One of my favorite acting moments from Pattinson was in the scene of the clip you showed of him walking into the room with a big window while Alfred is working on the cypher. If you watch, the moment Pattinson steps into the light coming through the window, he winces briefly and looks away like the light is painful, and a moment later puts on the sunglasses. That brief moment where he seems to have a reflexive reaction to the sun really showcases in a subtle way how he has truly become a "nocturnal creature."
I had to go back and watch that scene and yeah it's like a blink and you miss it sort of thing but it had to be a deliberate choice from the actor and was a smart and natural feeling nuance to the character.
@@krisdavis3888 My auntie really liked those movies so I've watched it with her when I lived in my grandma house, it was so cringe lol. The sad part about those movies is that people underestimated Pattison a lot when they announced him for the next Batman.
@@pedf2000 Luckily more people will probably remember him more for this now than for Twilight. My wife read the books and what she told me about them was just..... yeah cringe I think sums them up lol. The funny thing is no one took Keaton or Affleck seriously as Batman either, or Ledger as Joker, before their movies came out and they all changed their mind after.
I loved the Batman so much I’m desperate for the trilogy to happen and for Matt Reeves to do all 3 movies exactly the way he wants them to be. I love and trust his vision unreservedly.
Same saw the premiere imax seats when the Batmobile was reving the seats were shaking as a Batman fan I said this is the Batman we needed on screen right out the theatre top 3 nights ever
@@bbraxtonnI am the only comic reader of my friend group. When we walked out of that movie I was the only one raving about it. I loved every second, it felt like all my favorite aspects from across the comics/games brought together into Battinson. It pains me that there is so much hate for this movie among general audiences.
I remember people doubted this movie when it was first announced. They didn't like, the costume design and the actor. But I knew Matt Reeves would deliver. And I dig the bat suit design right from the start.
I was heavily concerned when it was announced and originally shown but like a week before it came out something snapped in my brain and I got super excited and the batsuit is easily the best one I've seen
The movie is dumb, lacks logic, tryhards to be dark and gritty while being naively bad as if a 12yr old emo teen that never saw a movie in his life made a movie
When walked out the cinema the first time i watched this movie, i literally felt like i could die happy. The Batman was literally everything i had wanted as long as i had been a serious fan of Batman. If there is a movie that is made for me, this is it…
Idk why reading this made me realize the double meaning, since we literally didn’t get the character of “Bruce Wayne” yet. I wonder if the next film opens with the business mogul, playboy philanthropist persona.
That scene gave me chills. It's never outright stated, but I love the fact that Riddler's so focused on his crusade that he never even entertains the thought that Bruce Wayne could be Batman.
I get ur complaints bcuz the dark knight has more Bruce but this Bruce is different it’s a Bruce who fixates more on his parents death and is more affected by trauma it’s early and obviously Bruce isn’t gonna have the Bruce Wayne personality down yet now he has a motivation to become that after the ending and become a better hero he’s gonna feel bad about what’s he done to The Batman 2 boutta be so peak
I wasn't a huge batman fan, generally preferring Mavel over DC. However, this movie is the first movie to get me to fully understand Batman as a character. That shot of him looking at the kid who just lost his father made the whole character click for me and suddenly it all made sense.
Love that scene too. My fav one is when Bruce goes to the bar cave and Alfred is pestering him about how to keep appearances as a Wayne and Bruce replies with what he’s doing is for his family legacy. It was that line that made me go: finally after my 18yrs of living , someone understands Batman on a deeper level in live action. That made me think that is the Batman I’ve personally wanted for so long
If you wanna get into Batman more, some comics / games and shows : COMICS Batman year one Batman Earth one Batman court of owls LONG Halloween /dark victory GAMES Arkham series- all four. Shows- Batman animated series The Batman 2004 Batman cape crusader
@@breach005 To Nolan's credit, there's a difference between becoming Batman and continuing as Batman. Watching Batman Begins, you can really feel the investment Nolan had for the character... but, after that, he basically turned into a night-stalking, batsuit-wearing James Bond.
I agree Matt Reeves actually knows how to make a proper Batman movie to me. Like yeah The Dark Knight was a cool movie but this to me has became my favorite Batman movie because it feels like a real Batman movie
I saw it opening night with my mum, it has been my favourite Batman movie since. TDK still has the greatest Batman villain performance, but I think Reeves did it better than Nolan overall. Fraser's cinematography is a huge factor for me.
My favorite version by far. Batman is on screen in the Dark Knight for 25% of the runtime. In Reeves its 70%. He also looks and sounds amazing meaning that 70% is quite enjoyable. I hope they keep this quality up moving forward because this vibe is peak.
I’ve been watching essays on The Batman since it came out. This is one of the best. Thank you so much for this tribute and well thought analysis to my favorite movie of all time. 🦇
30:43 he does refer to himself as Batman in Riddler’s apartment. He tells Gordon that “maybe this is all coming to an end.” Gordon asks “what?” and he replies “The Batman”.
I wish I could scrub my brain and see The Batman again for the first time in an IMAX theater at the fan event on March 1st. I was completely captivated by every second of the film. It was the first time that I felt like I was watching The Batman from the comics on the screen. I couldn't believe how much time he actually spent in the suit. I fucking loved it. It's BY FAR the best Batman film ever made, in my opinion. And it's not even close. And I don't think we need to worry too much at all that James Gunn is going to come in and fuck up Matts sequel. He's made it pretty clear that the most they're going to do as far as The Batman Epic Crime Saga is stay the fuck out of Matt's way. Which is the best news possible. Which Matt said was literally his dream come true. And with the success of The Penguin, WB would be fools to interfere with his process at all. The Penguin finale is tonight (which sucks cause I want 8 more episodes) but every episode has only grown with it's viewership. It's safe to say that The Batman Epic Crime Saga is here to stay for years to come!! Great video, btw, dude! You described what makes it so different and special perfectly!
Bro, you are the first person I've seen saying the same things I've been saying about batman movies and the batman 2022, and i really appreciate it lmao...Great video!
I never see anyone mention the scene in front of the funeral @29:19, The paparazzi yells "that's Bruce Wayne!" and for a fraction of a second Bruce looks up and tries to smile, abandoning the attempt as fake and ill conceived, and hides his face. It is the most perfect representation of the true character of Bruce Wayne that I have ever seen.
I really want a story where we focus on Mr. Freeze but have random people having there faces cut off here and there then revealing hush as a twist character pulling strings within the story
@@crazy_nate2574would be cool to see me freeze in a winter setting but not sure if he’s fit in this world but tbf he somehow managed to make the riddler grounded and menacing so who knows
Great vid!! This is a brilliant look at Batman and Gotham, you brought up a lot of points I hadn't even given much thought to. Makes me love this movie even more :)
Each of the Batman iterations (except the M Reeves one) were made in eras of uncertainty or confirmed failure. Some were plagued by issues of their own. So they ended up taking a comic book character and making him part of 'cinema'. Times had changed enough for M Reeves to carefully examine the previous iterations, putting a comic book character in a grounded, yet comic book setting.
I’m glad I watched The Penguin too. Seeing the Penguin in The Batman whilst I did love the design and acting he still felt like they took a major character and made him a typical #1 henchman with a quirk the hero faces before the final villain. Once you see him on his own and his evolution into a full blown Rogue similar to The Riddler, you realise how much Matt and his team respects all parts of the Batman lore and really knows what they’re doing.
Actually there was another movie that for the most part did what reeves did just back in the 90s. Its animated. Mask of the Phantasm is one where it's basically about Bruce. It is a sort of origin story in flashback. He does have a love interst but their love is essentially why the story is in motion. She was the last thing holding Bruce together and when they broke up he became batman. It does pretty much everything reeves batman does. He's front and centre. He's a character with his own arc. He is framed masterfully as intimating and cool. Gotham is beautifully rendered in 3d art deco. He feels and moves straight out of the comics.
Robert Pattinson did say in an interview that he loved Mask of The Phantasm and it inspired him on his take on Bruce/Batman because of the inherent sadness that is his life where he is basically sacrificing his happiness and well-being for the mission.
My favorite Batman movie ever next to “The Batman” Mask of the phantasm is a MASTERPIECE… I almost kind of sorta would LOVE a direct live action adaptation. With very few to no deviations.
The ending of this video relies on the assumption that Matt Reeves is setting up for Gotham to become this fantastical place with supernatural stuff and costumed villains, but there's no real evidence for that. If anything Matt Reeves has gone OUT OF HIS WAY to explain that's not where his universe is going. There's not going to be any magic or Clayface. It's a grounded noir universe with a focus on the detective and crime side of Batman, and that's okay.
One realistic way they could do for supernatural stuff is the use of drugs. If Scarecrow is the villain at one point, they could do some serious nightmare fuel (maybe even more then Batman Begins.)
If that’s true, it’s a shame. Not saying they should go full magical, but why not have some of the more fantastical and sci-fi elements, especially since this version of Gotham already feels fantastical, and primed for that. Another thing, he can’t just fight the same criminals over and over again. He’s gonna need to fight unique villains. Can’t just be gangsters and serial killers forever.
It would be interesting if part 2 develops the Bruce Wayne playboy persona. Maybe Bruce uses the excuse that the "near death experience" on his life from the Riddler gave him the "realisation to just have fun". Or maybe the Drifter persona could develop into Matches Malone.
@@adamfreddo5703 or he takes the mayor's criticism to heart about using his money for philanthropy and creating a positive more charitable public face for Gotham
With the conclusion of The Penguin, Wayne will be forced to act as Wayne guaranteed. B2 ill be Bruce Wayne's origin story as a real player in Gotham if that makes sense.
@@breach005 I've been reluctant to watch a Batman show without Batman, I avoided the Gotham show as well but I'm considering checking it out after all the great reviews
25:46 what I have been screaming for so long watching Batman films. The animated version has us spoiled for DETECTIVE Batman (but in movies’ defense, they cannot do everything in 2 hours runtime; however, we do get detective noir films regardless)
The only time I’ve ever watched a movie in theatres that I wanted to go right back in and re watch it. If you would’ve told me before seeing this that it would be one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time I wouldn’t believe you lol
We're gonna get severely disappointed with that supernatural take, i want less grounded super realistic take too but as you said, matt reeves is not embarrassed of the comic source but he's definitely not putting someone like Clayface in the movie, he would rather stick to the realistic aesthetic and we gotta accept that and thats fine to me. Brave and The Bold could be that more superheroy version of batman where he fight soloman and croc while ras uses the Lazarus Pitt for the 4000th time.
@FriendlyBatDoom personally i think what matt reeves is doing is the closest thing to perfect grounded batman can be, but i need a live action red hood story. Kinda disappointed we're getting a Damian Wayne robin and already establishing Nightwing Redhood and Tim Drake. This batman is only 30 years old and theres no way he did all that in like just 30 years of age
Speak for yourself. Ive always felt DCU/Justice League Batman is lame as balls. The Snyder version is especially dog water. Clayface can absolutely work in this universe, just not as a literal shapeshifter lol. How about he's a washed up actor, deep to the mob, gets his pretty actor face cut up. He resorts basically being Darkman.
