‘The Batman’ Review & Live-Action Ranking

 \Me and The Bat? We go back a ways.

The Kenner Batman from the Super Powers Collection was one of the first action figures I ever owned. 1992’s Batman Returns was the first PG-13 movie I saw in theaters. Batman: The Animated Series remains high on my list of greatest TV shows of all time, whether animated or otherwise. Hell, I’ve been Batman on Halloween more than any other character. Even though I tend to favor the Marvel side of things on the superhero front these days, The Caped Crusader is and always will be close to my heart.

So, yeah, I was hyped for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, simply because it’s, well, more Batman. Did we need a darker, grittier take on a character that’s only gotten darker and grittier on-screen since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy? Nah, probably not. Personally, I’d be down for some Batman: The Brave & The Bold-style surrealism when the next reboot inevitably rolls around, but I digress.

Misgivings about yet another “realistic” take on the Batman mythos aside, I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman which, for nearly three tension-filled hours, offers a surprisingly fresh take on The Dark Knight and his rogues gallery.

The Batman is dark. Really dark. This film is closer to Se7en or Silence of the Lambs than it is to a typical superhero movie, thanks in large part to a genuinely unsettling Riddler played by the creepy-when-he’s-not-overdoing-it Paul Dano. Fortunately for Gotham City, The Batman is on the case … and he’s not alone. Robert Pattinson plays a tired, strung-out Bruce Wayne who hasn’t gotten the hang of the whole nocturnal vigilante quite yet, and he’s joined by Zoë Kravitz’s phenomenal Selina Kyle. Pattinson and Kravitz are a lot of fun to watch, and give us one of the best superhero pseudo-romances in recent memory. Kravitz shines even brighter than Pattinson – she deserves her own spin-off and soon – but anyone doubting whether the Twilight alum is worthy to wear the cowl will likely be silenced fairly early in the film.

Unlike many other on-screen adaptations of The Caped Crusader, The Batman spends the bulk of its screentime showcasing the crimefighter as The World’s Greatest Detective. He’s investigating crime scenes alongside Lieutenant Jim Gordon (the incredibly game Jeffrey Wright), he’s analyzing The Riddler’s labyrinthine clues and he’s chasing down and interrogating Gotham scum (and throwing hands if the conversation demands it). It’s satisfying seeing a young, inexperienced Batman working to figure things out – both in his own life and the eerie Riddler case – and the story that pulls from DC Comics source material like The Long Halloween, Hush and even Zero Year gives Bats plenty to contend with.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Colin Farrell’s Penguin (“Ozzie” to some) is a pure delight, both in terms of performance and practical makeup. Calling Farrell’s Penguin a transformation would be an understatement, and I hope we see more of him in the sequel.

Speaking of the sequel, there’s a scene tacked onto the end of the film in which a future villain makes a brief appearance. Although it wouldn’t quite be a Batman series without this character, I don’t think we needed to see or hear them yet.

There have been a lot of live-action Batman films (counting Batman v Superman in this case but excluding the team-up Justice League film), so how does The Batman stack up? Here’s my new live-action Batman movie ranking to make you want to either nod approvingly or chuck a Batarang at my head. 

1. Batman Returns
2. The Dark Knight
3. Batman (1989)
4. Batman Begins
5. The Batman
6. Batman Forever
7. Batman (1966)
8. The Dark Knight Rises
9. Batman & Robin
10. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Why Ben Affleck Won't Direct 'The Batman'

Oh, DC Entertainment. You just can't catch a break, can you?

As comic book fans cross their fingers that this summer's Wonder Woman will redeem DC's cinematic universe following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Ben Affleck revealed that he will not direct The Batman, The Dark Knight's upcoming solo movie. He will remain as the star and as a producer on the project.

Affleck and Warner Bros. have released statements saying that Affleck stepping down was a mutual decision, and that the film will be moving forward with a different director. War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is reportedly among those being considered.

Although it's easy to assume that this means that the production is troubled, it could also indicate that studio execs and even Affleck himself are being very careful with these movies moving forward. Affleck's a great director, but if he isn't right for this film or if there needs to be a course correction, it's better to find out now.

You can see a different take on The Caped Crusader in The LEGO Batman Movie, in theaters Feb. 10, and you can watch Affleck wear the cowl in Justice League this November. For more on this story, head over to Variety.com.

