The Batman - Spoiler Review!

Gotham City was brought to life like never before in The Batman - let's dig down deep into the spoilery goodness!
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[@kluv2g1]

I felt that Catwoman and Riddler both served the purpose in different ways to show Bruce that eventually the desire only for vengeance would take him down a road he didn't want to go.

[@alexsilva28]

That's actually a great observation!

[@CMontgomeryBurns09]

True, but part of Dan's point is how the Riddler already served that function; we didn't need Selina Kyle, as fun as she was, to reiterate that point. Moreover, I would've preferred the Catwoman subplot been exchanged for showing the Salvatore Maroni drug bust, which has a much larger effect on the greater narrative. I don't think we even see Maroni in the film.

[@MCUKillmonger4]

@@CMontgomeryBurns09 dude Selina Kyle play a part in Bruce Life.

[@BreakingTheNews1]

Penguin doing a subtle penguin like woddle when tied up cracked me up

[@orestmarkheva7325]

@Siddharth Sriram you spend all this time writing and all you will get back is...opinions like buttholes.

[@isaacmedina9016]

@Siddharth Sriram ratio

[@avenuePad]

@Siddharth Sriram You're mainly criticizing the concept of Batman and comic books in general. That's ok if it's not your thing and you can't suspend your disbelief. You have to walk in to any comic book movie with beliefs suspended somewhat, or at least be willing to do so. Anyway, I couldn't care less about Oscars and awards. That's just a bunch of bullshit. This was an awesome movie. It could have been a standalone movie and I would be cool with it.

[@mrmagoozle]

@Siddharth Sriram “total dumbo” Yeah… not childish talk at all 🤣

[@rifkadm]

Lol that cracked me up too! There were not as MANY funny moments in this movie as there are in other superhero movies but Colin Farrel's Penguin had like 90% of them.

[@Basicmango]

When Gordon said "I thought you were gonna pull that punch" and Batman says "I did..."

[@TrekBeatTK]

I was annoyed Gordon wasn’t bruised after that. He should have a black eye. Black people still bruise, right?

[@thedarkemissary]

@@TrekBeatTK Why? He pulled the punch.

[@alexisbyrd5571]

I laughed out loud.

[@avenuePad]

@@TrekBeatTK Did he get punched in the eye?

[@PseudoFiction]

I liked the three beats they did with the twins at the door of the Iceberg Lounge, first as Batman, then as Bruce Wayne, finally just ninjaing them.

[@yeskev]

Yes, such an excellent way to reuse a set piece without making it feel repetitive.

[@patrickmike2524]

Yeah loved how beat up they looked as they kept showing up through the movie

[@Artofcarissa]

Also the way the cop reacted to Bruce Wayne vs Batman. Seeing how they react differently to who they perceive as different people is so interesting. It’s kind of the opposite with Selina Kyle where she likes Batman more than Bruce Wayne

[@yeskev]

@@Artofcarissa Yes, good writing showing those dynamics between the identities is always so key in the Batman stories.

[@grumpee8432]

The Twin scenes were definitely some of the few chuckling scenes throughout the movie.

[@thedarkemissary]

The movie had me at "thumb-drive." That's how a Batman story is suppose to go.

[@bkdmode]

That was one of my favorite moments of levity in the movie. I suspect anybody who felt that a morbid joke like that was out of place or inappropriate was expecting a campy Joel Schumacher style of movie.

[@yeskev]

Gordon: "You could have pulled that punch". Batman: "I did..." 😂

[@rxdawg75]

@@yeskev This.

[@Tzgrey77]

@@yeskev The dynamic between them was great

[@sotorc1448]

@@yeskev Sounds like a line straight from a marvel movie

[@huckleberryfinn1925]

I felt the shift towards hope and heroism most during my third watch where you have the man Batman "saves" in the train fight beg him not to hurt him after he beats the villains, displaying the widespread fear Batman and the symbol of Batman had compared to the end where the girl he places on the stretcher reaches back out to him for comfort and safety. Seeing just how the citizens of Gotham shift their view of Batman really works me for me with how they present the story.

[@HugeMassiveCharlesClips]

Somebody has beem watching 3C Films 👀

[@ThaKonig]

Bm

[@denroy3]

It's garbage for today's whiny youth...

[@tiagomaqz]

Finally someone who noticed this and said it. I loved that too.

[@RealLifeRodger]

This

[@eggnokio]

Even though I loved the whole movie, I think the best scene hands down is the beginning when Bruce is narrating saying he can't be everywhere, but he is everywhere because he is the shadows. Especially with all the criminals shitting themselves when they see the bat signal, it was the complete embodiment of "criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot".

[@Missjunebugfreak]

I fell in love with the cinematography of this film. A lot of shots were just downright beautiful. And that score was wonderfully utilised.

[@yuhaoyang4237]

This film has a plethora of gorgeous visuals, but so many scenes are just way too dark that it hurts my eyes. I have the same criticism with Dune.

[@Rugelacharugula]

If you grew up reading comics or graphic novels, you can see it's set up like those types of frames.

[@TrevorCopter]

While I totally agree with Dan’s assessment of the Selina-Falcone relationship, I think they used that connection cause A) it’s from the Loeb-Sale books that the movie took inspiration from but mainly B) it’s a way for Selina to do morally dubious things while still maintaining the audience’s sympathy because her rage is directed at an absent father, not just the head of the crime family.

[@prettyboyg1278]

I didn’t mind it, but it still felt a little bit unnecessary. Her friend getting killed was reason enough to hate Falcony imo. The family drama of her being his daughter came out of nowhere and didn’t add much.

[@Maxisamo1]

More importantly the killer of her mother too

[@conradsanjose5093]

C) "sins of the fathers" is the central theme itself.

[@pkrmkn31]

did you make excuses like this for the things people didn't like in man of steel and bvs??

[@iordanstefan1]

Agree, and also I would add that the storyline gives a purpose to Selina in the story. If this storyline wasn’t in the movie, she wouldn’t have any motivation and reason to be around

[@kimnhat98]

I really like the message of hope in this Batman. People keep saying that the end of the movie is prety lame, but I think this is one of the best things happened since other adaptations described Batman as either a myth (Batfleck) or an outlaw (Batbale); this brings the world building to the next level: how Batman earned the trust of the citizens and the GCPD. Also, the Batman shift from vengence to hope was NOT rushed at all, from forgiving Alfred and their parents from their hidden past, stopping Catwoman from her revenge, to saving the people from the flood. Overall, the character development of everyone in this movie is by far solid (except Riddler at the end for some plot armor I think), and I am so hyped to see the sequels to this.

[@nikunjdixit1175]

I just found it a little too heavy handed and overly sentimental compared to the rest of the movie. I don't have a problem with the idea in concept, rather in execution. I didn't particularly like Pattinson's narration having to explain to the audience why Vengeance is bad. I think we got the point when the Riddler wannabe called himself Vengeance.

[@aishaarshadalam3412]

@@nikunjdixit1175 I think it was just the neo noir vibe they were going for and it bookends the movie by having him narrate the beginning and end, he doesn't talk much and it's just us getting a glimpse into his thoughts.

[@nikunjdixit1175]

@@aishaarshadalam3412 I get it, I just don't think it was necessary and it just feels heavy handed to me.

[@brendanlittle2498]

Sometimes people underrate the ability for a movie to just be cool. This movie is very cool. Great visuals, interesting story, and awesome action. This movie lives up to the hype.

[@michaelgreene4816]

Reservoir dogs is cool. Pulp Fiction is cool. Goodfellas is cool. The batman was fine- good.

[@Nobody-we7kl]

@@michaelgreene4816 those 3 films are Hollywood classics directed by arguably the best directors (from the west) Batman is a DC movie directed by the guy who directed the planet of the apes. The movie is at least cool, not a masterpiece tho like Goodfellas. U comparing a pizza hut pizza to one right outta Italy here haha

[@7Z7A7C7K7]

That's not enough for me man...

[@lotusthemermaid]

Forget the nerds that say this Batman movie wasn't good enough for them, their expectations for Batman are too high for any movie to ever reach. This movie was honestly my favorite of all of the Batman movies I've seen. It's so good and had a fantastic message.

[@jalves6494]

It was easily one of the Best Batman movies ever if not from a Batman stand point easily the best we have gotten yet

[@buckteethbandit4786]

Falcone had to die in order to open the door to a struggle for power. Basically the flooding of Gotham had to happen to introduce future supervillains. I love the third act because Batman misses the final piece of the puzzle and essentially fails.

[@jonathanenriquez830]

As someone who went into this movie blind, I had no idea Colin Farrell was Penguin until the credits rolled. Still surprised and that alone makes me look forward to a second watch

[@inorite4553]

If you pay attention, in the beginning, even the civilians fear Batman, "....p.p.pl.please don't hurt me." But towards the end, Batman realizes that fear along is harming his work and he needs to stop instilling fear for fear itself. He needs to instill hope in those that do not deserve fear of Batman. That's some power ass shit.

[@drakenfist]

Ben Shapiro: "The film hates Batman and is saying he needs to be a firefighter". I absolutely agree. This is a powerful film with a powerful message.

[@Di7manya]

Also something that goes a little under the radar is that in the beginning its mentioned that crime keeps going UP despite Batman being around. Batman himself seems kind of confused about it. Without empathy, without hope, Batman's mission is doomed to fail.

[@CaptainEnglehorn]

Selina being falcones daughter is from the long Halloween and dark victory comics

[@marcwa74]

The voiceover is not just a Watchmen Rorschach lift/ nod/ influence.. it’s a film-noir/ hard boiled detective crime drama trope. Blade Runner(Deckard), Casablanca( Rick).. Or a similar mentally disturbed character like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, delivers an eerily grim voice over narration. Sooooooo many examples and a tool that is very effective at setting the tone.

[@yeskev]

Agreed! That was my takeaway while watching as well. Fits perfectly in this type of Batman movie. And the music score hit the mark perfectly with the voice-overs.

[@chupcook]

Loved the entire film noir feel in this batman! Absolutely beautiful looking movie.

[@heatheraggus7501]

I got a Taxi Driver vibe from it too.

[@thanktink4328]

another good example of protagonist narration setting the tone is the movie 'Dread' .. In fact, Karl Urban would make an excellent super dark and gritty Batman with that scowl...

[@marcwa74]

@@thanktink4328 Yes!!! Great example! Definitely set the tone in Dredd! And great grizzled older Batman!! I don’t know why I didn’t think about that, especially after Dredd! Karl looks a lot like the Arkham/Gotham/ Batman games Bruce Wayne!

[@partridgestorm]

What I don't hear enough from reviewers is how excellent John Turtrro is in his role. It's a shame we won't be getting more of Falcone in this universe.

[@merlin9943]

Flashbacks are always possible.

[@12jswilson]

I actually thought he was the most miscast character. I never thought he seemed menacing like the other villains. Even when we heard him strangling someone, I didn't get that sense of danger

[@freddiesimmons1394]

@@12jswilson agreed.

[@TwistedReality13]

@@freddiesimmons1394 He's been in way too many comedic roles to take seriously anymore. 20 years ago maybe lol.

[@yeskev]

@@12jswilson I'm okay with him not being menacing. He was the informant after all. Plus he didn't outshine Penguin who is likely to return, which is a good thing.

[@brentage5000]

Love how they both made Riddler actually threatening and made him a cult figurehead. That's exactly what I've wanted for years, and Reeves and Dano delivered. Something else I loved is how at the start Batman claims to be the shadows and in the end he is in the light. I (and you covered this also) predict that sequels will see him being more visible as both Bruce and Batman. Choreography-wise, the movie delivered in spades for me and really felt like the Arkham games to the point that I was vocally calling out the takedowns he was performing in the action sequences. Loved it and am fully on with a sequel.

[@thedarkemissary]

And that they made nameless, faceless goons actually relevant, instead just extras that drop on Batman's way to punch Jim Carrey in the face.

[@famousthaneus9810]

You’ve wanted them to turn Riddler into Anarky for years?

[@trenken]

Idk thats kinda the very thing i didnt like about riddler. Those pesky opinions lol. I just felt he was like an emo orphan internet troll. Did not strike me at all as a batman villain. He didnt feel big or special enough. Coulda been anyone. Didnt help that i hated his look. The young nerd with a crappy green garbage bag on his face. Idk, it just didnt work at all for me.

[@thedarkemissary]

@@trenken "coulda been anyone" - that was the whole point. You missed it. That was the entire theme of the movie. No need to be big or special, just need to be pushed far enough by the corruption of Gotham to want to take drastic measures to change it. Know you... kinda like a batman, or a riddler, or an honest politician running for mayor.

[@MrBarborosa]

One of my biggest issues is the Riddler isn't threatening at all. He didn't need to be big or special, he just needs to be intriguing and he isn't. Just because the idea of a villain is good doesn't mean they portray it well

[@jeffg2189]

This was by far the most comic-accurate portrayal of Batman and Gotham on screen. To me, it felt like a graphic novel come to life. Everyone played their respective roles brilliantly and I'm super excited to see the continuation of this world in future films and series. I really appreciated Reeve's diving into the detective aspect of the character and loved that Pattinson was Batman for so much of the film's runtime. I agree, I felt the length at certain points but loved that they went with Selina being Falcone's daughter, like The Long Halloween. Probably a long shot but I'd love an HBO Max limited series Catwoman spinoff inspired by the When in Rome comic. I'm still unpacking a lot from the movie, so not really sure where this ranks for me yet in terms of Batman films. Definitely will need to see it again to help me figure that out. The overall message of the film was also really well-executed, giving Batman/Bruce a great arc.

[@mrjaysquared]

Yes. Yes. Yes. And um yes. All great points brother

[@ng5574]

Perfect description

[@sotorc1448]

If this was comic-accurate I would of never of read batman comic book. What are you guys smoking??? Basically nothing happened in this movie??? He's doesn't even progress in the movie. He does with the people in the town but he doesn't himself. All that happened is he's now friends with catwoman, and riddler is in jail and the town is flooded lol. Wow what a great movie. Imagine batman begins. He gets trained by the league of shadows, makes his suit, and gadgets, batmobile, gets batcave. Working in his relationship with Gordan, While we have another real villain with scarecrow who actually does something against batman not just penguin who don't do a fucking thing. He literally starts batman on fire in the movie. Then we find out he is working for razahghul to try and take over the city. With a epic fight on the train to end it all. Yes there are some nice parts in the batman but it just don't compare. Maybe if you have never seen a batman movie then yes this would be good

[@uhuhuh1966]

@@sotorc1448 he literally has a character arc…he learns that he can’t just be a symbol of fear and vengeance, he has to also be a symbol of hope, it’s the origin of the Bruce Wayne persona, he saw no use for it at the beginning of this story but by the end he saw that it’ll help him fight crime, like how he was able to enter Penguin’s club as Bruce without any pushback, you literally didn’t understand any of this 🤣 and you obviously have never read a Batman comic and have zero understanding of detective stories. Long Halloween & Year One are pretty much the exact same as this, you’re a loser

[@dunnowy123]

Year One, The Long Halloween, Arkham Asylum. This movie is NIRVANA for Batman fans. God I fucking love it.

[@KingDavid00]

I loved that voiceover at the beginning of Bruce writing in his own journal, I thought it was so relatable and cool because I too write in my journal a lot so it’s just dope to see Batman do the same

[@philip1718]

The entire movie felt like a graphic novel 💯

[@leademi1387]

The Selina Kyle and Falcone connection is a comics deep cut from a run in one of her solo series. If they are including both character in a single storyline about Gotham’s mob underbelly, it makes sense to have them cross paths. That’s just my opinion. And can we talk about the sound design! That, the entire score, and the variations of Ave Maria, omg!

[@oneopinion6806]

@Siddharth Sriram Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Though I disagree with the majority of yours, I'll at least partially agree on Batman's secret identity. But not just that they'd recognize him, this is still a DC film and therefore somewhere Superman exists fooling everyone with a pair of glasses. I'll say that one moment that popped me out of the film was when Batman was out post-explosion and the cops had him on a table looking him over...what no one took the mask off? Especially when he was trusted by a scant few cops and an equal number of cops were crooked and would REALLY like to know who Batman is? They needed to toss in some "mask is bolted down, won't come off" line or something.

