The Batman (2022)

Director: Matt Reeves
Date Watched: 3-3-2022
Where: Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center, Pflugerville, TX
Rating: 10/10

Rewatched: 3-12-2022, Tinseltown Cinemark 20, Pflugerville, TX

The film is terrific, and hands down the best Batman film of them all, and it isn’t even close, in my opinion.

The three-hour runtime feels like 90 minutes because of how tightly the film is edited, and how perfectly it is paced. When I left the theater, the first word I used when comparing notes with my friend was “unrelenting.” This film never lets up, and there is never a slow moment or a scene that drags. It is story and character, mystery and reveal, build-up and release, and it works perfectly.

Pattinson is perfect as Batman. He’s nearly never out of costume, yet is able to convey so much from behind the mask. No Batman actor before him has ever been able to express as much range while in character. It has always been reserved for the Bruce Wayne moments.

Turturro is excellent, as are Kravitz and Farrell. I can say hands down this is my favorite of all of Farrell’s performances, and he’s had several outstanding ones. He steals every scene he’s in. I had huge reservations about Serkis as Alfred, but that was also perfect casting. And Jeffrey Wright nails Gordon. Across the board, every actor shines.

I won’t say anything about the Riddler other than he is perfect, too.

This is a stellar film, and one I give a full 10 out of 10. It’s flawless, and I liked it as much, or more, after seeing it a second time. It is definitely as good or better the second time through. It passed one of the biggest tests for any film in that upon rewatching it, I never found myself waiting for a particular scene to end. Each moment feels necessary, and propels the film to the next scene.

Edit after rewatching on 3-12-22: The face-to-face between Batman and the Riddler was great the first time around, but so, so, so much better the second time, as things the Riddler says that have no real meaning to the viewer suddenly make complete sense. Dano only had that one moment in the film to shine, and he knocked it out of the park.

The Batman 2022 Movie Poster

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *