The Batman (June 25, 2021)

[Wor-Gar]

He was like Gordon’s special consultant

In a ridiculous outfit. While cops snicker and leer. Batman seems sad. Like a little lost boy, too scared to show up in normal clothes, needs to hide in a costume.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I agree. It felt very BTAS

Stop! Cartoon. Nuff said.

 

[Gipetto0812]

Stop! Cartoon. Nuff said.

Award wining and highly acclaimed cartoon

 

[Sachiel]

So they could have one bad a** car chasing scene

A chase through oncoming traffic on a freeway, multicar pile up and a tanker truck exploding as the final exclamation point.

No doubt a lot of injury and death.

All forgotten about by the next scene.

BAD

***

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

Stop! Cartoon. Nuff said.

Nah man, say what you will about Jesus, but bite your tongue on BTAS

It was legit amazing and the stories they told in just 20 mins is nothing short of incredible. Some episodes had more resonance and heart than some 2-3 hour movies.

Award wining and highly acclaimed cartoon

Yup yup!

 

[Chopper Face]

In a ridiculous outfit. While cops snicker and leer. Batman seems sad. Like a little lost boy, too scared to show up in normal clothes, needs to hide in a costume.

From that, it sounds like your issue is more with Batman- or masked heroes for that matter- as a concept.

Anyways, a more socially anxious, jittery Batman when in calmer or ambiguous situations that don’t simply require him to be brutally violent or relentless in his pursuit tracks perfectly in my mind for a newbie Batman who is yet to truly ‘find himself’ and develop who and what Batman can be.

This Batman is a loner through and through with a singular, obsessive focus and an inner rage that drives him to actively seek out scenarios in which he feels justified to satisfy his craving to deliver his own personal brand of ‘justice.’
He ain’t a people person, and he’s far from developing the swarve, composed, confident Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy, philanthropist character.
If he isn’t beating up a person or interrogating them for information, he’s going to be uneasy and unsure of how to act around them because he hasn’t developed socially.

One of many things I love about Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is the exploration of Batman’s psychology and how it shows he’s as damaged as the inmates of Arkham. There’s a degree of arrested development with Batman and part of him is forever stuck in the night his parent’s died so, if you know the right buttons to push, you can bring out the terrified, powerless ten year old at the very core of his being.

 

[Earth 616 Collector]

A chase through oncoming traffic on a freeway, multicar pile up and a tanker truck exploding as the final exclamation point.

No doubt a lot of injury and death.

All forgotten about by the next scene.

BAD

***

Exactly!

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

From that, it sounds like your issue is more with Batman- or masked heroes for that matter- as a concept.

Anyways, a more socially anxious, jittery Batman when in calmer or ambiguous situations that don’t simply require him to be brutally violent or relentless in his pursuit tracks perfectly in my mind for a newbie Batman who is yet to truly ‘find himself’ and develop who and what Batman can be.

This Batman is a loner through and through with a singular, obsessive focus and an inner rage that drives him to actively seek out scenarios in which he feels justified to satisfy his craving to deliver his own personal brand of ‘justice.’
He ain’t a people person, and he’s far from developing the swarve, composed, confident Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy, philanthropist character.
If he isn’t beating up a person or interrogating them for information, he’s going to be uneasy and unsure of how to act around them because he hasn’t developed socially.

One of many things I love about Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is the exploration of Batman’s psychology and how it shows he’s as damaged as the inmates of Arkham. There’s a degree of attested development with Batman and part of him is forever stuck in the night his parent’s died so, if you know the right buttons to push, you can bring out the terrified, powerless ten year old at the very core of his being.

One of the reasons why i can get behind almost every iteration of the character (except you Schumacher/Clooney, sit back down) So many different interpretations that explore certain aspects from 80 years of legend and mythology. Each actor from West, Keaton, Conroy, Kilmer, Bale, Affleck, Pattinson…all contributed something valuable to Batman.

 

[ZE_501]

Regarding Bats in a room full of cops ... I think they executed it about as well as they could, it's just that I don't think they should have gone there in the first place. On my third viewing it sticks out pretty badly. I do still love the film though.

 

[Wor-Gar]

From that, it sounds like your issue is more with Batman- or masked heroes for that matter- as a concept.

Probably. To me it seems if you're going to wear a costume or disguise to instill fear, then its best not to make it average by strolling around with cops. He doesn't need to anyway. He can break in later and check for the real clues they all missed. Makes him smarter that way.

