So….to be honest, I was secretly hoping to hate The Batman. First, I didn’t think it could possibly live up to all the hype. Second, I wanted to stay loyal to Zack Snyder. And third, I don’t want gritty horror to become the new norm for DC Comics movies (or any movies).
You can imagine my annoyance when I actually LOVED the movie. 😂 (And yes, I still feel loyal to Zack Snyder!)
Movie: The Batman
Brief Description: Batman solves a series of violent crimes and unravels the corruption of Gotham.
Rating: PG-13
MyrmiGrade: 
The Pros
I thought Robert Pattinson did a good job. His Batman is good; but my main focus in Batman movies is always on how Bruce Wayne is played. I find that aspect of the character fascinating. Robert didn’t portray Bruce Wayne too often, but what he did show was good. I appreciated how entitled he was; I felt that was accurate for a young Bruce Wayne, and something the comics don’t go into. His crusade is about him and his trauma, not about others. The movie does a good job of showing his journey of learning to make it about others.
Of course, the stand out star hands-down is Zoe Kravitz as Selina/Catwoman. OMG she is absolutely amazing!! I’m not a huge fan of Selina in the comics. She is always shown as hard, un-personable, and she always uses her sex appeal to get out of trouble. Zoe’s version is SO different! She is TOUGH (which is not the same as hard), and the movie clearly shows her compassion and love for those who can’t defend themselves. I also like that she’s not over sexualized. (Even the shot of her getting dressed is somehow not sexual.) Don’t get me wrong, she is “sexy” – she’s attractive and confident. But her figure isn’t the focus; her heart is.
In general, I’m not a huge fan of the Bat/Cat relationship – it’s absolutely toxic, especially the way Tom King writes it in the comics. But I liked it in the movie. I still feel they’re mismatched, and the movie alludes to potential toxicity; however, it’s no more than a flirtation, and is (again) somehow sweet and innocent.
The Violence and “Grit”
One of the things I really worried about was the purported horror motifs. Just watching horror movie commercials sets off my OCD, and yes, I did choose to watch The Batman as a form of ERP (Exposure Response Prevention). Probably another reason I didn’t want to like it.
Anyway, this was the one aspect of the movie the critics overexaggerated. I felt the horror aspect was barely there. Now, it may be my fear of what could happen far exceeded what actually did happen, and so it didn’t seem *as bad* to me. But even my hubby described it as an allusion to horror rather than outright horror.
As far as grittiness and violence is concerned, I honestly feel Batman v. Superman is grittier and showed more violence.
So Why Isn’t it 5 Shells?
There were some instances where I was taken out of the movie and put back in my mind. I don’t like that – I like to be so engrossed I have no thoughts until the end. What were these parts?
- The indie music playing when Batman saw the son of the first murder victim. It’s a fun tune, which is kind of surprising given the circumstances. Definitely took me out of the moment.
- The Darth Vader-esque sound track every time Batman is walking
- When Batman leaned down to look at Penguin after the car chase, I couldn’t help but say, “I’ve been trying to contact you about your car’s extended warranty.” Literally out loud. Cool moment ruined.
***SPOILER***
The main reason is because I still can’t figure out why the Riddler flooded the city. If he’s trying to get rid of corruption, how does terrorizing the average citizen help?
Now, being confused during action movies isn’t new for me. I usually have to go over the movie with Andrew afterwards to figure out why there were so many explosions and stuff. But even he was a little fuzzy on why this happened. Maybe on a second watch it would be clearer. But I feel like a movie should do a good job of making it clear on the first watch, especially if it’s a main plot point.
***END SPOILER***
One last random nit-pick: I wasn’t sure why they changed Martha’s backstory from being a Kane (as in, her maiden name was Kane, another big Gothamite family), to being an Arkham. It seemed unnecessary, as they could have given her the same back story.
…Ok, and I couldn’t give it an outright 5 out of loyalty to Zack 😉.