@@breach005 I agree, but that was Snyder, and as we can see with his Rebel Moon films, he's a terrible storyteller. Snyder didn't care about doing the characters justice that's why his Batman was a mass murderer that got easily duped by Luthor. Batman shouldn't EVER be portrayed like that. Gunn, however, can potentially fix things and make him fantastical so we can get his villains in their glory instead of another grounded-in-reality approach.
Having played the Batman Arkham Games hands down Detective Batman is the best Batman. So the fact we got an actual crime noir film is what made this movie such a chef’s kiss for me.
15:35 i completely agree about the voice actually, in batman begins the voice is actually natural and only that scary “throat cancer” voice when he’s trying to intimidate the crooked cop in the rain. At that point you see that his voice is an act, slightly disguising his normal voice, and deep and dark when hes trying to be intimidating
I share your love for The Batman. As I was watching, I wanted to address how Bruce is portrayed, and then you articulate that as well and as good as I can imagine being done. I really hope this video will get all the views it deserves, it is very very good work!
I still remember when 6,748,922 different people pitched the exact plot of The Batman on Reddit/Facebook/UA-cam etc. from late 2008 until the movie’s 2022 premiere, even down to the deleted Joker scene where Batman goes and interviews him, a la Hannibal Lecter. But nah, you’re right. Matt Reeves is a unique genius. He’s unparalleled!
There are some corny and unnecessary moments for sure. But this movie did something that every other Batman doesn’t, and that is that it showcases just how bad Gotham has become. The Dark Knight trilogy did it in a few scenes like in that dirty kitchen mob boss meeting, but not nearly to the degree that Reeves portrayed. The Batman shows how huge, complex, dirty, run down, corrupt, and in ruins that the city is in. It’s like its own character. It’s constantly raining, it has tons of run down streets, bridges, alleyways, subways stations, basements, apartments, there’s tons of old gothic styled architecture mixed with modern glass and concrete buildings both covered in TV screens for advertising, and how crazy the citizens have become. You can feel the insane amount of history by just looking at any single shot of the city from the movie. So much storytelling in just the backgrounds and shots of the city. Also, thank you Reeves for keeping Batman mostly in the shadows and dark settings. That’s the whole thing about Batman that makes him intimidating, is that he basically lives in the shadows, you know, like a bat? People of Gotham aren’t even sure if he’s a human because they can never see him fully as he stays in the shadows.
i just love the fact that the batman movie has a lot of batman in it , like the literal screen time is reserved to Batman , cant get enough of the movie really .
You literally said what I’ve been thinking for years. I never like Nolan’s Batman, his costume design and Christian bales acting always looked so goofy to me. It wasn’t until The Dark Knight and Heath Ledgers Joker that I was on board with it. But even then it was because of joker and a good script not because I liked Christian bales Batman. I think Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson did a amazing job with The Batman character, he has more screen time than previous iterations and the movie focuses on The Batman which is who I want to see in a Batman movie.
15:42 For me, it was in Batman Begins when(right after he strings up Falcone to the spotlight) the camera pans across Batman perched over the city like a gargoyle. Scenes like that and 20:06 is why Begins has always been my favorite of the Nolan Trilogy
In my honest opinion the whole tone and vibe of the Nolan verse changed with The Dark Knight… even Gotham looked different. It looks like Chicago… Begins Gotham was it’s own Character..Begins is in my top 3 favorite Batman movies 1. The Batman 2. Begins 3. Mask of the Phantasm
The Batman was a beautiful example refinement. Pattinson's Batman is a mix of Keaton, Bale and Affleck, taking what worked from all of them. Seriously needs a sequel that pushes it even further. Edit: I just wanted to add, Batman Returns is still my favorite Batman movie. I saw it as a kid in theaters when I was 7 years old and it blew my mind. The scene with Selina and Bruce in the ballroom where they learn each other's secret identities is still the best acted scene in any comic book movie ever.
The fact that there is a _deleted_ scene of the Joker, and that nobody involved (besides Pattinson...) even mentioned wanting to adapt the Joker, should be a good sign of things to come.
Although I personally agree with the idea that none of the previous directors really tried to make THE Batman, but rather their own version of the character, I think we must also take into consideration the “general audience” factor. The Burton Movies, the Nolan Trilogy (and the Schumacher ones too, for that matter) had an important job to translate (for better or for worse) the character to the big screen in a way that would please fans, but also serve as an introduction to younger and newer generations. It’s why, since Batman Begins, we’ve had no more origin stories, because, at this point, I think it’s safe to say everyone knows Batman and his origin. But, for a certain period, I do try to acknowledge that there were some people who didn’t know or care for it (heck, remember the time when many people used to say that comic-books were for nerds? How far have we gone from there, right?) So, yes, The Batman is a hell-of-a-movie, maybe it just might be the perfect iteration of the Dark Knight (or at least the best one so far), but I think we should take some time to remember some of those previous movies had a tough battle to face… they would walk so we could run
If we didn't recently have the Dark knight trilogy, Matt Reves would obviously done his own origin story in the same style as "The Batman" and it would have been just as amazing. Reves was just aware that another origin film would be redundant at the current moment, and so he jumped right into an early stage batman, just after his origin, where he is still finding himself and his path. The Nolan films were amazing as standalone crime films and the best depiction of the Joker we've ever seen, but "The Batman" was the best Batman we've ever seen. Not taking away from Christian Bale either, he's incredible. I think you easily swap both respective actors into the other's film and it would have worked.
Nolan’s Trilogy was, at least to me, more about Bruce Wayne understanding what it means to be Batman. Reeves trilogy will most likely be Batman understanding what it means to be Bruce Wayne. It’s why the Batman 2 supposedly being more about Bruce Wayne actually sounds exciting if true, we’ll see Batman learn through being Bruce Wayne what it means to be a symbol of hope and Justice, which will translate into a more complete Batman in Batman 3. Again, assuming all of it’s true.
I know yourube can be a bit of an echo chamber but damn this is exactly my thoughts. Reeves/Pattinson have made the perfect Batman to me. Everything. The suit, the car. My God the car. Gotham, Catwoman, Penguin... it's noir enough and comic book enough. It's Blade Runner (esque) and incredibly cool, Dracula. I described it to friends as the first film that makes a man running around a city in a cosrume _not_ a silly idea. Hes quietly intelligent. But he's actually someone to be afraid of. For once the other characters are genuinely scared/creeped out by him. It's real..finally! I really hope they don't "Hollywood" all over the sequels.
Great video man! Can’t wait for Mr. Freeze and other weirdos to go in that slightly stranger comic book direction, while maintaining the integrity - Reeves gave us a great Riddler, now we need justice for Victor!
This was awesome. Reeves has made my new Gotham Prime. It's a masterful, inspired project. The Gotham Crime Saga is the greatest thing to happen to comics since paper
I think the Joker should never actually step down to act as an antagonist, but be like an overarching shadow, the face of all the others, who sits on his throne up in Arkham and serves as a confidant and mirror to the Batman in a twisted friendship. Where in a certain sense, outside of the Batman's interactions, it's as if he does not even really exist.
I realized why Gotham in this universe is so compelling, is because Reeves made Gotham not just a city but a character. It is affected by Batman just as Riddler, and it evolves along with Batman as he realizes that he could do more. Gothams feels alive because it is a character just as Batman is.
You’re largely mistaken about Joel Schumacher. He was instructed by the studio to re-orient his films towards kid-friendly themes (after the whole Batman Returns controversy). As well, Batman Forever had a much more serious sub-plot involving Bruce’s parents, but it was cut at the direction of the studio. And Schumacher said many times that he initially wanted to make a movie based on Miller’s Batman: Year One, and had that in mind for a third film too. Besides, Forever had a lot of decent stuff in it. Batman and Robin, however, had only a single decent thread, which was the Bruce/Alfred relationship. Everything else was just embarrassing, except maybe for small children.
I was obsessed with that movie as a kid so it makes sense, even as an adult I think the character designs are stunning, specially freeze, with his snow speckled skin that doesn’t lose any depth and his space age armor, perfectly set against cartoony neon lights
Thank you for mentioning this. Schumacher actually had some good ideas on wanting to explore Batman/Bruce's psychology, a full decade before Nolan would do so in Batman Begins. The subplot of Bruce having repressed memories of the night his parents died and his father's journal were really compelling. And the deleted scenes of Bruce thinking his parents wanted to stay home that night but him wanting to go to the movies made them leave, making him feel responsible. Only later discovering it was the opposite: his parents wanted to go out after all, making Bruce finally no longer blame himself for their murder. And when he learns to mend the Batman persona with his normal personality is a really good scene too. It makes the end scene after defeating Riddler when he says "I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman, not because I have to be but because I choose to be" feel more poignant.
That's a good way explain why this version really works. I clearly felt a big difference between the batam in live action vs the DC animated movies. This is the first time I see a live action batman close to that and actually be a detective that's learning
My ONLY problem with Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise is that, like Nolan’s trilogy, it’s relying too much on a realistic setting. I love how they’re tackling it in the Reeves universe (even moreso than Nolan’s trilogy handled it, no disrespect)… but at the end of the day, it’s once again limiting the character and his rogues. Matt could still give us some fascinating takes on Batman’s more grounded rogues like The Court of Owls, Two Face, Black Mask, Deathstroke, Pyg, Hush, Scarecrow, maybe even Clayface and Croc if he handles them creatively… but it’ll be impossible to see the real fantastical villains like Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, Man Bat, Monster Clayface, Monster Croc, etc… I was kinda saddened when I heard Matt Reeves was doubling down on the realism of his world. I always had hoped Matt would differentiate his take from Nolan’s in a unique way by taking his realistic grounded Batman universe, and kinda leaning into the fantastical without totally immersing his universe in it. Kinda like how X-Files handled supernatural entities in a seemingly realistic world. Their existence mostly wouldn’t be explained, so it would make their presence that much more unsettling… because people are afraid of what they don’t understand… and what they don’t understand is THE UNKNOWN.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve felt this way strongly since I saw it and not seen anyone articulate the feeling better. Even if The Dark Knight is a better movie, The Batman is by far the best (live action) *Batman* movie. It feels like the comics, the Arkham games and the best Batman seen in animation. I really hope that Batman directors going forward understand that and take it to heart.
I’m 13 minutes into the video and honestly all these directors and different versions of Batman paved the way for Matt reeves to make the perfect adaptation of everything that is Batman from the city to the tech to the villains to the weather. I have very high hopes for the Batman part 2, can’t fucking wait
This is the main issues with Marvel right now are two-fold: - The original purpose of the multiverse was to just excuse all the different adaptations and takes on characters. To explain the wildly shifting tone from writer to writer, to artist to artist. DC has a multiverse too, but it's much less prevalent. - DC just has better villains that bring better conflict. Ther fact that the mainstream are trying to convert Harley Quin into an anti-hero is a testament of the complexities they can bring.
