So... about The Batman...
hm..
Its interesting being a very old school nerd. One who was once bullied and beaten for holding a batman comic. Its like Christopher Nolan made world collectively decide that HIS Batman is what batman should be.
So what does the old school nerd think?
Dark Knight is trash.
Wait! Let me explain my issues with this movie and I think you will understand why I said that..
In order to REALLY get across my feelings, we actually need to back up LONG before the Nolan movies.
See, Batman isn't like most heroes. Batman is Human. Really think about that. YOU are human. Are YOU the same person you were 20 years ago? 10 years ago? heck even 5 years ago? Highly unlikely.
Batman is not meant to be one specific "be-all" incarnation of the character. He is meant to be ALL OF THEM. Following the journey of Batman from the 40's, till now, is ONE MANS life. How he grows, how he falls.
Dont believe me? This is how Grant Morrison describes Bruce when he wrote the character in the 90's. Yes, HE is the man RESPONSIBLE for these movies you watch. He brought comics back from the dead and made them mainstream. He didnt do this by focusing on Batmans "edge". oh no. no.
When Batman was first released to the public in the 40s he was ABSOLUTELY an edgelord. He dressed as a bat running around shooting people to death and was basically a psycho path. (Wait what? Yeah, not the batman you know right?)
This is batman in his early 20's. Here's the thing, THAT version of batman scared the shit of a kid he was trying to protect. Bruce's ego was basically chopped in half by that little boy. So he brings on Robin and the beautiful 60s stories happen. They do a bunch of drugs, throw polka-dots at people, Its magic. Batman is happy.
Years go by, and Batman is pushing mid 30s. Dick goes off to become his own man, and Jason Todd come around. Now we know what happens here right? Jason is beaten to death. Thus, birthing the 90's batman HORROR era.(Starting to see the flaw with these movies?)
The Horror Era brings Bruce, Tim Drake, the best detective ever born to the DC universe. With Tim, brought the era of Grant Morrison's "OPTIMUM BATMAN" in the early 00's.
The optimum batman, and the one we ALL think about when talking about Batman, is the SUM of all his bullshit. He GROWS, he is HUMAN. This is so god damn important too because as of 2006 Batman is a FATHER. He shoots people with a grapple hook, yes, however he is also the same man going on a double date with superman, ( if you havent read that issue you are not a fan of comics.), and the SAME dude carrying shark repellent.
Yet, the best examples of how batman SHOULD be are also the most shit on. "Batman Brave and the Bold" and "Batfleck" being excellent examples.
(BUT ITS A PROBLEM OF TONE CONSISTENCY THEO)
Again, my imaginary contrarian, he is human. There is no "reboots" for humans, only growth. Do you know, out of all the reboots and multiverse changing events that happened, Batmans history and "run number" have NEVER changed? All of it, ALL OF IT is his past, and ALL OF IT makes Batman who he is.
This is my issue with Batman movies. Chris Nolan came around and gave his "Real take on Batman" and i think it was garbage. Know whats NOT realistic? SUPERMAN, FLASH, GREENLANTERN, MANHUNTER, AND THE REST OF BATMANS UNIVERSE.
This whole argument is straight bullshit. Batman DOES NOT belong in a realistic setting. The only thing that makes him cool is cause he is a human standing NEXT to these fucking GODS. His comics are heartbreaking, and terrifying BECAUSE we know his lighter goofier side, and his goofy side only works BECAUSE of the inherent realism, and horror of being human.
Making the start of a character like this is fine but it HAS to go somewhere. Even you the public agree that the dark knight rises sucked you just dont know why. Because it shouldn't of happened. Thats all you can do with that character though cause you robbed him of his history and identity. So he becomes just... "Christian Bale" in the end.
So what did I think of THE Batman?
Its a start but he needs work. BUT, I think thats ACTUALLY the point this time. Unlike Nolan, Matt Reeves is not afraid of the world Batman exists in. I feel like you can just SMELL the DC universe while watching The Batman. However its not quite there yet. Solid first start, but so was Batman Begins. The end is in question here, and Batman MUST change. The ending cannot be overshadowed by some stellar performance of the Joker.
He scared the Kid. He scared the fucking kid, then earned his trust later on. This is the most profound Batman moment we ever got. This is BATMAN in a nutshell.
However if the next movie starts with "Boots in Shadows" and not "Polkadots and Robins" I will be very upset.