“It’s too long and boring.” I understand the complaint that it is long. However, I disagree if you think that the entire lengthy investigation was pointless. While all 176 minutes may not be strictly necessary, it is important not to miss the fact that even Batman himself is suspected during the pursuit of the criminal.
In this film, Bruce Wayne has been operating as Batman for 2 years. He is a vigilante who intimidates criminals in the fictional city of Gotham, and he is now tracking down the Riddler, a serial killer, by following the clues left behind. However, for me, the more important clues were not the criminal’s traces, but the reaction of the person he had saved.
In the early stages, the person who was rescued by Batman was afraid of him. That reaction brought my exhilaration to a halt. The rescue was complete, but the fear had not yet subsided.
Is a hero who frightens criminals also a good hero for the citizens? This film suggests that the two are not necessarily the same. I believe that “The Batman” is a good film because it created a hero who understands people, starting with those who fear him, rather than simply being a hero who beats up criminals.
Slow investigations are not fruitless
I believe that the slow investigation in this movie was necessary to transform Batman. While searching for the perpetrator, his own methods of intimidating criminals also came under suspicion.
He is still only in his second year of activity. Gordon is a police officer who believes in that version of Batman and works with him to investigate events. The process of the two of them following the Riddler’s clues is different from the time when a hero announces the answer alone.
Batman can read the signs of crime, but he doesn’t always understand the people who live outside of those signs. His objective is clear: to catch criminals. However, he doesn’t pay as much attention to how people perceive him.
The reaction of the person rescued early on are particularly important. For Batman, it is a moment of helping someone. For the person who is rescued, it is a moment when a terrifying figure is still present before them.
Here, a gap arises between goodwill and actual help. I believe I offered assistance, but the other party remains uneasy. The film does not simply gloss over this discrepancy with a minor reaction accompanying Batman’s impressive entrance.
If one focuses on this difference and follows the investigation, the questions that arise will also change. It is not enough to simply identify the perpetrator. One must also consider what the punishment that Batman believes in has given to the people of this city.
Events involving police, politicians, and criminal organizations raise many questions. Money raised to revive the city was divvied up among those in power. The pace at which criminals are brought to justice and the pace at which the city improves do not move at the same speed.
Therefore, solving a single riddle does not automatically lead to citizens feeling reassured. What Batman needs is not just more names of criminals, but also the ability to understand the perspective of people affected by his actions.
The audience also needs time to process that gap. If the film had moved directly from one fight to the next, I would have simply continued to support the protagonist. This film, however, keeps bringing that support to a halt even as it has us follow the case.
Therefore, I do not judge the film as a failure simply because the investigation is slow. However, if that time is to be worthwhile, the film should not simply boast about Batman’s power without substance. Then, is this film only enjoying the intimidation factor as a superficial element?
Even if someone makes a stylish entrance, it is not necessarily right
I appreciate that the portrayal of Batman is impressive, yet it doesn’t force the audience to believe that he is inherently right. Being impressed by power and believing in that power are two different things.
The Batmobile chase clearly highlighted the difference. As the engine roared and flames erupted, I felt a surge of tension. It was the car of the hero I had been waiting for, but the feeling of threat came first, overshadowing any sense of excitement.
From an inverted perspective, the approaching Batman appears even more unfamiliar. When placed in a position where one looks up at him, the fact that his very appearance is frightening to some becomes palpable. The film makes you momentarily fear a character you were rooting for.
It doesn’t eliminate the thrill of the chase. After allowing you to fully enjoy the sounds and flames, it immediately shows you that same power from the opposite side. The feeling of admiration doesn’t disappear, which actually increases the sense of discomfort.
This discomfort is linked to the fear that those who were rescued initially experienced. The intimidation directed at criminals does not automatically make others docile. Batman chooses his targets for intimidation, but he cannot control the fear that he inspires in those who see him.
In the scene where Selina is being observed, the problem draws closer. Selina is a thief searching for her missing friend, Anika. Batman watches her, and I, as a viewer, follow his gaze.
It is easy to accept that the information is being obtained for investigative purposes. However, the person on the screen has their own circumstances and private life. The fact that Batman wants to know something does not make that intrusion justified.
The fact that an investigation is underway does not substitute for a consent form for accessing personal information.
Here, what the movie did well was that it did not make Batman the only one secretly spying. I, too, was looking in the same direction. While hoping that his observations would seem insightful, I put aside the discomfort that Selina might feel.
This experience is more impactful than simply hearing criticisms of Batman. I was on his side, but that place was not a good place for Selina either. It means that even someone who wants to help others can miss the other person’s position.
