The Batman Review Roundup–Here’s What The Critics Think
DC’s Batman hits theaters on March 3rd, and before that, reviews of the superhero movie began popping up online. We’ve compiled review excerpts below to help you figure out if the film is worth your time and money. Here at GameSpot, we gave the film a 6/10 in our Batman review. Reviewer Mason Downey wrote, “This is Gotham, both familiar and new, down to earth and in some ways downright bizarre. If Batman has one major masterstroke that should be replicated in future film adaptations, it’s him.”
Batman is directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and stars Robert Pattinson as Batman. The rest of the cast includes Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.
You can see a selection of ratings and review excerpts below, with a more critical consensus here on the GameSpot sister site. Metacritic.
Batman
- Directed by: Matt Reeves
- Writer: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
- Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Colin Farrell
- Release date: March 3
GameSpot — 6/10
“However, unfortunately for Reeves, The Batman succeeds as a story a little less than half the time – which, given the mind-boggling three-hour running time, is certainly still an achievement, but leaves a lot to be desired nonetheless.” — Mason Downey [Full review]
IGN — 10/10
The Batman is a gripping, brilliant, and at times genuinely chilling psychological crime thriller that gives Bruce Wayne the grounded detective story he deserves. Robert Pattinson is great as a very broken Batman, but it’s Zoë Kravitz and Paul Dano who steal the show with a touchingly layered Selina Kyle/Catwoman and a terribly unhinged Riddler. Writer/Director Matt Reeves has managed to make a Batman movie that is completely different from others in canon. live performances, yet surprisingly faithful to the lore of Gotham as a whole. Ultimately, he has fully earned his place in this iconic character’s legacy.” — Alex Steadman [Full review]
Chronicles of San Francisco – No ratings
When he finally shows his face, Paul Dano seems genuinely and unsettlingly crazy as the Riddler, and John Turturro is having a good time playing Gotham’s biggest mob boss. Colin Farrell, as The Penguin, is unrecognizable under make-up, which is vaguely funny. And Michael Giacchino’s music is pretty good – creepy, repetitive, modernist. But nothing that works here can compare to something that would cost a long time in a movie theater watching Pattinson punch guys and knock weapons out of their hands. finish, Batman is basically just a bunch of bad ideas.” — Mick LaSalle [Full review]
USA Today – no glasses
Reeves’ Batman does its thing well outside the DC movie universe where Wonder Woman Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman hang out. and chaos, a place you would never want to live in but would still like to go back to as soon as possible.” — Brian Truitt [Full review]
Variety – no points
“A film like this will spark countless debates: is Batman really supposed to be this dark? Can it compete with the Nolan trilogy? a certain familiarity with the character’s mythology. That’s the beauty of Batman, who surpasses all other heroes in the DC Comics stable: like Dracula or Hamlet, this iconic anti-hero has endured endless reinvention. he tells us something new about us every time he comes out of the shadows.” — Peter Debruge [Full review]
New York Post — 2/4
Batman is the first Caped Crusader adventure in recent memory that feels completely pointless. Christopher Nolan’s films reimagined comics as realistic, psychologically complex tales of urban blight, and Affleck’s Bruce was created to fit into the wider DC Universe. Batman is only here to ensure Marvel has competition at the box office. Too bad Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker was one of a kind and Batman has sequels planned. I’d rather see more Arthur Fleck.” — Johnny Oleksinski [Full review]
