Batman fans have clocked in their second and third views of “The Batman” by now.
Wondering what details they’re spotting that you didn’t?
Keep watching to find out!
Robert Pattinson's Batsuit is one of the most functional-looking to date, but it's partially
inspired by a much older design.
Modern filmmakers know that Batman needs to be decked out in armor to deflect bullets
— he isn't Superman, after all — but he still needs to look like Batman.
Perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Batman's attire is his cowl.
Unlike the ones worn by Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson's cowl isn't
one seamless mold.
Instead, it's multiple pieces stitched together.
This reflects the homemade nature of his outfit: this is an early-years Batman, let's not forget.
But there's more to it than that.
When you take a closer look at the cowl seen in "The Batman," you'll notice that the nose
piece is flat and stitched onto the headwear.
If it looks oddly familiar, that's because Adam West's Caped Crusader wore a similar
cowl.
Matt Reeves confirmed in a Q&A, via Insider, that the new cowl was inspired by the one
worn by West in the classic '60s TV show.
Every Batman story needs a solid villain, and "The Batman" has exactly that.
The Riddler bludgeons his way through Gotham's corrupt leadership, leaving a trail of clues
for Batman to decipher.
On the surface, the Riddler is a madman exacting brutal revenge upon those sucking the life
out of Gotham.
In reality, however, he's simply emulating the Dark Knight — the Riddler even states
that Batman inspired him.
A closer inspection of the Riddler's crusade reveals just how similar he and Batman are.
For starters, they both hide behind masks, which, according to the Riddler, allows them
to be their true selves.
Both are orphans with personas born from tragedy, a major plot point in the film.
They both hold a deep hatred of the corrupt.
Batman brutalizes his enemies, while the Riddler violently murders them.
Whether Bruce Wayne likes it or not, he and the Riddler are similar.
Both men are on a quest for vengeance, a word that holds significant meaning for the Dark
Knight.
"I’m vengeance."
It's only when one of the Riddler's followers also claims to be vengeance that Batman realizes
he must elevate his mission to one of hope.
Batman always has a few allies around, despite his lone wolf act.
One of the most important among them is Alfred, who has always been by the Caped Crusader's
side.
The version of the loyal butler seen in "The Batman," played by Andy Serkis, appears to
be more of a family bodyguard.
At one point, Alfred tells Bruce that it was his duty to protect Thomas and Martha, and
states at another point that he taught Bruce how to fight.
Batman's combat prowess is there for all to see, so it's likely that Alfred is a skilled
fighter himself.
It's not an idea without precedent: the "Batman: Earth One" comic features a version of Alfred
that trained Bruce in all that he knows, as he was a former operative in the S.A.S.
"You needed a father, and all you had was me."
At the beginning of the film, a minor detail concerning Alfred's face may go unnoticed
initially.
Viewers who examine his left eyebrow will see that he has a scar or abrasion of some
sort long before he takes the brunt of the Riddler's bomb in Wayne Tower.
The scar could be from his past, or perhaps Alfred has assisted Batman in the field, just
as he did in "Batman: Earth One."
It's a mystery for now, but it's definitely a visual clue that indicates a violent history.
"The Batman" establishes that Carmine Falcone had a history with Thomas Wayne.
In the film, Falcone recalls Bruce's physician father operating on him in the Wayne household,
saying that he saw a young Bruce looking down on the scene from the staircase.
The mobster indicates that he and Thomas were close, but Bruce isn't having any of it: The
younger Wayne says that all it means is that his dad took the Hippocratic oath.
Later, Batman apprehends Falcone and brings him out into the open, where he gets shot
by the Riddler.
The Dark Knight is looking down at the gangster as he draws his final breath, and Falcone
appears to realize something just before he dies.
One could argue that he's simply in shock having been shot, but Falcone has a distinct
look of surprise on his face as he gazes up at the Dark Knight.
Could it be that he just realized that Bruce Wayne is the Batman?
It would seem to bring the story that Falcone told Bruce earlier in the film full circle.
If true, it's a subtle but poetic detail that gives some extra weight to the villain's death.
Jim Carrey portrayed a far more eccentric version of the Riddler in Joel Schumacher’s
"Batman Forever," a film that couldn't be more different from "The Batman" in terms
of approach.
While "Batman Forever" is generally considered one of the less memorable Batman movies, many
critics praised Carrey's performance, with his over-the-top antics suiting the style
of the movie.
It appears as though Matt Reeves and the costume designers for "The Batman" decided to honor
Carrey's take on the Riddler by giving Paul Dano's version of the character the same glasses.
The clear-framed spectacles he's seen in look almost identical to those briefly worn by
Carrey's Edward Nygma before he switches to his villainous contact lenses.
It's a subtle, but clear nod to the character's history, and you may not be able to look at
Paul Dano's version of the Riddler the same way again as a result.
"Aaaaaaahhhh!
This is not how this was supposed to go!"
Batman has undergone a transformation by the time the film comes to a close.
In the beginning, Bruce's mission is in desperate need of some better PR: When the innocent
people in Gotham are afraid of the Caped Crusader, that's a bit of a red flag.
At first, citizens loved Batman's brutal quest for vengeance, but, much like the vigilante
himself, they soon realized that a hero needs more than just anger to do good in the world.
