The Batman

This was the DC movie I was most looking forward to during my rewatch. I heard it was good, and I’ve seen the Penguin, a great TV show. Thankfully, this is a better branch of the current DC universe than what James Gunn did with the new Superman.

The movie doesn’t aim to be cute or funny at all, it just aims to recapture some of the grittiness from the Dark Knight trilogy. Paul Dano is (as always) excellent, and makes a completely different Riddler than we’ve seen before. Farrell’s Penguin has a limited role, but he is great even in his few scenes. The cast, in general, excels. Pattinson’s emo Bruce Wayne is solid, even if a little bit muted compared to what Pattinson is capable of.

The plot is intriguing. Not only is there the traditional goal of unraveling the main villain’s plot, but the Riddler is also leading us on a journey to solve another mystery. Both storylines are well done, particularly with the acting performances along the way.

I’m giving this one an 8. The acting is top tier, but a bigger role for Bruce Wayne to showcase the two dimensions of Batman is missing. The main character ends up in the shadow of multiple side characters in the film. It’s still great, but not quite excellent.