Where does Batman get those wonderful toys? Is The Riddler using up his cellphone minutes? And does
Batman have a weird way of introducing himself to criminals? All that and more, right here.
In interviews describing his approach to making Batman a more grounded character
on the big screen, Matt Reeves may have accidentally led fans to believe he was
eschewing some of the more fantastical elements of the mythology in an effort to stick with realism.
"And I thought well one place we haven't been is grounding it the way that Year One does."
But within the film's first few scenes, we can see that isn't exactly the case.
When Bruce arrives home from a night of crime fighting, he takes his contact lenses out to
reveal that they're actually extremely tiny digital video cameras. He downloads data from
them on a nightly basis to revisit the details of his work when updating his ongoing diary
and case files. Bruce repurposes this tech later in the film when he needs Selina Kyle
to infiltrate 44 Below at the Iceberg Lounge. Through Selina's eyes, Bruce is able to see
all the crooked cops and politicians who regularly haunt this secret mob hangout.
But when she and Bruce argue after Selina runs off to chase a different lead,
she angrily pries the camera lens from her eye and tosses it into a sink, severing the connection.
However, much later in the film, when Selina needs a way to communicate with Batman, suddenly the
discarded lens makes a reappearance. But nothing gives the implication that Selina saved it for
later, or that it's a piece of tech you can just throw in a purse and keep safe for future use.
Speaking of mysterious gadgetry, "The Batman" differs from Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy in a
key way. There is no Lucius Fox to outfit Bruce with all the wonderful toys he utilizes in his
war on crime. "What's that?
Oh, the Tumbler? Oh, you wouldn't be interested in that."
Some elements are self-explanatory. It's clear, from the design alone, that Bruce has made the
Batsuit himself, and some of the more rudimentary tools he deploys are simple enough. We don't need
to know where he got a grappling hook or a flare. But the aforementioned digital video contacts?
The glider armor he uses to escape the roof of the GCPD building? Some of the computer tech in
the Bat-cave? We have to essentially accept that, just like other adaptations, all this stuff comes
from some unseen Wayne Enterprises R&D division, even if that answer is unsupported by the casual
way Bruce insists he doesn't care about the company or anything that goes along with it.
In one of the film's most tense moments, D.A. Colson crashes the Mayor's funeral,
with his mouth duct-taped shut, a smartphone affixed to his hand, and a bomb strapped around
his neck. From the moment Colson arrives with the bomb, the smartphone is ringing.
But a significant chunk of time passes between Colson arriving and Batman answering the phone.
Day literally turns to night. Are we to believe the Riddler was sitting in his murder lair
mashing "redial" for hours on end, idly twirling question marks into lattes to pass the time?
The cops probably wanted to err on the side of caution
and worried answering the phone would be the detonator trigger for setting it off,
so it makes sense. But somewhere around the 42nd ring, was the Riddler maybe second-guessing this
particular part of his larger plan? Or did he foresee the hours he would spend
redialing the same number over and over? "I've been trying to reach you."
One of the most interesting elements of "The Batman" is how the Batsuit looks
like something Bruce could have conceivably made himself. It feels less like a giant mass
of rubber molded into fake musculature we've seen in past films. But there's one key element
of the plot that keeps recurring throughout and makes it harder and harder to suspend disbelief.
In multiple scenes, Bruce is shown walking around or riding his motorcycle in street clothes,
carrying a smallish backpack. The suggestion is that he changes into the Batman suit later. But
save for one very quick series of shots early in the film, we never see the process of what it's
like to put on the uniform. It appears far too bulky and elaborate to fit into that backpack,
even though we're meant to surmise each time that Bruce is ducking into alleyways
and returning from the shadows enshrouded in his war paint, ready to fight the good fight.
All that's missing is a Sailor Moon transformation dance.
"I'm vengeance." This line in "The
Batman" is first spoken during the character's first onscreen appearance during a fight with a
gang of face-painted thugs. It returns as a callback in several places in the film.
When Selina first meets Batman, the Penguin refers to him as "Mr. Vengeance,"
leading Selina to keep using the nickname. "Come on, Vengeance. Let's get in some trouble."
But… why did Penguin ever call Batman "Mr. Vengeance" in the first place? He wasn't there
when Bruce said that to the gang. Did Batman ever say it to him? It feels like a fourth
wall-breaking moment to something the audience is privy to, but not the individual character.
Or, and this is somewhat weirder, it implies that Bruce says this so
often to criminals he beats up that it's a running joke in the criminal community.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Looper videos about The Batman
are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.