[@oneopinion6806]

@Siddharth Sriram In this take on Batman he's not a ninja in the first place. Alfred makes reference to training him to fight. And him getting knocked around is far more realistic than many multi-person fight scenes where everyone waits their turn. They were leaning hard on the plate armor absorbing damage for him to fight that way. I like Batman not being some hulking thing. Bale didn't look imposing at all, and while Affleck did more so it's just a different take. Not sure what "awesome dialogues" would be referencing--you want action 1 liners? Some big villain monologue?

[@oneopinion6806]

@Siddharth Sriram Short of a bit in Batman Begins during training, the hand to hand combat was always underwhelming in the Nolan trilogy. Bale looking jacked in training doesn't equate to looking domineering in the actual fight scenes. The bullets in The Batman could be argued with his wearing hard plate armor which would be very dependent on angle of impact for how much energy is transferred into his body. The hallway in the dark I don't think necessarily all the bullets were even hitting him. They sure were firing a lot though. The shotgun point blank was perpendicular to his body and hit him nearly center mass. All the energy would go into the impact. And if we're playing what-if with the pretend movie, the criminal could have been using a slug in stead of shot for the round and that really would have hit hard. The only quote I remember from the Nolan films that isn't Heath Ledger Joker is a bit dumb and hypocritical "but I don't have to save you". The rest is Heath Ledger Joker from Dark Knight. I like the first two films quite a bit, but Dark Knight Rises was a complete mess.

[@samf.s.7731]

I actually liked this film better the 2nd time around. I suppose there was a lot of stress going in about whether or not it's good. On the 2nd watch I was able to just go in and enjoy the craftsmanship which made me appreciate it better.

[@dzd2371]

I'm sure I'll feel the same way. I've never been big on the "theatre" experience. Love the screen, love the sound... hate the people and the prices. I'm also a smoker so this was definitely too long for me and I was soooo happy when it was finally over. I should of just waited to watch it at home. I'm sure I'll love it on a second watch. It at times felt a littel disjointed like it was trying to be too many things at once, but I applaud the ambition. All that being said its still my favorite Batman live-action movie so far, and I think a sequeal has the potential to be really outstanding.

[@alexsilva28]

@@dzd2371 For sure. I'd love to rewatch from the comfort of my home with some pizza or something. It really is loooong

[@alexsilva28]

@Siddharth Sriram Ok

[@iamtom13]

@Siddharth Sriram thanks for your hot take

[@ChidorivsRasengan3]

@Siddharth Sriram looks like you’re the one trying to sound sophisticated.

[@jeffnicholas6342]

The Wayne/Arkham Family history is a great way to get Gotham to feel lived in

[@alexsilva28]

Everytime Arkham gets even mentioned in the movies my inner fanboy goes crazy and here they straight up mentioned the Arkham family. Hoping the sequel goes further into that fascinating corner of the Batman universe

[@iamtom13]

How about the name of the reporter that Thomas Wayne tried to hush.. Elliot

[@alexsilva28]

@@iamtom13 I missed that. Cool detail

[@jeffnicholas6342]

@@iamtom13 what newspaper does Elliot work for?

[@potionseller2083]

Spoilers: I agree. My main issue with the film comes from the third act. Once they caught the Riddler I think it started to get dull. Things didn't come together in a very satisfying way, especially with Bruce's parents. The storm wall was not setup beforehand at all. There were also too many 'mini climaxes' in the climax and I hate false sacrifices. The rest was great.

[@jeffreyroedel9804]

Yeah I didn't understand why Riddler had to be caught so early, story-wise I mean. It would have been better if Batman had to decipher his real hideout from some clue in the apartment and then they have their discussion face to face not in Arkham, and then Batman has to apprehend Riddler, instead of killing him, and also rush off to the arena to stop the copycats before it's too late.

[@freddiesimmons1394]

@@jeffreyroedel9804 it shows that the riddler is occasionally too smart for Batman. Aka "worthy" of him

[@oneopinion6806]

Speaking of false sacrifices. what was supposed to be happening with the water filled stadium and the sparky cable thing? Was the danger that the water was rising so it would connect to the cable and zap everyone? But the movie seemed to imply as Batman jumped over to the cable that he was making some big sacrifice? But given he wasn't grounded yet, simply cutting the cable shorter and falling into the water was like okay, why are we worried about Batman falling into the water?" I guess it would be hard to swim in that getup?

[@P1EX]

I like how he more or less slowly walked when approaching anything, the heavy footsteps were great. Reminded me of terminator. Also what a great car chase

[@piccolomair]

I felt this movie captured more of what batman is to the city of Gotham. The Nolan movies I think captured what Gotham meant to batman, but this movie did a better job of identifying what batman means to Gotham. To the criminal world he's a relentless and frightening force. To the cops he's a vigilante and freak but a necessary tool to solve crime, and to the citizens of Gotham he's hope

[@sum1rllyspecial]

I think that scene from the beginning, where Batman saves the man on the train but the civilian is terrified of him, and the scene at the end, when he saves the woman and helps her be helicoptered away, juxtaposes the growth of Batman by the end of the movie. The people of Gotham can now see Batman as a beacon of hope, where before they were just as scared of him as the criminal element.

