The Batman: The 10 Funniest Letterboxd Reviews | Screen Rant
Everyone is praising The Batman for everything from its writing and acting to its technicals and visuals. However, the film does have small doses of humor from time to time, and the Letterboxd reviews for the movie surprisingly reflect that as well.
Whether it's Robert Pattinson and Paul Dano going back to their roots, Batman's makeup problems, or daily riddles in real life, Letterboxd users have made some funny observations and references with regards to the latest installment in the Batman franchise.
Although there've been many people praising the film for its aesthetic and visual prowess or how good of a comic adaptation it is, some people keep it simple and don't need as much to be satisfied. For example, Letterboxd user patrickhwillems pointed out that "this is finally a Batman who sits down and looks for clues in a big stack of dusty old files."
In a film that puts more emphasis on Batman's detective skills than any other before and that includes high-end gadgets such as contact lens cameras, it's amusing to think that the simple act of going through some files can satisfy viewers in that regard. However, showing Batman doing more traditional and tedious detective work works well in regards to portraying the realism and authenticity of the world that director Matt Reeves has created.
Bruce Wayne removed from his Batman persona has usually been shown as a clean-cut playboy type, but Robert Pattinson's unique take on Bruce shows a different side to him than what audiences are usually accustomed to. Letterboxd user lindseyromain points out the weirdly humorous and satisfying moment in the film where Bruce "puts on sunglasses before eating blueberries in his ornate gothic penthouse."
While it makes sense given his obsessive late-night antics, showing Bruce to be a bit off-kilter and averse to sunlight to the point of wearing a pair of shades indoors is still humorous to some. Snacking on something as simple as blueberries in a huge gothic mansion at the same time only adds to the eccentricity of his character in the scene as well.
For all the talk about being an imposing presence to criminals and being vengeance personified, there is at least one viewer who sees through the theatricality. Letterboxd user joppen mentions that people need to admit that Batman is "at least a little silly" and that they would laugh if someone dressed like Batman were to say "I am vengeance" to them in real life.
While a certain suspension of disbelief is needed to buy into what occurs in a lot of films and television shows, this is a good example of something that works in a film given a specific context that may not work as well in real life, regardless of how much effort is put into making Gotham City and Batman feel like they could feasibly exist.
Making this iteration of the world of Batman relatively grimier and darker than usual gives it a unique aesthetic and feel compared to some of the previous films. However, it also begs its own unique question: does Bruce Wayne smell? Letterboxd user dakotajoaquin indicates that director Matt Reeves' controlling idea for the character seems as if it was "what if Batman never took a bath."
While there is obviously more thought that went into his character than that, the idea still tracks since Bruce's nocturnal and city-roaming antics are on full display in the movie, with very little of his non-Batman life shown. It also doesn't help that viewers mostly see Bruce in his Batsuit for the majority of the runtime as opposed to out of it.
While adding additional practicality and realism to the world can pull audiences further into the story in certain contexts, sometimes it adds more questions than it answers. One of the thoughts that Letterboxd user sopheyquinn had was that in the film, Bruce Wayne would have to "take a few minutes to apply his eyeliner first" whenever he sees the Bat signal.
Although eyeliner has been used for practical reasons by some of the previous Batman actors while wearing the mask during filming, the movies had never shown them with eyeliner with the mask off as a part of Bruce's canonical costume until now. In addition to already having to imagine Bruce taking a few minutes to get into the suit, audiences are now left to add this additional step in his readying process as well.
While the scene at the funeral where Bruce saves the Mayor's son from an incoming car was thrilling for audiences in its own right, it was also an equally thrilling flashback for fans of Robert Pattinson's previous famous project. Letterboxd user sopheyquinn indicates that the scene made them think "oh my god this is just like Twilight (2008)."
Although it was a relatively simple scene, Twilight fans made the comparison to when Edward saves Bella from a car in a parking lot. Given the fact that it was one of the roles that initially made Robert Pattinson known to so many, it's only natural that a similar scene even as Bruce Wayne would elicit some emotion from fans. It also emphasizes his natural progression from playing a vampire to playing someone who dresses like a bat.
With The Riddler giving Batman countless riddles to solve to fuel the mystery storyline in the film, some viewers started to make some astute real-life connections. One of those viewers is Letterboxd user murielcampos who pointed out the similarities to people playing Wordle every day, writing "Riddle of the Day 257 4/6" as if they sent their results to a friend after the fact.
While The New York Times is far removed from the antics of The Riddler in the film, it's still funny to think that the film and Wordle's popularity crossed paths as they did. It also puts a spotlight on how simple and strange the premise of a character like The Riddler can be, although the filmmakers went to great lengths to make him creepy and imposing in this instance as well.
While past iterations of the character may have had more examples of escapism, Robert Pattinson's take may be slightly more relatable to some viewers. Specifically, Bruce's experience (or lack thereof) with girls has resonated with some audiences, with Letterboxd user hanxine stating that they understand him since they "also get nervous around pretty girls."
In addition to Alfred alluding to the fact that Bruce doesn't go out much outside of donning his costume, Batman's lack of social skills around Selina emphasizes how different his version of the character is from previous versions. For some viewers, this lack of a playboy persona makes it all the easier to see themselves in Bruce.
Although The Batman might arguably be Paul Dano's biggest and most publicized role thus far in his career, his performances have been acclaimed in the past as well for films such as There Will Be Blood and Prisoners.
A common thread between the films is that his characters have been a little eccentric and covered in either oil or filth at some point, and audiences have noticed that the role of The Riddler is perfect for Paul Dano considering his abilities and these previous roles. Letterboxd user wildiife noticed this as well, stating humorously that Paul Dano in The Batman is doing what he does best, which is "being a greasy little freak."
Although many viewers wholeheartedly enjoyed all 2 hours and 56 minutes of the film, there have been some criticisms of the length, with some suggesting that scenes or story threads should've been cut or shortened. Letterboxd user annabelleosorio had another idea entirely, which was to say that the movie "could have been 10 times shorter if Batman walked faster."
Given the recording feature in Batman's contact lenses, it makes sense that he would take his time walking around and looking at the crime scenes. However, it is funny to think how much runtime could have been shaved off had that not been the case.