The Batman (2022)

[Trini]

3 hours ago, Tenshinhan said:

Sigh... Bruce Wayne is not a rock star or a recluse.  Nor is he insane.

I get what you're saying; on the other hand...

... And they're going with that take here. I'm interested in what they do with this.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Trini

[Tenshinhan]

If they kill off Alfred and then bring in Dick or something, then I might be interested.  Let's see how an insane Bruce Wayne handles raising a twelve year old kid by himself.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Tenshinhan

[tv echo]

The Batman: Zoë Kravitz Studied Cats And Lions Fighting To Become Catwoman – Exclusive Image
By Ella Kemp    December 20, 2021
https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/the-batman-zoe-kravitz-cats-and-lions-fighting-exclusive-image/ 

[BetterButter]

 

[Trini]

Quote

 

 

Besides a whole lot of new clips and dialogue, this new trailer has a first look at the Bella Reál character, plus a riddle at the end.

[starri]

I am...extremely underwhelmed.

[Tenshinhan]

Trailer is too plot-specific.  Looks like they are embracing the silly in this film.  I really hope Alfred dies in the end.  The Riddler as a main villain is ridiculous.

If you forget the comic books and just go with it, it looks like an interesting film.  I like the feel of it all, and at least they are trying something different.  Also I dug seeing Bella Reál on screen so hopefully they do something worthwhile with her.

[Bill1978]

On 12/28/2021 at 6:58 AM, starri said:

I am...extremely underwhelmed.

I was so underwhelmed that I didn't even finish the trailer. And I am clearly not the targeted audience with the approach they are taking. I can't quite put my finger on what my issue is but all I know is I have found Batman tedious ever since Chris Nolan got his hands on the property.

Bizarrely though I did enjoy Batman in the Zach Snyder movies, but maybe that's cause he wasn't the main focus. Who knows.

I will most likely check this out once it comes to home entertainment but I can't see myself rushing to the cinema to check out another drab looking, taking itself seriously Batman.

[Tenshinhan]

Batman is serious.

[cambridgeguy]

Well, we know what happens when Batman isn't taken too seriously.

[GHScorpiosRule]

16 hours ago, Bill1978 said:

I have found Batman tedious ever since Chris Nolan got his hands on the property.

And I'm just the opposite. When Batman Begins came out, I was like: FINALLY. Someone got Bats RIGHT!

And I know I'm in the minority of thinking Christian Bale was perfect casting for both Bruce and Bats. His Batman voice was perfectly fine in the first movie; there was no need for him to do whatever it was he ended up doing in the last two films.

But potatoes and potahtoes and all that.

[cambridgeguy]

11 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And I know I'm in the minority of thinking Christian Bale was perfect casting for both Bruce and Bats. His Batman voice was perfectly fine in the first movie; there was no need for him to do whatever it was he ended up doing in the last two films.

Really?  I thought most fans were generally impressed by Bale, aside from his Batman voice.   In any case, fan reaction to Batman casting is the greatest example of why it's not always good to listen to them.  The guy who played Beetlejuice as Batman?  If the internet and social media had existed back then the studio probably would have forced Burton to recast.  Then all the bitching about Affleck, who ended up being a great Batman whenever Joss Whedon didn't force him to be discount Tony Stark,

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, cambridgeguy said:

Really?  I thought most fans were generally impressed by Bale, aside from his Batman voice.   In any case, fan reaction to Batman casting is the greatest example of why it's not always good to listen to them.  The guy who played Beetlejuice as Batman?  If the internet and social media had existed back then the studio probably would have forced Burton to recast.  Then all the bitching about Affleck, who ended up being a great Batman whenever Joss Whedon didn't force him to be discount Tony Stark,

Well, at least here!

I will PROUDLY wear the BITCHING HAT when it comes to Assfleck's casting as Bats. HatedHatedHated it.

Edited December 29, 2021 by GHScorpiosRule

[Trini]

A couple of new posters:

 

I hope they're not overhyping Catwoman's role in this, with the way she's so much in the marketing.

And expect a lot of closeups, I guess.

[BetterButter]

Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’ Runs Nearly 3 Hours With Credits

[starri]

I'm sorry, no.

"More" =/= "better"

[Tenshinhan]

For me, anything three hours and under works as long as the story itself is served by the runtime.  If it were over three hours, then such a film would need to be a special case in my view.

I know that Matt Reeves was fighting the studio for a longer cut, so hopefully this means that the end result is more in line with his vision for the film.

[Guest]

18 hours ago, starri said:

I'm sorry, no.