[@ernestocaro9802]

you both are 100% right

[@theawesomeman9821]

I'm pretty sure everyone in the film thinks Batman is a freak

[@ernestocaro9802]

@@theawesomeman9821 not at the end

[@G00N3R7883]

This is the Batman film I've been wanting for years. A detective story where he has to work with the GCPD to figure out what is happening. Most superhero films are built around big action set pieces and defeating the villain in a physical fight (which is entertaining and I like those films too) but I've been wanting to see the World's Greatest Detective on screen for a long time, and that's exactly what this is. Also on the dark/humourless tone - I actually think this makes a refreshing change and makes it stand out from all the other superhero films that feel the need to crowbar some kind of joke into EVERY scene.

[@darrenescobedo725]

They took a lot from the Long Halloween which was the reveal for Selena being the daughter of Falcone. I appreciate the nod toward the comic

[@ItsJustJess269]

IDK about everyone else, but I personally love that it was darker brutal more violent than anything we've ever seen because it resembles a real-life and it's more grounded plus it hit closer to home you know? I really can't wait to see where they take the franchise and I absolutely love the dynamic love tension relationship between Selina Kyle and Batman. 💙😁 This makes me want to play the Batman games hopefully there's some on Game Pass LOL

[@princeapoopoo5787]

Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are both so damn good. I've never considered myself a huge Batman fan (mostly because of how dense comic lore is) but I was sucked into the world. Very good. Would recommend.

[@ItsJustJess269]

@@princeapoopoo5787 thank you so much for responding I will definitely check that out tonight once I get home. 🙏👊 game pass only has the Injustice 2 game LOL but I will see if steam has a discount or something. Feels you the world is just so alluring haha

[@tmenke88]

I actually loved the cinematography and aesthetics. The darkness worked perfectly with this batman. You could feel the sense of dread that was felt by the villains. I agree with Dan about that first scene. It made you fear the dark. The sound of Batman's footsteps were terrifying. The violence was absolutely brutal too, but served a purpose. (This didn't feel like a PG13 movie) Batman should technically get stomped by a group of 5-6 people in real life, but the fear combined with the absolute savage beating of a thug served to make the other thugs cautious. He literally used their fear to make it a fair fight.

[@hanielnasheed7189]

As a die hard DC fan and a fan of The Batman Year One & Two comics this film was excellent the understated tone, the characters were realistic and not over the top. Great job guys!

[@SwatBeatsOfficial]

This movie was a masterpiece. I don't think it was a minute too long. The only issue I had with the movie is that he got away from the cops and then they see him again and it's like nothing ever happened 🤣

[@RecklessRusty]

Thank you! This was one of my only complaints aswell but I guess the police recognize they couldn’t be turning down help. A single throwaway line would have sufficed

[@saugatkarki3169]

finally someone pointed that out lol. ive not seen anyone mention that

[@frankcarlosnajera9723]

It was a good movie. Not a masterpiece, definitely.

[@tmenke88]

My rationale is that he escaped from the "corrupt" cops and Gordon explained to the "good" cops what was going on at the police station. Gordon helps to bridge the gap.

[@alltheworldsastage]

Loved the movie. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned too much is the sound design of the film… impeccable. Because of that “The Batman” is one of those films that I would recommend seeing in a specific format….. Dolby Atmos. That format really brought the sound design forward in such a great way….especially during the Batmobile chase scene. Dolby also has the added benefit of a deeper contrast, which goes hand in hand with this being such a dark (from a lighting perspective) film.

[@MrJunk78]

Thank you for this recommendation. Going to choose that option for my rewatch. Saw it in a pseudo imax theatre and the sound was very muddled. Can’t remember the last time I saw a movie and wished it were louder. But maybe that was more to do with the bozos next to me who walked in an hour into the movie and ate their giant bag of popcorn with their mouths open, and then talked through the rest of it.

[@lollyputts]

I didn't need this to be the best movie ever for me to enjoy it - and I really really enjoyed it.

[@fangal12]

I'm late, just watched it on HBO Max and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 8/10 for me. Really looking forward to the next one

[@themtgdude486]

I adored this film noir. Saw it three times.

[@fucktheidcollectors]

I find the runtime issue for some people kinda odd. I'm satisfied with the runtime and thought every thing in the movie had a purpose. I don't want to have to spend more money for the extended cut to see more footage.

[@yeskev]

It did eventually feel long while I was watching it. There was even a person sitting behind me who said out loud "wow this is long" lol. But for the most part I didn't feel like it was dragging too much. The end scene when batman and catwoman are driving the motorcycles out of the cemetery though...that definitely felt extra.

[@BishopDoubleR]

Go see it at 10pm

[@aksharpatel2803]

@@yeskev The ending was perfect and the movie did not drag at all for me.

[@oneopinion6806]

For me it's not the runtime itself, but the tension/pace I guess? I didn't feel the time at all, few by, right up to the crescendo of arresting Riddler...but then it's like wait, if that's 3rd act, are we into the bonus rounds now? And at that moment I felt the runtime. I'm no film editor/maker. But it seems like to keep the beats they wanted there, like Dan was feeling out maybe something needed to be combined, like expose the final set-piece stadium flood first, or right as he's being picked up they have found out and then the interrogation has more stakes and a drive to that final action scene. Something anyway.

[@ScruffyLookingD]

I’ve been waiting for this all week!