The early moments of "The Batman" show a soul who is just as crushed and defeated as those
attempting to survive in the worst parts of the city.
Bruce is angry: his hatred of the criminal element is on full bone-crunching display
as he viciously pummels bad guys into the ground.
He's a creature of the night who only feels comfortable in the shadows: after all, Bruce
is seen walking around indoors during daylight hours with sunglasses on.
He's either sensitive to the light from long nights in the dark, or he and the light just
don't mix.
In the third act, however, Bruce begins to embrace a new purpose: providing hope to the
people of Gotham.
He leads the humanitarian efforts as the city reacts to the flooding caused by the Riddler.
Gone are the rage-filled days of vengeance.
This is a new Batman who isn't afraid to be out during the day, a symbolic echo of the
character's growth.
The Riddler goes after the Wayne family hard when he's airing Gotham's dirty laundry.
He alleges that Thomas Wayne had a journalist murdered in cold blood.
The reason?
The journalist had information about Martha Wayne's psychiatric struggles, and he threatened
to go public with it during Thomas Wayne's mayoral campaign.
Alfred clears up the messy story for Bruce, explaining that Thomas didn't care about the
campaign, only about the harm that the information would do to his wife.
He did ask Falcone for help dissuading the reporter from publishing, but only as a last
resort.
Thomas went through the proper channels at first, even sending a cease-and-desist letter.
A portion of that letter is shown up close in one scene, where it's revealed that it
was sent from the Miller & Moore law firm.
Comic book fans will immediately recognize those names as references to Frank Miller
and Alan Moore, who wrote "The Dark Knight Returns" and "The Killing Joke," respectively.
Both are prolific comic book writers who have made significant contributions to the world
of Batman over the years, and the letter serves as a nice nod to their legacies.
The Riddler's plot to destroy Gotham's seawall and flood the city was in the works for quite
some time, it would seem.
Late in the film, we learn that he's been planning a series of devastating explosions
with other radicals online.
However, one long-since-passed event set the stage for the seawall being an exploitable
tool for the Riddler.
It turns out that the funding provided by the Renewal Project was supposed to go towards
the upkeep of the seawall, confirmed in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.
In an image of newspaper clippings that flashes up on the screen, one headline is noteworthy:
"Seawall Construction Stalled?"
This headline indicates that seawall safety was put on the backburner when the funding
mysteriously vanished.
It left the wall vulnerable, and the Riddler knew it.
The greed of those in power left the city in a dangerous position, which the villain
was able to exploit.
"The Batman" might paint a bleak portrait of a city drowning in its own filth, but there
are still a few moments of levity in there.
The Riddler cracks a rather morbid joke near the start of the film, attaching the mayor's
actual thumb to a thumb drive.
Jim Gordon is also quick to hit those sarcastic notes, offering viewers the odd chuckle.
"Oh, this guy's hilarious."
After Batman uses the Batmobile to flip Penguin's car, he and Gordon begin to interrogate the
crooked club owner.
They believe that he's the one who ratted on the Maroni crime family, longtime rivals
of the Falcone family.
Of course, the Penguin insists that he isn't the rat and is even disgusted by the suggestion.
He also unintentionally gives Batman a new lead.
When Batman and Gordon exit the scene, they leave Penguin standing there with his hands
and legs tied.
It's one of the funniest moments in the movie — the Penguin waddles like an actual penguin
as he yells at the departing good guys, a choice that must have been made with the animal
in mind.
Early in "The Batman," Bruce Wayne discusses his bleak outlook for Gotham against a montage
of thugs committing crimes all over the city.
One of these crooks is robbing a convenience store while wearing a green mask that looks
like a mis-shapen jack-o-lantern.
This mask comes across as inconsequential the first time you watch the movie — it's
Halloween night, after all, and the robber wants to hide his face for obvious reasons.
We come to realize that this is no store-bought Halloween mask, however.
The mask actually resembles a "drop," the fictional drug that is plaguing Gotham.
They are administered through the eyes, and they are apparently highly addictive.
The mask resembles an image of a drop seen on an anti-drug billboard, but the PSA doesn't
appear to be helping very much.
The Riddler is an enigmatic killer shrouded in mystery.
Once Batman begins following the trail of clues and carnage, he learns more about the
villain and what he's really after.
While the Riddler clearly has a motive in mind, his style bears a resemblance to the
fictional serial killer that made a big splash in 1978's "Halloween."
In the opening moments of "The Batman," we're given a voyeuristic view through the Riddler's
eyes.
We hear steady breathing from behind his mask, much like the young Michael Myers.
The Riddler then stalks the mayor, waiting in the shadows.
Once the moment is right, he emerges and brutally murders his victim in true Michael Myers fashion.
Later in the film, another famous "Halloween" scene is replicated when D.A.
Gil Colson becomes the Riddler's next victim.
The unsuspecting lawman gets into his car, but he's not alone: The Riddler is waiting
in the back seat, and by the time he notices, it's too late.
While he doesn't kill Colson then and there, it's a parallel to Annie Brackett's death
in the slasher classic.
Matt Reeves has indeed confirmed that he took cues from several '70s films, with "The French
Connection," "Chinatown," and "Taxi Driver" all providing inspiration in different ways.
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