Seeking God: Justice
*The rest of this post contains some non-plot related spoilers.*
Batman’s main refrain throughout the movie is “I am vengeance.” This is a very Batman thing to say, and is cannon. (Or, at least, it was said in Batman: The Animated Series, which people basically hold as cannon.) Obviously, this doesn’t sit right with Christians. You know, “vengeance is the Lord’s” and all (Rom. 12:19 & Deut. 32:35). And yet, as humans, we want justice, crave it, even. Or at least we should (Micah 6:8, Luke 11:42). (Interestingly, God is constantly rebuking His people on not seeking justice enough…but that’s a different post.)
But justice is different than vengeance, and the movie portrays this beautifully. At one point, the Riddler tells Batman that Batman himself was his inspiration. This surprises Batman, as the Riddler doesn’t share Batman’s “no kill” code (the Riddler brutally kills corrupt leaders throughout the movie). However, Batman sees the Riddler as an anomaly.
But then, after all of the Riddler’s plans come to fruition, Batman asks one of the Riddler’s helpers who he is. The man replies, “I am vengeance.”
Batman’s “vengeance” made an impact on his world – but not for good. His example caused others to respond to evil with more evil. It’s implied at the end that this is what will help him move toward justice rather than vengeance.
Justice is something our country is desperately seeking, so it’s a timely piece. But justice isn’t enough.
Seeking God: Protecting Others
Justice is good, and is warranted. But we need to turn the conversation from seeking justice to seeking to protect others. There are SO many things I could say here; however, I’ll talk about what I thought of during the movie.
At one point, Selina tells Batman about her childhood. She describes going to the club – the same club she works at now – with her mom and hiding while her mom entertained clients. I don’t know what other people thought of this line. Maybe they didn’t think anything of it. Maybe they thought it was said for theatrics. Hollywood does exaggerate, after all.
But this is a real thing, and it is utterly and terribly tragic.
One of the organizations Andrew and I support is Saving Moses. They provide three main services: birth aid in countries where there’s a high mortality rate of children and mothers; therapeutic milk for children suffering from malnutrition; and Nightcare for children of sex workers.
The last is what I thought of while watching The Batman. Children who grow up in the sex industry don’t have a safe place to go, and so experience horrific trauma. This continues the cycle – just like in the movie – where the daughters go into the same industry as their mothers. They feel they have no other choice.
Saving Moses provides a safe place for these children to stay, with the goal of breaking that cycle.
Justice fails these women and children; but seeking to protect them helps them escape the abuse.
Jesus, Justice, and Protection
Seeking the protection of others fully exemplifies the heart of Christ. It’s what Jesus did for the woman accused of adultery (John 8). Yes, there was a miscarriage of justice (according to Jewish law, the man should have been present); but she still committed adultery. The law was still against her. It would have been “just” to stone her, and everyone knew it.
But Jesus protected her. Obviously, he told her not to sin. But his chief goal was not justice (in this instance); it was protection.
I’d also argue that it was not justice that led Him to the cross, although that certainly had its part; it was loving protection of us – for only his death protects us from God’s just wrath.
Justice is cold, and often devoid of love. We see that throughout Batman lore (e.g. by not killing the Joker, Batman allows hundreds to suffer). Justice is also retro-active. You cannot have justice without a crime happening first.
Protecting others stems from love, and will ultimately lead to justice. Protecting others breaks cycles – not to mention spiritual chains. More importantly, protecting others is the heart of Christ.
In closing, how can you protect others today? And can you do it better than Batman?
Good review, especially how the Riddler and Batman’s actions seem to mirror one another, yet their goals are completely different. A lot hinges on their different understanding of vengeance and justice. I watched it on HBOmax, over several viewings and not all at once. The portrayal of the Riddler, seemingly patterned after the Zodiak Killer, I found very disturbing and actually had to convince myself to keep watching the movie. Way too “gritty” for me. And I agree, the final act seemed like a 90s environmental disaster movie, certainly an odd last-minute addition.
Thank you! I think the one reason I wasn’t more frightened of the Riddler is because he was going after corrupt officials. If it had been more random (like going after ordinary citizens), I would have been more freaked out. I’m a little nervous about where they’re going with the Joker. Not sure if I’ll be able to watch a movie with this iteration of the him…