This Batman is a loner through and through with a singular, obsessive focus and an inner rage that drives him to actively seek out scenarios in which he feels justified to satisfy his craving to deliver his own personal brand of ‘justice.’
He ain’t a people person, and he’s far from developing the swarve, composed, confident Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy, philanthropist character.
If he isn’t beating up a person or interrogating them for information, he’s going to be uneasy and unsure of how to act around them because he hasn’t developed socially.

There’s a degree of attested development with Batman and part of him is forever stuck in the night his parent’s died so, if you know the right buttons to push, you can bring out the terrified, powerless ten year old at the very core of his being.

I'm not a psychologist so forgive me, but from the small dip I took in college, that all seems very logical and plotted out, almost as if a writer put it all together for kids to understand in simple concepts. True psychology is a lot more complicated and surprisingly counter-intuitive in many ways.

 

[Hando]

It was. Wasn't that all the reshoot that the studio demanded? A big, loud climax for Bats?

It definitely felt tacked on, and made the movie feel way too long. I enjoyed it up to Riddler-in-jail scene... then I was like, There's more still? And the ensuing action really wasn't all that great or harrowing. Felt very much like beats on paper to hit certain notes -- like "Batman needs to rescue The People" and "Catwoman needs to save Batman, and then he saves her right back" -- and the director reluctantly obliged with little care and/or with little time.

The movie has an identity crisis! Sometimes it wants to be more grounded then nolans batman but other times it wants to be a big spectacle. If you cut everything away after the riddler jail scene the movie is better for it

To be fair, the ending was worth it for the beautiful shots of him walking out with the flare and the symbology of that whole scene. At the same time, the second film best be damned concise.

Can anyone help me what the hell the car chase scene was about, though? Why did it happen? I still can't figure it out. Also the flow of that scene is completely broken, there's a great build up and then the huge rev of the engine and then he just sort of sits and waits there until he gets in the car and drives off, it's very anti-climactic. And seems far-fetched, here we have the best detective, and he willingly and seemingly wants to have a chase and put people on the road in danger.

Theres nothing dumber then the scene where he walks slow and cool into the machine gun fire in the club. And matt reeves wants you to think this batman is more grounded then nolans

So they could have one bad a** car chasing scene

We already have that in batman begins

 

[Wor-Gar]

The movie has an identity crisis!

Much like the lead character.

Also, I must point out before Chopper Face comes back at me, that The Batman is likely my favorite iteration of the character, so as much as I give him a hard time about hanging with cops, I still like the movie and version very, very much. Just... talkin' about the movie with my friends here.

 

[Hando]

Thing I don't like:

My biggest problem with the movie is how safe it is and how afraid it is to make a bold choice and that every time it does its just a stupid fake out.

Like when they kill alfred and then SIKE! immediately after. I don't know why they bothered with this cliche even

or when they tell us the waynes are corrupt and it could have very interesting implications for the story and the character but SIKE! again

or when they make it look like the riddler figured out his secret identity but SIKE!

Its like one of those dumb rian johnson movies

I also dont like how they backtrack to the stupid club all the time

I dont like that annoying score. I can listen to danny elfman and hans zimmer scores all day but this makes my ears start to bleed

I dont like anything about the third act. I think it ruins the riddlers characters and the tone of the movie. And I dont like the "I want to inspire hope" ending. And I rolled my eyes when joker got revealed Doesnt anybody know how to do batman without joker anymore?


Things I like:

I like everything that is visual. The cinematography and art direction and set design and suit design..

I love the detective aspect and the seven influence. I like when the movie feels gritty and grounded. Like batman sometimes feels like just a guy in a suit with nothing super about him and I really like that and wish that it stayed that way

I like the bruce wayne character. I like that hes not very experienced and hes young and emo and sinking in his own pain. This is a guy with mental illness after all. They never explore that side of batman

 

[Wor-Gar]

And here I thought Hando liked The Batman... but SIKE!

 

[TheBatman]

I dont like this movie.. SIKE!

 

[Wor-Gar]

SIKE!!!

 

[Hando]

In a ridiculous outfit. While cops snicker and leer. Batman seems sad. Like a little lost boy, too scared to show up in normal clothes, needs to hide in a costume.

I dont know how up close nobody can tell its bruce wayne under the mask

Someone did a test once. They made an edit of popular faces under batman masks and I was able to tell every one very easily. I think gordon should be able to

A chase through oncoming traffic on a freeway, multicar pile up and a tanker truck exploding as the final exclamation point.