DC Unveils Ludicrously Ambitious Movie Schedule

Is DC Entertainment going into panic mode? Possibly. Warner Bros. has just revealed its slate of 10 massive superhero films it will be releasing through 2020, including two Justice League movies, a Suicide Squad adaptation, a Green Lantern reboot and solo outings for Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. The far-reaching cinematic universe for DC kicks off with Man of Steel sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which hits theaters in 2016.

Here's how it will all shake out:

2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill)
2016 - Suicide Squad
2017 - Wonder Woman (starring Gal Gadot)
2017 - Justice League Part 1 
2018 - The Flash (starring Ezra Miller)
2018 - Aquaman (starring Jason Momoa)
2019 - Shazam (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)
2019 - Justice League Part 2
2020 -  Cyborg (starring Ray Fisher)
2020 - Green Lantern (probably not starring Ryan Reynolds)

I'll be shocked if even half of these get made, especially since so much of hinges on the success of Batman v Superman. For more on this story, head over to Deadline.com.

Captain America to Battle Superman in 2016

In a bizarre game of box-office chicken, Marvel’s third Captain America film will go head-to-head with DC’s Batman vs. Superman flick on May 6, 2016, when both films will hit theaters simultaneously.

I don’t want to sound like a banner-waving Marvelite or anything — I actually quite enjoyed Man of Steel — but there’s no way this works out well for Warner Bros., which is banking heavily on the forthcoming Zack Snyder film that will expand its cinematic mythos to showcase other members of the Justice League aside from The Caped Crusader and The Last Son of Krypton.  If the Man of Steel sequel underperforms against the juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ll probably never get to see that live-action Aquaman flick that millions dozens of comic book readers have been waiting for.

According to the Epoch Times, Warner Bros. is feeling the pressure to move its release date to avoid getting slammed by Cap’s star-spangled shield, but nothing has been confirmed by the studio. For the sake of DC’s future at the movies, I hope it’s true.

World Without a Batman: My Thoughts on 'Gotham'

I’ll go on record in saying that I’m wholly unimpressed with DC Comics’ “Villains Month,” and I honestly can’t wait until the gimmickry has run its course. Yet, even though DC seems to be struggling in the printed storytelling department at the moment, the company is making some major strides on TV. On top of an ongoing Arrow series, Warner Bros. is prepping a Flash spinoff, a Constantine series and, most importantly, a series set in Batman’s stomping grounds called Gotham. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the series will star a young James Gordon and will be set before The Caped Crusader prowled the city’s rooftops.

It remains doubtful whether Batman will actually appear in the series at some point, making Gotham more of a CSI-esque procedural drama set in the DC Universe. The reaction has been mixed: After all, wouldn’t prime-time viewers rather see Batman punch dudes in and around the face area? It worked in the ‘60s …

One might argue that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven that a studio need not fill a genre TV series with franchise heavy hitters — The Avengers don’t appear on the show — yet it’s important to distinguish that Marvel Studios has been building an interconnected universe for the past five years, while DC Entertainment’s live-action stories are fragmented without anything resembling a shared mythology. Arrow’s Oliver Queen does not appear in the Dark Knight continuity, while Henry Cavill’s Superman will never visit Christopher Nolan’s vision of Gotham City. Green Lantern exists entirely on its own, which is perfect because that movie kinda sucked.

Meanwhile, I can be be totally cool with watching S.H.I.E.L.D. go on a mission without Iron Man, because I’ve witnessed Tony Stark existing in that universe elsewhere (in four previous movies, in fact). I’m observing a multi-tiered story from a different point of view, and it makes that world feel like an organic place. A Batman-less show disconnected from any pre-existing continuity robs us of that satisfaction because it isn’t part of something bigger. That’s what makes comic books so awesome: Our favorite heroes share the same expansive space ... assuming they share a publisher.

If Gotham somehow served as a bridge between Man of Steel and the upcoming Batman/Superman crossover, then we’re talking. The show would enrich the film universe, while moviegoers who followed the series would have a better understanding of where Bruce Wayne is coming from. Otherwise, it’s just an insular cop show that might or might not include Little Jimmy Gordon chasing down Clock King. I’m not sure I want that.

For more on Gotham, click here.

‘Justice League’ Slated for 2015

Aside from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, it doesn’t appear as though DC Entertainment has any clue how to properly translate its most iconic heroes to the big screen. However, according to a recent Variety report, the publisher and its parent company, Warner Bros., are readying the entire Justice League for a movie team-up in 2015.

