Reeves' Ambitious Attempt: Not Terrible, But Misses the Mark

Matt Reeve’s ambitious attempt at the Batman character is hindered by weak plot points and uninspired detective riddles that simply don’t justify the exorbitant three-hour runtime.

The film spends way too much time on certain plot points that really weren’t that interesting -- “el rata alada"🤪-- while occasionally sprinkling in some largely uninspired action sequences.

I appreciated the attempt at social commentary about income inequality and orphanages, but even that was muddled. The film introduces these themes with a few lines early on, only to abandon them for long stretches of uninteresting detective work -- like the aforementioned "el rata alada" sequence. When the commentary is reintroduced later in the film, it feels disconnected and loses its impact because too much time has passed between the initial setup and the conclusion.

I liked Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle/Catwoman, but her cheap-looking mask was disappointing. I get that was the point they were going for; her makeshift outfit was symbolic of her socioeconomic status, especially when juxtaposed against Billionaire orphan Bruce Wayne's Batman suit. Regardless, it looked a little too low-rent. Nevertheless, I hope we get a Zoe Kravitz Catwoman movie.

Also, Colin Ferrel was unrecognizable and fantastic as Penguin, and Pattinson was a good Batman; his Bruce Wayne grew on me over the course of the Film. The rest of the cast, like Alfred, Riddler, Gordon, and Falcone, also delivered strong performances. In short, the film had solid casting and excellent performances across the board.

Ultimately, the film’s biggest flaw is that it didn’t convincingly set out to do what it wanted to do; show the brilliant detective mind of Batman. The riddles were simplistic, and both Gordon and Batman seemed like amateurs who couldn't solve a crossword puzzle, lest solve a crime. I read interviews with director Reeves saying he felt that this side of Batman—the Holmesian master detective—had never been shown on film. I agree with him.

Unfortunately, it still hasn’t.

6/10