Trailer Review: The Batman

I mean, let’s face it. You had me at “the.”

Today, Aug. 22, was the first day of DC FanDome, a sort of quasi-San Diego Comic-Con. For non-nerds, the San Diego Comic-Con is the biggest event of the year where anything that is remotely under the “nerd” tent in film, TV and otherwise is teased and revealed. But, because of COVID-19, the Comic-Con was canceled this year.

Apparently, that’s what spurred the creation of DC FanDome; they basically seemed to treat it like a reveal party, including of the 2021 film The Batman starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot/Penguin.

This is a reboot of the Batman film franchise produced by DC Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, with Matt Reeves in the director’s chair, and also co-scripting. Reeves hasn’t done a whole lot in film. He did direct (and in the case of the latter, write) 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War of the Planet of the Apes, and in my opinion, that is one of the most underrated trilogies in film. Such a good series.

Set to release on Oct. 1, 2021, The Batman seems to have no connection to the DC Extended Universe established with 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016’s Suicide Squad, 2017’s Wonder Woman, 2017’s Justice League, 2019’s Shazam!, and 2020’s Birds of Prey. In other words, it’s a standalone film, and it’s even separate from 2019’s The Joker, also a standalone film.

As usual when it comes to casting characters in superhero films, some may bristle at the Pattinson casting for Bruce Wayne/Batman, but Pattinson can bring the goods. I think he’s actually great in Harry Potter and Twilight, the two film series I most know him for, and admittedly, I have not seen much of his work since. However, the reason I can confidently say he can bring the goods is, post-those-series, I have seen 2019’s The Lighthouse, and he’s a fantastic actor. I’m sold. If he can pull off that off-kilter character in The Lighthouse, then he can do The Batman.

As for the rest of the cast, they look great. I don’t really have anything left to add. I’m sure Serkis as Alfred will be great.

But again, you can cast a bottle of shampoo as Batman, and you had me at “the.”

Here’s the trailer, courtesy of Rottentomatoes:

COME ON.

…

COME ON!

When you start your freaking trailer with this:

YOU HAVE ME. TAKE MY MONEY. I WILL GIVE YOU ALL OF MY MONEY. Nirvana’s “Something In The Way,” if you didn’t know.

God, take my money.

“What the hell are you supposed to be?”

“I’m vengeance.” – The Batman

TAKE MY MONEY.

What more analysis do I need to do here, folks?!

But seriously, I like the action in the trailer (particularly from Pattinson) and I like Pattinson’s voice. I like his brooding. I like his Batman. BRING IT ON.

That’s it, that’s the post.