[@may.k_me]

I LOVED the score for this movie. I was intimidated whenever Batman's theme came on. This was a really fantastic sound

[@Tzgrey77]

Can't wait to see this again and dive deeper into it

[@paddymcelligott5375]

Great review. Really enjoyed your take on it and the closing comments on repeated viewings

[@Tzgrey77]

Been waiting for this! I think this most movie that feels like "Batman" and that they really got the characters down. Multiple times I caught myself saying "oh that's so like Riddler to do that" or "that's such a Catwoman thing to do".. loved the Arkham vibes

[@katevand]

12:00 it was one joke from 'like, share and subscribe' for me towards the end, i giggled.

[@jeanbutinfrench]

The voice over was really intimate, I really like it, the movie in general I found really atmospheric. I enjoyed the crime drama approach. What brought it down for me was the dark cinematography, it was gorgeous at times, but was too clauthrophobic, like the long night episode of game of thrones I couldn’t make up what was happening at times, maybe on my tv it will be more positive, but right now I really would like them to change the cinematography style next movie, also the joker reveal made me eye roll

[@alexsilva28]

This is an OLED movie for sure. Joker was eye rolling indeed

[@yeskev]

I loved the cinematography (also loved the long night episode lol). It was gritty and dark, like the dark knight tends to be. We've had plenty of Batman movies with other styles. I like this different direction. Agreed that they definitely shouldn't have put in the Joker. Maybe should have been a different villain in that scene or just cut.

[@yungkobe88]

Thank you! Finally someone brought up how the voice-over was reminiscent of Rosxhache

[@illusionen6655]

Great review Dan

[@samf.s.7731]

You had me at Lanthimos 😂😂

[@mekinot]

Hard agree on almost everything, specially what you said about the ending. I didn't like the tone at the beginning too much, but I thought to myself "ok, it's his second year, IF this is just his starting point and they give him development, then I'm fine with it"... and they did it. They let him grow into an actual hero by the end. I think it ends up being a good balance of darkness and hopefulness by the end, and you feel like there was a purpose to the dark tone. To be clear, I expect some darkness from Batman always (just like you said), but I also expect him to be an actual hero at some point, and this movie delivered that.

[@dv4497]

Thomas Wayne being connected to the Mob in Gotham makes perfect sense. Of course the most wealthy man in town would have some connection to the Mob.

[@riseofazrael]

This is also a storyline in some of the comics as well

[@oneopinion6806]

But they gave the Waynes the out. That he was connected because he saved Falcone's life. That he didn't understand the underworld enough to know asking Falcone to make the problem go away was going to result in murder. That his largess in setting up this gigantic fund but not having things in place to keep it legit caused the Waynes to essentially fund a large portion of organized crime post mortem. It goes without saying as well that Bruce's vengeance first, everything else second also made this all possible as we hear there are meeting and accountants he's dodging that probably could have uncovered a lot of this abused charity stuff.

[@MistahJay7]

Telltale did this too. But they went full on and actually portrayed Thomas doing crimes. They held back a bit in the movies with Alfred's story saying how Thomas didn't want to kill the man. Where as in Tell Tale he was straight up drugging people and putting them into arkham under the table lol even close friends

[@mikeshea2456]

Matt Reeves actually did an interview with Variety (probably after this video was shot and edited) where he said the [SPOILER] cameo wasn't meant to be a hint at a sequel, more of an acknowledgement of the character existing, and that he doesn't have any plans for [SPOILER] at the moment.

[@famousthaneus9810]

Stephanie Brown was in this movie? (iykyk)

[@mikeshea2456]

@@famousthaneus9810 I just got it 🤣

[@istrumguitars]

This film was so accurate in its portrayals of the central and supporting characters I could've wept tears of joy. Finally, a big screen Batman that does justice for my favorite comic book character. Also, I definitely do _not_ care what anyone says negatively about Paul Dano, he was AWESOME in that Arkham scene where he's talking to Batman (I should know, even my extremely-ADHD-for-life best bud was glued to the screen-and he was falling asleep at the part where Alfred was in the hospital bed lol).

[@yeskev]

Dano was good but I feel like maybe they could have dialed back the craziness just 10% maybe. Not a lot. He was great as Riddler. And Batman as the detective in a movie finally was so great to see!

[@robchuk4136]

"Thumb drive." The beginning, with the villains wondering if Batman was in the shadows or not, until he finally emerges... that camera, the music, that was like... orgasmic to me. But it was the dark joke of that first riddle. That's when I knew me and this film were on the same wavelength. Really great movie. Started feeling the length after a while, though. And I understand those that felt it was too dark. I saw a parent leave with her kids after the second serial killing

[@collectivesartori]

Absolutely. That was the ‘mike drop’ moment when we knew the movie knew what it was on about.

[@brucesnow7125]

"Oh, this guy is hilarious"

[@InspectorSpacetime333]

Keoghan is such an interesting casting, and the fact that the tiny bit of the character we saw implied some very classic comic book Joker hair and prosthetics gives me a lot of confidence that we will see something we have not seen before.

[@DgDg741]

Great review

[@carlosmartinezjr3501]

I want Mr Freeze to be the next villain. I want him to be a tragic villain, sort of like Doc Oc in Spider-Man 2.

[@oneopinion6806]

A stoic Batman:TAS Freeze would be great for me. I mean, maybe with some subtle allusion to Ahnold with a cigar somewhere in the background of course.

[@cteal2018]

Must cast Coolio 😎

[@carlosmartinezjr3501]

@@cteal2018 😂

[@kidflickreviews308]

Great video!

