Matt Reeves’ The Batman delivers exactly what it said it would. It features a noir detective Batman who has been stripped off almost everything superhero like. He’s basically James Bond in black PJ’s with even less cooler looking gadgets and equipment. Being ultra realistic, the designs for his Batmobile and Batpod are really bad and so is the case with most of his equipment. But again, it stands true to what Matt Reeves promised and is cool in its own way.
This definitely isn’t the best Batman movie of all time nor is it the best noir detective film of all time. But it manages to include some aspects of both genres wonderfully, making it one hell of a ride! It took a lot from Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy but at the same time delivered something unique and memorable. So, following are few moments which make this film stand out and leave quite an impact. *Heavy spoilers follow below so read at your own risk!*
5. The Opening
Batman films’ routine of introducing the antagonist in the opening continues here. The Dark Knight opened with thrilling Joker bank heist, Rises opened with Bane literally crashing a plane, and BvS opened with Zod and Supes levelling Batman’s city. The Batman probably has the most subtle yet quite scary opening in a Batman film. We see Riddler eerily spying on his target and brutally killing him without making much noise. The BGM of this scene is also very subtle and scary adding to the intensity of this sequence. Right from this opening scene viewers are terrified by The Riddler and get to know he means business.
4. Follow The Light
In a not so action packed or glorious final battle, this particular shot stands out. The final battle let me unimpressed but this particular shot was one of the most memorable moments for me. In this particular sequences Batman cuts an electrical wire and fall into the flooded Gotham Square Garden. Then he helps people trapped below and lights a flare. People follow him as he guides them out holding the flare above his head. But anyone can do that, so what’s special about this scene? The fact that in this particular shot Batman goes on from being a freak in black to city’s hope. The shot resembles BVS’ Superman Halloween shot and has the same symbolism attached to it.
3. The Dark Hallway Fight
This scene pops up during Batman’s second infiltration of the Iceberg Lounge. Though the sequence in its entirety wasn’t very impressive, this particular shot was incredible. The shot shows Batman fighting in a dark hallway after he cut off the lounge’s power. We see only as much as the flashes from guns allow us to see till Batman beats all the thugs to pulp. You might remember that Black Panther (2018) had a sequence like this in the jungle but this scene was much better executed and much more intense.
2. Up is Down (The Car Chase)
The car chase sequence was being talked about way before the release of the film. It was something fans were excited to see and yes, it totally delivered. Right from the shot where Batman ignited his Batmobile this sequence was splendid. The cinematography throughout this sequence is commendable, so kudos to Greig Fraser. He has once again proven his mettle. The highlights of this sequence were the Penguin’s Car Crash and Batman walking up to him. The cinematography is so good that when Penguin’s car crashes, it feels like you are in that car. And the upside down shot of Batman walking up to him is nothing short of epic! Also, Giacchino’s The Batman theme adds those extra chills you need to make a scene glorious.
Honorable Mention – The Joker Scene
Because he is Joker and we fans are always happy to hear from him. Can’t wait to see him in the sequels.
1. Batman’s Introduction
In my honest opinion, The Batman had the best introduction of the Dark Knight ever! Not only that, this is also one of the most impactful Batman scenes in the live action history of the character. The scene showcased the true potential of “the fear” inducing side of The Batman. Pattinson’s monologue along with Giacchino’s score, Fraser’s cinematography and Reeves’ direction, made this scene an artistic masterpiece. The quote “I cannot be everywhere but they don’t know where I am” hits really hard and dark. This magnificent sequence showcased how every criminal gets terrified by the Bat brand of justice as soon as they see the Bat signal light up. They fear the shadows much more than they fear anything else, as Mr. Vengeance might truly mess them up. Just WOW!
That said, apart from the above mentioned scenes and Catwoman, there was really nothing very fresh or unique about this film. It was a great film and one of the best Batman ones for sure. But again, it wasn’t as exceptional as early reviews made us believed it would be. As for its box office, it opened with a US $134 Million weekend, making it the second-best opening since 2019. Do you agree with our list? Want to share your personal list? Use the comments section below.
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