Movie; The Batman (2022) Caution; Spoiler Alert

 

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.