The Batman (spoilers)

[GreyLord]

Except, you know, saving Marion from someone who would have tortured and murdered her.

Actually, if you think on ironies, they'd have never found the Ark if it wasn't for Indiana Jones.

 

[Older Beholder]

It occurs to me that Batman did not succeed at anything in this movie. He solved some riddles after each crime, but didn't prevent a single crime. Didn't catch the Riddler. He was just playing catch up until Riddler let himself be caught. Didn't stop the final bomb plan. The one thing he did was help some folks out of the wreckage at the end, but that was his only accomplishment in this film. It's like Raiders of the Lost Ark (where Indy achieves nothing in the whole movie).

Still loved it though.

He also saved Bruce Wayne.
I did have the same thought at one point in the movie, and I think more people may have died in the car chase with the penguin (who they let go).

But it didn't really impact my enjoyment of the film.

 

[Ryujin]

It reminded me of so many comic book openings. A traditional Batman 'I am the night' voiceover.

Also, it's Taxi Driver.

Reminded me very much of Rorschach's voice-over from "Watchmen."

 

[Morrus]

Reminded me very much of Rorschach's voice-over from "Watchmen."

Also Taxi Driver!

 

[Bolares]

Sometimes I think you can't be Noir (or Neonoir) without a dramatic voiceover in the start of the movie

 

[Ryujin]

Also Taxi Driver!

Best line of the movie: "They think that I'm in the darkness. I am the darkness." Whether he's actually there or not, he's there, because they fear that he is.

 

[payn]

Sometimes I think you can't be Noir (or Neonoir) without a dramatic voiceover in the start of the movie

You can, you very much can.

 

[embee]

I really enjoyed it.

It focused on the detective side of Batman. Less punching (relatively speaking) and more solving.

I loved that it was willing to slaughter some sacred cows of the mythos, such as Saint Thomas, best embodied in Batman Begins. The Batman's Thomas Wayne is definitely more in keeping with Frank Miller. Especially with the inclusion of the Long Halloween part where Thomas had saved Falcone's life while a young Bruce watched from afar.

Just as the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies didn't show Uncle Ben getting killed, The Batman didn't show Thomas and Martha getting killed. Thank goodness for small mercies.

The big name actors allowed themselves to get immersed and disappear in the roles. Russell Crowe, who only had a bit part, did solid work as Commissioner Savage. Mad props, though, to Colin Farrell whose Penguin by-way-of Robert DeNiro's Al Capone was great.

This is a relentlessly bleak movie. Tonally, on the same level as Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth. The mood is fairly well set by the use of Nirvana's Something In The Way.

In the grand scheme of things, I'd put The Batman near the top of the heap. Paul Dano's RIddler isn't as epic as Heath Ledger's Joker but Robert Pattinson is a better rookie Batman than Christian Bale. As far as their portrayals of Bruce Wayne, well, there's almost no Bruce Wayne in the movie.

I've long been a fan of AA:ASHOSE and because of that, because the production is so close to Dave McKean's vision of Batman, I really like this movie. I think I like it more than Batman Begins.

 

[embee]

It occurs to me that Batman did not succeed at anything in this movie. He solved some riddles after each crime, but didn't prevent a single crime. Didn't catch the Riddler. He was just playing catch up until Riddler let himself be caught. Didn't stop the final bomb plan. The one thing he did was help some folks out of the wreckage at the end, but that was his only accomplishment in this film. It's like Raiders of the Lost Ark (where Indy achieves nothing in the whole movie).

Still loved it though.

Batman never really succeeds anyway. Villain kills someone, Batman tracks down villain and beats him up. Villain winds up back in Arkham and inevitably escapes, killing again.

He saves a couple of lives along the way but the bad guy always goes on to kill again.

That said, Batman standing on the wreckage, actually helping survivors, is probably at the level of Gordon's closing monologue at the end of The Dark Knight.

 

[Morrus]

The big name actors allowed themselves to get immersed and disappear in the roles. Russell Crowe, who only had a bit part, did solid work as Commissioner Savage.

Even going so far as change his name to Alex Ferns and joining the cast of Eastenders!