I'm surprised not to see a review for this anywhere on the boards. Unless it got buried and I'm missing it.

I did like this film. The atmosphere is fantastic. It's the darkest batman to date and even though B-Man movies get ripped for being overly dark, it's a nice break from Marvel where the jokes are constantly flying in life-or-death situations. They very much wanted this to feel like a Fincher noir-detective film and they almost achieved it. The score here is also great in it's simplicity.

But, it's just a tad too long and drags in several areas. They have more scenes than they should with heavy exposition and not a whole lot of character.

I like Zoe Kravitz. She was great in KIMI. If you have HBO I recommend you check that out. But the budding romance between her catwoman and Battinson wasn't necessary IMO.

Colin Farrell was unrecognizable as The Penguin. He did well with his part. Andy Serkis was great but underused.

I still thinks it's worth the price of a theater ticket, just make sure you go to one with those big comfortable lounge chairs. I'll give this another look once it's on HBO. It seems everyone else loved it and I was just pretty unimpressed by most of it. I feel like I missed something.

James

Oh yeah, two big thumbs up from this guy. I'm a total graphic novel nerd and DC geek (no surprise to anyone), and this Batman rocks! The storylines are right out of 'The Long Halloween' with a touch of 'Ego'.

The Batman/Catwoman relationship and her backstory is portrayed as close to the novels than any previous production. Would love to see a standalone Catwoman movie with Zoe Kravitz someday. She nailed it.

I was very skeptical about Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman but was very satisfied with his performance. A fantastic take on year 2 of the Bat.

Alfred was interesting as the scars on his face were very similar to the injuries he sustained in the HBO series 'Pennyworth'. If you're a Batman fan and haven't watched it, you're missing out. Season three is being released shortly. You've time to catch up.

Lastly is the Batmobile. When his car is introduced for the first time, it sent chills. A must-experience in a theatre. A very satisfying car chase as well.

LC - It's Batman. You'll hate it. :)

Oh, one more hot item...if you've seen the movie, WB just released a deleted scene on YouTube that you need to watch. Very cool....

This got me into a theater for the first time since Covid hit. And yeah, it was worth it just for that moment when the Batmobile fires up for the first time.

I love that it isn't an origin story for Batman, it's an origin for the villains. And it's the first time we've seen Batman actually be the world's greatest detective. I love the noir look and feel, and that Batman is fallible and not at all untouchable. It humanizes him even more than Nolan's series did.

I just wish Gordon was more competent. He only stands out because he isn't corrupt, otherwise he barely contributes anything except giving Batman access.

I'm excited to see where they go. I've heard rumors that some of the key players want Robin in this run, and it would be totally fitting in this world to do a Death In The Family story. That would be something.

Fair to say this is my new favorite Batman movie.

I really enjoyed it. Gave me a lot to think about on my way home. Spoilers ahead, so be careful.

I agree about the length. Once Serena and Batman parted ways, I was like, "Great. Movies over." and then I remembered we have that whole other plot to finish and that took another thirty minutes.

Production. Soundtrack. Costumes. All A-plus. Pattinson's hair was a little weird at first, but I got used to it. Love that they kept him in Batman make up after he took off the cowl. I don't think we've seen that before.

I like that he's this younger Bruce. He's angry and angsty and doesn't really want to be Bruce Wayne. I didn't like that 2001 was 20 years ago (2001 feels like it was just a few years ago and not 20) but I like that they gave his parents' murder more context.

I can't wait to buy it on blu-ray.

Agreed it's my favorite Batman film.

Excited for more. I haven't read the comics, but I like what they did (for the most part) and the changes they made from previous films. I hope we see more Zoe because she was fantastic.

Wasn’t much I didn’t like about this. Very entertaining, worth the hype and the few bucks. Colin Farrel was a stand out as Penguin. And the muscle car Batmobile could have been another character itself.

Let's face it, the world needs superheroes, even if they're only in comic books or up on the silver screen. And it's something everybody needs, though many won't admit it. But if you've ever reached for a highball after a long day at work, or felt the blood drain from your face after seeing the latest figures from Wall Street, or even revisited in your dreams the days when you were so scrawny and little that beating you up was the sport virtually practiced at your school, you want a superhero. Someone to avenge all the wrongs perpetrated upon you by the world and those in it. Well, take a deep breath and relax, because salvation is at hand, via the magic of the movies, with `The Batman,' directed by Matt Reeves.

