The Batman
Came out; 2022
Time; 2 hours 56 minutes
Watched: HBO Max
Rating; PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language and some suggestive material
IMDB Rating; 8.1/10
Caution; Spoiler Alert
Staring.
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon
Colin Farrell as Oz
Paul Dano as The Riddler
John Turturro as Carmine Falcone
Andy Serkis as Alfred
Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson
Jayme Lawson as Bella Real
Story Line.
When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.
Thoughts.
I was roped into watching this. I had my doubts with Robert Pattinson as Batman, I also feel like how many times do we have to keep re-doing things with Batman?!
This actually wasn't bad. It had a decent storyline, there were things I didn't care for (just my personal opinion). I didn't like that Selina Kyle was just “Catwoman” and not turned it by the same means as the normal “Batman” story.
The Riddler was dressed in black with a mask, you don't know who he actually is until closer to the end. I much prefer the more comical Riddler.
Colin Farrell as Oz?! Unrecognizable! I knew he was Oz, but if you don't know before hand, you won't know!
All in all, it wasn't bad. It doesn't feel like a 3-hour movie either.
CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert
On
Halloween, Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell Jr. is murdered by a serial
killer calling himself the Riddler. Billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has
operated for two years as the vigilante Batman, investigates
alongside the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). Lieutenant James
Gordon discovers that the Riddler left a message for Batman, but
commissioner Pete Savage berates him for allowing a vigilante to
enter the crime scene and forces Batman to leave. The Riddler kills
Savage and leaves another message for Batman.
Batman and
Gordon discover that the Riddler left a thumb drive in Mitchell's car
containing images of Mitchell with a woman, Annika, at the Iceberg
Lounge, a nightclub operated by mobster Carmine Falcone's lieutenant
Penguin. Batman questions the Penguin, who pleads ignorance, but
notices that Selina Kyle, Annika's roommate and girlfriend, works
there as a waitress. After Annika disappears, Batman sends Selina
back to the Iceberg Lounge to search for answers. Through Selina,
Batman discovers that Savage was on Falcone's payroll, as is district
attorney Gil Colson. Selina shuts off communication when Batman
presses her about her relationship with Falcone.
The Riddler
abducts Colson, straps a timed collar bomb to his neck, and sends him
to interrupt Mitchell's funeral. When Batman arrives, the Riddler
calls him via Colson's phone and threatens to detonate the bomb if
Colson cannot answer three riddles. Batman helps Colson answer the
first two, but Colson refuses to answer the third-name of the
informant who gave the GCPD information that led to a historic drug
bust ending mobster Sal Maroni's operation-and dies. Batman and
Gordon deduce that the informant may be the Penguin and track him to
a drug deal. They discover that Maroni's operation never actually
ended and many GCPD officers are involved. Selina inadvertently
exposes them when she arrives to steal money. As the Penguin flees,
Selina discovers Annika's corpse in a car trunk. Batman captures the
Penguin but learns that he was not the informant.
Batman and
Gordon follow the Riddler's trail to the ruins of an orphanage
operated by Bruce's parents Thomas and Martha. They learn that the
Riddler was a resident at the orphanage and holds a grudge against
the Wayne family. Bruce's butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth, is
hospitalized after opening a letter bomb addressed to Bruce. The
Riddler then leaks evidence that Thomas, who was running for mayor
when he was murdered, hired Falcone to kill a journalist for
threatening to reveal embarrassing details about Martha's history of
mental illness. Bruce, who grew up believing his father was morally
upstanding, confronts Alfred, who confirms the allegations but states
that Thomas decided to turn Falcone over to the police after learning
of the murder; Alfred surmises that Falcone had Thomas and Martha
killed to prevent this.
Selina tells Batman that Falcone is
her neglectful father. She learns that Annika was strangled because
Mitchell told her that Falcone was the informant, and resolves to
kill him. Batman and Gordon arrive at the Iceberg Lounge in time to
stop her. Batman physically prevents Selina from killing Falcone,
explaining that she shouldn't allow Falcone to destroy her future
through murdering him and facing prison. Batman escorts a cocky
Falcone to the police, while Falcone tells Batman that he knows of
all Gotham's hidden secrets and underworld dealings and that
everything he knows dies with him, No sooner does Batman bring
Falcone outside to the patrol waiting than Riddler snipes Falcone
from his apartment window. Unmasked as forensics accountant Edward
Nashton, the Riddler is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital.
Nashton says that, as a neglected orphan, he was envious of the
sympathy Bruce received after his parents' murder. He idolizes
Batman-who inspired him to target the corrupt-and proposes a
partnership, but Batman angrily rejects him.
Angered at being
rejected by his idol, Nashton begins ranting to which Batman realizes
that Nashton still has something planned. Upon realizing Batman
hasn't figured out his next course of action, a delighted Nashton
gives him one last clue by singing "Ave Maria," the song
sung at the Mitchell's funeral to imply that the final part of the
plan is mayor-elect Bella Real's assassination. However, Batman fails
to realize this and exclaims, "What have you done!?"
Searching
his apartment, Batman is inadvertently aided by a cop who shows him a
carpet cutting tool which Riddler had murdered the mayor with at the
beginning. Realizing this tool is another clue to uncovering the
Riddler's master plan, Batman cuts open the rug of the apartment and
discovers via a map drawn on the floor underneath that Nashton has
stationed car bombs around Gotham. No sooner has he done this than an
online video of Nashton's final transmission before his capture and
incarceration plays, explaining gleefully that he had cultivated an
online following that plans to assassinate mayor-elect Bella
Reál.
The bombs destroy the breakwaters around Gotham and
flood the city. A shelter is set up in an indoor arena, where
Nashton's followers non-fatally shoot Reál but are stopped by Batman
and Selina. While battling the cult atop the rafters, Batman defeats
them but is almost killed by a last member who is about to execute
Batman. Selina arrives and rescues Batman before kissing him,
thanking him for preventing her from murdering Falcone. However, the
member comes to and almost kills Selina with a knife. Enraged, Batman
injects himself with adrenaline and awakens, beating the member
savagely until he is stopped by Gordon and Selina. Upon unmasking
this last cult member, Batman recognizes him as a disgruntled man he
saw at the mayor's funeral. Upon asking him who he is, the man
replies slyly, "I'm vengeance."
Horrified by this,
Batman sees a power line descending towards the flooded streets where
the rally is trapped. Batman leaps upon it and severs the cord with
his detachable bat emblem, becoming electrocuted but saving the
people. After coming to, Batman lights a flare and leads the
survivors to safety. In the aftermath, Cobblepot begins to
contemplate seizing the power vacuum left in the wake of Falcone's
death, Nashton, upset that his plan failed overhears encouraging
statements from another inmate with a sinister laugh. The two swiftly
become friends. Batman aids recovery efforts and vows to inspire hope
in Gotham, having seen that his weapon of fear has fueled the drive
of vigilantes. Selina deems Gotham to be beyond saving and tries to
convince Batman to leave with her, but he declines. As they part
ways, Batman looks ahead satisfied and hopeful, implying that someday
Selina may return.
