I liked The Batman but I feel it needed to be trimmed down.

[thediamondage]

It was a neat movie to watch once but it doesn't hold up really on a Rewatch, not only too long but the core storyline is not very good and The Riddler plot is pretty dumb. I'm glad it was made and exists and seems to be the directors vision without studio meddling, hopefully Batman 2 tunes everything up and is tighter and more focused.

Its an unfair comparison but to me its like Batman Begins and TDK, I like Begins but I think I've only watched it 2 times while I've watched TDK 10+ times, its in my top 3 comic book movies. I can't really say anything is "wrong" with Begins, but its not that enjoyable on a rewatch. I'm hoping The Batman 2 is on the level of TDK, although I really hope Joker isn't the villain, I just don't think that will work out.

The Batman definitely seems like a movie that is also a very different experience seeing it in theaters vs at home.

 

[LossAversion]

Loved the length. It let the detective vibes breathe. I mean, you could probably shave ten minutes off the runtime and it would've been fine but it certainly wasn't necessary.

 

[wenis]

The movie rights so many wrongs from previous Batman outings it should've been 5 hours.

 

[Disco]

Could have been a bit shorter indeed. Still the best superhero movie in years though. The atmosphere in here was incredible. Solid production design from the team

 

[MZZ]

There mag be things you can shave off.

Personally, I didnt notice how long it was. I was just mesmerized by it and didnt notice I was reaching 3 hours.

It was such an interesting perspective on how batman operates.

 

[Saladin]

Yeah no, not for me. I watched it in the cinema and never felt bored from the beginning till the end

Watched it again when it dropped on HBO Max and felt the same. When I feel a movie is getting boring, that's when I say: "It should've ended earlier"

 

[Kazuhira]

I started to check the time near the 2 hour mark, i found the falcone stuff uninteresting even if it's related to the Riddler plotline.
I really like the movie overall tho.

 

[HiLife]

I checked out by the time Falcone's story was wrapped up.

 

[Karateka]

I thought it should be longer maybe 6 or 7 hours.

 

[jakeh111]

Totally agree and I love long movies

 

[The Boat]

Overall I think the movie earned its long runtime, but it could have been trimmed a bit here and there. Not trimmed by 40 minutes though.

 

[Ambient]

Maybe trim 15-20 minutes but that's it.

 

[Rampage]

Length didn't bother me. The tonal shift from a city wide mystery, to a massive disaster movie felt like it should have been two movies with 2 different villains. Still like it.

 

[DirtyLarry]

110% concur. It could have easily been 45 minutes shorter and told the exact same story.

 

[HStallion]

The movie could have used several more slapstick sequences of Batman royally fucking up and wiping out.

 

[BrickArts295]

Ive been saying this since BTAS and The Dark Knight; Batman works best as Series than a movie. The character has enough baggage, characters and stories to fill multiple seasons. Heck, just look Telltale's take as a template. On a sidenote, you can still do films for some big arcs that don't need a lot build up.

 

[Hambulance]

Riddle me this, why did they build the city below sea level?

 

[DarthSpider]

Rewatch-prohibitive territory.

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For sure. I remember thinking to myself in the theater, "I'm enjoying this but it will be a chore to rewatch." It's a weird thought for me to have while watching a movie for the first time. My wife hasn't seen it yet so I imagine I'll watch it one more time with her and then I'm probably good. Comparatively Batman Begins is easily the movie I've seen the most amount of times in my life. Batman 89 is up there as well.

 

[deimosmasque]

Everything else about it is great, but the movie is way too long. You really could've gained more by shaving off 40 minutes, by then the floor started I was like "When does this end?" Which is something I never want to say when I'm watching a movie or playing a game.

Yeah that's my only gripe.

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What would you cut out?

I'm being serious what part of the movie would you cut down or cut out?

 

[dancingphlower]

It doesn't make as good of a use of its run time as say, a movie like Drive My Car does, even though they're both 3 hour movies.

 

[Lari]

I actually disagree, I think the movie rushes through many of it's ideas leaving the story kinda messy and overstuffed.
It should've been a show season.

 

[Zeliard]

I disagree completely. This movie was far more focused on Batman's detective side and sought to emulate the slow-burn noir stories of old, and the length was completely appropriate to that.

I loved the movie's runtime. I thought it allowed the viewer to bask in the evocative setting and follow a methodical story of a gumshoe engaging with the city's high and low cultures, confronting local crime bosses and struggling to find the big bad at the center of it all.

It was a classic detective story dressed up in a fancy bat costume.

 

[Falchion]

I agree and think it would've been a tighter experience if some of the 6 second shots of actors not saying anything were trimmed to 2 seconds.

 

[Giga Power]

You're absolutely right, OP. Definitely some shots that lingered for what felt like an eternity.

 

[BlueJay]

I loved it. The movie was dense, but earns every minute in my opinion.

 

[Khanimus]

It should have ended after they caught the Riddler. The whole incel subplot after the fact could have been dropped.

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You mean the whole part where there the movie makes its actual point?

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

What would you cut out?

I'm being serious what part of the movie would you cut down or cut out?

Click to shrink...

I need to rewatch it before I can fully say.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

The whole incel climax was a waste. The only redeemable part is the moment with him and the survivors the next morning.

 

[Rod]

I feel like... as time goes by, we will see most of the decisions of the movie were very necessary for reasons of world building.

Guess this will become clearer as we see this universe unvealing itself

For example, could they have done the movie without Penguin at all? Yes, but most of the public wouldnt have such a premiere introduction to Colin in the role and buzz around the series would be way lower.