Batman has its fans, and its detractors. I will let it be known from the out. I can't claim to be a Batman fangirl, myself, I never have gone for DC Comics(yours truly is a Marvel woman), but, out of all the superhero’s -I’ve liked Batman the best. This is because he is perhaps the most humane one, with real emotions and dark edgy tendencies.

I can wholly believe when cartoonist Bob Kane first imagined Batman in 1939, THIS movie is no doubt basically what he wanted to convey with ink and paint!  The film captures the soul of Kane's comic: it is dark, noir, realistic, and raw... somehow still manages to feel like a graphic novel. It definitely does have a gritty detective feel to it like Se7en and Zodiac. I got Batman Begins vibes too mixed with Gotham and The Animated series.

I credit Nolan with creating the most definitive Batman movie/s. With 'Batman Begins' Nolan showed the world what’s possible if you took a comic book hero, gave it some serious thought and a credible story. In retrospect, looking back on TDK Trilogy effort, it almost feels like Reeves  did most, if not all of what Nolan did. There is, however, a difference - Reeves does a 360 and takes things in a different, albeit more crude direction, and his iteration of Batman film as a whole... is what separates the two methinks. Even if it's by the narrow of margins.

There is so much happening in this film, and yet none of it seems rushed in any way. And of course, runtime helps; the movie breaks Alfred Hitchock's maxim "The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder" ( At a gargantuan 2 hours and 55 minutes but I did manage to avoid a 'pit stop' for its duration!). Even most Shakespearean plays aren't this long.  

The script is sharp. The cinematography is a visual pornography of comic cinema. I.e, it does pretty much everything by saying nothing. The story is engrossing. Reeves’ direction is right on and the acting is top notch.  Brilliant action sequences... and oh yeah an awesome car chase. So there is  a motherload to praise about it.

The film is casted well. In the title role; Robert Pattinson was a fine choice for the caped crusader as he can handle both the physical and emotional demands of the character. With his doleful kohl-smudged eyes and trapezoidal jawline, he's more like a tragic prince from Shakespeare; a lost soul bent like a bat out of hell on saving everyone but himself. Paul Dano always delivers a top-notch performance and he certainly doesn't disappoint here, and... it's a real treat to honorably mention Zoë Kravitz - an excellent Catwoman with her own pain and history and has all the necessary charisma and style.

There were excellent philosophical lines in the movie that I could use as a weapon against my anxiety disorder... "Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us. They can give us the power to endure, and the strength to fight."

There's missteps in here too, though. The plot is complicated, so it takes Batman a long time to figure out the mystery, but that’s ok, he’s learning from his mistakes - still would've preferred him getting to the core of the plot  quicker.  And on the other side of the coin, the pacing was a bit chaotic and cluttered at times, I just think a bit more editing would have solved this.

I remember reading one review, "What a Bat-astrope! All style, no substance"!!! Talk about shooting a shotgun and missing the whole barn!! :D

So yeah, it comes as advertised... an amazing, even incredible, true cinematic experience. The  good plotting, strong characters, performances and overall design and delivery all make for a blockbuster that just may be heads and shoulders above its peers, and  like the best works of Scorsese or Fincher or other gritty/visceral directors, the feeling it gave me after it had all ended can only be described as emotionally draining -- but in a good way.

Not to take anything away from Nolan, ‘TDK Trilogy  was pretty darn good in its own right, and there may never be a definitive Batman film, but 'The Batman' comes pretty close to it... to call this film a masterpiece might be a stretch...  8)

No doubt this film is not as life-defining to all people as it is for hardcore DC comic's Batman fans who can once again have their CAPE and EAT IT, too. But I doubt there's a person who can deny its quality. Or rather there are those who do, but we have a name for them. We call them liars.

Quoted from ghost and_ghostie gal I can wholly believe when cartoonist Bob Kane first imagined Batman in 1939, THIS movie is no doubt basically what he wanted to convey with ink and paint!  The film captures the soul of Kane's comic: it is dark, noir, realistic, and raw...

Kane was a stooge who took full credit for other people's work, most notably Bill Finger,  the co-creator of the character. Hundreds of artists and writers ghosted while Kane got the byline. It's well documented. That's why now, since Dawn Of Justice, you see "Batman created by Bob Kane AND Bill Finger" instead of just Bob Kane alone.

I don't want superhero movies but I watched this for some reason.

This has a few effective scenes (particularly the opening with the Riddler) that reminded me of a Fincher serial killer movie, but pretty much all the Batman scenes with Pattinson are unbearable and cheesy. The movie's commitment to making Batman incredibly serious and morose, like a goth teenager, really wore on me. I couldn't finish it. A lot of money went into this, which also saddens me.