[@djmileski]

Yes the beginning, fearing the shadows after seeing the symbol in the sky, amazing

[@ChelseaLewis]

The framed Movie Pass card in the background 💯

[@MrShaunhunter]

The second time Bruce narrates and says the date I immediately said “a comedian died tonight” 😂

[@thedarquibus]

Keoghan is said "Keowan" in Gaelic "gh" is "W" sound. I am and speak Gaelic.

[@laid_back_ash7831]

Hey Dan love from India. Just watched it in IMAX and loved the movie. I was surprised how they have made the Batman more realistic. The only real gadget he has is the super bulletproof armor. It feels pretty familiar with casino royale, the best bond in recent memory. There is a lot of plot armor in this movie but Pattinson does a great job. I am looking forward to the sequels but i just hope they dont do the joker. If the riddler had an independent movie like joeaqin phoenix's joker I would be sold on it. This version of the riddler is actually better than the games in my opinion....

[@omaramat4813]

Great review, when he mentioned John Williams I thought Dan would adress the imperial march, nothing to detract from Giachinnos score, those notes already carry the fear inspiring Darth Vader, and builds it with Pattinson's portrayal.

[@SuperFlik]

Saw it last night, really enjoyed it. Wasn't sold on the costume at first, with the cape/collar, but it looked really good in motion, also liked the inclusion of the hip-holster for his grapple-gun

[@Phornax7]

The end of the wingsuit glide made me laugh.

[@big-chill9058]

Saw The Batman friday...LOVED IT!

[@poopstainhotdog1]

I love movies that are so drenched in their influences that they make u want to go back and visit those sources. I am def on a binge of my favorite noirs after seeing this and it’s wonderful. I also loved the club scenes, that location felt so real.

[@jessicaalbright7429]

Loved it!!!! I thought it was very sexy…loved the darkness turned to hope and light. I definitely needed to feel that message right about now from a movie.Great review!

[@knightinashes6934]

With Catwoman, she is related to Falcone in the comics so it is comic-accurate. I just don’t think there was enough time to flesh out that relationship or make it special.

[@kwalton7690]

Yeah, and she is likely going to use that money she took to reinvent herself as "high society Selina Kyle" for the next film so it seems like a necessary set up for future films. I feel like Dan is borderline saying "don't give her more dimension outside of Batman" lol.

[@bobbehers1625]

Loved this! Felt like I did when I saw the Keaton film in 1989.

[@ronin7997]

Loved that Batman had a fully realized character arc. The transition from vengeance to despair to hope was well executed.

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

I freaking LOVE this movie. I just love how different this Batman movie was in comparison to the other ones. To me, The Dark Knight, The Batman & Batman Begins are the greatest live-action Batman films ever made. I need that sequel in my veins. I seriously cannot wait for what else Matt Reeves has in store for us with Robert Pattinson's version of Batman. 9/10

[@jasonraschen1109]

I enjoyed both this and your non spoiler review of the film. I 100% agree with all your thoughts. Thanks again Dan for posting these videos.

[@ChrisPartykaMusic]

There’s a small moment when the Riddler says “finally..” and a couple of other moments where Paul Dano has so much style in his delivery.

[@MarvelousMusicmmusic]

9:20 that's likely true for a portion of the general audience but as a Batman fan and just comic book fan in general I'm ALL for it

[@ryanremembers]

Michael Giachinno's 'Life and Death' from LOST always makes me cry. No shame. It just pulls my heart strings when I think about 'The End'.

[@xMeriak]

Super video! 💯🦇🔥😎

[@cisalzlman]

Something I thought they did for second and would have helped make the 3rd act feel more necessary is having the Riddler taken at the Dinner not be the real Ridder

[@thedarkemissary]

But, that was the whole point. You missed it. The idea is that the real threat isn't "some guy in a costume," but the underlying emotion and motivations of a group of individuals. Just like Batman didn't save the day by himself. It took a bunch of people who believe in the same thing he does. Just like it took a bunch of people who believe in the same things the Riddler does to execute the plan and it took a bunch of people who believe in the same things Falcone does to create the corruption of Gotham.

[@cisalzlman]

@@thedarkemissary I like your points and I think you could still make that point while having the real Riddler amongst the crowd of his cult but maybe not🤷‍♂️

[@RabbiSteve]

Great review and pretty much feel about the same way about almost everything. Especially your point about Batman uses mythology and symbols

[@ajgrubert]

Was so excited to see how they stitched together different parts of London, Glasgow and Liverpool to build such an excellent depiction of Gotham. Was truly special for us Brits. Audible cheer in the Glasgow theatre I saw it in.

[@TheAshman69]

It appears our opinions and thoughts on the movie have aligned perfectly. These were the exact points I took from the movie too! Great review Dan I always look forward to your reviews because they really are balanced and well thought out!

[@WriterusAeternus]

Good review Dan. I liked a lot of the movie but I also had issue with a few things. The main one being the the story structure. I was excited to see the detective Batman but the way the writers mapped out the mystery didn’t hit the mark. Sequences of scenes should be building into a crescendo, creating this suspense throughout the film, but there’s a huge chunk of this story where the scenes are all the same note- making it move in a flat line. That’s why it feels so long. Sure 3 hours is long but if the audience was invested they wouldn’t feel the runtime so much. The way Riddler was caught was anticlimactic. Selena should have helped Batman find Riddler. They made finding this “el rata” the main focus for Batman when he should have been trying to chase down the main villain. He spends so much time picking up bread crumbs from Riddler that Batman becomes reactive not active. Need our hero to drive the story. There should have been this tension, a race b/t Batman and Riddler to see who would get to the finish line first. There were so many great things about this film so I just wish they could have tweaked the script so that the audience could feel how great it was, not just look great. All in all I wanna see more in this world for sure but please not Joker again? Batman has so many cool villains why use the same ones over and over?

