movies The Batman

[Spike]

In the mood for some fun diversion, I was going to go to the little local cinema, for the first time in two years, to see the new Hercule Poirot, featuring Kenneth Branagh and his mustache, and to eat a bag of twizzlers. But, crap, that was last night. Now playing: The Batman.

I liked comic books, a lot--when i was 12. I have never, as one all growed up, really grasped the point of imbuing super-hero silliness with Bergmanesque angst. But that's just me.

Anyway, to see if I might be in for any fun here, I checked out the rotten tomato, and read Anthony Lane's splat (amid a pretty high score) from the New Yorker (March 3, 2022). Fun, Mr. Lane writes, is "certainly not a concept that "The Batman," dropsical with self-importance, and setting a bold new standard in joylessness, has much use for."

Oh well. Nuff said.

Not a total loss, though. Mr. Lane made me laugh with this:

"The film in question, directed by Matt Reeves, is called "The Batman," the big news being that the principal character has acquired not only a new car, a new motorbike, and a new butler but also—holy grammarians!—a definite article. This guy isn’t just any old Batman; he is the Batman, and you should be wary of cheap imitations. (Any word, you may ask, from the Robin? Nothing. Not a tweet.) "

Anyway

 

[Scoopicman]

I enjoyed "THE" BATMAN. I liked BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT a lot more, but this was a slow burn cool. I'm a Matt Reeves fan, especially CLOVERFIELD and the LET THE RIGHT ONE IN remake.

Interesting to hear the soundtrack, which is based around the chords for Nirvana's Something In The Way. I was hoping the song wasn't just for the previews, but man, it's throughout the score, which I enjoyed.

Zoe Kravitz was a great Catwoman. The feel of her character makes this version my favorite. She wasn't mean, like the Anne Hathaway version. She has more humanity.

Robert Pattinson was good. But, his character is almost all brood. What I like about the Christian Bale movies, is that we see him being happy and drunk, as Bruce Wayne. He uses that as a cover, but it's great to see different sides of him.

3 hours long (2hr, 55min), plus all the trailers, I was definitely sweet talking my bladder. I made it without interruption, but should have foregone the slurpee!

 

[directorik]

I saw this at an IMAX theater in Los Angeles. I sat just a few rows back from
the middle of the theater. I got distracted by the number of people getting
up to go to the bathroom. It seemed like a never ending... stream... of people
leaving and returning.

Perhaps it was because I was often bored that I noticed, but I don't recall
people leaving and returning during the 3 hour Avengers: Endgame.