The buzz about "The Batman" is full of ups and downs.
On the one hand, it's the darkest, most frightening vision of the Dark Knight yet.
On the other, that makes it easy to wonder why this Batman's so bulletproof.
These are the best and worst things about "The Batman."
"I don't care what happens to me."
"It's only gonna get worse for you."
Batman is known for his combat prowess.
In most iterations of the character, he's traveled the world and learned countless methods
of hand-to-hand combat and all forms of martial arts.
In "The Batman," he's seemingly acquired most of his talent from Alfred, a man who, this
time around, we learn little about.
Regardless, Batman doesn't disappoint as he dismantles the criminal element piece by piece
using almost nothing but his fists.
The opening sequence, where we see the Dark Knight approach a violent street gang, is
the first introduction we have to the hero's capabilities on the ground.
The cocky leader taunts and assaults a costumed man he clearly doesn't understand and quickly
learns a lesson the hard way.
Batman's attack is swift and merciless.
If the sounds of brutality are any indication, this thug will likely be eating through a
straw for a while.
At the other end of the film, when the Riddler enacts his plan to flood Gotham, we once again
witness Batman's talent for dishing out pain as he takes on several of Riddler's followers
— all of whom are armed to the teeth.
Batman's armor deflects bullets while he expertly moves from person to person, putting each
out of commission.
The fight choreography is tight and exciting to watch throughout the film.
Make no mistake, the Batman costume looks great, and Robert Pattinson wears the new
Batsuit well.
Beyond aesthetics, however, there's an unexplained durability to the suit that becomes rather
conspicuous in the movie.
Sure, Batman is going to develop an armor that can withstand some gunfire.
That's a given.
But how about armor that can withstand a barrage of gunfire?
Throughout the film, Batman is shot directly countless times and is typically no worse
for wear.
In the third act, he takes several hits from automatic weapons, a shotgun blast to the
chest, and even high-caliber rounds from hostile snipers to almost no effect.
In the middle of "The Batman," our hero finds himself in the police precinct after being
rendered unconscious by the Riddler's explosive execution of D.A.
Gil Colson.
This means that, aside from gunfire, he's also taken the full force of a bomb explosion
up close.
Then, when he escapes the entire police force, he glides away from danger in his wingsuit.
However, he doesn't quite nail the landing, and instead, his parachute is caught on a
bridge, smashing the hero into a moving vehicle and the concrete.
While he does hobble away in pain, he recovers rather quickly to continue his vigilante work,
which seems to indicate that he didn't suffer too greatly.
For all intents and purposes, this armor seems a little too magical.
The Riddler is a frightening foe, at least in Matt Reeves' version of the character.
Batman is known for maintaining a coterie of supervillains who are mostly insane or
mentally unstable.
The Joker typically might win in the "creep" factor department, but in this version of
the Batman lore, the Riddler operates like an absolute nightmare.
If we didn't know any better, the opening scene alone, where the Riddler stalks the
mayor before bludgeoning him to death, might indicate that we're watching a slasher horror
film.
Aside from the Riddler's murderous methods, he seems to enjoy savoring his kills.
He stands in the shadows for quite some time watching the mayor pacing only a few feet
from him while watching the news coverage of his campaign for reelection.
Later, the Riddler provides the media with footage of him killing the current police
commissioner using a Jigsaw-like trap in which rats are guided through a maze and ultimately
forced to attack the commissioner's face to escape.
It's a dark and macabre setting for a villain who's completely unhinged and ready to do
anything to achieve his goals.
The horror elements of this film are jarring and unforgettable.
Paul Dano's performance of the character continues to deliver terror even after he is unmasked
and sitting behind hardened glass opposite of Batman.
His erratic yelling and pervasive tics all tell a story.
We know that the Riddler had a horrible childhood, and it clearly made him a horrible man.
"You came.
I've been trying to reach you."
One of the film's most intense moments is when Batman gives chase to the Penguin, believing
him to be the rat the Riddler is leading him to.
The monstrous Batmobile roars onto the scene letting the Penguin know there's no escape.
Despite the reality of an angry Batman burning rubber in a jacked hot-rod with a steel frame,
the Penguin still attempts to shake his pursuer the only way he knows how — by driving head-first
into oncoming traffic.
Eventually, the Penguin causes a massive pile-up, leading to an explosion.
It briefly seems as though the Penguin has either lost the Batman or killed him.
As he speeds away, however, the Batmobile comes streaking out of the fire and pummels
the Penguin's vehicle, sending him tumbling across the interstate.
Batman and Jim Gordon then interrogate the Penguin before abandoning him for another
lead.
While the massive destruction on the interstate is pulse-pounding, it's quickly forgotten
by the film's characters.
Sure, Batman didn't cause the destruction, and yes, this film is focused on a Batman
fighting out of hate, not hope.
As such, it makes sense that the Penguin would be all he is concerned about instead of helping
the innocents among the wreckage.
However, the Penguin receives no consequences for those actions, and squeaky-clean police
lieutenant Jim Gordon seems undeterred by it as well.
The pile-up was simply an explosive action sequence without any real effect.
It's also a bit of a head-scratcher.
"I got you!"
"The Batman" is an engaging, character-heavy story.
The film is anchored by a talented cast who capably take on their roles.
Oz Cobblepot, the future Penguin, is one character that is brilliantly realized from head to
toe.
Make-up and prosthetics ensure that we never recognize Colin Farrell, even if we know he
is somewhere underneath that rough exterior.