The moment they announced Matt Reeves was directing a Batman movie I knew it was gonna be fantastic. I loved what he did with the Planet of the apes films, the man knows how to make movies.
I think the reason the Batman worked was because it wasn’t afraid of how dark Batman truly is. Criminals are meant to be afraid of Batman, paranoid that he’s always watching, it was always meant to be gritty, violent and realistic
Matt Reeves would be the only person I’d want to make a proper Red Hood movie. The cinematography, tonality, grit etc would be perfect for my fav DC character
Great breakdown of the Matt Reeves Batman, Cleaver. If you enjoyed Batman 2022 then I highly recommend The Penguin series on MAX because it really does well expanding on Gotham City and the Power Vacuum left by Carmines Death.
The idea that we couldn't get two Caps at once, as real as that may sound, is also so sad. We really could've just kept Steve Rogers *and* Sam Wilson at the same time, like in the comics.
I'm never going to say that the Christopher Nolan Batman films are bad, but I definitely don't think they should be regarded as the gold standard of batman films. They're personally not interesting to me, but I get why people love them so much.
The adrenaline-pumping scene is my favorite part of the film. Batman is so serious about changing Gotham that he needs to take steroids to keep himself from getting tired or fainting, theres a reason why his suit has a goddamn hole for it, he pumping that sh*t in order to stay awake. Holy sh*t, this is the first time a Batman has been completely dedicated to his mission-not a Batman who trained harder and then quit right away (Bale), or a Batman who murders his own Gotham residents (Afleck). This Batman is just so DAMN SERIOUS about changing Gotham with his project, glad he found a way in the end.
I love the way Pattison's Batman moves slowly when he's not fighting. Everything feels considered like he's constantly taking everything in. It's the first big screen Batman that feels like an actual detective. Brilliant movie and I can't wait for the next one.
Around 10 min in, there's the saying "They're Comic Books, not Drama Books". Comics are a Medium, not a Genre. Comics can be Drama, Action, adventure, etc. Saying this would dilute what it means to be a Comic
Exactly! When I was watch in the film my mind kept shifting to the comic panels as in it felt closest to the source material in look, feel and character potrayal.
I caught the ending of Batman 1989 in theare recently and to my surprise as campy as it was it still holds up for me in terms of entertainment, I appreciated the practical set pieces and visual effects a lot more in this era of CGI saturation and they weren't afraid if getting weird with it, like Joker pulling out that ridiculus pistol that can shoot down the Batplane in one shot lol. That final sequence of Batman climbing up the bell tower as the Joker keeps attacking him had good atmosphere, I wonder how they shot that scene
Reeves did say he was not going to lean into the fantastical parts of batman in the comics, so we aren't going to see comic accurate Mr.Freeze, Bane, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface or even more obscure/goofy Batman villains like Kite Man or the Condiment King. I have a feeling we'll see villains that work with well the grounded detective aspect of Batman like the Court of Owls, Hush, Calendar Man, or the other crime families. Which stinks because I would love to see a detective story about Clayface where he changes his identity after every kill and uses his fake faces to frame powerful people(including Bruce Wayne or batman?).
Honestly, I've been waiting for a reset of Batman since 1989. When that first Burton movie came out, I felt like the only one who disliked the rubber costume that made him look like a toy, the odd casting, the hollow plot that forced actors to chew scenery because they had nothing to chew on in the actual script. I didn't even particularly love the city design. Not that it was bad, far from it. It hit all my buttons. But if Gotham is meant to be a character, Burton's Anton Furst-designed Gotham was an empty costume, very much like Batman himself. Keaton at the time complained that most of his job was moving the suit around. I'll give massive points to Burton for coming up with the live-action cartoon approach (though actually, I'd say Robert Altman accomplished that years earlier in his interesting but ultimately failed Popeye movie,) and I'll credit him for the best depiction of Catwoman in any medium (that I know of). But his style-over-substance approach to Batman and Gotham set a precedent that it took 30 years to get past. Nolan took an interesting approach to Gotham in Batman Begins, but this was clearly not his preferred approach. In subsequent films, he moved away from the Kowloon-inspired slums and the Star-Trek-like monorail. Those elements were conceived to build Gotham's unique characterization. And as much of a Chris Nolan fan as I am, I think we can all see that Nolan just isn't that interested in characterization. His work focuses on very different things. So his Gotham quickly became a more generic representation of modern metropolitan civilization, to match the more conceptual, less character-driven style of his storytelling. As for his Batman design, I think he was forced to emulate the previous films as closely as possible, just for the sake of brand recognition. And ultimately, despite the elaborate, fun explanations for his Batman's suit, cape, grapnel, ears, etc, his Batman still looked like a man dressed as a toy. Beyond the molded rubber musculature, I think the thick, molded neck that immobilizes the actor ends up rendering his "realistic" Batman as cartoonish as any other. It's less a costume than a prop, with the actor buried inside, his face poking out like an afterthought. The molded brow furrow hampers any attempt at performance as much as the immobilizing neck. Even in The Dark Knight, we're left to stare at Bale's mouth movements, which look strange and inexplicable without the actor's whole face to complete the expression. We never thought Bale did weird things with his mouth before he put on the cowl. In my opinion, Ben Affleck's 'roided out costume wasn't much better. Sure, it was grittier, both figuratively and literally, with his rugged texture. But his swollen neck and molded musculature still served to make him look like a toy. And given how hard Affleck and Cavill worked to transform themselves into beasts, I can't see the addition of the bulky extra muscle padding as anything other than insecure overcompensation. I'd have loved to see both actors wearing costumes that got out of the way of their performances, rather than hampering them. Regardless, I can't deny your point that Snyder's BvS was the first time Batman looked truly cool in combat. But what I absolutely adored about Reeves' reset of the Batman costume is that it just looks like what it's meant to be. It doesn't look like a toy, or a corporate product, or a recreation of a comic-book drawing. It looks like real armor. The cowl looks like something an unhinged man would make in his basement. Its marked similarity to the Riddler's serial-killer style was no accident. This Batman is meant to look like one step shy of the zodiac killer himself. I think this is what I love about The Batman, and the foundation it has (hopefully) laid for the character's future. It's 100% Batman, but also, it feels like it came to it naturally. It doesn't feel like a cute set of coincidences that led a realistic world to produce a man in a rubber suit and cowl, driving around in a super-car. It all feels plausible, and yet, it's also pure comic-book movie. The Penguin show is bearing this out too, disguising itself as a gangster story, but clearly following the structures and beats of a supervillain origin. These are tales of characters who become larger than life, who become iconic. But what makes that transformation so great is seeing the simple, human components come together to become more. This Batman isn't outfitted with impossible toys by a magical R&D department. He wasn't trained by a secret ninja society. He can't fly. At all. Yet, when the time comes, he becomes every inch the Batman. And his feet of clay make that transformation into a true superhero all the more bad-ass, for being so fleeting. And the same goes for Sophia Gigante and Oswald Cobb. The common thread is, they're all pitiably human characters, who transform into something greater, for good or ill. Not through magic, or weird science, or bottomless wealth, but through an act of will, and catching fate at the right moment. Like you, I'm hoping this becomes the blueprint for cinema Batman moving forward. It feels like a step forward after the character had been stuck in a 30 year rut. I don't necessarily need Batman to wear a leather cowl and high collar, and run around in a gritty, realistic Gotham every time. I just hope this gives subsequent films permission to try new things, instead of feeling like they have to keep doing the same rubber Batman forever.
And yeah, I could do without another Joker movie. I'm hoping the failure of Folie a Deux, deserved or not (I have no dog in that race,) will prompt people to try a different direction. But of course, never underestimate the boundless lack of imagination of film-makers, and film-goers.
I feel the same way. Before The Batman, I felt like there wasn’t a definitive Batman to me. I can’t talk about Adam West. I never watched his series or movies because I’m not a fan of campy Batman. Tim Burton’s first Batman film was all right. I watched it more than the TDK trilogy and while Gotham City in that film was the best the atmosphere and the cinematography were great. Keaton’s Batman I’m not a fan of he just doesn’t scream Batman to me and I don’t like the rubber suit with the fake printed muscles his Bruce Wayne was good though. Nicholson’s Joker was ok I’m not a fan of that fake smile it looked uncanny to me and Bro was simping for Vicky Vale which is out of character. But that laugh after he takes off his bandages is haunting I’ll give him that. Batman Returns was too weird for me it wasn’t a Batman film to me. Keaton’s Batman killed people which I don’t like his suit again is just not great he can’t even turn his neck and his fighting in both films just looks bad. The Penguin was too weird for me it just didn’t feel like the character at all, again the cinematography and Gotham itself are beautiful. Catwoman is the best character in the film great performance by Michelle she was the best Catwoman. It’s obvious that Tim Burton doesn’t care about the character nor is he a fan and this is coming from a Burton fan I love his films but when he touches an already existing property it doesn’t go together. I didn’t bother watching the Schumacher films… Nolan brought Batman back to his roots being dark, serious, and gritty but still, it just didn’t work for me. Batman Begins was ok the fighting cinematography is horrible I can barely see or make out anything. The suit is also bad it looks very restrictive and the cowl making his head tilt down a little bit is gonna give him a neck hump. His voice in this film is pretty good especially when he says “SWEAR TO ME!” that was perfect. Ra’ Al Gual is a good villain (though I don’t like how they mispronounced his name) I like that mentor-turner villain character however Scarecrow was kinda underused but his scenes were perfectly done well. Gotham in this film is also great seeing the slums of Gotham was such a great approach however it was only used once. The Dark Knight is a great film the only film I like from the trilogy because of Heath Ledger’s Joker phenomenal performance and the best Joker R.I.P Heath Ledger. All that aside I’m not a fan of Bale’s performance as Batman…His voice is horrible he fights too slow with these weird elbow hits and the suit in this film looks bad and was proven ineffective when he easily got shot by Two Face. Bale’s performance as Bruce Wayne is great he has a rich persona to him. Gotham in this film is just Chicago. TDKR is the worst film in the trilogy Batman’s voice is horrendously worse and the fighting cinematography is bad not as bad as begins. I’m not a fan of Tom Hardy’s Bane this is where grounded and realism are taken too far this Bane just doesn’t scream Bane to me his voice just doesn’t sound menacing and it doesn’t match his menacing look. He was putting in work I’ll give him that. Nolan also doesn’t care nor is a fan of the character he made that very clear just like Tim Burton. Snyder just straight-up ruined the character. Affleck’s Batman is a murderer and for the first time trying to show his detective skills he just hacks a computer thus making him a lazy detective. Affleck’s Batman also used guns😐. The only thing I like is the voice he sounds menacing and the suit is the best Batman suit It is straight out of the comics. Snyder stating that Batman not killing makes him irrelevant tells me everything I need to know. Snyder doesn’t understand the character nor cares about Batman and it shows. But then The Batman was released and for the first time, I got a real Batman film. Pattinson’s Batman is a detective he and Gordon investigate the aftermaths of the Riddler’s murders finding clues and riddles. He and Alfred also crack the code at the beginning of the film. His fighting is also the most realistic this man fought like he was New York he was putting in work you can see the anger in him though he does slip up a few times that’s what I expect from the year two Batman he’s got the anger and arrogance just like Batman from Arkham Origins. His suit is also the most effective with it being bulletproof but at the same time it’s not invincible when he gets flown by a double barrel (shotguns in general send people flying) and that’s realistic I hate the fact in recent times DC makes Batman invincible in the comics but he is human after all. For the first time, the black makeup around the eyes doesn’t disappear when he takes off the cowl, unlike the previous adaptations. Though he is flawed don’t get me wrong but, realistically, this is Batman in his second year in crime fighting so he’s inexperienced meanwhile the previous adaptations besides Affleck make him an expert on the first night. My only gripe is the wingsuit they gassed as with that promo magazine with him gliding with his cape. Gotham in this film is the best since Tim Burton’s Batman is a modern city yet gothic at the same time dirty it’s depressing and filled with crime it looks like The Bronx (Where I’m from). Overall The Batman is my definitive Batman and the most faithful adaptation.
