The Batman (2022) Review
2/5 “A Vampire is Still a Bat”
-For the Uncensored!
For as long as I am alive, I have seen nearly all 10 Batman films, but Matt Reeves 2022 major motion picture proves one thing correct. You can’t have enough of Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s Batman. Batman, in its own right, is one of the longest running cinematic characters in the super hero genre, as it manages to draw a crowd even if the film might be bad itself. But the two hour and fifty six minute film I saw was something that didn’t connect all the dots. There are things that I did like about the film. I am suspicious of Matt Reeves film as the run time can nearly suffocate your attention span. What Matt Reeves does offer is a bevy of good actors, a well written story line, that all show off the strengths of The Batman. I loved the way the film used “Something in the Way” and it carried Bruce Wayne’s insane ambition to stop crime. I can’t be mad at that little touch, because it’s unfair to think that Bruce Wayne isn’t some psychopath, who channels it into a Bat like creature, to drive crime down in Gotham City. Zoe Kravitz is probably the most brilliant live action Selena Kyle, because she manages to bring a cool jaded edge to the role, and manages to bring a conflicted accoutrement to the role. Ms. Kravitz’s willingness to be flawed, and even a little jealous of Batman is quite sullen, almost like she’s turned on and repulsed by Batman. “Oh, I forgot you’re already taken,” as he looks at the Bat signal.
I did appreciate Robert Pattison, as he has proved that he’s not just Edward Cullen from Twilight. But then again, a vampire is still a bat, but I did like him in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of Don Dellilo’s Cosmopolis (2012). I had never seen the Twilight films so I can’t judge him for his megastardom. Paul Dano delivers thrice over in his Riddler performance, but the costume he wears looks more like Bane, and it’s an odd, wrong costume choice. What I think the film did perfectly is once show Batman’s ultimately failing to stop the big crime at the end, and was too wrapped up being a detective, following the clues, and then making peace with becoming a better vigilante.
What I do think is kind of funny is that Selena Kyle tells Batman, “Riddler’s targeting the rich, why wouldn’t you understand him?” When the audience knows that Bruce Wayne is a millionaire, and he’s trying to stop Riddler from targeting him, too. It’s kind of funny how the woke line is a self-ridiculing posture, because everyone is in on the joke. Even when I should have been pissed, I put the line into context, and it worked.
By the way, the supporting cast is also tremendous. Having John Turturro play Carmine Falcone is a wet dream come true. I’m sitting there in the audience thinking: “I’ll show you the life of the mind.”[i] I am still stunned by how Mr. Turturro has managed to play every role imaginable and still not get an award. If anyone wants to set a bar for working in any industry, I would just want to be able to work in that industry.
But the testing patience of Matt Reeves The Batman is the length itself is the Achilles heel of the film. While it is very excellent, I can’t stress enough that this was trying to be every Christopher Nolan film wrapped into a three hour film that doesn’t really have a single identity that could have been spent building up the characters into something intimate, personal, and smaller. Or at least not some caricature of what was done before.
I can’t stress that you are going to want to see The Batman after it leaves theaters. You can take your time with the film, itself. I think we are never going to get Christopher Nolan’s amazing trilogy ever again. And to mimic it is almost borderline insulting to the audience, too.
But mate, it’s three fucking hours. And whatever the best qualities it delivers, dins with the three hour running time. I will watch Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films over Matt Reeve’s film in the theater ever again.
Final Analysis: 2/5
[i] If you haven’t seen the Cohen Brothers excellent film “Barton Fink” you’re missing out on my most favorite Cohen film, ever.
-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 19 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline (and the original text re-released in 2019), Apocalypse Soldier, The Data Chase, Selection: The First Book of the Life and Death Saga, and Blinking Eyes: The Second Book of the Life and Death Saga, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep, The City of Sand, To the Moon and Back, The Villain Lives and The Villain Lives: The Divided Pinpoint, Come Home, Young One. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Phoenix. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Our Freedom Book https://www.ourfreedombook.com/thereallouistbruno17. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. His next series, City of Sand is out now:https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/louis-bruno/city-of-sand/hardcover/product-rke9jz.html?page=1&pageSize=4. Also, if you can’t subscribe so that you can get members only content, please be sure to share the articles, as well. If you do Subscribe and pay, as well so you can get my articles in your inbox every time, and access to the paid articles that some readers won’t get to see. Every little bit helps in the war against Big Tech. Thanks for reading.
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