So about that Batman trailer...
It’s been a while since I posted anything original on my account. I apologize, as life as been crazy with medic school and work, especially among the Covid-19 pandemic. However, things are slowing down for me, I’m nearing the end of school, and I have a little more time to relax and take my mind off of the mess 2020 has been. And I gotta say 2021 is looking a whole lot greener from this side of the fence than it was a few days ago, and THAT is saying something because this side of the fence has been pretty dried up.
If you have seen the new Batman movie trailer starring Robert Pattinson as the infamous Dark Knight, then you know what I’m talking about. If you have not then here’s a link for you to see the ass-whooping DC landed on Marvel to remind them that it only takes one character done right to re-take the throne:
https://youtu.be/WbUEueLx-eU
Seen it? Alright then let me share my thoughts, because as an analyst I have a few things to say about one of the most analytically, intriguing characters of all time. First, let me take you into what my initial thoughts were during my first couple viewings of the trailer and of Battinson. Luckily, I jotted them down:
Oh yeah, they were doing a Batman movie totally forgot about that. Well, I guess I should check out this trailer.
Duct tape. Very reliant. And useful.
Oh shit. I guess serial killers think the same about duct tape.
No more lies. This shit’s about to get political.
Damn this tone is looking dark.
I totally didn’t know Jeffrey Wright was going to be in this.
Oh shit he’s Gordon! Well, that’s it then I’m definitely seeing this movie when it comes out.
Is the Riddler the villain?
Hot damn that suit looks dope!
Who the fuck is that? (old man at the press conference)
Is that Rob Pattinson looking like fucking Winter Soldier???
ALFRED!!!! Fuck I need to look up who’s playing him!
You get it Rob, save that kid!
Catwoman! I forget who’s playing her...
I fucking love this vibe.
Batman fighting a mob of cops???!!!
Something to do with a lot of lies in this...
“Who the hell you supposed to be?” Bitch, he’s Batman.
HE’S BEATING THAT BITCH!!!!
*giddy laughter and bouncing in my seat* YES YES YES!
Was that kid filming the entire thing?
“This guy’s crazy!” My thoughts exactly buddy.
He’s the fucking Winter Soldier in this!!
DAMN!!! I gotta watch that shit again...
Those were my initial thoughts of the trailer, and now that I’ve seen it a several hundred times I’ve arranged my thoughts into a sort of review/expectation breakdown of the trailer.
Firstly, Batman is one of my favorite characters of all time. I love characters so complex that I could literally talk for hours and hours about them and not get tired, or even learn something new about them despite having basically studied them since childhood. Bruce Wayne/Batman is so psychologically intriguing, and in a lot of ways his character is part of the foundation of my adult interests. So suffice to say that anytime a new Batman appears on screen I am reluctant to dive in at first. I was this way with Bale, Affleck and even little David Mazouz on Gotham.
Therefore, I freely admit that I was not fully onboard with Pattinson taking on the role. Let me be clear; I did not trash talk his casting or make a big deal on how sparkly Edward could never pull off brooding Bruce. I have great respect for Pattinson and I think he’s a great actor, and when I heard he was cast as the new Batman my reaction was the same as it was with Affleck, which was I’ll get excited when I see something good, but for now I’ll just sit over here with no expectations and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
When I finally saw Affleck in Batman v. Superman, I was indeed pleasantly surprised. I thought he did great, and he was my favorite part of the entire film. He wasn’t perfect but he had sold me on his portrayal. When I saw Justice League, however, I was a little letdown. I thought Affleck did fine, but the novelty had wore off and I found myself wishing Batman would get himself back to Gotham and back to crime-fighting in the streets.
Stepping into the trailer for 2021′s The Batman, I had a low interest in the film, partially due to my full schedule and other interests. I had completely forgotten that they were even working on another Batman film and I had not been keeping up with casting news, or where they were with production, or anything. Last thing I heard about the film was that Zoe Kravitz was going to portray Selena Kyle/Catwoman, and to be honest I had completely forgotten that until after I looked it up after seeing the trailer. (Side note: I actually think Zoe is an utterly brilliant casting choice for Selena. She’s sexy, seductive and cat-like, and can definitely pull off the devious, killer/burglar that Bruce can’t help but be attracted to.)
