Do you have about three hours to spare? You should use them to watch “The Batman,” which was released Monday on HBO Max.
The topline summary is that “The Batman” is really good. Is it the best “Batman” movie? No. But writer and director Matt Reeves has absolutely revived this epic franchise, so it’s probably the second best “Batman” film ever.
Robert Pattinson was born to play the Batman. He has proven himself to be one of the best British actors of the moment, and he’ll go down in history as the second best Batman of all time after Welsh-born actor Christian Bale.
Here’s the deal though — while “The Batman” is definitely worth the almost three-hour time commitment, the first 90 minutes could have easily have been shortened to less than an hour. We also deserved way more Paul Dano as “Riddler” and a heck of a lot more “Penguin.”
“Penguin” and “Riddler” were both so terrifyingly intricate that they deserve their own films. Colin Farrell’s “Penguin” was the absolute best character in the entire movie. I think it might be Farrell’s best film of all time (prequel or spin-off please??). I am so glad that Jonah Hill didn’t take on a role in the movie.
The weakest part of the entire film was Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. She really didn’t do it for me. (RELATED: REVIEW: ‘The Thing About Pam’ Is The Most Bizarre True Crime Show Of 2022)
She wasn’t terrible, just really annoying. She couldn’t seem to decide between being a powerhouse or a sex symbol, so failed at both. Miserably. Apparently she played Catwoman as bisexual, which didn’t come across clearly at all. Her entire portrayal fell flat. Big time.
The movie has everything that “Batman” fanatics love: darkness, sexiness, comedy, gadgets, fights, the good guy getting the bad guy, and the best high speed car chase of all time. Seriously. The only thing it lacked, in my opinion, was a strong female character.
At the end of the day, everyone has their favorite Batman. Some of us grew up with the kitschy classics like “Batman and Robin” and “Batman Forever.” As cheesy as these films were, they were some of the best ever from the franchise for their ridiculousness and nostalgia.
Arguably the best Batman of all time was “The Dark Knight.” I seriously don’t care about your opinion on this. Factually speaking, Christian Bale versus Heath Ledger is the greatest duo of the entire franchise history. Ever.
If you enjoyed “Batman V. Superman,” go see a doctor immediately. You might have something seriously wrong with you. You definitely won’t enjoy “The Batman,” because you won’t understand it.
Watch the trailer for “The Batman” here: