An excerpt from my script review for The Batman which will be available 11/14/22:
2.) Plot Stability
DISCLAIMER – I did not see this film in the theaters.
To date though…
I’ve watched this film five (if not six) full times and now read the 131 page script once.
The Batman was the reason I finally downloaded HBO Max to the TV (previously having an unused version of HBO Go on there).
Started it one night by myself, when I couldn’t sleep and ended up watching all three hours of it.
The next night with the boy, since I knew he would like it.
A week or so later with The Boss, who enjoyed it, but probably not as much as I did.
Half on a flight down to Orlando. Second half on the way back.
Another full time on a flight to Manchester, England.
And that’s not even counting the various times I’ve queued YouTube or HOB Max for specific scenes I wanted to see or show someone.
It’s fair to say I’m a fan of the film.
(Then there’s the score…so good.)
Listen, I get why some folks don’t like it. It’s long…
But if you’d have told me this was going to involuntarily become my favorite Batman film, I’ve have said you were crazy.
Nolan knocked it out of the park, and I still get chills watching the Rise scene from the prison. It perfectly encapsulates why we love films and why we go to the movies!
Those films are great, but this one…
Maybe I had low expectations, questioning the choice of Robert Pattinson who genuinely gets a bad rap for his roles in the Twilight films, but then I caught this on YouTube.
The opening scene…I understand why it’s in there, as it sets up the Riddler, but the second scene, Batman talking about what he’s been doing…how he’s perceived…
That shit’s great and not just from a noir detective perspective, which at the heart is what Batman has always been.
Two things I mention when suggesting this film to others…
The action, which feels like the Arkham video game version of Batman come to life.
Then the “believability” which was one of the things I loved about the Nolan franchise. Batman’s suit, gadgets, and vehicles all felt plausible. The Batman takes that a step further in that everything has either been invented, or just a short step away (like his video contacts).
And the symbolism of the film.
Shit I enjoyed it, but it’s okay if you didn’t. We’re allowed to disagree.
(The Cap’n and Reals don’t share my enthusiasm for it.)
But if you haven’t seen it, don’t let the runtime discourage you.
The “shadows” opening…the fight scenes…the car chase…the ending…
This is a faithful version of The Dark Knight from the comics.
The script was essentially a “shot by shot” version of what’s onscreen.
Few things I liked on the film versus the script were…
Less Filler
The film is a perfect example of “enter late” in terms of screenwriting.
The script has a few filler scenes with the accountants meeting Alfred mentions, scenes where Batman calls Gordon, etc.
In the film, we cut all this and jump right to the actual scene.
Less Joker
There’s a scene where Batman goes to Arkham to consult The Joker about the Riddler.
It was even filmed.
It’s a great scene, but glad it was cut out, since The Joker becomes a distraction and I liked the film focusing on The Riddler.
(I’d even argue the “friend” scene at the end of the film could have been cut too. We already know Joker will make an appearance eventually.)
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