"More" =/= "better"

I agree. 

It’s irritates me that I have become so pessimistic about DC movies. I want to be excited but can’t help expecting the worst from every announcement. 

[Trini]

On 1/20/2022 at 7:38 PM, Tenshinhan said:

For me, anything three hours and under works as long as the story itself is served by the runtime.  If it were over three hours, then such a film would need to be a special case in my view.

I know that Matt Reeves was fighting the studio for a longer cut, so hopefully this means that the end result is more in line with his vision for the film.

I dunno. I haven't been following the BTS production much; but this feels like they (director, writers, studio?) are trying to get as much in as possible because perhaps a sequel isn't guaranteed. (Despite Batman being a bestseller.) The director keeps describing it as noir, but this seems a bit long for that. And this isn't supposed to be an origin story, so what's filling the time?

If it's long and great, that's great; but the runtime is the first thing to give me pause so far.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Trini

[tv echo]

The Batman Official Clip
Mario Z    Jan 22, 2022

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

Another poster, with the main characters:

[tv echo]

Don't know if this is fan-made or official...

The Batman Movie Ad Jokingly Claims Iron Man Is Better
By Aeron Mer Eclarinal    January 30, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/batman-tony-stark-bruce-wayne-ad 

Quote

Reddit user u/knivesxonly shared a piece of wall art for The Batman on the side of New Farm Cinemas in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 
*  *  *
The unique promotion, which was seemingly commissioned by New Farm Cinemas, features a statement claiming that Tony Stark is the "world's #1 smartest, multi-biliionaire superhero orphan" while promoting the release of the Robert Pattinson-led movie: 

Edited January 31, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

Don't know if this is fan-made or official...

In what way would that ever be official? Some people are way too invested in the supposed DC vs Marvel "war".

[Guest]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

Don't know if this is fan-made or official...

The Batman Movie Ad Jokingly Claims Iron Man Is Better
By Aeron Mer Eclarinal    January 30, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/batman-tony-stark-bruce-wayne-ad 

It has the guys Reddit handle on the bottom of the billboard. It has reached the point that I hate comic sites because most of them are run by idiots. 

[Trini]

A snippet of Total Film's interview with Pattinson here: https://www.gamesradar.com/robert-pattinson-talks-the-batman-hes-a-freak/

He talks a bit about why he wanted the role and why he likes the character.

And a few new promo photos here: https://www.gamesradar.com/the-batman-exclusive-images/

[tv echo]

Edited February 6, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The Metamorphosis of Robert Pattinson
BY DANIEL RILEY    February 8, 202
https://www.gq.com/story/robert-pattinson-march-cover-profile 

Quote

“I watched a rough cut of the movie by myself,” he tells me in the not-cave, while eating together. “And the first shot is so jarring from any other Batman movie that it’s just kind of a totally different pace. It was what Matt was saying from the first meeting I had with him: ‘I want to do a ’70s noir detective story, like The Conversation.’ And I kind of assumed that meant the mood board or something, the look of it. But from the first shot, it’s, Oh, this actually is a detective story. And I feel like an idiot, because I didn’t even know that Batman was ‘the world’s greatest detective’; I hadn’t heard that in my life before—but it really plays. Just ’cause there’s a lot of stuff where he’s in amongst the cops. Normally, when you see Batman he arrives and beats people up. But he’s having conversations, and there are emotional scenes between them, which I don’t think have been in any of the other movies.”

I remind Pattinson that the last time he was in GQ, he was just getting started on The Batman, searching for what he called “the gap” in a character that has been played every which way for decades now. I ask if he achieved that.

“I’ve definitely found a little interesting thread. He doesn’t have a playboy persona at all, so he’s kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman, and I kept thinking there’s a more nihilistic slant to it. ’Cause, normally, in all the other movies, Bruce goes away, trains, and returns to Gotham believing in himself, thinking, I’m gonna change things here. But in this, it’s sort of implied that he’s had a bit of a breakdown. But this thing he’s doing, it’s not even working. Like, it’s two years into it, and the crime has gotten worse since Bruce started being Batman. The people of Gotham think that he’s just another symptom of how shit everything is. There’s this scene where he’s beating everyone up on this train platform, and I just love that there’s a bit in the script where the guy he’s saving is also just like: Ahh! It’s worse! You’re either being mugged by some gang members, or a monster comes and, like, fucking beats everybody up! The guy has no idea that Batman’s come to save him. It just looks like this werewolf.”

Pattinson laughs hard. “And I kept trying to play into that, I kept trying to think, and I’m going to express this so badly, but there’s this thing with addressing trauma.… All the other stories say the death of his parents is why Bruce becomes Batman, but I was trying to break that down in what I thought was a real way, instead of trying to rationalize it. He’s created this intricate construction for years and years and years, which has culminated in this Batman persona. But it’s not like a healthy thing that he’s done.” It’s like an extended crack-up. “Almost like a drug addiction,” he says. There’s a moment when Alfred asks Bruce what his family would think of him tarnishing the family legacy with his new side hustle. “And Bruce says: ‘This is my family legacy. If I don’t do this, then there’s nothing else for me.’ I always read that as not like, ‘There’s nothing else,’ like, ‘I don’t have a purpose.’ But like: ‘I’m checking out.’ And I think that makes it a lot sadder. Like, it’s a sad movie. It’s kind of about him trying to find some element of hope, in himself, and not just the city. Normally, Bruce never questions his own ability; he questions the city’s ability to change. But I mean, it’s kind of such an insane thing to do: The only way I can live is to dress up as a bat.

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The Batman cast did a recent interview with Fandango...

The Cast of 'The Batman' on Matt Reeves's Vision for the Caped Crusader | Fandango All Access
Fandango All Access   Feb 10, 2022

Robert Pattinson Reveals How Many More Batman Movies He Wants to Do
By Aeron Mer Eclarinal   February 10, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/robert-pattinson-batman-movies-more 

Quote

During the interview, the topic of seeing more follow-ups to The Batman emerged. The film's lead star, Robert Pattinson, openly admitted that he wants to reprise his Caped Crusader role "as many times as people want to see it," while also sharing that he "enjoyed the process" of playing the character in the movie: 

"I'm down to do it as many times as people want to see it, really. Like I mean I got to get this one out first. But yeah, like, I mean I've talked to Matt about the idea of doing a trilogy and that would be wonderful. I really, really enjoyed the process and it's such a fun character to play. And yeah, that'd be lovely, lovely."

Paul Dano, Zoë Kravitz, and Colin Farrell chimed in on the conversation, with each of them sharing their thoughts about seeing more of Bruce Wayne's "evolution:"

Dano: "There's so much room for this Batman to grow, too."

Pattinson: "Yes, big time."

Kravitz: "It needs that, this is when the setup is."

Farrell: "I want to see the evolution of Bruce Wayne in this, big time."
*  *  *
Pattinson: "As a giant party boy, I know."

Kravitz: "No but I'm really glad it's something, but I think because you're such a recluse, Bruce is such a recluse in this film, to see Bruce evolve into the person that knows he has to perform and be on a yacht with some-that's a really fun journey to go on."

Pattinson: "And Alfred's like, you need to be Batman again. And he's like I'm at a party, I'm at fashion week!"

Farrell: "I'm having a mojito!"

The Batman Star Compares Spider-Man: No Way Home to DC's New Movie
By Russ Mklheim    February 10, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/batman-spider-man-no-way-home-compare 

Quote

In an interview with Fandango, The Batman star Colin Farrell revealed that he did see the biggest movie of last year: Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The star talked about how "[he] got so excited seeing Spider-Man," and that feeling of joy led him to tell The Batman's director Matt Reeves how he will be bringing a similar experience to "millions of people's lives" with his own superhero movie based on another massively popular comic book character:

“I got so excited seeing Spider-Man…You know, very different films and all that, whatever, but really excited. I got caught up in the global energy, it was my awareness that people all around the world were going with their kids or their friends and their lovers or whatever and really having this experience. I have no expectations for how many people are going to like this, love it, not like it, have a gripe with it, or any of that but I do believe, and I was saying it to Matt [Reeves]…that ‘I hope you can grasp that you’re going to move and bring a lot of entertainment and joy into so many like millions of people’s lives.’ Even if it does badly, he’s going to do that in millions of people’s lives.”

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

More interviews/press are being released; here's one article with quotes about how the director choose which characters to include and how the story developed: 'Why The Batman Features Riddler, Catwoman, and Penguin'

[tv echo]

'The Batman’ Cleared For China Release
By Nancy Tartaglione    February 14, 2022 
https://deadline.com/2022/02/the-batman-china-release-date-robert-pattinson-1234933650/ 

Quote

Warner Bros/DC’s highly-anticipated The Batman has been cleared for a release in China. A date has yet to be confirmed, but the approval is significant given the market has been light on studio titles across the past year.

In a video posted to the Warner Bros Weibo account, Batman star Robert Pattinson addressed Chinese fans saying, “Today, I have good news for you,” while Zoë Kravitz added, “our new movie, The Batman, will be released in China.” Also appearing in the video are Colin Farrell and Paul Dano.

Whether the China approval signals an overall change versus 2021 remains to be seen. Currently, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Death On The Nile is due to release this coming Saturday, and is the only Hollywood movie with a date. It’s likely that Sony’s Uncharted will be approved, though that is not yet confirmed. Spider-Man: No Way Home has still not been dated, owing to what amounted to an unofficial ban on Marvel throughout the past year. That movie nevertheless has grossed over $1.8B worldwide without China.

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

More press at EW:

'Knight Moves: Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz take flight...'

 

[Trini]

The gallery at EW also has a few new(?) promo stills in addition to the photo shoot with Pattinson and Kravitz: https://ew.com/movies/the-batman-robert-pattinson-zoe-kravitz-cover-shoot-photos/

---

The EW interview reassures me a bit that Zoe and Selina aren't just being used for marketing and that they're an integral part of the story.

[Trini]

'Robert Pattinson breaks down the new Batsuit'

[ICantDoThatDave]

What's fascinating is how little interest in this there is.  Not just posts on this forum... it's mostly links, news releases, & press clips.  But even among people I know.  No one I know is looking forward to this, or even discussing it.

Anecdotal, yes, but for example Spider-Man: No Way Home was the topic of conversation among my friends, family, coworkers for weeks leading up to its release.  This?  Not a blip on the radar.

[Tenshinhan]

1 hour ago, ICantDoThatDave said:

What's fascinating is how little interest in this there is.  Not just posts on this forum... it's mostly links, news releases, & press clips.  But even among people I know.  No one I know is looking forward to this, or even discussing it.

Anecdotal, yes, but for example Spider-Man: No Way Home was the topic of conversation among my friends, family, coworkers for weeks leading up to its release.  This?  Not a blip on the radar.

MCU Spider-Man and the MCU in general have been more popular than everything in the last decade, so that's really not a good comparison.

Batman is popular, but not nearly as popular as it was in years past.  Especially after the Nolan films went all-out and were so massively successful.  Combine that with the ill-conceived and poorly-received Batman-related efforts released since then, it makes sense that the general public would be broadly uninterested in yet another Batman reboot.

Word-of-mouth will likely be the determining factor in this film's success.

Edited February 23, 2022 by Tenshinhan

[Guest]

4 hours ago, ICantDoThatDave said:

What's fascinating is how little interest in this there is.  Not just posts on this forum... it's mostly links, news releases, & press clips.  But even among people I know.  No one I know is looking forward to this, or even discussing it.

Anecdotal, yes, but for example Spider-Man: No Way Home was the topic of conversation among my friends, family, coworkers for weeks leading up to its release.  This?  Not a blip on the radar.

DC’s reputation at the moment is challenging but I feel like this is also just a sign of the times. Outside of Marvel, movies just aren’t getting a lot of buzz. No Way Home isn’t really a fair comparison to anything since it’s a MCU movie, the conclusion of a successful trilogy and involves the multiverse. 

Uncharted just had a very good opening and no one is talking about it. 

The Batman has been doing really well in pre-sales so there is interest and it should have a good opening. 

[tv echo]

New The Batman TV SPOT!!
Salvage1009     Feb 23, 2022

 

[tv echo]

The CW's TV spot for The Batman...

Villains | The CW
The CW Network   Feb 26, 2022

 

[tv echo]

Reviews are starting to be published for The Batman and they're mostly positive...

The Batman Movie Reviews: What Are Critics' First Reactions?
By Aeron Mer Eclarinal   February 28, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/batman-movie-reviews-critics-reactions 

'The Batman' flies high with its dark and serious Dark Knight, but hangs around too long
Review by Brian Lowry     February 28, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/entertainment/the-batman-review/index.html 

Robert Pattinson in ‘The Batman’: Film Review
BY DAVID ROONEY     FEBRUARY 28, 2022
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/batman-robert-pattinson-1235100390/ 

The Batman Review
By Alex Stedman   Feb 28, 2022
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-batman-review-robert-pattinson 

In back-to-basics 'The Batman,' Robert Pattinson shines in the darkness
GLEN WELDON    February 28, 2022
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1083465564/the-batman-robert-pattinson-review 

The Batman Is Sad, Scary, and Even a Little Sexy
By Bilge Ebiri    February 28, 2022
https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-robert-pattinson-in-the-batman.html 

Edited February 28, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

Another spoiler-free review at io9: The Batman’s Grounded Mystery Is Unlike Any Other Batman Movie

Positive; his main complaint is a tone shift in the final act.

[Trini]

For variety, a review by a woman; another glowing review, but thinks it could have been shorter: 'Pattinson Delivers One Of The Best Dark Knight Movies'

[Trini]

The stylists are killing it with these red carpets:

 

[tv echo]

Another CW TV spot for The Batman...

Suit Style | The CW
The CW Network   Feb 28, 2022

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by tv echo

[millennium]

On 1/20/2022 at 5:56 PM, starri said:

I'm sorry, no.

"More" =/= "better"

More = Higher ticket prices, apparently.   More evidence that today's runaway inflation is nothing but corporate greed.   And this fucking industry wonders why more and more people are staying home.

AMC Theaters charging more for "The Batman" tickets

I have nothing but AMC Theaters where I am.  I have been a Batman fan all my life (and I'm old enough to have watched the Adam West series in its first run on TV).  I have been looking forward to this movie for two years.   But I'm out.  Screw them.   I'll catch it streaming.

Edited March 3, 2022 by millennium

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, millennium said:

More = Higher ticket prices, apparently.   More evidence that today's runaway inflation is nothing but corporate greed.   And this fucking industry wonders why more and more people are staying home.

AMC Theaters charging more for "The Batman" tickets

I have nothing but AMC Theaters where I am.  I have been a Batman fan all my life (and I'm old enough to have watched the Adam West series in its first run on TV).  I have been looking forward to this movie for two years.   But I'm out.  Screw them.   I'll catch it streaming.

I can’t even blame theaters for that because longer show times mean less showings and less profit and the industry is barely hanging on as it is. 

[starri]

Surge pricing comes to the movies.

5 minutes ago, Dani said:

I can’t even blame theaters for that because longer show times mean less showings and less profit and the industry is barely hanging on as it is. 

I'd agree with that, but theaters make their money from concessions anyway.

We're rapidly becoming a society where a physical theater exists either for event movies or art house films, and nothing in between.

[millennium]

1 hour ago, starri said:

Surge pricing comes to the movies.

I'd agree with that, but theaters make their money from concessions anyway.

We're rapidly becoming a society where a physical theater exists either for event movies or art house films, and nothing in between.

And one where movies will be affordable for some people and not for others.  

[tv echo]

How ‘The Batman’ Director Matt Reeves Made a $200 Million Bet on Robert Pattinson’s Darker Knight
By Adam B. Vary   March 2, 2022
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/matt-reeves-batman-robert-pattinson-1235193075/ 

Quote

In this iteration, Batman has been reinvented through Reeves’ lens to grapple with so many of today’s horrors — a profound disillusionment with institutions of power, how great wealth is a corrosive force, the specter of incel terrorists organizing via social media, even climate change — but at its center is a young man desperate to create order (yet again) inside the scarring tumult of his traumatic childhood. That is a deeply personal story for Reeves, writ large into a nearly three-hour comic book movie about a billionaire scion who dresses like a bat to pummel criminals in the dead of night.

“His vigilantism is like filmmaking for me,” Reeves says. “The thing about being a kid is you feel so helpless. I felt so out of control, in so many ways.” Playing director with his 8mm camera as a child, he says, “was the beginning of trying to get some agency, and I think that for a kid, the image of Batman is that idea.”
*  *  *
“I always enter into it with the idea that it’s not going to be me,” Reeves says. “Because then if you want it to be me, you have to tell me you’re willing to do what I want to do. I don’t mean that in some kind of arrogant [way]. You’re not going to get a good movie from me if you don’t let me do what I do, because I don’t know how to do it another way. And so: ‘Please, if you don’t like what I’m saying, do not hire me.’ And that so far has worked for me.”

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by tv echo

[Guest]

22 hours ago, starri said:

I'd agree with that, but theaters make their money from concessions anyway.

True but fewer showings also mean less concessions sales. Ticket sales are down and so are concession sales. The industry is suffering and price increases are inevitable if theaters are going to stay in business. Personally, I’d rather see surge ticket pricing than even higher concession prices. One I can avoid or minimize based on when I go while the other will affect me every time I see a movie. 

22 hours ago, millennium said:

And one where movies will be affordable for some people and not for others.  

Isn’t that already the case?

[millennium]

10 minutes ago, Dani said:

Isn’t that already the case?

Pretty much, sad to admit.  I like going to the movies as much as the next person, but I wouldn't shed a tear if all theaters went out of business tomorrow.