The Batman Review Roundup: Here’s what the critics think
The reviews for The Batman have rolled in, and it’s time to see how the next DC film is going to fare. Lets take a look and see.
Variety
A movie like this will inspire countless debates: Does “The Batman” really need to be this dark? Can it hold a candle to Nolan’s trilogy? There’s room enough for both to exist, and space for sequels to build on this foundation, which assumes a certain familiarity with the character’s mythology. That’s the beauty of Batman, who transcends all the other heroes in the DC Comics stable: Like Dracula or Hamlet, this iconic antihero stands up to endless reinvention. Whether campy or pop, self-questioning or complicit, he tells us something new about ourselves every time he steps out of the shadows.
Awards Watch
With a mood piece like this, it could be a lot for audiences to handle. But for fans of this character, the world Reeves and company has plenty of heart pounding action and spectacle that adds up to one of the best comic book action movies we’ve gotten in the last two decades.
The Batman is fantastic start of a new era of the Dark Knight and part two can’t come soon enough.
The Hollywood Reporter
With his Planet of the Apes installments, Matt Reeves demonstrated that big studio franchise movies based on iconic screen properties didn’t have to exclude intelligent, emotionally nuanced storytelling. The same applies to The Batman, a brooding genre piece in which the superhero trappings of cape and cowl, Batmobile and cool gadgetry are folded into the grimy noir textures of an intricately plotted detective story. Led with magnetic intensity and a granite jawline by Robert Pattinson as a Dark Knight with daddy issues, this ambitious reboot is grounded in a contemporary reality where institutional and political distrust breeds unhinged vigilantism.
JoBlo
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is one of the most original and twisted comic book adaptations ever made. For me, it’s the best Batman thus far. And that says something considering some of the terrific past features, like the masterful The Dark Knight or even the fun that Tim Burton had early on. Even with a near three-hour runtime, this tale is alive with energy. From the impressive cast to the terrific script to the exceptionally eerie score by Michael Giacchino, this return to Gotham is more than a satisfying experience. Reeves took an original route to tell this story, similar to what James Mangold accomplished with the excellent Logan in 2017. Both bring a level of reality to their prospective series of films, and both are two of the best superhero adventures ever to find their way into the cinema. The Batman opens this Friday, in theatres, and it’s well worth witnessing on the biggest screen possible
Entertainment Weekly
But it falls on Pattinson’s leather-cased Batman to be the hero we need, or deserve. With his doleful kohl-smudged eyes and trapezoidal jawline, he’s more like a tragic prince from Shakespeare; a lost soul bent like a bat out of hell on saving everyone but himself. Grade: B
Deadline
In terms of action, this is meant to be a slower-paced and far moodier take on the 80-year-old fan favorite but is worth the price of admission just for a midfilm car chase that ranks with the best in any previous version. The Batman might not be The Batman, but what Reeves has wrought is pretty damn good and worth a few spins in the Batmobile. In other words, this is a Batman you have never seen before.
Digital Spy
It’s easy to get Batman wrong, but Reeves never even threatens to do so. The Batman is an enthralling, chilling and fresh new take on the iconic DC hero that’ll leave you desperate for another visit to this impeccably-crafted world.
From the impressive cast to the terrific script to the exceptionally eerie score by Michael Giacchino, this return to Gotham is more than a satisfying experience.