With the Christopher Nolan trilogy getting much love from the world, it was speculated that this version would be a hard sell. Did it live up to expectations? Was The Batman going to be the success that many would hope? Below we will take a look at what worked and what didn’t with The Batman.
What Didn’t: The Run Time
The largest complaint coming over of the movie was the runtime. Coming in at a beefy 2 hours and 55 minutes, this was the longest Batman movie that has been made. For the story being told it made sense to have a longer than average movie, but the nearly 3 hours of the movie was too much. Various scenes could have been trimmed down while not losing the tone.
What Did: The Direction of Matt Reeves
This was one of the most beautifully shot Batman movies. Matt Reeves’s grasp of the dark and gothic nature of The Batman was spot on. Every scene was visually stunning and brought us along for the ride. Reeves had a great understanding of what we needed to see. He was able to perfect an artful way to present each scene. Something that had not been accomplished with previous Batman movies.
What Did: The Score
When weren’t busy watching a stunning movie, our ears were being treated. The musical score, composed by Michael Giacchino, was haunting. The quiet way in which it bled into every scene was amazing and helped to establish the darker tone of the movie.
What Did: The Outstanding Ensemble Cast
The supporting cast for the film was one of the most star-studded in Batman history, and every last one of them knocked it out of the park. Colin Farrell brought a sense of comic relief to the movie that was needed. He’s funny, yet the terrifying portrayal of The Penguin added some great depth to the film.
Paul Dano was sensational as the insane terrorist, The Riddler. The realism he brought to the character separated him from others and put a unique stamp on the puzzle man. Other than those two, Andy Serkis, Jeffery Wright, and John Turturro were brilliant in their roles. They rounded out an outstanding supporting cast, speaking of which…
What Did: Zoe Kravitz
Kravitz was so good in her role as Catwoman that she needed to be mentioned outside of the other cast members. Not since Batman Returns has someone captured the essence of Selina Kyle. Kravitz brought sexuality to the role, of course, but there was so much more. The strength that she brought to the character was perfect and she rivalled Pattinson in every scene they were in.
What Did: Robert Pattinson as The Batman
When it was first announced that Pattinson would be donning the cape and cowl, collective hands went up in the air. Surely, there was a better option out there than the vampire from Twilight. However, as the movie progressed everyone who thought this should have been forced to eat their words. Pattinson was that good as The Batman. He was different from any other Batman before him and it was refreshing. Playing a younger Bruce Wayne, Pattinson showed a great grasp of the character and his progression into the caped crusader.