@@DarkBowserrI completely agree man to me Matt reeves actually created THE Batman for me and it’s someone who somehow really understands the character on another level compared to all the other adaptations
@@DarkBowserr See, that's the thing, I don't need a definitive Batman. I loved this one as much as you did. I didn't have a problem with the wing suit. I understand the thinking behind it. They wanted a grounded, realistic Batman that didn't need explanations for his gadgets, and a Batman whose cape can become a glider, in real life, just defies reality a bit too much. But that leads to the question of whether Batman should always be so grounded. I'd like to see a Batman in a world where his cape can become a glider, where people can become Clayface or Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy, where science can be fantastical, and a touch of magic can exist. But I wouldn't want to give up this grounded version either. I want both, and both can't exist in the same universe. So I'm happy to see the character be reinvented again and again. I also hate the way so many fans complain that this Batman makes mistakes. Like, yeah, he's a character in a story. He's not supposed to be perfect. In what universe is that at all interesting? I think it's a mistake to take a film like this, which is built to exist in its own universe, and try to retcon it into the existing history of Batman, and then complain that it doesn't fit. The thing I love most about Batman is that his canon is ever-shifting. He thrives on reinvention. So I don't want to see him develop a playboy persona, or trade in his customized Dodge Charger for a race car tank, or develop a cape that turns into bat wings. I love this Batman for his uniqueness. I don't want that to be replaced by something I've seen before, to fit into a standardized idea of what Batman should be. And when a new Batman pops up in James Gunn's new DCU, I hope he'll be as different from this version as from any previous version.
I’m commenting before finishing the whole video, but also multitasking a bit. Personally, I’d say the best Batman movie ever made was mask of the phantasm. BTAS has long been my gold standard and that movie just encapsulated a lot of reasons why, although the series as a whole brings so much that defines Batman for me. The Dark Knight trilogy are the best movies to me featuring Batman, and it was at first because I was younger and they looked cool and felt mature and were very well made but as I get older they say a lot that sticks with you beyond comic book and even action movie tendencies. Actually, I kind of scoffed when you said Gotham isn’t a character in those movies, I know what you meant, but the irony is me personally, every time I rewatch those films I realize they stuck with me so deep because they ARE about Gotham, not really Batman or the villains. I like to use the analogy it’s like a story about Gotham recovering from an abusive relationship with corruption, Batman being the one to lead them that way. I’ve written whole essays on it before and won’t do that here but it’s the way that Batman’s actions transcend his own reputation, he legitimately is the symbol of their hope and by far one of the most defining characteristics to me for BTAS Batman is his empathy and humanity despite being surrounded by the lowest of humanity every night. TDK ≠ BTAS by a long shot, but I think they both get that empathetic and selfless nature nailed perfectly when it matters and do other different things very very well in their own ways. Now, when it comes to the Batman, it’s so funny because initially with the marketing I thought the same thing. It SOUNDED exactly like what I’d wanted from a Batman movie, something that was grounded and realistic like Nolan but with even more of a silence of the lambs spin that explored some more of the almost supernatural crime noir a good Batman story can excel at. It all SOUNDED great. He certainly SAID the right things. And the movie by far was definitely eye and ear candy, you can’t deny that. I absolutely liked it after I first saw it. This comes down to personal taste, I just thought and still think it’s incredibly overrated. I think differing interpretations of Batman are valid, and it makes sense that Bruce would evolve once he’s made the promise to when he trains to his first year as Batman to his tenth. Like I said, I think the draw to me about him is the way he remains empathetic and selfless even if he isn’t warm and cuddly about it - he lives in a hard world, but he believes in Gotham, all parts, good and bad, and I believe that love was rooted in the profound respect he had for his parents and the example they set in their time with him about how to treat the less fortunate in Gotham. The issue is the Batman is all about Bruce learning that empathy that in my opinion is what sets him apart as a hero from the start, and they discredit the Waynes while doing so. And I realize it’s been done before in long Halloween and new 52 and the telltale games. But that brings it to another issue with proponents of the film - just because it’s in the comics doesn’t necessarily mean much and in this case it’s almost a surface level jigsaw puzzle of various comic references. People get so fixated on “that’s just like year one! That’s just like earth one! That’s just like new 52!” It speaks to a love for the character, absolutely, but retreading the same ground doesn’t inherently make it good itself. It’s not the trump card a lot of people think it is, to lift something straight out of the comic book instead of understanding the subtext that made those comics so identifiable in the first place and replicating that. My thing is, Bruce failed as a depiction of the character because he wasn’t particularly empathetic or emotionally resilient, he was the reflection of what a lot of people would be in his situation and was kind of a realization of the parodies and mischaracterizations the character has experienced basically since the end of BTAS or even after TDK trilogy, mostly being reduced to an uncontrollable angry mess. And failing that, it really wasn’t at all a good crime mystery on par with some of the best in the genre, not only did he completely fail to stop the riddler at any point in his plot but he barely solved any of the riddles themselves. And the riddles didn’t feel necessarily creative or engaging, they were kind of just blathering word salad that felt more pompous than legitimate. The funny thing is I think I’d like this movie a lot more for what it claimed to do if it WASN’T about Batman. I’m all for a story about a guy consumed by vengeance trying to relearn compassion. But we’ve had such a bastardized emo Batman that falls so short of the best aspects of the character for so long I’m sick of it, personally, and it’s a shtick this movie just further reinforces. It’s not interesting or moving anymore. Batman always was supposed to be the best we could be if we set ourselves to it, in every way, emotionally, intellectually, physically. That’s what makes him a superhero. Again, it all comes down to personal preference. I think many of the writers of Batman don’t even really understand what quite sets him apart. I just think the best version of Batman is the one who sits with Ace as she dies and brings Harley the dress she bought legally and asks his parents’ grave for permission to let them go. With how many BTAS fans there are, I know I’m not alone, and I know my interpretation isn’t definite because a lot of BTAS fans love this movie too. I just think especially in today’s world the ultimate underlying message I took from BTAS and even TDK trilogy is monumentally important, and yet we keep entertaining this misery porn version of Batman that doesn’t really teach or inspire anything in my view. It doesn’t really motivate people to be better, it just helps us feel justified in our negative emotions
On your comments about the Joker at the end, there's a deleted scene where Batsy goes to Arkham to talk to Reeves' version of Joker and omg was it intense and terrifying. If that is the version of the Joker we eventually get from this era then I'm all for it. That being said, I would like for him to be the main villain of the third movie. Have him be the final boss Batman fights and throughout the series we just get cameos of him.
"Officially as cool as Lassie and Big Bird." made me laugh so hard. And if Burton made a movie with Depp as Batman, he would probably have Helena Bonham Carter as Catwoman or Poison Ivy.
Matt reeves likes batman so much he styled himself after commissioner gordon
Hahaha
Noice one😂
Legit 😂
While ironically miscasting the role
@TheDoctorOfMDMA lmaooo
One of my favorite acting moments from Pattinson was in the scene of the clip you showed of him walking into the room with a big window while Alfred is working on the cypher. If you watch, the moment Pattinson steps into the light coming through the window, he winces briefly and looks away like the light is painful, and a moment later puts on the sunglasses. That brief moment where he seems to have a reflexive reaction to the sun really showcases in a subtle way how he has truly become a "nocturnal creature."
This reminded me of him being a quirky vampire in twilight lol
@pedf2000 lol I haven't seen the movies but at least he didn't sparkle in the sunlight
I had to go back and watch that scene and yeah it's like a blink and you miss it sort of thing but it had to be a deliberate choice from the actor and was a smart and natural feeling nuance to the character.
@@krisdavis3888 My auntie really liked those movies so I've watched it with her when I lived in my grandma house, it was so cringe lol. The sad part about those movies is that people underestimated Pattison a lot when they announced him for the next Batman.
@@pedf2000 Luckily more people will probably remember him more for this now than for Twilight. My wife read the books and what she told me about them was just..... yeah cringe I think sums them up lol. The funny thing is no one took Keaton or Affleck seriously as Batman either, or Ledger as Joker, before their movies came out and they all changed their mind after.
I loved the Batman so much I’m desperate for the trilogy to happen and for Matt Reeves to do all 3 movies exactly the way he wants them to be. I love and trust his vision unreservedly.
Same saw the premiere imax seats when the Batmobile was reving the seats were shaking as a Batman fan I said this is the Batman we needed on screen right out the theatre top 3 nights ever
@@bbraxtonnI am the only comic reader of my friend group. When we walked out of that movie I was the only one raving about it. I loved every second, it felt like all my favorite aspects from across the comics/games brought together into Battinson. It pains me that there is so much hate for this movie among general audiences.
@ real Batman fans like us know it’s the best
I’d be happy for Matt Reeves to make more than three.
Why? it isnt even that good
Put some respect on officer martinez bro he is NOT a nameless character 😭🙏
For real
Gil Abraham is from my hometown. I hope Martinez has a future in this universe still!
His “eyyyyy Mista Wayne!” Fanboying always gives me a chuckle
@@HoustonSotolol I love his character I hope he gets more in the next movie!
I came here to say this exact thing
I remember people doubted this movie when it was first announced. They didn't like, the costume design and the actor. But I knew Matt Reeves would deliver. And I dig the bat suit design right from the start.
I was heavily concerned when it was announced and originally shown but like a week before it came out something snapped in my brain and I got super excited and the batsuit is easily the best one I've seen
Wow you are so much smarter than those people
And Pattinson went on to be one of the best to ever don the cowl.
The movie is dumb, lacks logic, tryhards to be dark and gritty while being naively bad as if a 12yr old emo teen that never saw a movie in his life made a movie
@pigozz hur dur movie dum😖
It also helps that you can see his fucking jawline so he doesn’t look like an edgy telletubby
Yeahhhh they returned to it being a cowl, not a helmet, we love that.
