The Batman Movie

[The True Detective]

Keep in mind as I said earlier TDKR's box office was severely hurt by that theater shooting. I'm pretty sure the domestic would have been around 600 million if it didn't happen seeing as how TDK domestic was around 530 million. We have to see how good the Batman does this weekend to see, but I think it's possible it will end it's domestic run at 350 million. I wouldn't say 400 is a given by any means. If it does stay at $350, then I think it's worth pointing out the comparison and possible Batman fatigue when compared to the Nolan movies.

There's no way it misses $400m, it's predicted to be at $300m by this Sunday: https://mobile.twitter.com/GiteshPan...4pjpRZQeQ&s=09

I'm not sure what numbers you're looking at but most box office pundits agree $400m is all but locked. $410-420m is the consensus for the bare minimum it'll finish with. Comparing it to TDK and TDKR makes no sense when they were sequels and this isn't. 9 times out of 10 sequels always outperform the 1st entry in a rebooted franchise. If you want to compare it to the Nolan trilogy compare it to Batman Begins. The Batman will make more in North America than Begins ($373m) made worldwide.

The Batman also debuted in China on Friday with $3.6m which is better than what was forecasted, 2/3 of theaters are shut down there so it's pretty good under the circumstances. Even better is the reception, it has a 9.0 on Maoyan, China's version of Rotten Tomatoes. That's the same audience score Infinity War got on Maoyan and better than No Way Home's score which was a 7.9, word of mouth should be good. All the talk of Batman not being popular in China and this not being the kind of movie Chinese audiences would like might've been a little premature.

[bat39]

So I watched it again. And...it didn't really ''wow'' me the second time round. But that led to the realization that this film doesn't have much of a ''wow'' factor...its greatness lies in something more, I dunno, sublime. It's not like a firework or an explosion of awesomness...more like a slow-drip immersion into brilliance.

I got a chance to notice a few subtler things I may have missed on my first watch. Like the fact that Alfred mentions that the Spanish on the cipher isn't particularly good some time before Gordon and Batman interrogate the Penguin. The way the Penguin, who's tied up, waddles like a Penguin after our two detectives leave him. And my favorite one - in the opening montage with Bruce's voiceover about using fear as a tool, we see a perp caught in the spotlight of a GCPD chopper but not giving a damn, but we then sees the Batsignal in the sky and freaks out - a clear visual indicator that its Batman that criminals fear, not the cops.

There's also quiet a bit of repetition involving Bruce and Batman showing up at the same places and doing similar things. Bruce Wayne goes to the mayor's funeral and is present when the car with Colson crashes through. Later, Batman shows up at the funeral hall to try and rescue Colson. Batman fights his way into the Iceberg Lounge to interrogate Penguin. Later, Bruce Wayne is invited in to meet Falcone (and later still, in his 'drifter' guise, he just sneaks in). Bruce saves the mayor's son in the aforementioned funeral scene, and at the end of the film, the same kid is the first person Batman saves after the flood.

And Martinez, the cop who thinks Batman is a freak is a fan of Bruce Wayne's!

I also love how the opening and closing montages show us completely contrasting takes on Batman which both differ from how we normally see him. In the opening montage, he's wandering the streets of Gotham like a serial killer picking his target...taking his mask out of a duffel bag the way a sniper might take out a gun. In the closing montage however, we see Batman in broad daylight helping rescue people from the flood, and working side by side with emergency services. Two radically different takes on Batman as a nocturnal predator and relief worker, in the same film!

Riddler actually came across better to me on my second watch. Yeah, he's still hammy when he gets hystical and we don't see a lot of him. But it makes sense within the context of the film - he isn't some spectacular showboating villain like the Joker, but a fairly introverted, socially awkward individual who gained confidence when he put on a mask and amassed a following from behind a computer screen - he's supposed to be part-terrorist, part-social media influencer, and have serious psychological issues, and it all works. I mean, realistically, being a super-villain in Gotham doesn't mean you would be glamorous and charismatic!

One last thing - I commend this movie for breaking a few ''comic book movie tropes'' in its effort to more authentically recreate a Batman comic-book on-screen. The secret identity is a big one. I think this is the first major Batman movie (well, not counting the 1966 one) where no one learns Batman's secret identity who didn't already know it when the film began. This movie starts with Alfred being the only one in on the secret and it ends that way. They teased the Riddler finding out, in true movie supervillain fashion, but in the end we learn he doesn't (at least, not on the surface). Even Selina doesn't learn the truth. The sanctity of a secret identity, which is often diluted or completely discarded in superhero films, is rigorously maintained here. Another trope which they've avoided is the villain dying (which Batman movies have a mixed track record on). Yes, Falcone is killed, but Riddler and Penguin make it out alive, and Selina (who isn't a villain anyway) also lives to claw another day. In fact, barring Falcone, no major character dies - that in itself is a refreshing change of pace. And last but not least, Pattison spends most of the movie as Batman, in the suit, and even when he's Bruce he's in Batman mode - a far cry from most superhero movies these days when we spend a lot of time with the hero in his civilian identity because, well, I guess you don't pay Robert Downey Jr. tens of millions to hide behind an Iron Man helmet...

[Nite-Wing]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone claim the Nolan fights were good
In fact they are quite possibly the most clunkiest unnatural fight scenes in superhero movies. They are also very badly choreographed and you can tell Nolan cared so little about that aspect of the movie that he included the worst takes in the theatrical cut of the damn movies

Reeves for mostly striving to make a detective movie still did his due diligence and managed to get the Batman fixed camera positioning down

[Lightning Rider]

Yeah, that was pretty cool.

When I think Nolan's fighting, I'm using thinking this.


All shaky with swinging headbutts and elbows... I think? Really, the only thing that I hate worse than a bad fight scene... is a fight scene that I think MAY be cool, but I have zero idea what the heck is happening. It feels like sloppy directing to cover up poor choreography. I've been thinking that since the first Lethal Weapon 'epic showdown' between the two masters had to be done in the rain at night... Not nearly as epic as it was being led up to.

I think he wanted to create the same sense of confusion that the villains were feeling but it gets annoying real quick, we want to be able to know what's going on.

[DarkKnight85]

The Nolan trilogy imo is far more embarrassed about its source material than this movie is
That alone gives the Batman the nod over those movies
Nolan was more concerned with the performances (and he only got gold from Heath everyone else was basically average) than a lot of the technical aspects of how Batman is supposed to look, move, sound etc all of that compounded into some truly bad memes that still follow his movies to this day

I like the Nolan movies for revitalizing the Batman franchise in cinema but you can't say they are absolutely flawless because at the end of the day Batman can barely move, He can't fight, he needs help from everyone, and He quit in the end

Actually, in terms of how Batman moves and sounds, that was actually one of my faults I found with The Batman in comparison to the Nolan movies. In the Nolan movies, there is huge emphasis on stealth and speed. He pops in and out and takes advantage of his ninja/martial arts background, while also acting very wraith like. This new Batman film kind of had Pattison walking around like a super charged Robocop. Just literally tanking bullet shots and not caring about mobility or anything. Nolan films also had a good understanding of how the character just appears out of nowhere, this may be the meme stuff your mentioned, but that to me was actually on the nose. It's just what he does. It was just funny to see it presented in such a forward manner.

In The Batman, towards the last act we get to see this version open up and start showing his skill, and he starts breaking out of that slow mechanical depiction. Which I think was good. Hell for a direct comparison you can even compare scenes from both The Dark knight Rises and The Batman. Both movies have a scene with Batman fighting criminals in the dark and the environment keeps getting illuminated by gunfire. In TDKR, every time the light flashes you can see Batman is using his speed and agility to strike. In the Batman, he literally just walks slowly tanking full clips of bullets from automatic rifles. I was like wtf.......... Just felt kind of out of character for me in terms of how it was presented to the viewer.

[Lightning Rider]

Actually, in terms of how Batman moves and sounds, that was actually one of my faults I found with The Batman in comparison to the Nolan movies. In the Nolan movies, there is huge emphasis on stealth and speed. He pops in and out and takes advantage of his ninja/martial arts background, while also acting very wraith like. This new Batman film kind of had Pattison walking around like a super charged Robocop. Just literally tanking bullet shots and not caring about mobility or anything. Nolan films also had a good understanding of how the character just appears out of nowhere, this may be the meme stuff your mentioned, but that to me was actually on the nose. It's just what he does. It was just funny to see it presented in such a forward manner.

In The Batman, towards the last act we get to see this version open up and start showing his skill, and he starts breaking out of that slow mechanical depiction. Which I think was good. Hell for a direct comparison you can even compare scenes from both The Dark knight Rises and The Batman. Both movies have a scene with Batman fighting criminals in the dark and the environment keeps getting illuminated by gunfire. In TDKR, every time the light flashes you can see Batman is using his speed and agility to strike. In the Batman, he literally just walks slowly tanking full clips of bullets from automatic rifles. I was like wtf.......... Just felt kind of out of character for me in terms of how it was presented to the viewer.

Yeah this communicates exactly what I was feeling.

[Marko Lane]

So this past saturday I finally saw the movie! It was an incredible feeling to just sit in a movie theater again- and then the first movie coming back is Batman I absolutely loved it. No doubt about it. I'll definitely see it again in the coming days, lol.

The fact that we don't start the movie with the ever tiring scene of Thomas & Martha being shot, is something I actually wanted to see from a Batman movie. I mean, we the viewer know it by now, so no point in telling/showing us it anymore in my opinion. The whole movie had a different feel to it- there was't any "look at my gadgets/ big explosions" sure, there were some, but in this movie they felt more realistic. Batman/Bruce doing detective work, more than beating up the bad guys- I can't express it enough just how much I love it. The movie is more of a crime thriller when you compare it to Nolans trilogy- which I also love, but for other reasons.

I really hope that DC Films are heading in a new direction with their superhero movies/universe, and I really want Robert back as Bruce/Batman.

[The Kid]

Have you not been paying attention to The Batman's box office because it doesn't seem like you have been, it's guaranteed short of an unforseen catastrophic event to make over $400m in North America and $850m worldwide. If it's legs stay strong it might equal or even surpass TDKR's $448m domestic total, despite opening $26m lower. It's not the same series it was a decade ago? TDK had to be re-released to hit a billion meaning it originally ended it's run in the $900m range, The Batman could possibly do $900m as the 1st in a new trilogy, not a sequel like TDK.

You sure do like to talk up Spider-Man a lot in the Batman forum despite your Batman avatar, cool that you can recognize his popularity but it almost comes off trying to take prop him up at Batman's expense"yeah Batman's popular but Spider-Man's way more popular." Nobody even started the argument of Batman being more popular so I don't know why you're always bringing it up.

Comparing the 2 now is a little unfair seeing as Spider-Man is more established in video games and movies, Holland's Spider-Man has been around 6 years longer than Pattinson's Batman and for video games Insomniac's Spider-Man is alive and well wheras Gotham Knights has a dead Bruce. The NWH sequel might have a big drop without Tobey and Andrew while The Batman sequel likely will increase, comparing them in a few more years post sequels makes more sense.

We shall see about the box office. It's doing well either way, just not Nolan level. That's all I said

When have I brought up Spider-Man in the Batman forum before lol? Either way Spidey is one of my all time favorite superheroes (like Batman) and they are the two most popular characters of their respective companies so it makes sense to compare them.

I don't think the Spider-Man video games were bigger than the Arkham ones. The Arkham games were the best selling video games ever before Insomniac's Spider-Man (a PlayStation exclusive!) came out and blew past everything

[Bad Witch]

I hate the theatre. Let me rephrase that. I love the theatre but I HATE being in it with people. When I was younger it seemed to me like everyone was quiet and had consideration. Not now. It's mostly young people too. Talking loudly, phone on, slapping gums while they eat. It's so awful. what also does not make sense to me is it you have your phone on you all the time (I don't have one refuse to )and are so addicted to it you turn it on during a film in a theatre now come you cant enter the theatre before the film begins? I mean it has a clock on it.

I see no need for films to release this way anymore. My enjoyment of the batman would of been so much better if I could of just had the 4k blu ray on March fourth and watched it in my home.

[Restingvoice]

I hate the theatre. Let me rephrase that. I love the theatre but I HATE being in it with people. When I was younger it seemed to me like everyone was quiet and had consideration. Not now. It's mostly young people too. Talking loudly, phone on, slapping gums while they eat. It's so awful. what also does not make sense to me is it you have your phone on you all the time (I don't have one refuse to )and are so addicted to it you turn it on during a film in a theatre now come you cant enter the theatre before the film begins? I mean it has a clock on it.

I see no need for films to release this way anymore. My enjoyment of the batman would of been so much better if I could of just had the 4k blu ray on March fourth and watched it in my home.

Ah. Yeah. People like that don't go to movies to enjoy movies, but to hang out, with the movie and the theater being the backdrop. Like turning the TV while talking to each other in the living room. The ones on the phone are the same, but their friends are somewhere else, or they go to the theater because it's dark so they can wind down and check their social media while everyone else is glued to the screen. They are relaxing and entertaining themselves, but the movie is not the priority.

[Yohei72]

Ah. Yeah. People like that don't go to movies to enjoy movies, but to hang out, with the movie and the theater being the backdrop. Like turning the TV while talking to each other in the living room. The ones on the phone are the same, but their friends are somewhere else, or they go to the theater because it's dark so they can wind down and check their social media while everyone else is glued to the screen. They are relaxing and entertaining themselves, but the movie is not the priority.

People like this should be dragged out into the street, beaten to within an inch of their lives, and left in the gutter. [EDIT: ... by Batman.]

[Yohei72]

Anyway... Haven't seen the movie yet, but for some reason I was just wasting time on Twitter rebutting a Snyderverse dead-ender who was gloating that Batman v. Superman had made more than The Batman. At first I thought he meant opening weekend, which is manifestly untrue, but then I figured out he meant total... which you can't compare yet, as the Reeves movie is still in theaters and going strong, and will clearly pass BvS pretty soon. It was weird.

Anyway... I offer the anecdote for your amusement. "Worst. Box office analysis. Ever."

simpsons_comic_book_guy.jpg

[Marko Lane]

I also have to say that for a film that's 3hours- the people in my theater were silent. Occasionally making a sound, wether whispering or laughing- people were engrossed in the movie. My friend and I were actually stunned about it, because there were lots of teenagers there

[Bad Witch]

People like this should be dragged out into the street, beaten to within an inch of their lives, and left in the gutter. [EDIT: ... by Batman.]

This!!! All of this!!!

[The True Detective]

We shall see about the box office. It's doing well either way, just not Nolan level. That's all I said

When have I brought up Spider-Man in the Batman forum before lol? Either way Spidey is one of my all time favorite superheroes (like Batman) and they are the two most popular characters of their respective companies so it makes sense to compare them.

I don't think the Spider-Man video games were bigger than the Arkham ones. The Arkham games were the best selling video games ever before Insomniac's Spider-Man (a PlayStation exclusive!) came out and blew past everything

Correction: It hasn't made as much as the last 2 Nolan films aka the sequels, those always perform better than the first installment. On that front it is far ahead of Batman Begins which made $373m when The Batman is on track for at least $800m. Do you really think the sequels can't make as much as TDK and TDKR?

You've brought up Spider-Man in this very thread despite it having nothing to do with him, would you bring up Captain Marvel making more than the 1st Wonder Woman movie in Wonder Woman's forum? I assume the answer is no so why do it with Batman? You can compare them but not under these circumstances. No Way Home is the 3rd film in it's series and The Batman is the 1st. Like I said earlier sequels almost always do better than the 1st film. In Spider-Man's case his 1st MCU film made $880m, less than TDK and TDKR and not much more than The Batman will make.

No Way Home was unique with the Tobey and Andrew hook and Multiverse shenanigans while The Batman had no other draw other than it was a Batman movie. No past Batman actors or DC movie Multiverse implications, it made it's money soley off the Batman brand name and good reviews.

NWH was more than just a Spider-Man movie the way Civil War was more than just a Captain America movie. Civil War made more than Homecoming, doesn't mean Cap was bigger than Spider-Man just that his movie benefited certain advantages Homecoming didn't have. So the 1st entry into a new standalone Batman series isn't comparable to the celebration of 20 years of live action Spider-Men.

Whether the Insomniac games are bigger than the Arkham games doesn't really matter at this point seeing as the Arkham series is over and the Insomniac games are just getting stsrted.