The Batman
I am a massive Batman fan, and when it comes to movies about The Caped Crusader I can enjoy pretty much anything the character appears in in some way shape or form (yes, this means I stan for Batman & Robin, a truly incredible What The Fuck Is This? level of blockbuster filmmaking). So yes, I loved The Batman. Everyone in it and everything about it. This movie is entirely my kind of shit. I’m saying this upfront because I’m going to get into some spoiler territory here. I’ll do my best to keep it mild, but if you want to go in as blind as possible then enjoy this paragraph, go see the movie and come back after! Consider yourself warned.
Spoilers for The Batman to follow.
The Batman is a complete cinematic reboot of the character, without any connection to other DC movies, and filmmaker Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes) and star Robert Pattinson (Fuckin’ Edward, baby) have delivered what is quickly becoming my favorite iteration of the character yet.
First things first, my boy Pattinson kills it and fits into the cowl with confident ease. His Batman is almost feral, desperate to get to work every moment he’s not in the suit. Pattinson proves he is more than capable of slapping goons around with the best of them, but its his eyes and body movement in the quietest of moments that reveal just how good he is as the world’s greatest detective. The way he does or doesn’t look at someone, his slow but Tough As Fuck walk, how he gestures to a clue at a crime scene that the cops haven’t found yet. But more than anything, Pattinson’s sense of rage is the real deal. It consumes him, and Pattinson is completely and utterly convincing as someone who would dress as a bat and fight crime at night.
This is also the first Batman movie where it really seems like Batman is the main character. I say that because we barely see Bruce Wayne. When we do, its quick and to the point (one scene in particular features one of the best and most vulnerable moments for Bruce Wayne ever put on film. R Patz is SO good), but otherwise, we’re with Batman. It’s fitting too because as we all know, Bruce Wayne is his true mask, and it’s beyond fucking cool to see a Batman movie where Batman is truly front and center almost the entire time.
Director/Co-Writer Reeves must be given credit for getting straight to the point and avoiding another origin story. Early on we learn that Batman is knee deep in his second year on the job and the movie just goes from there. It’s nice when a filmmaker trusts his audience, and in this case Reeves trusts that we get who Batman is, and the film works so much better for it.
Reeves also goes out of his way to make a true blue detective story. Dark, gritty and punctuated with narration from The Bat himself, the film follows Batman as he works with Lt. Gordon (more on him in a bit) to stop The Riddler as he goes after the corrupt leadership of Gotham, and it’s really treated like a procedural. This is the kind of Batman I have always wanted to see on the big screen. I feel like people forget that he really is considered The World’s Greatest Detective in the comics, and until now only the more cartoonish versions of the character have been the only ones to really embrace this fact. A buddy of mine actually mentioned that it really felt like SEVEN to them and the more I think about it, the more I think he’s totally right. What is SEVEN if not a detective story? The Batman also has a grimey and grim vibe to it and its city as well, fitting right into that SEVEN aesthetic again. I mean shit, the idea of a Batman movie riffing on SEVEN, to me, is mind blowing. The fact that Reeves and company totally nailed it is, in a word, incredible.
Another element I love about the film is that Batman is constantly around people. In previous films, it felt like only Gordon and the villains had any real interaction with The Batman, but here he is walking through night clubs, police stations and crime scenes like he owns the whole damn town (which, I mean…) His interactions with cops are especially interesting. Aside from Gordon, he hates them (my man almost takes on an entire precinct simply because they pissed him off).
The spoilers have been mild so far but now I want to talk about a specific moment that happens at the end of the film, so-
MAJOR SPOILER
To continue on the point of The Batman constantly being around people, the finale involves Batman taking down a mob of Riddler’s goons trying to kill Gotham’s Mayor-Elect in a packed stadium. During this take down much destruction happens and the Mayor-Elect and several people get trapped underneath debris. Once the fight is over Batman rushes to the trapped crowd, clears the debris, and offers his hand to the soon to be Mayor (who up until this point has been adamant about arresting The Batman and restoring order the proper way) but she hesitates, unsure of his motives. Suddenly, the young son of the previously slain Mayor running for re-election, an orphan, reaches out to grab his hand. Batman takes it and lifts him and begins to walk him to safety. The crowd starts to follow. Outside we see him walking among cops and citizens alike, all in awe. Whatever fear they had before now gone. We see and experience the people of Gotham realizing that Batman is fighting for them. And that’s what I love so much right there. No matter how dark Batman can get, the character is ultimately about hope. Hope that he can make a difference and inspire people. Hope that he can stop as many people from going through what he had to as he can. It’s one of the many reasons that make Batman one of my all time favorite characters, and it’s beautifully realized here.