And leather never fails
@@WhoMadeThisBurger69 YES! The face hole has bugged me forever
When walked out the cinema the first time i watched this movie, i literally felt like i could die happy. The Batman was literally everything i had wanted as long as i had been a serious fan of Batman. If there is a movie that is made for me, this is it…
No!! we can't die until we see The Batman 2
this is so sad
@@woozie77 why is it sad?
Completely agree
I've always hated the "Batman beats up space aliens" shit with Justice League and all that. This is the Batman I always wanted to watch.
Bruuuceee .......Whaayynnee. He's the only one we didn't get
We did it together!
Does he know?
Idk why reading this made me realize the double meaning, since we literally didn’t get the character of “Bruce Wayne” yet. I wonder if the next film opens with the business mogul, playboy philanthropist persona.
That scene gave me chills. It's never outright stated, but I love the fact that Riddler's so focused on his crusade that he never even entertains the thought that Bruce Wayne could be Batman.
I get ur complaints bcuz the dark knight has more Bruce but this Bruce is different it’s a Bruce who fixates more on his parents death and is more affected by trauma it’s early and obviously Bruce isn’t gonna have the Bruce Wayne personality down yet now he has a motivation to become that after the ending and become a better hero he’s gonna feel bad about what’s he done to The Batman 2 boutta be so peak
Matt Reeves did for Batman on screen what Year One did for him in comics.
I think the comparison fits better with The Dark Knight Returns tho
That’s a great way of putting it
I wasn't a huge batman fan, generally preferring Mavel over DC. However, this movie is the first movie to get me to fully understand Batman as a character. That shot of him looking at the kid who just lost his father made the whole character click for me and suddenly it all made sense.
Nolan scratched it but Reeves is finally really giving us a gritty Batman-Noir, and I love it.
Love that scene too. My fav one is when Bruce goes to the bar cave and Alfred is pestering him about how to keep appearances as a Wayne and Bruce replies with what he’s doing is for his family legacy. It was that line that made me go: finally after my 18yrs of living , someone understands Batman on a deeper level in live action. That made me think that is the Batman I’ve personally wanted for so long
If you wanna get into Batman more, some comics / games and shows :
COMICS
Batman year one
Batman Earth one
Batman court of owls
LONG Halloween /dark victory
GAMES
Arkham series- all four.
Shows-
Batman animated series
The Batman 2004
Batman cape crusader
@@KingAtreides03 Thanks, I appreciate it! I'll be checking those out.
@@breach005 To Nolan's credit, there's a difference between becoming Batman and continuing as Batman. Watching Batman Begins, you can really feel the investment Nolan had for the character... but, after that, he basically turned into a night-stalking, batsuit-wearing James Bond.
The penguin has really revived batman for me. I didnt watch the 2022 batman until a couple days ago and i am in love with gotham
Reeves has made me love this horrid city too. Previous DCU made me not give a shit about Batman because DCU Batman is lame as fuck,.
I agree Matt Reeves actually knows how to make a proper Batman movie to me. Like yeah The Dark Knight was a cool movie but this to me has became my favorite Batman movie because it feels like a real Batman movie
It’s crazy it took this long for a director to understand the character!? Or, for a studio to trust a fan to make a Batman movie lol
@ I completely agree this man actually understands how Batman actually works
Christopher Nolan really neglected Gotham City in his movies. Too much daylight and no noir elements to it.
Yes dark night didn't click me that much as matt batman did
All of yall are smoking rocks. Nolan crushes Reeves in every way
I saw it opening night with my mum, it has been my favourite Batman movie since. TDK still has the greatest Batman villain performance, but I think Reeves did it better than Nolan overall. Fraser's cinematography is a huge factor for me.
Yeah david fincher movies look great.
@@funkoxenCry about it dude.
My favorite version by far. Batman is on screen in the Dark Knight for 25% of the runtime. In Reeves its 70%. He also looks and sounds amazing meaning that 70% is quite enjoyable. I hope they keep this quality up moving forward because this vibe is peak.
I’ve been watching essays on The Batman since it came out. This is one of the best. Thank you so much for this tribute and well thought analysis to my favorite movie of all time. 🦇
twin!!!
30:43 he does refer to himself as Batman in Riddler’s apartment. He tells Gordon that “maybe this is all coming to an end.” Gordon asks “what?” and he replies “The Batman”.
I wish I could scrub my brain and see The Batman again for the first time in an IMAX theater at the fan event on March 1st. I was completely captivated by every second of the film. It was the first time that I felt like I was watching The Batman from the comics on the screen. I couldn't believe how much time he actually spent in the suit. I fucking loved it. It's BY FAR the best Batman film ever made, in my opinion. And it's not even close. And I don't think we need to worry too much at all that James Gunn is going to come in and fuck up Matts sequel. He's made it pretty clear that the most they're going to do as far as The Batman Epic Crime Saga is stay the fuck out of Matt's way. Which is the best news possible. Which Matt said was literally his dream come true. And with the success of The Penguin, WB would be fools to interfere with his process at all. The Penguin finale is tonight (which sucks cause I want 8 more episodes) but every episode has only grown with it's viewership. It's safe to say that The Batman Epic Crime Saga is here to stay for years to come!!
Great video, btw, dude! You described what makes it so different and special perfectly!
Bro, you are the first person I've seen saying the same things I've been saying about batman movies and the batman 2022, and i really appreciate it lmao...Great video!
I never see anyone mention the scene in front of the funeral @29:19, The paparazzi yells "that's Bruce Wayne!" and for a fraction of a second Bruce looks up and tries to smile, abandoning the attempt as fake and ill conceived, and hides his face. It is the most perfect representation of the true character of Bruce Wayne that I have ever seen.
The references to Hush in The Batman…get me so excited 😁
I really want a story where we focus on Mr. Freeze but have random people having there faces cut off here and there then revealing hush as a twist character pulling strings within the story
@@crazy_nate2574would be cool to see me freeze in a winter setting but not sure if he’s fit in this world but tbf he somehow managed to make the riddler grounded and menacing so who knows
Great vid!! This is a brilliant look at Batman and Gotham, you brought up a lot of points I hadn't even given much thought to. Makes me love this movie even more :)
I saw this movie 5 times in IMAX. Took a new friend each time lmao
Reeve's trilogy will easily surpass Nolan's trilogy in terms of legendary status.
Yep
Each of the Batman iterations (except the M Reeves one) were made in eras of uncertainty or confirmed failure. Some were plagued by issues of their own. So they ended up taking a comic book character and making him part of 'cinema'. Times had changed enough for M Reeves to carefully examine the previous iterations, putting a comic book character in a grounded, yet comic book setting.
I’m glad I watched The Penguin too. Seeing the Penguin in The Batman whilst I did love the design and acting he still felt like they took a major character and made him a typical #1 henchman with a quirk the hero faces before the final villain. Once you see him on his own and his evolution into a full blown Rogue similar to The Riddler, you realise how much Matt and his team respects all parts of the Batman lore and really knows what they’re doing.
"Like an Emo Shawn Spencer" OMG That's actually the perfect description! Love Psych
Actually there was another movie that for the most part did what reeves did just back in the 90s. Its animated. Mask of the Phantasm is one where it's basically about Bruce. It is a sort of origin story in flashback. He does have a love interst but their love is essentially why the story is in motion. She was the last thing holding Bruce together and when they broke up he became batman. It does pretty much everything reeves batman does. He's front and centre. He's a character with his own arc. He is framed masterfully as intimating and cool. Gotham is beautifully rendered in 3d art deco. He feels and moves straight out of the comics.
Robert Pattinson did say in an interview that he loved Mask of The Phantasm and it inspired him on his take on Bruce/Batman because of the inherent sadness that is his life where he is basically sacrificing his happiness and well-being for the mission.
My favorite Batman movie ever next to “The Batman” Mask of the phantasm is a MASTERPIECE… I almost kind of sorta would LOVE a direct live action adaptation. With very few to no deviations.
The ending of this video relies on the assumption that Matt Reeves is setting up for Gotham to become this fantastical place with supernatural stuff and costumed villains, but there's no real evidence for that.
If anything Matt Reeves has gone OUT OF HIS WAY to explain that's not where his universe is going. There's not going to be any magic or Clayface. It's a grounded noir universe with a focus on the detective and crime side of Batman, and that's okay.
One realistic way they could do for supernatural stuff is the use of drugs. If Scarecrow is the villain at one point, they could do some serious nightmare fuel (maybe even more then Batman Begins.)
If that’s true, it’s a shame. Not saying they should go full magical, but why not have some of the more fantastical and sci-fi elements, especially since this version of Gotham already feels fantastical, and primed for that.
Another thing, he can’t just fight the same criminals over and over again. He’s gonna need to fight unique villains. Can’t just be gangsters and serial killers forever.
Clayface of this universe is in The Penguin.
It would be interesting if part 2 develops the Bruce Wayne playboy persona. Maybe Bruce uses the excuse that the "near death experience" on his life from the Riddler gave him the "realisation to just have fun". Or maybe the Drifter persona could develop into Matches Malone.
@@adamfreddo5703 or he takes the mayor's criticism to heart about using his money for philanthropy and creating a positive more charitable public face for Gotham
With the conclusion of The Penguin, Wayne will be forced to act as Wayne guaranteed. B2 ill be Bruce Wayne's origin story as a real player in Gotham if that makes sense.
@@breach005 I've been reluctant to watch a Batman show without Batman, I avoided the Gotham show as well but I'm considering checking it out after all the great reviews
@@krisdavis3888it is so good
@@krisdavis3888 Do it, but keep in mind that penguin is villain. Not an anti-hero or antagonist, a villain.
00:26 Excellent clip selection 👏🥂
25:46 what I have been screaming for so long watching Batman films. The animated version has us spoiled for DETECTIVE Batman (but in movies’ defense, they cannot do everything in 2 hours runtime; however, we do get detective noir films regardless)
The only time I’ve ever watched a movie in theatres that I wanted to go right back in and re watch it. If you would’ve told me before seeing this that it would be one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time I wouldn’t believe you lol
Just saw this video, i LOVED IT, you deserve more subs
We're gonna get severely disappointed with that supernatural take, i want less grounded super realistic take too but as you said, matt reeves is not embarrassed of the comic source but he's definitely not putting someone like Clayface in the movie, he would rather stick to the realistic aesthetic and we gotta accept that and thats fine to me. Brave and The Bold could be that more superheroy version of batman where he fight soloman and croc while ras uses the Lazarus Pitt for the 4000th time.
That's what I'm waiting for James Gunn's DCU FANTASTICAL Batman. That has me excited.
@FriendlyBatDoom personally i think what matt reeves is doing is the closest thing to perfect grounded batman can be, but i need a live action red hood story.
Kinda disappointed we're getting a Damian Wayne robin and already establishing Nightwing Redhood and Tim Drake. This batman is only 30 years old and theres no way he did all that in like just 30 years of age
Speak for yourself. Ive always felt DCU/Justice League Batman is lame as balls. The Snyder version is especially dog water.