[@ChrisPartykaMusic]

I saw it three times opening weekend. Unique experience. Shows and movies all in this Gotham is a good plan.

[@farmansiddiqui9279]

The opening scene of Batman coming out of the shadows reminded me of the bear Jew scene in inglorious Basterds. Elite

[@myoman1977]

hell yeah it did good call

[@myoman1977]

Also the way batman walked around the police scene reminded how judge dread walked around as the giant looming figure of intensity

[@ryanjameshansen]

had the exact same thought about killing of a sacred deer as soon as i saw him as the joker

[@thedarkemissary]

Selina being Falcone's daughter isn't a new thing. It's from the source material. I actually think it was a good way to include the romance (apparently a movie prerequisite). Unlike Hathaway's "I just happen to be here. Coincidence." romance shoehorned into TDKR.

[@MistahJay7]

The last scene when Riddler was going a bit nuts in the interrogation room was honestly my favorite scene with him. That was the scene that really got me to be like "Damn I want more of this villain"

[@EddieWoodsRemnantOutreach]

Have you read or watched the long Halloween? His father being connected to Falcone and Falcone being Salena’s father are both canon to the comics and it seems cool that this movie drew from long Halloween touched both subjects

[@TheShapingSickness]

Barry Keoghan was absolutely terrifying in A Killing of a Sacred Deer, he can make a great joker for sure.

[@CookieMonsterMC11]

A very good review!

[@ad3z10]

I knew to expect it but I was still shocked by how dark the film was, it's been a long time since any superhero movie pushed that far. I think what really hit me about it is how "real" the storyline felt; similarly to Don't look up, I could see the entire Riddler plotline happening in real life along with the hopelessness of a lot of the situation. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing and I did enjoy the movie overall despite some of its issues, such as how it really didn't need to be so long, but it was not what I was expecting.

[@MasterChron]

You callin' me WEIRD, DAN!? Well?! You're right.

[@-GhalwadkarRohanShailesh]

I think the movie was above average good. However, the length dragged on man I could feel the time. Almost everyone in theater was groaning and shifting every 10 mins, some were constantly on phones bcz they got bored I think the movie should have solely focused on Falcone , Penguin, Riddler and Batman. And there was almost no action.

[@MackCruz28]

@@RyanKimba Exactly everyone should know it would of been 3 hours too it was announced everywhere

[@naughtydawg240]

What took me out of the grounded movie feel was him cutting the thick ass cable with a knife 😂 if the movie had meta humans then I wouldn't second guessed that

[@LokieDoke67]

@24:00 It's feelin like there is a HUUUUUGE "But" comin.. Lol 😬😬

[@lancewilson4450]

Finally got to see it, absolutely loved it. Was very much like a graphic novel back in the day. Can't wait to see where they go next

[@weirdosofsociety2237]

While Dan reacts with, "oh, this is like Watchmen", I'm sitting in the theater like, "OH! This is like Watchmen!" 😀

[@alexsilva28]

Wrong emoji 🙂

[@yeskev]

Lol yeah that kind of voiceover is a film noir trope.

[@BetoTheButcher]

I have back issues due to a work fall earlier this year and not once did i complain about the 3 hour run time. My bladder had to empty twice but this movie went fast. I could have easily watched another hour.

[@norad1]

It's a different takeaway, but hands down my favorite part was the reveal of what I am affectionately calling, "the bat mobile from hell." That intro was fire, literally! Had to remind myself that I was watching a DC movie, and that Ghost Rider didn't just show up lol. And I love how they went about it to, the subtlety leading up to that moment. Throughout various scenes in the bat cave, they would show you different parts, or tools, or the car just sitting there. At no point did we ever have a random scene of Batman working on it. And I love the look of it to, like he just took a classic muscle car from his parents estate and threw a freaking rocket engine on it. Favorite bat mobile, and favorite bat mobile reveal by far.

[@Iwillone]

When I saw the car I thought, "Robbie would love to drive this batmobile"

[@andrewtormanen]

I think that the movie pacing works better in the second viewing. And I think Paul Dano's performance makes more sense when you understand what the Riddler's perspective is in the second viewing as well.

[@MarioSpeedWagon]

Wow an actual thoughtful critique that doesn't speak in solely in platitudes, unfounded opinions, and in absolutes. Subscribed. I disagree in certain aspects of the catwoman integration, as I think the borderline cliche father/daughter connection added more realistic stakes in her actions, and they could have easily made that feel more contrived with a major revelation for her character too, which I think they handled well, even at the expense of exhausting the run time further; But I totally see your point as well. Blown away by the film, I try to give films two scores, a mostly subjective entertainment score and a as close to objective, as possible, score, which I would say this film is 9.5/10 entertainment for me and a 8.5/10 objectively. My only true gripe, not having a good idea of how to condense the film to a more palatable runtime, is I just wish the Joker cameo was WAY more subtle. Screamed tacked on studio intervention, even though apparently it wasn't, and took me out of the film. may not have been the best Batman "movie" (although probably second to only The Dark Knight) but the best "Batman" movie, if you follow me. Cheers!

[@jodeebowie8083]

Totally going back I very much enjoyed it!