I’m a Batman fan; have been since I was a child. He doesn’t have any superpowers; he gets all of his powers from discipline, training, and gadgets he creates; and even if he “crosses the line,” it’s in service to the greater good. My favorite film Batman is Michael Keaton, but I’ve enjoyed almost all of the iterations since him.
Having said all that, I was a bit worried about this latest film. The trailers were non-stop action - and brutal action at that. Having now watched it, I can tell you those trailers are a bit of a mischaracterization of the actual film. Coming in at nearly 3 hours, easily 2/3 of its runtime is Batman being a detective, something we have not seen portrayed very well since the campy 1960’s Batman. It’s a welcome return to form for “the world’s greatest detective.”
Robert Pattinson does an excellent job portraying a brooding, vengeful Batman, but his Bruce Wayne - for the brief few minutes Bruce even makes an appearance - is just as brooding and vengeful, and that’s a missed opportunity for the film overall. It would have been nice to see how Batman/Bruce deal with the death of his parents in unique ways, but apparently this iteration does not. His relationship with Catwoman/Selina Kyle, however, is a delightful sidestep from all the brooding, and the film would have been better for a bit more time exploring that relationship. (There’s certainly room for more in the sequel, which is likely to come.)
What the trailers nailed perfectly, however, is all of that brutal violence - and “The Batman” is one of the most brutally violent films to get a PG-13 rating that I’ve seen. Riddler is a worthy opponent for the detective-Batman, but this Riddler is a cruel sadist who tortures his victims. He felt as if he sprang from a “Saw” movie more than from Batman’s world.
Overall, “The Batman” is an excellent iteration of the character. They went for a real noir flavor with the visuals and soundtrack; the actors do an excellent job with their characters; and if you pay attention to that hard PG-13 rating, you and your teens should find it enjoyable. As for Bechdels, well…not so good. 1) There are only 2 women in main roles in the film, and 2) they never speak to each other. This is a male-heavy movie that focuses on Batman’s story through and through.