The first thing about this trailer that really peaked my interest from like 2% to 90 was seeing Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon. I am a HUGE fan of Wright, and have been for a while. I first saw him in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but his role as Bernard in Westworld makes this particular casting choice look like a genius-move, which I think will be the case. And something about Wright in a noir-like crime thriller has me feeling some kind of way.
With films like Seven and Chinatown inspiring the design of this particular take on the Dark Knight, we are hopefully, finally going to see Bruce’s detective skills. I love the sight of Batman walking into a room full of cops doing their job and they all just stare warily at him like they don’t know what to do. And Gordon’s all like “Yeah, so what do you think?” Bruce is one of the smartest guys in DC and it’s time we really see more of that in his ability to piece together a case and uncover truths and secrets that have been buried for generations. And from what we’ve seen in this trailer and what Matt Reeves talked about in the DC Fandome panel (which I hurried to watch after the trailer), that’s the direction we are headed.
From what we’ve seen in this small glimpse into the world Reeves is building around the Batman legend, this particular version is going to dig deeper into the psyche of Bruce Wayne, and the savagery of his tactics. It’s going to be dark (possibly R-rated), and I think there’s going to be moments when Batman looks more like a villain than a hero. And that is what I’m here for! Batman is meant to be toeing the line. He is not a “good guy” and like many of the villains he takes down he is a little unhinged himself. I once read somewhere that the “line” Batman draws to keep himself from going “too far” is more for his own sanity. It’s his way of keeping some sort of control over his own mind, because he knows he’s one step away from insanity.
The line “I’m Vengeance,” was also a great way to sum up what this version of Batman is going to be like. Another reason I love Batman is that while his antics ultimately save lives and protect the innocent, that isn’t really his goal. Deep down, he is a hero and he does want to protect people. I mean, that glimpse of Bruce tackling the kid to the ground to save him from being crushed by a vehicle shows that his basest instinct is one of protection. In his heart, he is a knight. However, when he sets out on his mission to take on the criminals of Gotham his mission isn’t justice, it isn’t protection, and it isn’t heroics. It’s vengeance. It’s terror. It’s the aim of becoming a monster that other monsters will fear. Batman is a product of Gotham’s crimes. He is a victim that was pushed too far to the edge but instead of dying or losing his mind he turned around and transformed into the predator. Batman is a savage. And that beat-down he gave to that gangster is exactly what we need to see from Batman.
Now I mentioned Batman has always been one of my favorite characters of all time, but I have never been attracted to him. Bruce Wayne is this hot, billionaire, caped crusader taking on Gotham’s underworld and most psychotic killers, but for me the men who played him just aren’t really my types. Which is fine. I actually liked that this is a character I could love without the added burden of crushing on the dude as well. I already do that enough with Anakin and Bucky, I don’t need another fantasy male to fan girl over. So when Pattinson was cast I thought I was safe.
Yeah, you read that right. I’m one of the few girls, apparently, who had never fallen under the Pattinson-spell. I don’t think he’s ugly or anything, he’s just not my type, and I’ve never found myself pulled up short thinking “Damn, he looks good.” Then this damn trailer dropped. And we got brooding, emo Pattinson, with long, grimy hair, and dark makeup around his eyes looking like he hasn’t slept in days, and suddenly my ovaries are like, “Yes. Yes we want him.” I mean I don’t know what that shit means but I wasn’t expecting that at all. So now I know I’m fucked in that department.
Overall, the trailer looked soooo damn good, and DC looks to be well on a comeback, which is very exciting to me since I grew up a DC girl and the last several years have been very disappointing. Hopefully, the actual film lives up to the trailer and I can’t wait to see what more Matt Reeves and Rob Pattinson bring to this legendary character.
Let me know what you all thought about the trailer!
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