No doubt spurred by the unrivaled success of Marvel’s The Avengers, Warner Bros. is hoping to team DC’s most celebrated heroes for an ensemble film in three years, but is it too little too late? After all, it’s not like last summer’s Green Lantern lit up the box office, and it’s yet to be seen whether Zack Snyder’s The Man of Steel will resurrect Superman’s appeal at the box office next summer. Will DC Entertainment be able to replicate the success of the House of Ideas? Let’s hope they surprise us.

For more on this story, click here.

In Response to the Watchmen 2 Rumor

Ugh. I really, really didn’t want to weigh in on this, but since the Internet has been buzzing over the last day or so about a rumored sequel to Watchmen, I’m compelled to comment.

Okay, so Bleeding Cool’s Rich Johnston reported on February 3 that DC Comics is considering a sequel to Watchmen, the company’s best-selling publication. As you might remember, there was some restructuring at DC last year, with president and publisher Paul Levitz being relegated to a contributing editor/consultant role as Warner Bros. brand manager Diane Nelson stepped in as president of the newly created DC Entertainment. The website notes that Levitz has been against the idea of Watchmen offshoots, sequels or prequels, and with him gone, the company is free to pursue such projects under the leadership of Dan DiDio, DC’s senior vice president and executive editor. Reportedly, Watchmen creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons must be offered first refusal before any additional Watchmen material can be published. But since it’s pretty much a given that Moore and Gibbons would never agree to this (especially in Moore’s case), DC is pursuing other writers and artists to continue the Watchmen story. Again, this is still a rumor at this point until we receive official confirmation from DC.

But what about another movie? Sure, Zack Snyder’s Watchmen film adaptation didn’t do so well at the box office last year, but sequels were included in the contract language during the legal battle between Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. leading up to that film’s release. Thankfully, Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood confirmed on February 4 that a second Watchmen film won’t be happening.

“There is no truth to anything related to a movie sequel. Not a chance by a longshot,” an unnamed insider told Finke. “With regards to the comics, well, I guess anything is possible. I’ll keep my opinion to myself as to whether it's a smart idea to do so.”

Hurm. Even if we entertain the idea that there’s some truth to this rumor, and that DC is actually considering more Watchmen comic books—which is very, very unlikely—what self-respecting artist or writer would dare sign on to a Watchmen sequel? That’s career suicide. DC would never find the kind of (willing) talent this project would require, and actively pursuing such a doomed enterprise makes no sense at all.

So, Internet, let’s file this under “unsubstantiated, unlikely rumor” and move on.

DC Entertainment: No Movie Plans for Superman

The new head of DC Entertainment, Diane Nelson, told MTV's Splash Page on September 11 that there is no new Superman film project in the works, despite the recent Warner Bros. restructuring that will make DC Comics characters a company priority.

“We've obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it's a key part of the family, but we don't have current plans behind Superman,” she said. Ouch. Those words are like kryptonite.

It looks like the lukewarm response to Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns back in 2006 has grounded the Man of Steel for the foreseeable future.

DC Just Got More Entertaining

Not to be outdone by last week’s news that Disney is acquiring Marvel Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. announced on September 9 the creation of DC Entertainment, which will improve promotion of the DC Comics brand and its characters through Warner Bros. films, television, video games and merchandising. Essentially, this newly formed subsidiary ensures that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other DC luminaries in the near future.

Diane Nelson will serve as president of DC Entertainment, segueing from her post as president of Warner Premiere, the production arm responsible for such stellar direct-to-DVD animated DC films as Justice League: New Frontier and Wonder Woman. Nelson, who oversees Warner Bros.’ wildly successful Harry Potter movie franchise, will report directly to Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov. Former DC Comics president and publisher Paul Levitz will serve as writer, contributing editor and overall consultant at DC Entertainment.

Like the Disney/Marvel deal before it, I view the creation of DC Entertainment as beneficial to the comic book industry as a whole. Aside from Batman, Warner Bros. hasn’t been able to fully capitalize on other DC properties as of late. The Superman movie series stalled after 2006’s Superman Returns, while a big-screen Wonder Woman adaptation has never managed to get off the ground. These are iconic characters that deserve the proper cinematic treatment, and there’s no reason why a modern Superman film couldn’t be just as good—or as well received—as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

“The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort,” Nelson said in a statement. “DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC’s unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life.”

Film projects in development at Warner Bros. Entertainment include Jonah Hex, starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich; The Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds; and Lobo, directed by Guy Ritchie.