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The Batman


I finally got around to watching The Batman last night. It was not what I was expecting. A standard superhero movie it was most definitely not. It reminded me more of the gritty, creepy thrillers like David Fincher’s Seven. A serial killer is preying on Gotham City’s political figures, exposing them for the corrupt hypocrites they are. He leaves cryptic notes for The Batman (Robert Pattinson), who works with James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to solve the riddles and uncover the culprit responsible and his scheme.






The Riddler, played by Paul Dano, has that creepy serial killer vibe, reminiscent of the Zodiac and Jigsaw from the Saw films, brutally murdering his victims with sadistic glee. He posts their secrets online for all the world to see, exposing them for being crooks, cheaters and liars. Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) works as a waitress at a seedy nightclub, and is trying to solve the disappearance of her friend, who was having an affair with the mayor who was recently murdered. She eventually partners with the Batman to expose the criminals, including Oz (Colin Farrell in heavy makeup) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), who has a connection to the past of both Selina and Bruce Wayne.





All of the performances are great. Pattinson plays Bruce / Batman like a brooding, angry vigilante, and Zoë is both tough yet vulnerable. Dano comes off like the awkward weirdo who’s been screwed over by life, and is now using that as his driving force to get revenge on the city that let him down. The film is 3 hours long, but it doesn’t drag, drawing you into its dark story of corruption and hope. The MCU style, with its heavy emphasis on CGI, green screen and one liners, seems to be getting stale, so it’s nice to see a different, dark take on comic book characters that doesn’t resort to unnecessary comedy relief or outrageous, unrealistic action, but doesn’t go overboard on the dramatics. I enjoyed The Batman, and am looking forward to what else Matt Reeves brings into this world.





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