I watched The Batman (2022) dir. Matt Reeves and here’s almost-everything I want to say about it 🦇
Note: You can disagree with me. Neither of us are wrong or right about how we perceive this movie. The sentence structure will be atrocious, I’m a little sorry. It’s also a long post. Spoilers below
• The Batman (2022) is not like the Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), but it shares a few similarities. To me, the similarity starts and ends with how rooted in reality the two films are & the journey of Batman. I think the Nolan Trilogy focused on Bruce Wayne’s journey, while The Batman focused on (as the name implies) Batman’s journey.
• the sound track, the cinematography, and the overall eerie, horror-esque vibe was.. captivating? It built a distinct atmosphere, a very intentional, intriguing one. I want to find the words that explain this, but I don’t know how, yet. I’ll get there.
You just KNOW my former professors who taught me Cinema Appreciation and Film Analysis are regretting going into the field of education and teaching after seeing me describe this movie is captivating… im sorry ms. aita <2
• Robert Pattinson was a wonderful Batman. I think as a young Bat, and I think I’ll make a post about this soon. I loved the way he plays Bruce, his somewhat detached sense of the world. It’s interesting how much of Batman’s fighting style is kinda brash, but he will avoid violence if he can.
I think Bruce learns over time, how important it is for him to be Bruce Wayne during the day, so the work he does as the Bat actually matters. And I think this story shows us how it happens. It’s not just the mayor talking to him, he see’s it first hand.
• Gotham City and the Bat. I’ve always felt like Gotham city is the biggest reason why Bruce can never stop being the Bat. It’s not just his obsession with justice, vengeance, or his family. Gotham has our emo-bat in a chokehold. I also love the way they show us the city through its people.
Bruce’s faith in the city, and his almost desperate need for it to be better, to be fixed, is the bane of his existence. It is why Bruce will also never be happy, I think, but this I’ll touch on that in my maybe-all-about-Bruce post.
• Maroni and Falcone, and the (wonderful) way they’re written. I think it’s important for Maroni to be taken down at the start of the Bat’s career. Like a little absolute-point in the Bat’s timeline. I like the way they kept him in the story without showing him? It was interesting story telling.
I also think Falcone has to take over when Maroni falls, and Bruce and Falcone need to have a heart to heart, for Bruce to fully transform into the Batman. I think it’s integral to his character but I think it’s also been influenced by my love for the Nolan trilogy (maybe a little by The Long Halloween)
• Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman. There is only one thing I didn’t like, and it was the “Falcone is my dad” bit, but I know it’s coming from the comics and just personal preference. Zoe Kravits is easily my favourite Catwoman so far.
I think Annika as a character served as a way for us to see Selina, in the Catwoman. She’s brilliant, she’s so full of love, fiercely loyal and cares so much and so deeply. It’s why Selina and Bruce will work, as a couple and a partnership, if they choose to be partners.
As a whole, he fighting style is also very cat. I love that she used her claws, and whenever she’s beat someone up, there are 2-claw or 3-claw scratches on their face. I think that’s how she fights, in my head? I loved that she acts like a SMOL, helpless baby and then boom-boom tries to kill her biological dad. Let’s GO baby.
I def want to see more of her. I love the way she was written. I know I have more to say. MAN.
• Bruce and Selina, doomed from the get-go but ah, so good. Both of them try so hard - more in the comics, but in this movie you can see how much effort a relationship between the two will take. If they were just Selina and Bruce, they’re perfect.
But for Selina to be “herself”, she needs to be Selina Kyle who is Catwoman. And I would go as far to argue that Bruce is the Batman first, and a Wayne second. Himself, or who he really is around Selina, aren’t always going to be enough for her? Sometimes I think Selina is in love with the Bat, and Batman in love with Selina. The Bat and the Cat were never meant to last. It sucks I love it.
• the Riddler. Well written. I loved the little fucked up dude. I kept waiting for an Edward Nygma thing so it’s E.Nygma, but a Nashton is fine I guess? I like the way he was written, gave me a lot of Incel Reddit boy vibes. I know that nothing in film is a coincidence, these moves aren’t unintentional, and I like it. It’s also made it scarier, in a way. I loved how absolutely fucking eerie this movie was. I have more thoughts about the Riddler, don’t know what they are yet.
• THE JOKER CAMEO AT THE END?! Brilliant. Best kept secret. Marvel wishes they could do this!! The Secret cameo blessed me. I love the way they did it, how this joker interacts with the Riddler, the laughing. It’s either one of two things to me, Batman beat him once, or Jokers just in jail cause he’s bored of being outside and fucking around. (I can’t decide what’s better)
• Thomas and Martha Wayne.. boy, they’re getting a deep dive in the Bruce Wayne post I think. I think there’s a lot to look into here, in like how kids look at their parents, a hero’s fall from grace, a son paying for his fathers sins. Also… I’m not a fan of the whole “Martha Arkham” thing cause where are the Kane’s?? but I don’t know if it’s comic accurate (I tend to forgive things from canon cause I assume there was a reason why, so… that)
…and I think that’s it for now. These are the first few thoughts in my mind. Oh and that Battinson walks so… 🧍♂️ like? And that Catwoman’s mask has baby kitten ears and it’s so fucking cute. Yeah, now I’m at the end.