Therefore, the darkness in this film does not merely end with making Batman look cool; it also reveals who is afraid and whose privacy is being violated. However, can someone who is so wary of others truly become close to someone?
Pattinson’s defense is being challenged by Kravitz
Pattinson creates a hero who keeps a distance from others. Kravitz shows the people that he misses because of that distance.
Robert Pattinson, who plays Bruce Wayne, does not portray the easy demeanor of a savior even in the initial rescue scenes. The eyes visible beneath the mask still show a sense of caution. It is natural that fear precedes gratitude when one is in the presence of the person who saved them, as they remain guarded. Although the fight is over, his attitude towards people still reflects a state of conflict.
I appreciated this unwavering attitude. If someone who is accustomed to intimidating others suddenly became gentle, it would weaken the very reason that change was needed. Pattinson demonstrates the difference between the ability to help others and the ability to accept help.
His silence reveals more pain than confidence. He is a person who focuses on protecting himself before trying to understand what the other person needs. Therefore, what this Batman needs is not to learn more combat skills.
Kravitz, who plays Selina, shakes that firm attitude as she searches for Anika. Even when working with Bruce, she cannot completely erase the suspicion from her facial expression. The urgency of finding her friend outweighs her desire to trust him.
I was more easily drawn to Selina’s attitude. While Bruce is trying to eliminate crime, Selina is trying to find a friend who has disappeared. It is not a matter of which is more noble, but rather who needs help more urgently. This became clear.
Even when Kravitz is drawn to Bruce, she does not abandon her objective. Even as they grow closer, her distrust does not disappear. As a result, Selina remains someone who demands understanding from the hero, rather than someone who waits to understand the hero.
What is good about these two actors being together is that their differences are not easily resolved. When Pattinson maintains a distance, Kravitz does not readily enter that space. What is more prominent than their attraction is the fact that they do not yet know each other.
Therefore, the relationship does not end with a romantic scene that provides a break from the investigation. As Bruce gets closer to Selina, he encounters circumstances that cannot be simply categorized as “crime.” Understanding one person becomes more difficult than judging an entire city.
Even with a masked colleague, what is needed is cooperation in work, rather than special treatment. Jeffrey Wright‘s calm delivery, portraying Gordon, keeps Batman as an investigative partner rather than a subject for judgment.
However, just because the actors are preparing for changes does not mean that all 176 minutes are necessary.
I agree with only half of the complaints that the film is too long
I stand by my view that a slow investigation was necessary. However, I agree with the complaint that similar feelings have continued for too long.
For 176 minutes, Bruce’s isolation and anger do not easily give way. The clues related to the event continue to emerge, but Bruce’s face remains hardened for a long time as he takes in those clues. The rate at which people’s attitudes change in response to learning new facts is slow, compared to the speed at which those facts are revealed.
Of course, rapid change is not always a good thing. For someone who initially frightened citizens, understanding others requires the experience of realizing that their own methods might be wrong. The film made the right choice by taking the time to explore this.
The problem lies in the range of emotions experienced while waiting. When Bruce becomes alert and angry again, I find myself staring at wounds I already know, rather than gaining a deeper understanding of his pain. Silence does not always reveal new depths of feeling.
It is not accurate to call Pattinson’s restraint a failure. That firm demeanor was essential from the beginning. However, the film maintains a similar tone for too long, and the burden of noticing subtle differences falls heavily on the audience.
The relationship with Selina is important for this reason. She has a friend she needs to find, and there is no reason for her to wait for Bruce’s anger. It is only when these specific demands are introduced that the film gains other emotions.
However, the latter half of the story rushes in the opposite direction. As the Riddler’s crimes escalate rapidly, the choices demanded of Batman become increasingly difficult. While I will not reveal the specifics of the events, there is a significant gap between the investigation built up so far and the magnitude of the crisis.
I understand why that expansion is necessary. Batman must be confronted with situations that cannot be resolved simply by punishing wrongdoers. Only then can the idea of helping others be distinguished from the ability to fight well.
However, even though a test is necessary, the process of preparing for the test is not always smooth. It takes a long time for Bruce to change his mind. But then, the crisis that tests that change is suddenly ramped up. I was momentarily set back by this difference in pace.
Therefore, I oppose the argument to completely remove lengthy investigations. The problem is not what is being removed, but the amount of time spent dwelling on the same emotions. Even with that cost, is Batman’s transformation truly worth it?
A hero emerges when one questions their own sense of justice
I believe that the slow pace is worth the price, as it allows for a deeper reflection. The film, instead of making Batman more powerful, prompts him to reflect on what his methods leave behind for others.
The Riddler also claims to be fighting corruption. There is certainly a valid reason for the anger that people feel when they see those in power dividing up the city’s wealth. However, just because the accusations are correct does not mean that everything he does is right.
At this point, the same standards must be applied to Batman. One should not believe oneself to be a good person simply because one hates criminals. The important thing is how one treats the lives and fears of the people standing before that anger.
I like that the movie doesn’t automatically grant the protagonist a pass based on this criterion. It shows the Riddler’s brutality and doesn’t automatically give Batman a free pass. Batman, too, must learn what meaning his actions have for others.
Here, we are reminded of the initial rescue scene. Batman prevented the danger, but the person who was saved was still frightened. Helping others involves not only dealing with the danger but also providing reassurance.
It is not the case that these two characters are identical. I believe that such comparisons actually obscure the questions raised by the film. What is more important than the fact that both characters start with anger is what they make others endure because of that anger.
The comic book 《Batman: Ego》 also questions Batman, who uses revenge and fear as weapons. While the comic book explores these themes through a dialogue within Batman’s inner self, this film poses the same questions through the reactions of the people who encounter him.
Which Batman is stronger is not important here. The criterion is whether one can question their own sense of justice. In the movie, Bruce does not find the answer through internal debate alone.
Selina has a friend she needs to find, and Gordon has a case he needs to solve. They are not there to explain Bruce’s wounds. Each of their needs compels Bruce to look beyond his own anger.
Therefore, this change is more convincing than a simple promise to become a better person. This is because it involves learning about one’s own shortcomings through interactions with others. Now, the remaining question is for whom the 176 minutes spent on that learning are worth the time.
A better Batman is one that citizens are less afraid of
I think “The Batman” is good because it changes the standard for measuring a hero’s abilities. It asks how well he understands people who need help, rather than how much he frightens criminals. In this film, what Bruce needs to learn is not simply a stronger punch.
The more Pattinson refuses to let his guard down, Kravitz’s desperation to find a friend becomes even more poignant. This is the reason why someone who wants to save the city must first understand the person standing right in front of them. The intense car chase and the watchful gazes directed at Selina also raise the same question. Simply appearing cool does not automatically mean that one has done good.
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted points for the stretches in the 176-minute runtime that linger too long on isolation and anger, and for the plot’s rushed escalation of the crisis in the latter half. The direction of the change is right, but not all the time it takes to get there is equally worthwhile.
For audiences curious about what remains after a satisfying punishment, this film is recommended. This is especially true for those who enjoy following clues through a rainy city of crime. On the other hand, if you prefer quick resolutions and frequent jokes, it is better to avoid this film.
When watching, it is better to follow the reactions of those looking at Batman rather than focusing on Batman’s punches. See who is frightened, who is distrustful, and whose circumstances are pushed into the background. In scenes where I observe Selina, I find myself reflecting on whether my own perspective, too, has been too easily inclined to take Batman’s side.
The next work to be read is the manga “Batman: Ego.” While the film explores issues related to interactions with others, the manga examines them from within Batman’s own psyche. It presents a parallel view of how a person who uses fear as a weapon can become a being that helps others.
I applaud the fact that citizens are becoming less fearful of him more than I do the fact that criminals are afraid of Batman.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you understand it without having seen the previous Batman movies?
This film is a standalone story and does not require prior knowledge of previous films, so it can be watched directly. Bruce, who has been active as Batman for 2 years, is the protagonist. Rather than focusing on his parents’ deaths, it is best to focus on how this still-immature hero transforms.
Is this a movie that focuses more on investigation than action?
The story centers around the investigation into the riddles left by the Riddler and the corruption in Gotham. While there are powerful action sequences, such as the Batmobile chase, viewers expecting a movie with continuous fighting may find it frustrating.
Is a 176-minute runtime worth it?
If you enjoy stories that explore whether punishment truly leads to positive outcomes, this one is worth watching. However, the repetitive nature of the prolonged isolation and anger can become tiresome. If you prioritize a quick resolution to the central conflict, this book is not recommended.
Is this film a direct adaptation of a specific Batman comic?
This film is not a direct adaptation of a specific comic book. It combines elements from titles such as “Year One,” “Long Halloween,” and “Ego.” After watching the film, it is recommended to read “Batman: Ego,” which explores themes of revenge and horror.
Are there any ways to enjoy a work without spoilers?
Focus on how people react to Batman, rather than who he is hitting. The fear of those he saves and Selina’s distrust are important clues. The difference between a hero’s goodwill and the actual help received by the other party becomes clear.
