Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves / Peter Craig / Bill Finger / Bob Kane
Starring: Robert Pattinson / Zoe Crowitz / Paul Dano / Colin Farrell / Jeffrey White
Popcorn index: 3 barrels
One-sentence evaluation: the new style aside, first get through the psychological barrier of three hours of film length.
"Film Noir" version of Batman, do you buy it?
- Comment on "The New Batman"
Movie sieves
Once the 2022 version of "The New Batman" was released, it received many praises, especially among the Batman fan base, and the dark, realistic temperament of the film was particularly respected. However, as an audience who has no special preference for Batman, but is more familiar with the film noir style of this film, I think the combination of the two is worth talking about.
Just as the style of the original comic book has changed a lot over the years, the film and television works featuring Batman have also tried a variety of styles. From the light-hearted funny style of the earliest TV series version, to the dark and eerie wind of Tim Burton's version of the movie, to the bright comedy style of Joe Schumacher's version, of course, the most famous is the Classic Nolan "Batman Trilogy" that has become irreplaceable in the hearts of fans... After Ben Affleck's unsuccessful brief baton, Batman, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, continues the dark atmosphere of the first two versions, whether it is the corrupt and cruel environment of Gotham City or the lonely and struggling state of young Batman; on the other hand, it tries to be more realistic than Nolan's version, while creating suspense and portraying characters with the narrative style of film noir.
Set against the backdrop of gotham's mayoral campaign, the film takes the confrontation between The Riddler and Batman as a clue, allowing Batman to intersect with the local gang in the process of tracking down the riddle people who have committed murders one after another, and even to break away from Catwoman, and even discover the secret of his parents' life. In the process of storytelling, the protagonist seems to be confused in the clouds, reflecting the typical film noir narrative mode, but unlike most film noirs, we are not really curious about the whereabouts of these familiar characters in the story, let alone worry about Batman's life safety, and many times wait for the protagonist to make an expected response. In this process, due to the realistic style of the film, there are not too many action scenes that can distract attention, and the protagonist's performance is also very restrained, so the three-hour length is longer.
Unlike the previous "Spider-Man: Homeless Heroes" launched by Marvel to find innovative points in content under the same style and mode, this "New Batman" has the momentum of tearing everything down and restarting the past, but the story of Batman will not change much in general, and the realistic style and calm rhythm are also inconsistent with the film noir specialties that usually create tension and suspense, so it is difficult to call it a surprise although it looks new overall. Of course it's also possible — I don't like the film just as much as I don't like all batmans that start with Nolan — and don't like the superheroes who are always "holding on."