The Batman (2022) - Very popular (just not with me)

I suppose all us modern cinema-goers have 'our own' Batmans in the way everyone has 'their own James Bonds.  I was twelve when Michael Keaton donned the cape and hood and, seeing as I'd only seen Adam West as Batman on the small screen doing the 'Bat-dance,' suddenly seeing him dark and moody fighting a scary and sinister Joker was the coolest thing ever.

Therefore (besides 'Batman Returns') I found no Batman movie could ever live up to Tim Burton's 1989 gothic fairytail.  I know many loved the critically-acclaimed 'Nolan Trilogy,' but - again - they all kind of left me cold when compared to the first two Burton movies.  Therefore, I was hopeful when the internet collectively started to praise 2021's 'The Batman' starring Robert Pattinson as the titular character.  I must confess to not really seeing him as Bruce Wayne, due to my only real prior knowledge of his performance being as Edward Cullen in the 'Twilight' franchise.

However, I was pleasantly surprised with Pattinson's performance and the rumours that he hadn't really 'bulked up' enough to play a tank-like superhero proved incorrect.  The film was well directed and there were some lovely shots of Gotham city which added to the overall landscape.

It was too long though.

Holy handbags did this film drag on waaay past its sell-by date (in my opinion).  I'd heard a few brave souls online mention that the film sort of ended, only to start up again and you found that there was a whole new final act to get through.  This is true, but I had long since checked out with the amount of talking and various gangsters double-crossing other gangsters to really care.

Colin Farrell is good as the Penguin (even if you have to Google his casting to check it really is him under all those prosthetics!).  I'd never really seen the actress who played Catwoman in anything else and she was okay in one scene, but otherwise didn't really have the presence to carry off the character (but then - again - my generation was spoiled with Michelle Pfeiffer's performance).  The major let-down was the Riddler who, when finally unmasked, just came across as totally unscary and more like 'Milton' from the classic comedy 'Office Space.'

But, I guess if you're considering seeing 'The Batman' then you have to side with the majority.  All the movie critics I trust and watch on YouTube agreed that this was an amazing and nearly flawless film.  So, it must just not have been for me. 

5/10 a hard trek, a bit like unicycling to Mordor and back