END OF SPOILERS
Now, let’s talk about the rest of the cast. Paul Dano and his Zodiac inspired Riddler was creepy AF, and is an excellent fit for the detective vibe of the whole thing. Colin Farrell is unrecognizable under mountains of prosthetics as The Penguin. Farrell is a somewhat small part of the ensemble here, as it seems he is being teed up for future installments, but it doesn’t feel forced at all, and it’s clear Farrell is having a blast playing him, so I can’t wait to see more. Actually, the film makes it seem that we’ll see just about everyone again (who made it to the end, that is), which is particularly exciting because we haven’t really seen any villains repeat in a major way in a Batman movie besides maybe The Scarecrow in the Nolan films (but even then his parts in the sequels were glorified cameos), which is exciting to me.
Zoë Kravitz is a perfect Catwoman, and yes it really is as simple as that. Her and Batman actually have a fully realized relationship the likes of which the big screen hasn’t seen before (not knocking any previous version BTW). Their flirtatious back and forth was a highlight for sure.
But good lord, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon is maybe the film’s MVP. Batman and Gordon are a real team here. They are always working together and communicating plans and helping each other out as much as they can, it’s honestly so fucking cool to see. They actually feel like friends, so much so that a scene where Gordon has to pretend to be angry at Batman in front other cops for reasons is one of the funniest and best in the whole movie (and yes, the film does have a sense of humor, sly as it may be).
From a technical standpoint The Batman is exquisite in every way. The cinematography by Greg Fraser (Dune Part I) is jaw droppingly gorgeous. Easily one of the best looking blockbusters ever made. Reeves crafts multiple thrilling set pieces that rival any great action movie (the Batman/Penguin car chase is a particular highlight). But Michael Giacchino’s score has somehow defeated all odds and immediately and successfully stands tall with every other iconic theme the Dark Knight has already had. It’s just that good.
Honestly, one of my only gripes is that we don’t get enough of Alfred, here played by the great Andy Serkis. He does great while he can, but his character gets sidelined big time. Here’s hoping future installments give me more of ol’ Al.
I really can’t tell you how much I loved The Batman. A perfect Batman movie that finally dives headfirst into the detective qualities without sacrificing its comic book origins. See it, and see it now.
The Suicide Squad
Mild spoilers for The Suicide Squad to follow.
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is an insanely entertaining, hilarious, and gory delight of a comic book movie. The director gets to let his traditionally R rated sensibilities shine on a huge comic book movie for the first time, and the result is a film that makes you completely forget that the first installment even exists.
I don’t want to talk too much shit about the original Suicide Squad. We all know it’s bad, nothing can change that now. But one of the true miracles this new entry achieves is that it immediately washes the bad taste of that movie out of your mouth by setting up a new (ish) squad and a new mission within the first five minutes and never looks back.
Returning this time around are Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Viola Davis as the SOB in charge Amanda Waller, and of course Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
As for the new cast? Shit. It’s madness. Idris Elba, John Cena, David Dastmalchian, Pete Davidson, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, Flula Borg, Sylvester Stallone, and newcomer Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher II.
Everyone here is cast and used to perfection. Some are only around for 10 minutes, others not much longer, but they all get some kind of moment to stand out, and it’s a testament to Gunn’s abilities to be able to juggle such a huge cast so well. Oh, and he definitely kills off a few characters that you thought were 100% safe.
Anywho, I have to highlight this cast, as they are simply too good to not talk about.
Idris Elba is a mountain of charisma here. The actor is clearly relishing the chance to just have fun, as he goes from hilarious to badass often in the same scene. What’s even better is that his character is quite clearly a piece of shit, as an early scene demonstrates with a heartbreaking and often hilarious exchange with his estranged daughter. Elba carries the film with ease, and I’m hoping we get to see his Bloodsport pop up in the future.
John Cena’s The Peacemaker is the best fit for Cena yet as an on screen performer. I think the former wrestler excels with comedic material, and The Suicide Squad finally finds the perfect balance of both his physical and comedic abilities. There is one scene is particular where Elba and Cena are trying to out do one another while on a raid that had me howling thanks to Cena’s timing and axe wielding abilities.
David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight, Prisoners, Ant-Man, Blade Runner 2049) plays Polka-Dot Man, an actual character from the comics that emits radioactive polka-dots that disintegrate anything they touch. This is one of the weirdest characters in the movie, whose backstory is a tragi-comic bit of insanity, and Dastmalchian is the perfect kind of odd to make it work.