Clayface can absolutely work in this universe, just not as a literal shapeshifter lol. How about he's a washed up actor, deep to the mob, gets his pretty actor face cut up. He resorts basically being Darkman.
@@breach005 I agree, but that was Snyder, and as we can see with his Rebel Moon films, he's a terrible storyteller. Snyder didn't care about doing the characters justice that's why his Batman was a mass murderer that got easily duped by Luthor. Batman shouldn't EVER be portrayed like that. Gunn, however, can potentially fix things and make him fantastical so we can get his villains in their glory instead of another grounded-in-reality approach.
@breach005 im sick of the mob in the universe.
Having played the Batman Arkham Games hands down Detective Batman is the best Batman. So the fact we got an actual crime noir film is what made this movie such a chef’s kiss for me.
Batman arkham Origin is same as the Batman (2022)
the psych reference was SO HYPE nobody talks about that show anymore :(
Jumpscare fr
This bat man along with ledgers joker and the penguin would have been the goat roster .
15:35 i completely agree about the voice actually, in batman begins the voice is actually natural and only that scary “throat cancer” voice when he’s trying to intimidate the crooked cop in the rain. At that point you see that his voice is an act, slightly disguising his normal voice, and deep and dark when hes trying to be intimidating
Amazing video ! Reeves and his crew cast did their thing
I share your love for The Batman. As I was watching, I wanted to address how Bruce is portrayed, and then you articulate that as well and as good as I can imagine being done. I really hope this video will get all the views it deserves, it is very very good work!
Gotham being Chicago in Dark Knight was very fitting
I still remember when 6,748,922 different people pitched the exact plot of The Batman on Reddit/Facebook/UA-cam etc. from late 2008 until the movie’s 2022 premiere, even down to the deleted Joker scene where Batman goes and interviews him, a la Hannibal Lecter.
But nah, you’re right. Matt Reeves is a unique genius. He’s unparalleled!
THANK YOU
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There are some corny and unnecessary moments for sure. But this movie did something that every other Batman doesn’t, and that is that it showcases just how bad Gotham has become. The Dark Knight trilogy did it in a few scenes like in that dirty kitchen mob boss meeting, but not nearly to the degree that Reeves portrayed. The Batman shows how huge, complex, dirty, run down, corrupt, and in ruins that the city is in. It’s like its own character. It’s constantly raining, it has tons of run down streets, bridges, alleyways, subways stations, basements, apartments, there’s tons of old gothic styled architecture mixed with modern glass and concrete buildings both covered in TV screens for advertising, and how crazy the citizens have become. You can feel the insane amount of history by just looking at any single shot of the city from the movie. So much storytelling in just the backgrounds and shots of the city.
Also, thank you Reeves for keeping Batman mostly in the shadows and dark settings. That’s the whole thing about Batman that makes him intimidating, is that he basically lives in the shadows, you know, like a bat? People of Gotham aren’t even sure if he’s a human because they can never see him fully as he stays in the shadows.
i just love the fact that the batman movie has a lot of batman in it , like the literal screen time is reserved to Batman , cant get enough of the movie really .
You literally said what I’ve been thinking for years. I never like Nolan’s Batman, his costume design and Christian bales acting always looked so goofy to me. It wasn’t until The Dark Knight and Heath Ledgers Joker that I was on board with it. But even then it was because of joker and a good script not because I liked Christian bales Batman. I think Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson did a amazing job with The Batman character, he has more screen time than previous iterations and the movie focuses on The Batman which is who I want to see in a Batman movie.
15:42
For me, it was in Batman Begins when(right after he strings up Falcone to the spotlight) the camera pans across Batman perched over the city like a gargoyle. Scenes like that and
20:06 is why Begins has always been my favorite of the Nolan Trilogy
Unpopular opinion but that trilogy definitely got worse as it went along.
Bar heath ledger , TDK wasn't as good. Loved begins and this one
In my honest opinion the whole tone and vibe of the Nolan verse changed with The Dark Knight… even Gotham looked different. It looks like Chicago… Begins Gotham was it’s own Character..Begins is in my top 3 favorite Batman movies
1. The Batman
2. Begins
3. Mask of the Phantasm
The Batman was a beautiful example refinement. Pattinson's Batman is a mix of Keaton, Bale and Affleck, taking what worked from all of them. Seriously needs a sequel that pushes it even further.
Edit: I just wanted to add, Batman Returns is still my favorite Batman movie. I saw it as a kid in theaters when I was 7 years old and it blew my mind. The scene with Selina and Bruce in the ballroom where they learn each other's secret identities is still the best acted scene in any comic book movie ever.
For me.. the drifter outfit hits so hard. So simple yet so smart. Can't wait for The Batman 2
The fact that there is a _deleted_ scene of the Joker, and that nobody involved (besides Pattinson...) even mentioned wanting to adapt the Joker, should be a good sign of things to come.
Although I personally agree with the idea that none of the previous directors really tried to make THE Batman, but rather their own version of the character, I think we must also take into consideration the “general audience” factor.
The Burton Movies, the Nolan Trilogy (and the Schumacher ones too, for that matter) had an important job to translate (for better or for worse) the character to the big screen in a way that would please fans, but also serve as an introduction to younger and newer generations.
It’s why, since Batman Begins, we’ve had no more origin stories, because, at this point, I think it’s safe to say everyone knows Batman and his origin. But, for a certain period, I do try to acknowledge that there were some people who didn’t know or care for it
(heck, remember the time when many people used to say that comic-books were for nerds? How far have we gone from there, right?)
So, yes, The Batman is a hell-of-a-movie, maybe it just might be the perfect iteration of the Dark Knight (or at least the best one so far), but I think we should take some time to remember some of those previous movies had a tough battle to face… they would walk so we could run
If we didn't recently have the Dark knight trilogy, Matt Reves would obviously done his own origin story in the same style as "The Batman" and it would have been just as amazing. Reves was just aware that another origin film would be redundant at the current moment, and so he jumped right into an early stage batman, just after his origin, where he is still finding himself and his path. The Nolan films were amazing as standalone crime films and the best depiction of the Joker we've ever seen, but "The Batman" was the best Batman we've ever seen. Not taking away from Christian Bale either, he's incredible. I think you easily swap both respective actors into the other's film and it would have worked.
Nolan’s Trilogy was, at least to me, more about Bruce Wayne understanding what it means to be Batman.
Reeves trilogy will most likely be Batman understanding what it means to be Bruce Wayne.
It’s why the Batman 2 supposedly being more about Bruce Wayne actually sounds exciting if true, we’ll see Batman learn through being Bruce Wayne what it means to be a symbol of hope and Justice, which will translate into a more complete Batman in Batman 3.
Again, assuming all of it’s true.
Well said.
21:42 Emo Shawn Spencer?? As someone currently watching Psych, I really admire that reference 😂😂
I know yourube can be a bit of an echo chamber but damn this is exactly my thoughts.
Reeves/Pattinson have made the perfect Batman to me. Everything. The suit, the car. My God the car. Gotham, Catwoman, Penguin... it's noir enough and comic book enough. It's Blade Runner (esque) and incredibly cool, Dracula. I described it to friends as the first film that makes a man running around a city in a cosrume _not_ a silly idea. Hes quietly intelligent. But he's actually someone to be afraid of. For once the other characters are genuinely scared/creeped out by him. It's real..finally!
I really hope they don't "Hollywood" all over the sequels.
Great video man! Can’t wait for Mr. Freeze and other weirdos to go in that slightly stranger comic book direction, while maintaining the integrity - Reeves gave us a great Riddler, now we need justice for Victor!
You just took the words out of my mouth concerning The Batman, to me The Batman is the best Batman film for all the reasons you gave in this video.
This was awesome. Reeves has made my new Gotham Prime. It's a masterful, inspired project. The Gotham Crime Saga is the greatest thing to happen to comics since paper
I think the Joker should never actually step down to act as an antagonist, but be like an overarching shadow, the face of all the others, who sits on his throne up in Arkham and serves as a confidant and mirror to the Batman in a twisted friendship. Where in a certain sense, outside of the Batman's interactions, it's as if he does not even really exist.
Similar to Hannibal in silence of the lambs
I realized why Gotham in this universe is so compelling, is because Reeves made Gotham not just a city but a character. It is affected by Batman just as Riddler, and it evolves along with Batman as he realizes that he could do more.
Gothams feels alive because it is a character just as Batman is.
You’re largely mistaken about Joel Schumacher. He was instructed by the studio to re-orient his films towards kid-friendly themes (after the whole Batman Returns controversy). As well, Batman Forever had a much more serious sub-plot involving Bruce’s parents, but it was cut at the direction of the studio. And Schumacher said many times that he initially wanted to make a movie based on Miller’s Batman: Year One, and had that in mind for a third film too.
Besides, Forever had a lot of decent stuff in it. Batman and Robin, however, had only a single decent thread, which was the Bruce/Alfred relationship. Everything else was just embarrassing, except maybe for small children.
Freeze is pretty quotable, if you're severely drunk
@ ,
Arnold’s enthusiasm IS infectious while under the influence…good point.
I was obsessed with that movie as a kid so it makes sense, even as an adult I think the character designs are stunning, specially freeze, with his snow speckled skin that doesn’t lose any depth and his space age armor, perfectly set against cartoony neon lights
@
You’re right, and I always forget how crazy energized the production design was. And my god did Arnold have a blast as Freeze.
Thank you for mentioning this. Schumacher actually had some good ideas on wanting to explore Batman/Bruce's psychology, a full decade before Nolan would do so in Batman Begins. The subplot of Bruce having repressed memories of the night his parents died and his father's journal were really compelling.
And the deleted scenes of Bruce thinking his parents wanted to stay home that night but him wanting to go to the movies made them leave, making him feel responsible. Only later discovering it was the opposite: his parents wanted to go out after all, making Bruce finally no longer blame himself for their murder. And when he learns to mend the Batman persona with his normal personality is a really good scene too. It makes the end scene after defeating Riddler when he says "I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman, not because I have to be but because I choose to be" feel more poignant.
The hook or “ intro” really got me I know you wow teachers or professors with that writing ✍️
That's a good way explain why this version really works. I clearly felt a big difference between the batam in live action vs the DC animated movies. This is the first time I see a live action batman close to that and actually be a detective that's learning
My ONLY problem with Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise is that, like Nolan’s trilogy, it’s relying too much on a realistic setting. I love how they’re tackling it in the Reeves universe (even moreso than Nolan’s trilogy handled it, no disrespect)… but at the end of the day, it’s once again limiting the character and his rogues.
Matt could still give us some fascinating takes on Batman’s more grounded rogues like The Court of Owls, Two Face, Black Mask, Deathstroke, Pyg, Hush, Scarecrow, maybe even Clayface and Croc if he handles them creatively… but it’ll be impossible to see the real fantastical villains like Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, Man Bat, Monster Clayface, Monster Croc, etc…
I was kinda saddened when I heard Matt Reeves was doubling down on the realism of his world. I always had hoped Matt would differentiate his take from Nolan’s in a unique way by taking his realistic grounded Batman universe, and kinda leaning into the fantastical without totally immersing his universe in it. Kinda like how X-Files handled supernatural entities in a seemingly realistic world. Their existence mostly wouldn’t be explained, so it would make their presence that much more unsettling… because people are afraid of what they don’t understand… and what they don’t understand is THE UNKNOWN.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve felt this way strongly since I saw it and not seen anyone articulate the feeling better. Even if The Dark Knight is a better movie, The Batman is by far the best (live action) *Batman* movie. It feels like the comics, the Arkham games and the best Batman seen in animation. I really hope that Batman directors going forward understand that and take it to heart.
I’m 13 minutes into the video and honestly all these directors and different versions of Batman paved the way for Matt reeves to make the perfect adaptation of everything that is Batman from the city to the tech to the villains to the weather. I have very high hopes for the Batman part 2, can’t fucking wait
This is the main issues with Marvel right now are two-fold:
- The original purpose of the multiverse was to just excuse all the different adaptations and takes on characters. To explain the wildly shifting tone from writer to writer, to artist to artist. DC has a multiverse too, but it's much less prevalent.
- DC just has better villains that bring better conflict. Ther fact that the mainstream are trying to convert Harley Quin into an anti-hero is a testament of the complexities they can bring.
That was such a dope breakdown
The moment they announced Matt Reeves was directing a Batman movie I knew it was gonna be fantastic.
I loved what he did with the Planet of the apes films, the man knows how to make movies.
I think the reason the Batman worked was because it wasn’t afraid of how dark Batman truly is. Criminals are meant to be afraid of Batman, paranoid that he’s always watching, it was always meant to be gritty, violent and realistic
Matt Reeves would be the only person I’d want to make a proper Red Hood movie. The cinematography, tonality, grit etc would be perfect for my fav DC character
Great breakdown of the Matt Reeves Batman, Cleaver. If you enjoyed Batman 2022 then I highly recommend The Penguin series on MAX because it really does well expanding on Gotham City and the Power Vacuum left by Carmines Death.
THE BATMAN was the first superhero film that felt genuinely comic book to me
Yep felt like watching Sin City - a true Graphic novel adaptation
@@nicholaslever-naylor8315are you fucking high?
The idea that we couldn't get two Caps at once, as real as that may sound, is also so sad. We really could've just kept Steve Rogers *and* Sam Wilson at the same time, like in the comics.
Imagine the agent that spotted Danny Devito and thought “now that’s a movie star!”
just like they doubted heath ledger as the joker, they doubted robert pattinson too - and boy did they both deliver on their respective roles
This properly conveyed my thoughts on this adaptation of Batman. Nice.
The lego batman movie has an arc.
seeing this in theaters was one hell of an experience imo reeves gave us the best batman and batman film in live action
I'm never going to say that the Christopher Nolan Batman films are bad, but I definitely don't think they should be regarded as the gold standard of batman films. They're personally not interesting to me, but I get why people love them so much.
14:41 I spat out my drink 😂
9:10 dawg I think this joke actually cooked the hardest two face design ever that sounds PEAK
The adrenaline-pumping scene is my favorite part of the film. Batman is so serious about changing Gotham that he needs to take steroids to keep himself from getting tired or fainting, theres a reason why his suit has a goddamn hole for it, he pumping that sh*t in order to stay awake. Holy sh*t, this is the first time a Batman has been completely dedicated to his mission-not a Batman who trained harder and then quit right away (Bale), or a Batman who murders his own Gotham residents (Afleck). This Batman is just so DAMN SERIOUS about changing Gotham with his project, glad he found a way in the end.
After finishing the Penguin, I can't wait for #2!
Matt’s Batman was emo af 😂
I love the way Pattison's Batman moves slowly when he's not fighting. Everything feels considered like he's constantly taking everything in. It's the first big screen Batman that feels like an actual detective. Brilliant movie and I can't wait for the next one.
Lego Batman "got" Batman , I will die on this hill
“Metropolised Whoville”… my dude, you didn’t have to murder an entire city like that 😂
Around 10 min in, there's the saying "They're Comic Books, not Drama Books".
Comics are a Medium, not a Genre. Comics can be Drama, Action, adventure, etc.
Saying this would dilute what it means to be a Comic
I'm pretty sure he was mocking the directors that didn't take the character seriously
Great video. I totally agree and can’t wait for The Batman 2 in 2026
24:14 Hey now, show Officer Martinez some respect. He's like the only other cop that Gordon actually addresses by name.
Exactly! When I was watch in the film my mind kept shifting to the comic panels as in it felt closest to the source material in look, feel and character potrayal.
I caught the ending of Batman 1989 in theare recently and to my surprise as campy as it was it still holds up for me in terms of entertainment, I appreciated the practical set pieces and visual effects a lot more in this era of CGI saturation and they weren't afraid if getting weird with it, like Joker pulling out that ridiculus pistol that can shoot down the Batplane in one shot lol. That final sequence of Batman climbing up the bell tower as the Joker keeps attacking him had good atmosphere, I wonder how they shot that scene
Reeves did say he was not going to lean into the fantastical parts of batman in the comics, so we aren't going to see comic accurate Mr.Freeze, Bane, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface or even more obscure/goofy Batman villains like Kite Man or the Condiment King. I have a feeling we'll see villains that work with well the grounded detective aspect of Batman like the Court of Owls, Hush, Calendar Man, or the other crime families.
Which stinks because I would love to see a detective story about Clayface where he changes his identity after every kill and uses his fake faces to frame powerful people(including Bruce Wayne or batman?).
I think he means is you wont see the fantastical parts of these, not you wont see a grounded take on them. All these are possible to ground imo
Honestly, I've been waiting for a reset of Batman since 1989. When that first Burton movie came out, I felt like the only one who disliked the rubber costume that made him look like a toy, the odd casting, the hollow plot that forced actors to chew scenery because they had nothing to chew on in the actual script. I didn't even particularly love the city design. Not that it was bad, far from it. It hit all my buttons. But if Gotham is meant to be a character, Burton's Anton Furst-designed Gotham was an empty costume, very much like Batman himself. Keaton at the time complained that most of his job was moving the suit around.
I'll give massive points to Burton for coming up with the live-action cartoon approach (though actually, I'd say Robert Altman accomplished that years earlier in his interesting but ultimately failed Popeye movie,) and I'll credit him for the best depiction of Catwoman in any medium (that I know of). But his style-over-substance approach to Batman and Gotham set a precedent that it took 30 years to get past. Nolan took an interesting approach to Gotham in Batman Begins, but this was clearly not his preferred approach. In subsequent films, he moved away from the Kowloon-inspired slums and the Star-Trek-like monorail. Those elements were conceived to build Gotham's unique characterization. And as much of a Chris Nolan fan as I am, I think we can all see that Nolan just isn't that interested in characterization. His work focuses on very different things. So his Gotham quickly became a more generic representation of modern metropolitan civilization, to match the more conceptual, less character-driven style of his storytelling.
As for his Batman design, I think he was forced to emulate the previous films as closely as possible, just for the sake of brand recognition. And ultimately, despite the elaborate, fun explanations for his Batman's suit, cape, grapnel, ears, etc, his Batman still looked like a man dressed as a toy. Beyond the molded rubber musculature, I think the thick, molded neck that immobilizes the actor ends up rendering his "realistic" Batman as cartoonish as any other. It's less a costume than a prop, with the actor buried inside, his face poking out like an afterthought. The molded brow furrow hampers any attempt at performance as much as the immobilizing neck. Even in The Dark Knight, we're left to stare at Bale's mouth movements, which look strange and inexplicable without the actor's whole face to complete the expression. We never thought Bale did weird things with his mouth before he put on the cowl.
In my opinion, Ben Affleck's 'roided out costume wasn't much better. Sure, it was grittier, both figuratively and literally, with his rugged texture. But his swollen neck and molded musculature still served to make him look like a toy. And given how hard Affleck and Cavill worked to transform themselves into beasts, I can't see the addition of the bulky extra muscle padding as anything other than insecure overcompensation. I'd have loved to see both actors wearing costumes that got out of the way of their performances, rather than hampering them. Regardless, I can't deny your point that Snyder's BvS was the first time Batman looked truly cool in combat.
But what I absolutely adored about Reeves' reset of the Batman costume is that it just looks like what it's meant to be. It doesn't look like a toy, or a corporate product, or a recreation of a comic-book drawing. It looks like real armor. The cowl looks like something an unhinged man would make in his basement. Its marked similarity to the Riddler's serial-killer style was no accident. This Batman is meant to look like one step shy of the zodiac killer himself.
I think this is what I love about The Batman, and the foundation it has (hopefully) laid for the character's future. It's 100% Batman, but also, it feels like it came to it naturally. It doesn't feel like a cute set of coincidences that led a realistic world to produce a man in a rubber suit and cowl, driving around in a super-car. It all feels plausible, and yet, it's also pure comic-book movie. The Penguin show is bearing this out too, disguising itself as a gangster story, but clearly following the structures and beats of a supervillain origin. These are tales of characters who become larger than life, who become iconic. But what makes that transformation so great is seeing the simple, human components come together to become more. This Batman isn't outfitted with impossible toys by a magical R&D department. He wasn't trained by a secret ninja society. He can't fly. At all. Yet, when the time comes, he becomes every inch the Batman. And his feet of clay make that transformation into a true superhero all the more bad-ass, for being so fleeting. And the same goes for Sophia Gigante and Oswald Cobb. The common thread is, they're all pitiably human characters, who transform into something greater, for good or ill. Not through magic, or weird science, or bottomless wealth, but through an act of will, and catching fate at the right moment.
Like you, I'm hoping this becomes the blueprint for cinema Batman moving forward. It feels like a step forward after the character had been stuck in a 30 year rut. I don't necessarily need Batman to wear a leather cowl and high collar, and run around in a gritty, realistic Gotham every time. I just hope this gives subsequent films permission to try new things, instead of feeling like they have to keep doing the same rubber Batman forever.
And yeah, I could do without another Joker movie. I'm hoping the failure of Folie a Deux, deserved or not (I have no dog in that race,) will prompt people to try a different direction. But of course, never underestimate the boundless lack of imagination of film-makers, and film-goers.
I feel the same way. Before The Batman, I felt like there wasn’t a definitive Batman to me. I can’t talk about Adam West. I never watched his series or movies because I’m not a fan of campy Batman. Tim Burton’s first Batman film was all right. I watched it more than the TDK trilogy and while Gotham City in that film was the best the atmosphere and the cinematography were great. Keaton’s Batman I’m not a fan of he just doesn’t scream Batman to me and I don’t like the rubber suit with the fake printed muscles his Bruce Wayne was good though. Nicholson’s Joker was ok I’m not a fan of that fake smile it looked uncanny to me and Bro was simping for Vicky Vale which is out of character. But that laugh after he takes off his bandages is haunting I’ll give him that.