No doubt a lot of injury and death.

All forgotten about by the next scene.

BAD

***

These movies make a such a big point about the heroes not killing even when they always do.

This is why I like snyder. He doesnt beat around the bush

This Batman is a loner through and through with a singular, obsessive focus and an inner rage that drives him to actively seek out scenarios in which he feels justified to satisfy his craving to deliver his own personal brand of ‘justice.’
He ain’t a people person, and he’s far from developing the swarve, composed, confident Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy, philanthropist character.
If he isn’t beating up a person or interrogating them for information, he’s going to be uneasy and unsure of how to act around them because he hasn’t developed socially.

Very well said and its something I love about this batman that most people seem to have an issue with

One of the reasons why i can get behind almost every iteration of the character (except you Schumacher/Clooney, sit back down)

Look everyone I finally mastered the use of multi quote

 

[Chopper Face]

I'm not a psychologist so forgive me, but from the small dip I took in college, that all seems very logical and plotted out, almost as if a writer put it all together for kids to understand in simple concepts. True psychology is a lot more complicated and surprisingly counter-intuitive in many ways.

Yes. That. That’s Batman.

I’ve never viewed Batman as a complex case.
He has a clear driving force, which stems from a traumatic childhood experience and defines the direction of his life.

He’s basic!

Criminals hurt him as a child so he wants to hurt them.

Bad guys kill, so he doesn’t.

He was terrified of his parent’s killer, so he weaponises fear.

He felt too weak to act as a child, so he became strong to fight for the weak.

He couldn’t save his parents, but he can save others.

He was orphaned so he helps orphans.

Sometimes simple messages are the most effective and The Batman realising that his crusade for vengeance is merely self serving, and ultimately ineffective on a grand scale, but it is in fact hope that will inspire and serve the people of Gotham far more was a fine, logical, and necessary development for the character and a clear moral point for the movie to conclude with.

Batman Forever also did a pretty good job of teaching kids about the pitfalls of resentment and revenge- but didn’t exactly know how to enforce that point considering how the movie ends.

I was a little kid when that came out and I got the message so I consider it a semi-successful execution.

 

[Mandible]

I'm on struggle street with this film too. That teaser trailer was one of the best trailers I've ever seen - everything just worked so well. Whereas the movie...

My gripes:

Riddler kills mayor, then sits on him in some weird sexual way, trying to be creepy, but comes across as just odd - particularly once the Riddlers character is shown/explained more later in the film.
V.O. at the beginning about "the element waiting to strike" or some crap. It's trying to be cool or poetic or something, and it just comes across as convoluted.
The music at the train station fight is so flat it kills, what should be, a great scene.
How Bruce and Alfred work out everything so quickly - doesn't feel deserved.
The bomb going off in his face is just beyond stupid.
That he wakes up in the police station, rather than hospital, still in his suit, is beyond stupid on so many levels.
The wing suit bit when he hits the bridge was unnecessary and stupid. The escape was cool, just let him land awkwardly - not smash his body into a piece of steel at whatever speed he was doing.
The Riddler in jail holding his hands up saying to Batman "I needed you, I'm not physical." WTF? He went through the mayors skylight and beat the **** out of him. Beat the crap out of the police officer and tied him up with the rat device, then beat the DA in the face and put the bomb around his neck.

The whole ending... The Riddler is angry at all the corruption around Renewal - but then decides to kill thousands of innocent people by blowing up the seawall. WTF???
His lame-*** followers: firstly, the security in that facility where the elected mayor is giving speeches was a joke. Then none of them can shoot straight; they even show how large the mayor is in the scope sites but they shoot her in the shoulder????
Batman's entrance is laughable: he's taken the time to layout a beautiful pyrotechnics display to make a grand entrance that perfectly aligns with the ceiling/roof.

There's other things that I can't think of, but so many things they go so right, and so many weird little things that just pull you out of the film.

I'm also hoping 2 is more concise, but I know a lot of younger folk ended up nicknaming this The Napman, because they were so bored and fell asleep trying to watch it at home.

 

[davejames]

No doubt the story itself was fairly average, but everything else about the movie (casting, tone, score, design) works so damn well for me that it almost doesn't matter. And I just find myself caught up in the hypnotizing effect of it all, much like you get with a David Fincher movie.

And honestly I'd much rather have a quieter and more reflective Batman story like this than one of those overly busy and convoluted plots we got from Nolan, where Batman is just one small cog in a giant machine.