Farrell perfects his performance by depicting a wildly believable and captivating mobster
who cares very little about anyone but himself.
Batman confronts the Penguin on two separate occasions.
The first time is more of an amicable meeting as Batman attempts to find any information
linking the mayor to organized crime and the cesspool of individuals that occupy the Iceberg
Lounge.
Penguin sarcastically humors the Dark Knight.
Later, Batman pursues the Penguin after learning that he may have been the man who ratted on
Sal Maroni's illicit business operations.
However, the Penguin isn't the man the Caped Crusader is looking for.
In the interrogation, the Penguin establishes himself as a bullish yet witty individual
who will do anything to survive.
After all, the Penguin is a survivor and even outlasted Carmine Falcone and will soon secure
power for himself — there's no doubt about that.
While he doesn't get a ton of screen time, the Penguin is absolutely magnetic every time
he appears on camera.
Everyone knows Bruce Wayne’s tragic backstory.
We also know that the death of his parents leads Alfred to become Bruce's surrogate family.
Typically positioned as a faithful servant of the Wayne family, Alfred stands by Bruce
through thick and thin.
“The Batman” even establishes that he likely taught Bruce how to fight, which means
that Alfred is one tough cookie.
He even hints at the idea that he may have been more of a bodyguard to the Waynes than
just a simple servant, when he tells Bruce that he was supposed to protect Thomas and
Martha.
Whatever the case may be, there's certainly a history between the two that's begging to
be explored.
However, the film doesn't really touch on the relationship between the two in any meaningful
way.
Sure, Alfred helps Bruce crack Riddler's ciphers.
He even takes the full force of a bomb for Bruce and is hospitalized as a result.
But when Bruce finally tells Alfred that he fears losing someone he cares about, it doesn't
exactly feel earned, given the lack of interaction between the two.
Despite Batman's penchant for working alone, he needs allies beyond Alfred.
Selina Kyle fills that role in "The Batman," and Zoë Kravitz completely slays in her performance
as the famous cat-burglar.
"Maybe we're not so different.
Who are you under there?"
As a character, she's far more multi-dimensional than the always angry Batman is at the start
of the film.
Selina is compassionate, fiercely loyal to her friends, and extremely deadly in the right
situations.
When Batman first catches her off guard while breaking into a safe, she trades blows with
the Dark Knight, and the two have magnetic chemistry right away.
When the big revelation drops that Carmine Falcone is Selina's father and that she's
gunning for him, a new side to the character is unveiled.
Selina doesn't play around, and regardless of any blood relation, messing with her friends
might earn you a bullet.
Catwoman has always been a conflicted figure who often balances her thievery with her respect
for Batman.
Kravitz's portrayal is, possibly, the most accurate live-action depiction of the character
yet.
Batman is known for his famous Batcave, where all the toys and equipment reside.
"The Batman" does away with the idea of the cave being below Wayne Manor.
Instead, Bruce Wayne lives in a skyscraper, and his Batcave appears to be an abandoned
subway station.
Creative choices abound in the film, and most of them are hits.
However, the lack of a substantial Batcave, while a nitpick, might weigh heavily on the
hearts of Bat-fans.
The space Batman uses is in keeping with a minimalist vibe one might get from the early
days of Batman's career.
However, it also feels largely unimpressive and uninspired.
The Batcave is an iconic piece of Batman's history that ultimately deserves a certain
reverence in its depiction.
Hopefully, Bruce Wayne will expand operations in the follow-up film and take his work to
a more suitable home base.
"The Batman" is teeming with the crooks, thieves, and killers that populate the seedier side
of Gotham City.
The film drops hints and clues about a larger world of Batman lore and characters that the
sequels can flesh out.
Throughout the Riddler's campaign for justice, he seeks to assassinate the character of the
city's leadership by exposing their most heinous truths to the public.
During some of his ramblings that hit the airwaves, he discusses important figureheads
in Gotham City like the Arkham family.
One of his newspaper clippings even references Edward Elliot, another popular Gothamite who
helped modernize the city.
His descendent, Tommy Elliot, even becomes the villainous Hush in the comics.
Later, Batman uses a venom-like substance to receive a boost of unbridled energy, which
indicates that Bane might be in Batman's future.
Mentions of Blackgate Prison, Arkham State Hospital, and even Bludhaven are woven in
the film's dialogue.
These are all locales iconic to Batman lore.
Audiences even get a glimpse of Arkham with the Riddler in his cell.
The film even teases a popular Batman villain who cackles at the Riddler's comeback plans.
There's plenty happening within the world of "The Batman," making it one of the film's
best qualities for Bat-fans.
In the film's opening moments, Batman saves a man from a ruthless beating at the hands
of a gang.
Clearly, his goal wasn't to save the man but to punish the wicked.
After he frightens the goons away, the innocent man is afraid of Batman and begs the vigilante
not to hurt him.
He doesn't, but neither does he offer any message of comfort.
Later in the film, Batman ignores a mass pile-up and explosion on the freeway, which likely
led to some casualties, in order to catch Oz.
When Selina asks for his help finding a friend who is clearly in danger, Batman cares more
about retrieving intel than the innocent whose life is on the line.
He's even icy cold toward Alfred and calls him a liar after Alfred wakes up at the hospital.
The ending of the film marks a welcome change in the character as he focuses on providing
hope to the good citizens of Gotham.
However, it's still hard to witness our hero so enthralled in his quest for vengeance that
he forgets what it's like to be human and ignores the plight of others in distress.
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