generally rate him… but then Batman isn’t really a role for range. It’s fecking Batman!)
Farrell was very good though and Kravitz was fun… or what passes for fun in a humourless film at any rate.

I did think it was very nice of the Gotham PD to take an unconscious bomb damaged Batman in clear need of medical attention and who none of them really trust all the way back to their station without taking his mask of though. That was cool of them.

Yeah good review. I'd say batman might be mono tone but Bruce Wayne is definitely an opportunity for Charisma and charm which RP lacked in this role. If it was the directors choice made the film all the worse for it. It was bleak but in a shit windy rain kind of way not a cool state property kinda way.

 

[kps88]

I liked it. But not good enough to surpass Lego Batman as the best Batman movie ever made.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I liked it. I was worried it would drag, but I don't think it did.

Still, it's hard to get too excited by a Batman film, as they rarely stray too far from the source material, so it ends up feeling like a film you've seen before regardless.

I liked the fight scene lit only by the gunfire. That was cool, and was quite Sin City-esque. They also made Gotham look appropriately grim, which I think the Nolan films failed to do. For me it looked and felt like a Batman film should, more than any of the others have, but it still seemed to be missing something.

The Riddler was/is a good villain. Couldn't believe it was the colourblind mute kid from Little Miss Sunshine.

 

[TheReligion]

I’m off to see this shortly

 

[Rooney in Paris]

I liked how they somewhat acknowledged that Alfred was essentially a father figure in this, since no iteration other than Lego Batman seems to have wrestled much with the concept of Bruce Wayne being raised from childhood entirely by a single old man, whom he makes serve food and wait on him in adulthood. Like a dick.

 

[Superunknown]

I loved it. Had a long week because of work and was exhausted, but sat there for its entire runtime hooked and just soaking it all in. I love the way it was shot, I love the way Gotham was portrayed, I love the characters, the whole lot. Brilliant film, imo.

Loved Paul Dano's take on the Riddler and Colin Farrell pretty much stole every scene he was in. They nailed the atmosphere in this film and I loved the 'horror' elements they went for, particularly in that opening 30 minutes or so. Tense as feck.

Will most likely go and see it again.

 

[pascell]

I liked how they somewhat acknowledged that Alfred was essentially a father figure in this, since no iteration other than Lego Batman seems to have wrestled much with the concept of Bruce Wayne being raised from childhood entirely by a single old man, whom he makes serve food and wait on him in adulthood. Like a dick.

I mean, this also does that… but at least he’s kinda nice to him

In the series Gotham, Alfred is definitely portrayed as a father figure to him, different timelines though I'm guessing as Bruce is just a kid in that series.

 

[TheReligion]

I’m off to see this shortly

Throughly enjoyed it. Was desperate for a piss though by the last hour which was annoying.

Best film I’ve seen in ages. Cinematography was superb and really enjoyed Pattinson in the role.

Set up for the next one…

 

[VP89]

The closest Batman for sure since Tim Burton's.

TDK trilogy was great as a movie franchise but it wasn't the Gotham I thought it would be, it wasn't the Batman or the approach I thought it would be. This one though it's spot on - and it's really similar on take to The Joker movie. Would love to see a capable director have Joaquin Phoenix in the next one but it looks unlikely.

Also it reminded me why I prefer DC to Marvel (love both though). The dark twisted nature of it all was so thrilling, and from a movie perspective its so much harder to do The Batman than it is to do Ironman or Spiderman and chuck on some jokes.

 

[FrankDrebin]

The Joker's f*cking trash.
Just a movie that took particular elements from much greater source material and mashed-it-up into a big black and white ball of soulless, lazy criticism of society and mental health and threw it against the wall.

If you want interesting watch the work of Abel Ferrara, Scorsese ,Nicholas Ray, Lynch and many more.

Urh, disliked that film so much.

 

[esmufc07]

Really enjoyed this, but thought the last 20/25 minutes could have been so much better. Just seemed to go very silly.

Also impressive how Batman can take an explosion to the face and come away with zero damage to his actual face.

 

[VP89]

Really enjoyed this, but thought the last 20/25 minutes could have been so much better. Just seemed to go very silly.

Also impressive how Batman can take an explosion to the face and come away with zero damage to his actual face.

Yea I agree the ending dragged. The film could have been edited better.

 

[NM]

Yea I agree the ending dragged. The film could have been edited better.

Yeah.
The ending seemed to be "We can't have Batman without a big fight" so they came up with it.. Seemed contrived. The rest of the movie was amazing though.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Doesn't try to be Burton's or Nolan's Batman and, it succeeds in that particular thing and for that the movie didn't suck for me. Decent, for one watch. I don't think folks on the Caf anticipated this one like a DC Universe's game changer or defining Batman movie anyway.

Christian Bale said once that Pattinson should create his own image of Batman and stop listening to suggestions, while it wasn't bad, I wish Afleck had just one bloody movie to prove his worth.

In couple of years we'll probably see another Batman movie, just hoping the whole thing won't dive too much into mediocrity like few other franchises.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Are his parents still dead?

 

[Salt Bailly]

I really liked it but I wish they'd kept the car chase and the machine-guns-in-the-dark scenes out of the trailer, as they were the two potential wow-inducing moments that I was hoping to see more of throughout the film.

I put it a level below Begins and TDK, but hopefully Reeves, or whoever continues the franchise, has similar ambitions to Nolan when it comes to ramping shit up for the sequel.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Are his parents still dead?

They're zombies

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

I really liked it but I wish they'd kept the car chase and the machine-guns-in-the-dark scenes out of the trailer, as they were the two potential wow-inducing moments that I was hoping to see more of throughout the film.

I put it a level below Begins and TDK, but hopefully Reeves, or whoever continues the franchise, has similar ambitions to Nolan when it comes to ramping shit up for the sequel.

I really hope it’s the same director if they go down the trilogy route. Never quite understood why they changed it up for the recent Star Wars films. Ended in a mess.

 

[Vidyoyo]

They're zombies

Gee willikers Batman!

 

[Mike Smalling]

Finally went to see this. Really liked it - thought it was excellent!

Robert Pattinson is a surprisingly good Batman. Of the recent actors to have played him, I thought he was the best when actually in the suit, since he was generally much more restrained than Bale and Affleck. As Bruce Wayne I'm not so sure. I always thought the character was supposed to be a playboy billionaire type, but he was more insecure kid and recluse.
I also liked that the story was much more mystery/detective style in the beginning, and that part was really well executed. Generally, the acting was good with the Pattinson, Dano and Kravitz as the standouts. If I were to criticize someone, I would say that Andy Serkis didn't really bring anything new to the Alfred role. He was a bit lackluster, and didn't bring much of the warmth or wit that Caine or Irons did.

On the negative side, it was obviously a tad long, which you really started to feel towards the end. Also, you seriously have to suspend your disbelief at times, with the amount of punishment Batman is able to take from both bullets and falling, but I guess it's still a superhero movie, even if it's more grounded than the Marvel stuff.

Overall, very very good, and definitely on par with the Nolan series. Perhaps The Dark Knight is better seen in isolation, but this one is definitely up there with the other two.

8/10.

 

[GDaly95]

Loved it.

I'm not a big fan of Batman or these type of movies in general but I thought this was brilliant.

Rough around the edges, damaged Batman is my kind of Batman and Robert Pattinson absolutely killed it.

8/10

 

[Ish]

Watching this later tonight. Really looking forward to it!

 

[Mike Smalling]

This might actually be one of those rare movies I go to watch in the cinema twice. Already feel like watching it again

 

[Ish]

that was great, really enjoyed that. Fantastic film.