BY KELSEY PURCELL, FEATURES ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
On March 4, the new film “The Batman” was released. According to Variety, “The Batman” collected a mighty $128.5 million from 4,417 North American theaters in its box office debut, marking the best opening weekend of 2022 by a landslide.”
Variety also said that “The Batman” is the second film released during the pandemic to pass the $100-million-dollar mark during its debut weekend. Only Marvel’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” broke that barrier, making $260 million dollars during its opening weekend in December 2021.
“The Batman” earned $120 million from the international box office, making its global total $248.5 million, added Variety.
The film is two hours and 56 minutes in length. It was distributed by Warner Brothers Studios. Matt Reeves directed, wrote and produced the movie. Peter Craig co-wrote the movie and Dylan Clark co-produced the movie.
The characters and plot are inspired by the DC comics. Specifically, “The Batman” is inspired by “Batman: Year One.” In the 1987 comic, Bruce Wayne shifts from an untrained fighter to a hero seeking justice, according to Men’sHealth. It also highlights the friendship formed between Batman and James Gordon, the Gotham police commissioner, as they collaborate to solve crimes and save people.
Robert Pattinson stars as Batman in the new trilogy. Zoe Kravitz co-stars as Selina Kyle or Catwoman. Jeffry Wright plays James Gordon. Paul Dano plays the Riddler. Colin Farrell plays Oswald Cobblepot or the Penguin. John Turturro plays Carmine Falcone. Andy Serkis plays Alfred Pennyworth.
The film takes place in Gotham City. It is Wayne’s second year as Batman, trying his best to save people in the city.
Some viewers think that Pattinson’s Batman is a good change. They enjoy the vulnerable and angry side of the character, which has not been executed exactly in this way before.
Katie Walsh from the Tribune News Service, wrote, “We’ve had plenty of Batmen, from the suave (Michael Keaton) to the campy (George Clooney), the goofy (Adam West) to the gritty (Christian Bale), from the glam (Val Kilmer) to the grouchy (Ben Affleck).” Walsh added, “But this Batman … is our goth Bruce Wayne, more disaffected youth than playboy billionaire, and that allows Reeves, as a director, to play with all kinds of grimy imagery, and as a writer, to grapple with the real function of Batman.”
“It’s a necessary questioning that offers a revealing spin on this familiar character,” she said.
Currently, the film has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a widely known movie rating website. Viewers have mixed reviews of the film. Some think it was too limited by its PG-13 rating, others appreciate how dark and gritty it was compared to the previous Batman films. According to Newsweek, Warner Bros made a deal with Cineworld, the owners of Regal Cinemas, that “The Batman” will be played exclusively in theaters for 45 days. This makes April 19 the unofficial release date to stream the movie on HBO Max. So, for now, people interested in watching the film have to see it in theaters unless they are willing to wait and stream it.