Joel Kinnaman is an actor I’ve had a hard time getting used to all these years. No, I never saw The Killing. No reason, just never happened. Everything else I saw him in he was never anything more than adequate, so I just didn’t understand all the love. But I just recently started watching For All Mankind, his show on AppleTV about what would have happened if the space race never ended. It’s a really cool concept and Joel is really great in it. And here, he feels more loose and relaxed than ever, even nailing a few jokes. I guess I’m finally joing this Kinnaman train.
Daniela Melchior plays Ratcatcher II, and yes, she has the ability to control rats. Melchior is effortless onscreen, showcasing a natural vulnerability that keeps her from being overshadowed by this movie star filled cast.
Finally, there’s Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. I think it’s safe to say at this point that Robbie’s casting as Quinn is up there with Heath Ledger as The Joker or Christopher Reeve as Superman. Robbie embodies the character to perfection, equal parts funny, deadly and all the way deranged. Each outing Robbie has had with this character as gotten better (I fucking LOVED Birds of Prey) and The Suicide Squad is no exception. Quinn spends a good portion of the movie on her own after she gets separated from the rest of the group fairly early on, so we get to spend some time with her while she is being courted by a wannabe dictator from Corto Maltese, where the mission takes place. In one 10 minute sequence we see Harley go through a roller coaster of emotions that ends in one of the most fun set pieces in the movie.
Oh yea, and Stallone is flat out great as King Shark, because duh.
Highlighting the cast I think is the best way to recommend The Suicide Squad, because the movie almost feels like a Hang Out movie. I mean, this whole flick is about the dynamic of this group and the laughs and theatrics that follow suit. The plot or motivations don’t really matter that much (which is sometimes the point). Thankfully, Gunn didn’t just make a mindless movie that wastes a good cast (AHEM), but rather he went with a very Comic Book type of scenario that fits this particular world perfectly.
All in all, I loved The Suicide Squad. I think the cast was aces across the board (I would really love to watch a Weasel movie) and writer/director Gunn keeps the vibe weird, unique, unexpected, and above all else, funny.
Black Widow
Full Disclosure: I am a very casual Marvel fan. I was raised as a DC boy, so that’s where my heart lies, but my lack of knowledge on the Marvel Universe as a whole has let me throughly enjoy and invest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I am able to go into every new movie and every new character with a fairly blank slate, and not really care about how close or not close to the comics they are. All I want is a fun movie, and more often than not, Marvel makes fun movies. Thankfully, Black Widow is no exception.
Mild Spoilers for Black Widow to follow.
Black Widow takes place right after the events of Captain America: Civil War where the Avengers have essentially just broken up. Natasha Romanoff is hiding out when she inexplicably gets caught up with the current Black Widow program that she had long thought was shut down.
The idea of having Natasha going after the man behind the program that has ruined so many young women’s lives is a palpable one, but unfortunately nothing much comes from it, at least not emotionally. However, the movie more than makes up for it with the family dynamics of Natasha’s fake Russian spy family, featuring Florence Pugh as her sister and Rachel Weiz and David Harbour as her parents. Pugh is a recently freed Black Widow, Weiz is the engineer and planner of the group, and Harbour is the only Russian Super Soldier to ever exist.
The whole cast completely gels together, having both sincere interactions and hilariously inane and stupid arguments. Harbour easily gets the biggest and best laughs of the movie while also believably fucking some shit up from time to time. But Scarlett and Florence are the heart of the flick, with Pugh in particular standing out. She is just so present and intense and funny, often in the same scene. Her and Scarlett have a great back and forth, and I’m excited to see her pop up in the future elsewhere.
The stunt work of Black Widow is surprisingly practical. Don’t get me wrong, there is CGI out the wahzoo, but I was pleased to see real cars and motorcycles being driven and crashed, as well as real explosions and stunt people doing what they do best. OG stunts just hit different, baby. The fights are particularly gnarly here too, with Natasha both beating and being beaten harder than we’ve ever seen. There is one early fight between Natasha and her sister that had me flinching. It’s not John Wick level brutality, but for Marvel it was pretty cool.
The main physical threat here is The Task Master, the brutal lead henchman of the man behind the Black Widow Program. The Task Master has a mean as hell look to them, with a full face helmet giving a particularly cold and brutal vibe to the character. They beat the hell out of both Scarlett and Florence a few times over, making for a formidable physical challenge.
As for Scarlett, our girl kills it. She’s got this character down, and she handles the action and humor with grace and ease and really it’s nice to see her finally get her own movie, even if it’s not as emotional or cathartic for the character as it should have been.
That’s a minor quibble though, as Black Widow is a very satisfying entry into the MCU, albeit one of the more low key ones. But still, it was just nice to see a new Marvel movie again. I get it if these flicks aren’t your thing, but if they are, then you are going to have a great time with Black Widow.