"The Batman" reviews are in – is the movie another "Dark Knight?"
Or is it more of a lackluster night out?
"Oh, you're really not as smart as I thought you were."
Matt Reeves' "The Batman" introduces us to Robert Pattinson's version of the Dark Knight,
who Thrillist has described as an "eerie take on the Caped Crusader."
The Beat proclaims the new movie is the first "Batman" incarnation "to pick up Nolan's mantle
where others have failed before."
At this point, the film has already scored a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Of course, with bold statements comparing the latest iteration of Gotham's savior to
the one Nolan gave us in a trilogy, verdicts from the other end of the spectrum were bound
to appear.
Opinions are, after all, a lot like costumed identities in Gotham City — everyone's got
to have one.
But just what could possibly get stuck in the cowl of critics who didn't see this new
movie as anything special?
Well, by the sounds of things, it seems that their issues have to do with similar traits
to the many, many Batman films that have come before.
In a 1.5 out of 5 star review for The Washington Post, writer Ann Hornaday said,
"'The Batman' [...] is a film that's as ponderous as it is convoluted and, ultimately, devoid
of meaningful stakes."
She also describes it as, quote, "another lugubrious, laboriously grim slog masquerading
as a fun comic book movie."
Naturally, considering the genre, the movie is being compared to many superhero movies
that came before it – and for some reviewers, it's coming up short.
Blake Howard of Dark Horizons deemed that "The Batman" strains to live up to what's
come before.
In the very first line of the review, Howard writes,
"'The Batman' is a needless collage of not only better movies, but more egregiously of
better Batman movies as director/co-writer Matt Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig create
an utterly inferior and infuriating vision of the Dark Knight."
"If this continues, it won't be long before you've nothing left."
One element that seems to be getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons is
the film's runtime, which brushes up against three hours.
This might not be an issue, had it not been for the story, which to some felt overstuffed,
even with all of that time to let things play out.
A review for Tilt Magazine described this new take on the Bat as a, quote, "B-minus
serial killer thriller, one with a needlessly convoluted plot, too many characters, unconvincing
twists, and a terrible villain."
That last point is particularly surprising, considering that over reviews have singled
out Paul Dano's Riddler as a high point of the movie.
The New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski has nothing but bad love for the Bat as well,
making comparisons to the Nolan era of the Caped Crusader's big screen outings.
He wrote,
"Director Matt Reeves' downer movie embraces the realism of 'The Dark Knight' — the opposite
of Tim Burton's purple-hazed funhouse — only without the payoff of excellent writing and
acting."
While it's always been an aim for Batman to strike fear into the hearts of criminals and
villains, this movie is eliciting impatience from reviewers.
As Oleksinski summed up,
"There's an unshakable feeling here of 'What's the point?'
Not to mention the nearly three-hour length.
Holy runtime!"
"Selina – don't throw your life away."
For some reviewers, the movie's cast proved incapable of elevating the material – including,
in some writers' opinions, Robert Pattinson as Batman.
The Times' Kevin Maher wrote,
"The performances are as complex as the colour palette (ie not very).
Pattinson, who has delivered so many thrilling turns recently, struggles to elevate his antihero
beyond a pouty emo brat."
Meanwhile, Moira McDonald with The Seattle Times said that Pattinson " isn't given the
opportunity to bring much to the role."
Instead, his "young, eerily pale and very intense Bruce Wayne" is another apparent entry
in what she describes as, quote, "the mercifully sparse brotherhood of Superheroes Who Are
Too Moody to Wash Their Hair."
"Whoa, take it easy, sweetheart!"
Of course, other reviewers were effusive about the movie; your mileage may vary.
Maybe it's worth seeing the film for yourself when "The Batman" arrives in theaters on March
4th.
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.