Batman Returns was too weird for me it wasn’t a Batman film to me. Keaton’s Batman killed people which I don’t like his suit again is just not great he can’t even turn his neck and his fighting in both films just looks bad. The Penguin was too weird for me it just didn’t feel like the character at all, again the cinematography and Gotham itself are beautiful. Catwoman is the best character in the film great performance by Michelle she was the best Catwoman. It’s obvious that Tim Burton doesn’t care about the character nor is he a fan and this is coming from a Burton fan I love his films but when he touches an already existing property it doesn’t go together.
I didn’t bother watching the Schumacher films…
Nolan brought Batman back to his roots being dark, serious, and gritty but still, it just didn’t work for me. Batman Begins was ok the fighting cinematography is horrible I can barely see or make out anything. The suit is also bad it looks very restrictive and the cowl making his head tilt down a little bit is gonna give him a neck hump. His voice in this film is pretty good especially when he says “SWEAR TO ME!” that was perfect. Ra’ Al Gual is a good villain (though I don’t like how they mispronounced his name) I like that mentor-turner villain character however Scarecrow was kinda underused but his scenes were perfectly done well. Gotham in this film is also great seeing the slums of Gotham was such a great approach however it was only used once. The Dark Knight is a great film the only film I like from the trilogy because of Heath Ledger’s Joker phenomenal performance and the best Joker R.I.P Heath Ledger. All that aside I’m not a fan of Bale’s performance as Batman…His voice is horrible he fights too slow with these weird elbow hits and the suit in this film looks bad and was proven ineffective when he easily got shot by Two Face. Bale’s performance as Bruce Wayne is great he has a rich persona to him. Gotham in this film is just Chicago. TDKR is the worst film in the trilogy Batman’s voice is horrendously worse and the fighting cinematography is bad not as bad as begins. I’m not a fan of Tom Hardy’s Bane this is where grounded and realism are taken too far this Bane just doesn’t scream Bane to me his voice just doesn’t sound menacing and it doesn’t match his menacing look. He was putting in work I’ll give him that. Nolan also doesn’t care nor is a fan of the character he made that very clear just like Tim Burton.
Snyder just straight-up ruined the character. Affleck’s Batman is a murderer and for the first time trying to show his detective skills he just hacks a computer thus making him a lazy detective. Affleck’s Batman also used guns😐. The only thing I like is the voice he sounds menacing and the suit is the best Batman suit It is straight out of the comics. Snyder stating that Batman not killing makes him irrelevant tells me everything I need to know. Snyder doesn’t understand the character nor cares about Batman and it shows.
But then The Batman was released and for the first time, I got a real Batman film. Pattinson’s Batman is a detective he and Gordon investigate the aftermaths of the Riddler’s murders finding clues and riddles. He and Alfred also crack the code at the beginning of the film. His fighting is also the most realistic this man fought like he was New York he was putting in work you can see the anger in him though he does slip up a few times that’s what I expect from the year two Batman he’s got the anger and arrogance just like Batman from Arkham Origins. His suit is also the most effective with it being bulletproof but at the same time it’s not invincible when he gets flown by a double barrel (shotguns in general send people flying) and that’s realistic I hate the fact in recent times DC makes Batman invincible in the comics but he is human after all. For the first time, the black makeup around the eyes doesn’t disappear when he takes off the cowl, unlike the previous adaptations. Though he is flawed don’t get me wrong but, realistically, this is Batman in his second year in crime fighting so he’s inexperienced meanwhile the previous adaptations besides Affleck make him an expert on the first night. My only gripe is the wingsuit they gassed as with that promo magazine with him gliding with his cape. Gotham in this film is the best since Tim Burton’s Batman is a modern city yet gothic at the same time dirty it’s depressing and filled with crime it looks like The Bronx (Where I’m from).
Overall The Batman is my definitive Batman and the most faithful adaptation.
@@DarkBowserrI completely agree man to me Matt reeves actually created THE Batman for me and it’s someone who somehow really understands the character on another level compared to all the other adaptations
@@DarkBowserr See, that's the thing, I don't need a definitive Batman. I loved this one as much as you did. I didn't have a problem with the wing suit. I understand the thinking behind it. They wanted a grounded, realistic Batman that didn't need explanations for his gadgets, and a Batman whose cape can become a glider, in real life, just defies reality a bit too much. But that leads to the question of whether Batman should always be so grounded. I'd like to see a Batman in a world where his cape can become a glider, where people can become Clayface or Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy, where science can be fantastical, and a touch of magic can exist. But I wouldn't want to give up this grounded version either. I want both, and both can't exist in the same universe. So I'm happy to see the character be reinvented again and again.
I also hate the way so many fans complain that this Batman makes mistakes. Like, yeah, he's a character in a story. He's not supposed to be perfect. In what universe is that at all interesting? I think it's a mistake to take a film like this, which is built to exist in its own universe, and try to retcon it into the existing history of Batman, and then complain that it doesn't fit. The thing I love most about Batman is that his canon is ever-shifting. He thrives on reinvention. So I don't want to see him develop a playboy persona, or trade in his customized Dodge Charger for a race car tank, or develop a cape that turns into bat wings. I love this Batman for his uniqueness. I don't want that to be replaced by something I've seen before, to fit into a standardized idea of what Batman should be.
And when a new Batman pops up in James Gunn's new DCU, I hope he'll be as different from this version as from any previous version.
I’m commenting before finishing the whole video, but also multitasking a bit.
Personally, I’d say the best Batman movie ever made was mask of the phantasm. BTAS has long been my gold standard and that movie just encapsulated a lot of reasons why, although the series as a whole brings so much that defines Batman for me. The Dark Knight trilogy are the best movies to me featuring Batman, and it was at first because I was younger and they looked cool and felt mature and were very well made but as I get older they say a lot that sticks with you beyond comic book and even action movie tendencies. Actually, I kind of scoffed when you said Gotham isn’t a character in those movies, I know what you meant, but the irony is me personally, every time I rewatch those films I realize they stuck with me so deep because they ARE about Gotham, not really Batman or the villains. I like to use the analogy it’s like a story about Gotham recovering from an abusive relationship with corruption, Batman being the one to lead them that way. I’ve written whole essays on it before and won’t do that here but it’s the way that Batman’s actions transcend his own reputation, he legitimately is the symbol of their hope and by far one of the most defining characteristics to me for BTAS Batman is his empathy and humanity despite being surrounded by the lowest of humanity every night. TDK ≠ BTAS by a long shot, but I think they both get that empathetic and selfless nature nailed perfectly when it matters and do other different things very very well in their own ways.
Now, when it comes to the Batman, it’s so funny because initially with the marketing I thought the same thing. It SOUNDED exactly like what I’d wanted from a Batman movie, something that was grounded and realistic like Nolan but with even more of a silence of the lambs spin that explored some more of the almost supernatural crime noir a good Batman story can excel at. It all SOUNDED great. He certainly SAID the right things. And the movie by far was definitely eye and ear candy, you can’t deny that. I absolutely liked it after I first saw it.
This comes down to personal taste, I just thought and still think it’s incredibly overrated. I think differing interpretations of Batman are valid, and it makes sense that Bruce would evolve once he’s made the promise to when he trains to his first year as Batman to his tenth. Like I said, I think the draw to me about him is the way he remains empathetic and selfless even if he isn’t warm and cuddly about it - he lives in a hard world, but he believes in Gotham, all parts, good and bad, and I believe that love was rooted in the profound respect he had for his parents and the example they set in their time with him about how to treat the less fortunate in Gotham.
The issue is the Batman is all about Bruce learning that empathy that in my opinion is what sets him apart as a hero from the start, and they discredit the Waynes while doing so. And I realize it’s been done before in long Halloween and new 52 and the telltale games. But that brings it to another issue with proponents of the film - just because it’s in the comics doesn’t necessarily mean much and in this case it’s almost a surface level jigsaw puzzle of various comic references. People get so fixated on “that’s just like year one! That’s just like earth one! That’s just like new 52!” It speaks to a love for the character, absolutely, but retreading the same ground doesn’t inherently make it good itself. It’s not the trump card a lot of people think it is, to lift something straight out of the comic book instead of understanding the subtext that made those comics so identifiable in the first place and replicating that.
My thing is, Bruce failed as a depiction of the character because he wasn’t particularly empathetic or emotionally resilient, he was the reflection of what a lot of people would be in his situation and was kind of a realization of the parodies and mischaracterizations the character has experienced basically since the end of BTAS or even after TDK trilogy, mostly being reduced to an uncontrollable angry mess. And failing that, it really wasn’t at all a good crime mystery on par with some of the best in the genre, not only did he completely fail to stop the riddler at any point in his plot but he barely solved any of the riddles themselves. And the riddles didn’t feel necessarily creative or engaging, they were kind of just blathering word salad that felt more pompous than legitimate.
The funny thing is I think I’d like this movie a lot more for what it claimed to do if it WASN’T about Batman. I’m all for a story about a guy consumed by vengeance trying to relearn compassion. But we’ve had such a bastardized emo Batman that falls so short of the best aspects of the character for so long I’m sick of it, personally, and it’s a shtick this movie just further reinforces. It’s not interesting or moving anymore. Batman always was supposed to be the best we could be if we set ourselves to it, in every way, emotionally, intellectually, physically. That’s what makes him a superhero.
Again, it all comes down to personal preference. I think many of the writers of Batman don’t even really understand what quite sets him apart. I just think the best version of Batman is the one who sits with Ace as she dies and brings Harley the dress she bought legally and asks his parents’ grave for permission to let them go. With how many BTAS fans there are, I know I’m not alone, and I know my interpretation isn’t definite because a lot of BTAS fans love this movie too. I just think especially in today’s world the ultimate underlying message I took from BTAS and even TDK trilogy is monumentally important, and yet we keep entertaining this misery porn version of Batman that doesn’t really teach or inspire anything in my view. It doesn’t really motivate people to be better, it just helps us feel justified in our negative emotions
How dare you call that Charger a “Mustang”! That is NO WHERE CLOSE to a MUSTANG!!! Ufff (good video btw👍)
On your comments about the Joker at the end, there's a deleted scene where Batsy goes to Arkham to talk to Reeves' version of Joker and omg was it intense and terrifying. If that is the version of the Joker we eventually get from this era then I'm all for it.
That being said, I would like for him to be the main villain of the third movie. Have him be the final boss Batman fights and throughout the series we just get cameos of him.
Could not agree more. Great video 🙏
The Batman was so amazing, but after The Penguin it elevated it even higher. The setup for Batman 2 is crazy
Reason why to me Matt is the best director. His so big on details.
"Officially as cool as Lassie and Big Bird." made me laugh so hard. And if Burton made a movie with Depp as Batman, he would probably have Helena Bonham Carter as Catwoman or Poison Ivy.
He absolutely would
I didn't put much credence in this movie but here I am after having bought my first piece of Batman memorabilia - the "Reeves" Batmobile