El Vengeance!

COLD OPEN.

I like the idea that he calls himself “Vengeance”, but that some fuck, just for the shit and giggles, called him “Batman” and it stuck. Everyone calls him Batman, now.

"Look, is the Batman! Ooh! What are you going to do? Throw guano at me?"

I wasn't going to write anything. I saw the movie, I liked it, it seemed good to me, I went on with my life. But then I saw some negative reviews, I considered them, I thought maybe it wasn't as good as I thought it was, but then I thought about it, and I think it's still a very strong movie.

Spoilers galore.

PART 1

There are indefensible things, several errors, which I will talk about first, since it is the most fun for me… Well, if you can defend them, try it, I, at least, did not find a defense. That speaks well of the film, that I wanted to find defenses, it is as if I had seen the quality even if I could not decipher all the reasons that made it.

The huge problem is that Batman should have died after falling after escaping the police station. And if not dead, at the very least he should have broken his back. The fact is that nothing is wrong with him, he doesn't even wake up in pain. Why the hell did they do that scene? No fucking idea.

It also seems to me that the explosion in the church should have caused a little more damage. It didn't have to be that strong, so much that he flights across the room, it's just that way because it looks cool. Maybe, if they could have a higher age rating, it would just blow up enough to severed the DA's head off, in a bloody fashion.

Honestly, the Riddler thinks they're friends, he wouldn't want to hurt him in any way. He puts him in danger, they could have removed the mask, making things difficult.

If Catwoman doesn't miss that shot, which is much easier to hit than to screw up, part of Riddler's plan no longer works and we no longer have those good scenes that follow. I don't think she can fail that, she is not a beginner. As a problem is not very big, but it did not have to go that way. And that the light goes out just at that very moment is quite convenient, it doesn't allow her to shoot him again.

Another thing, just as big a problem, maybe a little less, is Alfred not telling Bruce what the mistake is in El Rata Alada. He tells him that there is a mistake, so he knows what the mistake is, but he doesn't tell him. It seems very strange to me, it didn't cost him anything. He would have saved us a lot of time, potentially.

The last more or less significant problem is that no forensic officer, no detective, not even Batman himself thought that maybe they should check the whole place, his whole house, including under the carpet. The Riddler is a mastermind, he has used explosives before… Wouldn't it be rational to think that he might have bombs there to kill them? At the very least he would have something weird there. It's worth it.

Batman must have at least been suspicious of the fact that he turned himself in, because it was clear to me that the Riddler himself was the "witness." Batman holds him in high regard. "He doesn't make mistakes," he said at one point. It seems to me that it is a little problem, a contradiction, even. He thinks he's a genius, but is he going to be seen by a witness and then sit in a dining room? Weird.

The last issue I'll mention is that the DA didn't have any bodyguards, considering he was scared shitless, prone to drug use, and knows the Riddler is most likely after him.

Then there are little things that don't need to be mentioned, that are inconsequential to me or don't matter. For example, to give you an idea, the thing that he injected into his leg during the final fight. They probably should have set it up before, but it makes a lot of sense for him to have something like that. Whether it's adrenaline, super adrenaline or Bane's poison.

The last problem I will mention… this time it is the case, I promise. I don't know why the Riddler had to be imprisoned in Arkham at the end. If he wanted to be safe, it seems that there are many other places, where he would also be free. If he wanted to contact Batman, he could have left him his number to meet somewhere or something. A riddle, which only he could figure out.

There's a defense for that, but it seems weak to me: It was basically over, so going to jail wasn't important, it was the followers turn, right? It could work, but at no time does he give the impression that he is that kind of person, I believe more that he wants to be free to continue doing his things. Also, there are better places to relax.

PART 2

Now, what I like, because yes, I swear, there are many things that I like and think they are good. The best without a doubt is the: “Open your eyes!” by Gordon. It's a meme I'll use for the rest of my life.

Now, this section is going to be even shorter that originally was, because a lot is about the Riddler, so, if you give a shit as to why I like him, go to his page and see my review of him there. Because he is the main reason I like the film.

Now, the rest.

I've never liked Batman, not really. I prefer Daredevil. I don't know exactly why, but it is the case. I don't dislike him, but I don't care either. Maybe it's the fact that he's so broken, with so many skills and tools; the money gives him a lot of advantage. I guess that's why it's better when his villains screw him intellectually, like the Riddler in this movie.

But this Batman is not a master of everything, he is not an expert in all the martial arts in the world, which is impossible even with all the money. He takes hits, he doesn't know things, and he's still learning what he should be. It is his arc in the movie, overcoming revenge to get to true heroism. Batman should not be an inspiration to commit terrorist acts, he should not be only fear. Yes, he has plot armor, but perfection is a tall order for Matt Reeves.

I would have liked them to explore more his code of not killing, his reasoning, because the one he has in Under the Hood is childish, understandable, but silly. But, it's only the first movie. I can wait.

I like the atmosphere, everything technical is excellent, that goes without saying, but the atmosphere is… uff. It's dark, dirty, cold and decadent, it's very immersive. It's a detective story, it fits the mood perfectly, and it's something you don't usually see in Batman movies. It is one of his character traits that I do like. I even like the internal monologue, as many of the detective stories have, especially the old ones. It is a good way to know the way he sees       himself. Those monologues have always seemed funny to me, but not here, it is a very serious film, it was difficult for me not to be totally immersed to be able notice things like that.

There are more things that I like, but I don't find it very interesting to talk about it, and the review is already getting long. I'll just say that I like what they did with his parents, his broken relationship with Alfred, the fact that Bruce is consumed by his alter ego, that Zoë Kravitz is a goddess and that she plays a beginner Catwoman who makes you care about her problems, that Pattinson does a good job and looks great as Batman; that his body looks realistically fit instead of super ripped; and that the fights are rough and that you can feel the weight of each blow, etc, etc.

The Penguin was cool.

The movie works. It has a good main character and good secondary characters, and a good theme, but in the end, the Riddler is the only thing that makes me passionate. More than anything it was him the reason I wrote this review.

7/10.

A solid one.

It's a good movie, and you should see it.

Alaoz!

PS: Matt Reeves looks like the actor who plays Riddler… Hum. Curious.