Should I See 'The Batman'? 15 Questions Answered, Spoiler Free
The wide release of ‘The Batman’ will be a good talking point for social circles for those exhausted from following current events these days. While OnScreen Chief Film Critic Ken Jones wrote a formal review of The Batman, what I will do is help people who haven’t seen ‘The Batman’ yet to decide whether they should see the movie or not. If you haven’t seen it yet, you probably have questions about it, and I’m here to answer them!
Before my review, you should know my Batman biases:
4 Star Batman movies: The Dark Knight
3.5 stars: Batman Begins, Batman (1989)
3 stars: Batman Returns
2.5 stars: The Dark Knight Rises
2 or less: Batman Forever, Batman and Robin
Favorite Batman actor: Christian Bale
Favorite Batman comics: I haven’t read a comic in 30 years, so I couldn’t tell you.
1) Is this a unique Batman movie, apart from Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, and even Zach Snyder?
a. Unquestionably yes. You haven’t seen a Batman movie like this yet, I promise you
2) Is this really a noir movie?
a. Initially, its almost an exaggerated noir movie, but as the movie progresses, it gradually settles into more what you come to expect from 21st century thrillers. Make no mistake though, this is a thriller/noir movie with action scenes, and not the other way around.
3) What’s the closest Batman comp to this movie?
a. There really isn’t one, and that’s a good thing. There are some reviews that says this is similar to Batman Begins, but the tone is so wildly different I don’t think the comp holds any water. The closest comp is honestly probably Batman Returns tonally, but again, to emphasize, this is a singular Batman movie and be prepared for that.
4) What’s the closest non-superhero movie comp to this movie?
a. Probably Se7en, and David Fincher movies in general. It wouldn’t have shocked me if you told me Fincher secretly directed this movie.
5) Does this movie feel 2 hours and 56 minutes?
a. It does in the last 40 minutes, so get ready.
6) Where does Robert Pattinson rank amongst the Batmans?
a. He’s fine, but even though the movie is singular amongst the Batman filmography, his performance is not particularly singular, if that makes sense.
7) Does this movie have a standout villain performance like the other great Batman movies?
a. Yes and no. The Riddler in the first two acts is performed in a way that almost anyone could have done it and you wouldn’t know (or care) who the actor was. However, the third act makes it clear why they cast Paul Dano (and he’s excellent).
8) How big a role does The Penguin have?
a. Keeping spoiler free, he has a role, and not an insignificant one, but as far as villains goes, it’s the Riddler’s movie. The Penguin, for me, is really fun in this movie and I wish he had a couple more scenes.
9) What’s with the teasing of a Batman/Catwoman romance in the trailer? Is this a significant subplot of the movie? Does it work?
a. Its an element of the movie, but they don’t spend a lot of time on it, and frankly, I wasn’t persuaded by any of the emotions they pretended to have. But it’s an inconsequential part of the movie.
10) Ok, how does this compare to the Christopher Nolan movies? Is it as good as The Dark Knight?
a. It’s a VERY different movie than the Nolan, Snyder, and Burton movies, there’s almost no comparison. If you only know Batman from the Nolan/Snyder movies, this will take some getting used to.
11) Will this get any Oscar buzz?
a. Won’t get Oscar buzz from me, not for the serious categories. But I think there will be some discussions about a best picture nomination, especially if the Oscar ratings are bad in 2022.
12) My significant other really wants me to go with them to see this, but I have only seen a couple Batman movies or fewer and I’m ambivalent towards the franchise. Am I going to like this?
a. If you like thrillers and crime/serial killers, this should work for you. If you don’t, and you havent watched or don’t care for Batman movies, you will feel all 2 hours and 56 minutes of this movie.
13) What if I’ve seen all the Batman movies, should I see this?
a. If you’re a hardcore Batman fan going back to the comics, and somehow you weren’t there opening weekend, don’t walk, run to see this movie.
If you only know Batman from the movies and pop culture, this movie should work for you. Batman, The Riddler, The Penguin, Catwoman, Gordon, and even Alfred are all characters done really well.
Just go in with slightly reduced expectations in case you get as annoyed with the third act as I was.
14) Is this worth seeing in the theater? I’d rather watch at home
a. The score and sound really thunders through the speakers at the theater very effectively, its 100% part of the true viewing experience of the movie. If you have a state of the art system at home, by all means, otherwise, this movie definitely gives you a reason to see this in the theater.
15) So what’s your rating of this movie? How do you rank this with the other movies?
a. This is one of the more challenging movies to rate, because the first two acts were so strong, and the third act totally missed the mark (in my opinion) on how to finish this story in a satisfactory way that fufills the thriller/noir genre.
Its a good movie, but had a chance to be really special, and will leave me a bit wistful imagining what might have been.
That said, for me, its not close to The Dark Knight or Batman Begins, and falls somewhere between 1989 Batman and Batman Returns.
It is LONG though, and, it probably could have been 2 hours and 30 minutes without losing a thing.