It was long but I genuinely don't know what you cut, everything felt vital to me. I have a million moments, in particular, I could use as examples, but I want to use the scene in Arkham with Riddler and the Joker in particular. Introducing another Joker for the sake of using him in the sequel feels shitty and unoriginal especially since Riddler gave a lot of Joker energy in this movie, but the more I sat with the scene, it doesn't exist for the introduction of the Joker. It exists for Paul Dano's Riddler getting validated by someone potentially more psychotic. Riddler ultimately succeeded but didn't feel that way.
There are also excessive scenes of riding through Gotham that maybe you could've cut but honestly, the more footage of him alone really helped sell his isolation. This Batman is way more of a psychological study than a clean-cut businessman inspired to fight crime. He fully plans on dying with the ship that is Gotham until the end. Gotham itself was great; more believably unsalvageable than any other Batman movie. Everyone always talks about the city being in disarray in other Batman movies but in this movie, you really feel it.
It's tough to know whether or not I love it at the jump. There were a lot of choices made for Batman, the human that didn't feel like Batman, the myth. He's kind of a member of his own gang in this movie which is a cool choice. I was just expecting other things. Maybe fair of me to do in the era of the MCU, but I'm honestly glad this movie demanded that I just sit there and have the stomach for it. It is an uncompromising slow cook of a story. And ultimately everything it does, it does rather well, except dialogue. Quite a few moments where I feel like they just stuck with the first draft of the script.
One thing I loved: it felt like this movie based the villains around the story, not the other way around. One symptom of the MCU era I'm getting very tired of (and I'm getting tired of a lot) is choosing a villain and then writing a story around them. Riddler, Penguin, Carmine Falcone, however you choose to see Catwoman, all of them were great, sinister forces in their own way. The story kept finding new ways to progress, and in a very Joker-like way, the Riddler refused to go down without collateral damage. Every time I thought the movie was close to ending, the Riddler pulls some shit that finds ways to involve other characters. All of the supporting cast, aside from Alfred, feel like major players at all times. The scene at Gotham Square Garden was awesome and, aside from the AMAZING Batmobile chase scene, likely the only real "comic-book" movie scene in the whole movie.
One scene I could've used more of, was after the bomb went off at the funeral and the DA blew up, back at the police station. Batman cooperating with cops never ever ever made sense to me. So to see him getting in the Chief's face about corruption, fighting a room full of cops, the chief telling him "Now I have you for assaulting an officer". Batman says "You're about to have me for assaulting three." Like THAT'S Batman to me. He always took the law into his own hands so why wouldn't he feel superior?
Gordon was GREAT and Jeffrey Wright might have the best performance in the movie. I think I'm still a little cool on Pattinson, though as the movie went on, he definitely went more in the direction of "theatricality and deception" Batman. Though Nolan's trilogy and I believe Keaton's movies were early in Batman's career, they felt more advanced than Battinson's. But this movie has a different interpretation of Year 2. Everything was so much more grounded than anything, so much so that I'd imagine the writers thought of "what would someone dressed like Batman running around at night fighting crime by himself actually come off as to us today?" He does heroic things, but he's for sure not a heroic character. He makes monologues about being the shadows and scaring criminals and everything but it all feels delusional because he isn't actually doing any good. He doesn't come across as superhuman as other Batman movies have interpreted him. Going back to the Batmobile, it's not this special car like WTF is that, it's a supe'd up sports car with a rocket on the end. Even the windows shatter from gunfire. It's all very...regular.
I think this is primarily why I need to see the movie again. There were lots of moments that I was confused with. Most notably, when Batman, not Bruce Wayne (though he does too), goes to the Iceberg Lounge, he just...knocks on the door? Then doesn't even hide from people as he proceeds to fuck everyone up. My brother and I looked befuddled at each other. It was a strange choice that I'm sure would have a payoff or at least make more sense on a second watch, but this movie was so packed, I don't think I ever really got that resolution. It's something I'll have to make for myself.
That and the semi flipping, which took full advantage of the IMAX screen.
