The Batman


"I'm starting to see now. I have had an effect here... but not the one I intended. Vengeance won't change the past, mine or anyone else's. I have to become more. People need hope. To know someone's out there for them."   - Batman


release year: 2018
genre: action/drama
viewing setting: home Bluray 2/23/26

synopsis: A serial killer is targeting Gotham City's leaders, and only the Batman has a chance to stop him.

impressions: I need to let you know right up front that, for me, any Batman movie will have two strikes against it right from the start. First, it really bothers me when a character just keeps being rebooted (this is the fourth attempt at a Batman franchise in 33 years.) Second, a hero who by omission allows criminals to kill others because he won't kill them first is not really helping. I harped on this in Batman: The Dark Knight and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises and to some extent it's the case with this iteration of Batman too...and with all of them. To be honest, this is why I enjoy things like the Punisher comic books and certain of their adaptations. Anyway...this felt like a long, violent murder-mystery, with Batman as an added feature. If you took Seven and Saw and tossed them in a blender with a liberal dose of a non-super-powered vigilante, this is what would come out. The visuals (dark and rainy) and the fight scenes (plentiful and well-done) were high points.

acting: Robert Pattinson was mostly in the mask and was suitably grim then; when in his Bruce Wayne mode, he looked like a young man who wanted to cry. Jeffrey Wright does a great job as police leader Gordon, who's still in his early days and is moving up through the ranks. Andy Serkis is loyal butler Alfred, who helps Bruce/Batman in various ways. Zoe Kravitz is Catwoman (although never explcitly named as such) and while she was badass and cool, I didn't understand how there was supposed to be chemistry between her and Batman, as they had nothing in common besides their black suits, and never really had a serious talk about anything. Bad guys include John Turturro, Colin Farrell plus a ton of makeup, and Paul Dano.

final word: It was a fine crime story with action - but didn't scream out "superhero" to me at all.

back to the main review page