The Batman Is A Different Caped Crusader Than You're Used To (Spoiler Free)

Well, the critics were right. This was a Batman movie like you’ve never seen, and that’s actually a good thing. Too many of these movies are getting compared to the older ones and each iteration goes through the gauntlet of comparing Batman, the villains, and the plot to the predecessors. Matt Reeves’ take on the Caped Crusader didn’t exactly follow the superhero version of Bruce Wayne. No, instead he took an early Detective Comics approach. While Bruce could still kick ass with the best of them, The Batman was more investigator than a vigilante.

From Warner Bros.:

Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.

There’s a lot going on in The Batman but was it worth the wait?

The Good

One of the best parts of the movie was something fans have been hoping for for years. The chemistry between Batman and Catwoman actually came across better than it has in multiple iterations in the past. Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle pull off enough of the Bat/Cat relationship that you can’t help but want to see more of it in the future. The movie doesn’t hang on to the connection for too long but adds just enough spark to not only want to see more of each character but more of them together.

Then its not quite your typical Batman film. While we’ve seen some great iterations, and some not-so-great ones, They’ve all teetered more on the crime fighter/vigilante side of things. The Batman, however, while having those elements gets back to the roots of a more detective Batman. There was a heavy lean on the relationship between Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jim Gordon, and there should have been. As the first movie with this cast, it was important to establish the relationships so it could branch off at a later date.

More Entertainment: Is The Batman Finally Using Catwoman Correctly

The Not So Good

It was long, maybe longer than it needed to be. The official run time was 2 hours 56 minutes but did it need all of them. The hard part is, you don’t know that it would eventually set up a sequel so while the door was left open for one (and granted), it was packed full of a 3-hour movie. There were parts of the soundtrack that didn’t seem to fit, one of which seemed like it was borrowing a bit from Star Wars, however, these are nitpicking about the movie. It kept a decent pace and established the right boxes to check along the way without seeming like fan service.

The Sequel?

The Batman definitely left the door open for a sequel and it has been officially announced we’re getting one. The hardest part is, it should leap forward a bit in the timeline. While Robert Pattinson did well enough with a younger Bruce, we’ve seen the early days of Batman enough. Yes, this one stood out from the other origin stories with Batman in his second year, but why are we skipping out on the later established storylines with Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl? Any of these stories could easily transition to the big screen but all we get is the tv adaptations.

If you’re one of those numbskulls going into The Batman trying to compare it to the previous versions, you’re going to be greatly disappointed. Matt Reeves’ iteration stands on its own in some of the best ways possible. It was a refreshing take the character needed after multiple runs.