One of the most successful films of the previous year, which on top of that is also one of the best of 2022, is available for the first time as of today as a subscription on Amazon Prime Video: “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson.
Yes, that too can be comic book cinema: While Marvel focuses on entertaining popcorn entertainment, in which superheroes rush through various dimensions to save not only the world, but several worlds at once, DC and Matt Reeves bake much smaller rolls with “The Batman” – one might think at first glance. But this impression is deceptive.
Even though the latest big-screen adventure of Gotham’s Dark Knight is basically nothing more than a serial killer hunt à la “Seven” or “Zodiac”, “Planet of the Apes” and “Cloverfield” maker Reeves packs plenty of spectacle into his investigative thriller – and takes his audience into a breathtakingly dark, fascinating world for three full hours (!). This is not only eerily atmospheric and visually stunning, but also as exciting as it is spectacular.
From now on you can stream “The Batman” with your subscription at no extra cost at Amazon Prime Video:
“THE BATMAN”: AN ATYPICAL BUT EXCELLENT SUPERHERO MOVIE
“The Batman” isn’t your typical origin story, where, say, we first meet Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) before joining him as he becomes Batman. Instead, the DC hero has long been roaming Gotham by night to rid the city of criminal scum – with limited success. Violence, crime and corruption rage worse than ever before.
When the ruling mayor Don Mitchell (Rupert Penry-Jones) is killed by a masked killer just before the upcoming elections, the righteous lawman James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Batman together take up the trail and quickly realize that they are dealing with a very special case: For it’s about to be a whole series of murders, designed to finally expose the lies upon which the city was once built…
Praying to God that Scarecrow is the main villain of The Batman 2. Perfect character connect the grounded realism of The Batman, with a possible less-grounded and more meta-human future with villains like Poison Ivy, and Clayface pic. twitter.com/dRKH13sA7d
– Batman (@leoisthejoker) August 17, 2023
While comic book connoisseurs will naturally recognize various aspects of “The Batman” from the originals “The First Year” and “The Long Halloween,” which are among the most popular stories about the Dark Knight, the latest Gotham adventure also features elements we’ve already seen in the movies – and yet somehow it’s all quite different.
The Riddler played by Paul Dano is not a joke character in a romper suit (like Jim Carrey in “Batman Forever”), but a thoroughly threatening, crazy and unpredictable psychopath. And Colin Farrell’s Penguin also has little in common with Danny DeVito’s interpretation of the role in “Batman Returns.” And then there is the action: It is used in a well-dosed manner, but then it is all the more brutal, atmospheric and impressive (keyword: Batmobile). But it never becomes the center of attention or is only used as an end in itself, which ultimately sets “The Batman” apart from the majority of modern comic adaptations.
The official review, in which author Julius awards a whopping 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars, therefore states: “Media criticism and Batman deconstruction instead of blockbuster fun, as well as serial killer thriller instead of saving the world: “The Batman” is not a typical superhero film, but it is an excellent one.
The fact that this concept has been accepted is shown not only by the success at the box office, but also by the outstanding reviews of the film, practically across the board. And so it’s no surprise that Warner announced at CinemaCon last April that they are already working on “The Batman 2”.
In addition to leading actor Robert Pattinson, writer and director Matt Reeves will also return. Details about the content of the sequel have not yet been revealed, but in the following video we have already thought about how it could go on for the Dark Knight…
