2022’s hit superhero movie The Batman explored the legendary character of Batman/Bruce Wayne in a fairly new light. This character has been depicted in many different ways since the late 1930s, often in animated TV series or live-action movies. A good example is the tough and confident Christian Bale version, but actor Robert Pattinson took things in a different direction for The Batman.
For the most part, Pattinson did a fine job portraying this famed DC character, and he proved all the doubters wrong by shaking off the Edward Cullen curse at last. This new version of Batman did many things right, but even then, this version of the character has a few downsides, even if they are fairly minor and easily forgivable. There are a few things to not like so much about this new Batman.
10 Batman Indulges In Voice-Over
By now, some movie fans might be tired of having characters dump information over their heads with voice-over narration to explain things, and at times, it’s like an audiobook is nosing in on the cinematic experience. Maybe some fans don’t mind, but others will, and Robert Pattinson’s Batman totally does it.
Sometimes in The Batman, the titular character uses this time-worn trope once again and grimly explains his thought process, which feels heavy-handed, to say the least. In fact, some movies such as The LEGO Batman Movie make fun of the use of too-serious exposition, with or without a black screen.
No one is expecting Bruce Wayne to redefine the world of men’s fashion, but even then, the Bruce Wayne depicted in 2022’s The Batman fell short in this department. He is the wealthy prince of Gotham City, and he ought to dress the part when in public. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne certainly did that.
In contrast, Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne dressed himself up in surprisingly cheap-looking suits and coats in The Batman, and it looked like he was reluctant to dress up at all. It’s a shame, since everyone likes a well-dressed man, vigilante or not.
8 Batman Had No Special Personality Quirks
It’s not absolutely essential for Batman to have colorful character quirks, but if done right, such quirks can deepen and enrich the character, rather than muddle things. Christian Bale’s Batman did that well, using a snarky tone and a few one-liners to add some freshness to the character. He was like a toned-down Tony Stark.
No one expects Batman to be a class clown, but even so, the Batman found in the 2022 movie had a rather dry personality even by Batman standards, which didn’t really help. Yes, he was somewhat insecure and angsty, but it takes more than that to make a compelling, well-rounded personality.
7 Batman Had Weak Personal Chemistry With Catwoman
On a philosophical level, Batman and the burglar Catwoman had fine chemistry as uneasy allies in 2022’s The Batman. Both of them wanted to take down Falcone, but they had different views on the city and humanity as a whole, which made them tense and compelling allies.
On the downside, the characters had weak chemistry as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, and they didn’t personally mesh very well. That’s a shame, and their philosophical chemistry didn’t entirely make up for it. This Batman’s love life is as weak as can be.
6 Batman Didn’t Have A Strong Ninja Vibe
Batman is more than a caped vigilante with a cool bat-themed costume. Unlike his fellow Justice League members, Batman is a trained ninja, and he knows how to vanish into the shadows, perform incredible martial arts, throw bladed weapons, and much more. This was clearly shown in Christopher Nolan’s own Batman trilogy.
However, Robert Pattinson’s own Batman barely alluded to his ninja status at all. He may be stealthy and cautious, but otherwise, he said and did very little to suggest that he’s a bonafide shinobi. That’s a shame, since the ninja angle makes Batman that much cooler.
5 Batman Has No Real Friends
Bruce Wayne may not be the most sociable fellow in comic books, but even he appreciates the value of friendship, and in some incarnations of the characters, he has a solid social circle of his own. Christian Bale’s version is a good example, having both Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent as genuine friends.
Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman evidently had no friends whatsoever, even if he did get along with Catwoman as partners, which is a shame. This poor, tormented Bruce desperately needs a friend to support him and cheer him up, but he had none. The screenplay was cruel to him in surprising ways, including this.
4 Batman Had No Boss Battle To Fight
It was exciting and intriguing to see this new Batman contend with an intellectually-inclined villain like the Riddler in their battle of wits. Unfortunately, this mental battle came at a serious cost – the new Batman was never properly challenged in personal combat. He had no boss battles to fight with enemies like Bane or Mr. Freeze.
Batman has thrilled his fans many times by using his ninja skills, advanced tactics, and cool gadgets to physically defeat foes much stronger than him, which makes him stand out from the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman, who rely more on brute force. But that didn’t happen much in 2022’s The Batman.
3 Batman Ran Out Of Clever Ideas By The End
Batman was a fine detective in most of The Batman‘s runtime, and he was often even more clever and insightful than Christian Bale’s or Ben Affleck’s versions of the Dark Knight. The awkward part is that by the movie’s end, this new Batman resorted to his worst trick – pleading with the villain to spill their secrets.
In many recent Batman movies, Batman grows desperate and effectively says “Come on, tell me your secret plan!” to the villain, such as vainly begging the Joker to tell him where Harvey and Rachel were hidden, or where a bomb’s detonator was hidden. He did the same in The Batman when confronting the Riddler in Arkham, and of course, the Riddler didn’t oblige him.
2 Batman Had A Forgettable Batmobile
The Batmobile is one of the most iconic elements of the series, and fans expect a lot from this famous DC vehicle. It has often been portrayed as a sleek black car with many hidden weapons and goodies inside, and Christian Bale’s Batman had a Batmobile that was like an armored jeep with a motorcycle hidden inside.
However, Robert Pattinson’s Batman drove an unremarkable Batmobile, which had the sole feature of a rocket booster in the back to catch up to the Penguin’s own car. That’s not bad, but it’s also not very memorable, and the car was nearly wrecked in the movie. It’s far from the character’s best Batmobile.
1 Batman Had Mediocre Dialogue
Batman often has really cool stuff to say in many of his comic, animated, or live-action incarnations, including the famous improvised “I’m Batman” line in the 1989 Batman movie, among other quotes. In 2022’s The Batman, the hero did have a cool line about the bat-signal doubling as a warning to criminals, but that’s it.
Otherwise, this new Batman had rather dull and forgettable dialogue, even if he did spice things up just a little with “I’m vengeance.” His dialogue wasn’t clunky or inauthentic, but it was still unremarkable, and very little of it will be remembered in the coming years, which is a shame.
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About The Author
Louis Kemner (3958 Articles Published)
Louis Kemner has been a fan of Japanese animation since 1997, when he discovered Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z in elementary school. Now he’s a bigger anime/manga fan than ever, and is ready to share what he knows with readers worldwide. He graduated high school in 2009 and received his Bachelor’s in creative writing from UMKC in 2013, then put his skills to work in 2019 with CBR.com. He’s always looking for a wonderful new anime to watch or manga series to read.