Over the big scheme of things, think most of these ideas over this long runtime will be paying off years from now

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

Ive been saying this since BTAS and The Dark Knight; Batman works best as Series than a movie. The character has enough baggage, characters and stories to fill multiple seasons. Heck, just look Telltale's take as a template. On a sidenote, you can still do films for some big arcs that don't need a lot build up.

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You could say that about every superhero

 

[AstronaughtE]

I love long atmospheric movies and I agree it could've been trimmed down. Probably not more than 1/2 hour, but maybe closer to 15-20 minutes?

 

[Gaius Cassius]

Yes it was too long.

Also RIP to all the innocent civilians that died in the explosive freeway pileup caused by Batman and Penguin.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

Saw it 3 times in theaters.

The movie felt way faster each time I saw it.

 

[deimosmasque]

I need to rewatch it before I can fully say.

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Fair.

 

[Charcoal]

You mean the whole part where there the movie makes its actual point?

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Yep. They didn't need 3 hours to make that point.

 

[HeyNay]

Ive been saying this since BTAS and The Dark Knight; Batman works best as Series than a movie. The character has enough baggage, characters and stories to fill multiple seasons. Heck, just look Telltale's take as a template. On a sidenote, you can still do films for some big arcs that don't need a lot build up.

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How cool would it be if we got a live action Batman series like Daredevil. Probably won't ever happen, but I wish it would.

 

[Staf]

It's a good 2 hour movie stretched to 3 hour.

 

[caliph95]

I don't know about 40 minutes but yeah it could be trimmed though i didn't have as bug issue as others i was engaged even if the actual movie wasn't amazing

 

[Eidan]

The entire "Thomas Wayne may actually be bad!" section of the movie could be cut. It had no bearing on Bruce's arc, and had no impact on the main plot.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

I made it halfway and I don't really feel like finishing it.

 

[Dan Thunder]

The entire "Thomas Wayne may actually be bad!" section of the movie could be cut. It had no bearing on Bruce's arc, and had no impact on the main plot.

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Yup found that bit stood out like a sore thumb.

"Alfred, how could you not tell me my father had a journalist killed! I hate you!"
"Your father was a good man and didn't know Falcone would kill someone."
"Ok, we're good again. Now back to the main story."

I enjoyed it but don't view it as some sort of masterpiece.

 

[Unaha-Closp]

I don't know about The Batman, watched it twice, felt fine to me, okay maybe it does feel a little long the second time around, but I have just been rewatching Mission Impossible 3, 4, and 5 (with 6 tonight) and without fail, I start to drift off and think about loading up Era. I don't because I am old and like to pay attention but they all feel too long to me. I remember thinking MI Fallout was too long too, the first time I watched it, so I'll see what I think when I watch it later. I guess watching them back to back doesn't help, only so many secure air-tight, and impenetrable places to break into before you start drifting away. But yeah The Batman, it is lengthy for sure, and you don't even get a lot of Bruce Wayne but I didn't think it was too long by much. Just a smidge, maybe. The MI movies probably aren't too long either - I guess because I already know Cruise is going to be fine, any and all death-defying stunts......I am rambling now about MI in a Batman thread. Should not have watched them back-to-back.

 

[NewtonNextDoor]

Visually stunning but thematically and pacing wise could be better. Two finales are very awkward.

The strangest scene is still that batman in police station. Batman hits multiple police officers, they allow him to be alone with Gordon, he runs away and then they forget. And the next scene they dont even mention it.

Even the ending was bizarre. Movie did not earn it. Batman trying to help the others to find way in the water. Police officers (non corrupt ones) and firefighters must be doing the same at the moment. Nothing unique to batman.

 

[cognizant]

Despite loving the cast and the director (and his incredible Apes movies), this movie unfortunately did nothing for me, and I can't see myself ever rewatching it. I'd rather rewatch any of Nolan's trilogy (yes, including TDKR!) over this one any day of the week. I still can't articulate why, because on paper this movie does everything right. But watching it in action, it just felt tiresome to me. The length certainly didn't help.

Despite not liking Joker either, I think that movie had the right idea in trying something different tonally. So I'd like to see directors think outside the box going forward, and do stuff like Batman in the 1940s, or Batman Beyond, or steampunk, whatever.

 

[Getting Away With It]

There are a few pulled punches like that one that I think hold the movie back. It would have been far more compelling and significant if Falcone wasn't lying and Thomas Wayne really was just a shitty person. Y'know, like real billionaires.
.[/ISPOILER]

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Yeah this was unnecessary. Especially because for anyone who played Telltale's Batman games that was basically the approach they took (actually The Batman has a very similar storyline to the Telltale games) and it was much stronger and more interesting than the copout they had here (which didn't even really much much sense).

 

[The Shape]

I wouldn't say 40 minutes, but to cut 20 minutes I think would be manageable without losing much. Especially in a long stretch of Gotham mob storyline after the middle part of the film.

Would still rewatch this film over TDRK any day.

 

[PandaShake]

I watched it at home comfortably and was happy with the length. I felt I wanted to know what keeps happening next which I haven't felt in movies in a while. The detective part was great.

 

[blamite]

Going into this movie I was expecting it to feel excessively long but in the end I really didn't think it was, at all. It didn't feel like a 3-hour movie to me, I've seen shorter movies that've felt longer, most recently Multiverse of Madness.

 

[Hoggle]

Yeah, I was fine with the length up until the last fifteen twenty minutes. After the Riddler reveal I lost interest and the anticlimactic action scene that followed could have been trimmed.

I also feel like the showed way too much of The Riddler unmasked. He was pretty terrifying until they unmasked him and then he just felt like a joke. Which I feel will spoil the film on a rewatch.

 

[Deleted member 6263]

What do you want them to do, not have Robert slow walk everywhere he goes?