Movie review: Is ‘The Batman’ the new ‘The Dark Knight'?
“The Batman” is showing in movie theatres in Augusta. (photo courtesy of McKenzie Morgan)
By McKenzie Morgan | Staff writer
Emo Batman? Yes, please! Cinephiles all over the world are raving about Matt Reeves’ new film, “The Batman,” with over 100,000 people giving it a five-star rating on Letterboxd. Stars Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz fill the screen with action-packed fight scenes and sizzling romance. Yet while I was watching it in the theatre, I found myself checking my phone often, waiting for the moment I could go home.
The film takes place in Gotham City where a serial killer who calls himself Riddler is on the prowl. Bruce Wayne, or Batman, works alongside the Gotham City Police Department to help solve the riddles to bring the corrupt city back to justice.
While I am not a huge comic geek, I have seen a fair share of superhero movies. I always get a thrill when one hits the big screen. Although I was quite excited to hear a new Batman movie was out, I was even more excited to hear that Batman was being played by Robert Pattinson. His role as a sparkly vampire in the 2008 film "Twilight” has millions of teens and millennials all over the world still swooning to this day. I may or may not be included in the masses. However, I unfortunately couldn’t get behind his portrayal of Batman or this film.
Although I find all the actors in the film to be incredibly talented, I was not convinced by some of their performances. I believe that many of them were cast because of their popularity rather than their ability to fit the role. One of my favorite films, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight”, features subtle romance and tons of psychological thrills. Along with that, Heath Ledger’s iconic role as Joker is unmatched. When watching “The Dark Knight”, I could feel his emotions jumping out at me through the screen. Heath Ledger made a very convincing villain, maybe even a convincing psychopath. I did not get that feeling with Riddler in “The Batman.” Paul Dano’s performance honestly made me laugh more than it terrified me and I felt that the evil laughs he did were too like the Joker’s. It felt forced rather than fitting. Riddler also made selfie videos throughout the film that were low quality and quite cringe-worthy. I believe it would have been more effective if he had a camera set up and did impromptu videos rather than rehearsed selfie videos.
Though many fans were drooling at the sight of Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman, my mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert. And it’s not because he’s unattractive. I’m sure we all know Pattinson is attractive. It was the styling. In “The Batman”, Bruce Wayne almost looks like a depressed, emo teen who hasn’t taken a shower in a while. The bold eyeliner and clunky combat boots really did it in for me.
Another thing I did not enjoy about the film was the romance. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a passionate romance scene, but there was far too much for a superhero movie. The story between Catwoman and Batman was underdeveloped and I felt absolutely no chemistry between Zoe Kravitz and Robert Pattinson. The audience received a few measly kissing scenes which I think they only enjoyed, because the actors were attractive. More action and gore easily could’ve made up for the lack of passion the two of them, but even that wasn’t prevalent.
Lastly, I along with many others, wish it didn’t go on so long. The first two hours went by fast and were not too bad, but the last hour dragged on for what felt like forever. I left the theatre feeling exhausted and defeated because I had wasted too much money on snacks and tickets. You’d think there would be more character development within a three-hour movie, but it was lacking in that department too.
At this point in the review, you’re probably thinking, “is there anything you did enjoy about the movie?” To answer that question, yes there is. Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character Penguin was immaculate. The makeup they had on him was so good that I thought Penguin was played by a gruff old man. He deserves an award for his performance. As for the film itself, the darkness and grittiness of certain shots and angles provided a neo-noir feel that I typically associate Batman with.
Though thousands of people are calling this “the new ‘The Dark Knight’”, I don’t think it even comes close to touching Nolan’s masterpiece. Matt Reeves, the director of “The Batman”, did do a wonderful job with the cinematography, but there could have been a meatier script and better choices for the roles portrayed. There was a lot of potential there and a lot of talent, but none of it came together cohesively.
Contact McKenzie Morgan at mcmorgan@augusta.edu.
