Critic Reviews Arrive For Matt Reeves And Robert Pattinson’s The Batman

John F. Trent |

Feb 28, 2022

Critics have seen Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and they are sharing their opinions about the film.

Rotten Tomatoes

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an 87% rating on the Tomatometer. The average rating is 8.0 out of 10 from 160 reviews.

There are 139 fresh scores and 21 rotten scores.

The Top Critics score sits at 74% with an average rating of 6.9 out of 10. There are 31 fresh scores and 11 rotten scores.

Here’s what some of the critics are saying:

Glen Weldon at NPR gives the film a fresh review. He writes, “What it does do, quite effectively, is tell a solid Batman story, with the most soulful and vulnerable Batman to ever grace the big screen. And that much, at least, is new.”

Stephanie Zacharek at Time Magazine gives the film a rotten review. She writes, “The Batman emerges from a movie universe, now becoming ubiquitous, where a phony funereal worldview is the only thing that can confer depth.”

JimmyO at Jo Blo gives the film a perfect 10 out of 10. He states, “There’s a powerful tone and atmosphere created here, one drenched in a pulpy and occasionally terrifying exploration of this iconic character and those that cross him. The Batman is a bold and brilliant examination of a young Dark Knight.”

Adam Graham at Detroit News gives the film a C. He says, “”The Batman” certainly mirrors the dismal state of the world today. Any breaks from that dreariness will have to come at a different bat time on a different bat channel.”

Robert Kojder at Flickering Myth gives the movie a 4 out of 5. Kojder states, “Pattinson and Kravitz make for a compelling Bat and Cat while Dano’s Riddler terrifies. The Batman is an ambitious, scorching thriller that brings the hero’s detective side into the light. Its third act reaches staggering, stunning highs.”

Travis Hopson at Punch Drunk Critics gives the movie a 4.5 out of 5. He says, “The Batman is such a grandiose cinematic achievement, crafted with a filmmakers skill and Reeves daring to do it his own way.”

Jason Adams at My New Plaid Pants gives the film a rotten review. He says, “The riddles of The Riddler, with their dime-store greeting-card histrionics, are about as frightening as a frown drawn on a detached baby-doll-head. Truly cornball stuff.”

Bill Goodykoontz at Arizona Republic gives the film a 3 out of 5. He states, ““The Batman” is impressively made. The acting is first rate, and the chemistry between Pattinson and Kravitz is magnetic. It’s meant to be an important statement. It’s just not a lot of, you know, fun.”

Barry Hertz at Globe and Mail gives the film a positive review. He says, “I’m as surprised as anyone to say that, after watching Pattinson in action, I’m calling on the industry to bring on all its many Batmen, Batwomen, Batbats. Keep ‘em coming hot and ready until we choke on a cowl.”

Caroline Siede at Fox 10 Phoenix gives the film a C+. She says, “Within the confines of its PG-13 rating, The Batman is much more unnerving than previous Batman installments … The trouble is grafting a somber pastiche onto a superhero base coat can sometimes feel more exhausting than rewarding.”

Kristy Puchko at Mashable gives the film a rotten review. She states, “Imagine if David Fincher made a Batman movie but it was censored to air on televisions at Walmart.”

Rachel Leishman at The Mary Sue gave the film a perfect 5 out of 5. She says, “What works about The Batman is Reeves and cowriter Peter Craig’s ability to weave suspense in with characters we know from the world of Gotham and make them all feel like a cohesive unit.”

Metacritic

At Metacritic the film has a 72 Metascore with 36 positive reviews, 9 mixed reviews, and 1 negative review.

Here’s what the critics are saying on Metacritic:

Peter Debruge at Variety gives the film a perfect 100. He writes, “This grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if — or more aptly, because — what makes the film so great is its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes.”

Robbie Collin at The Telegraph also gives the movie a perfect 100. He writes, “The two stars generate an astonishing sensual charge in a brilliant addition to the Batman canon that refuses to behave like a blockbuster.”

Robert Daniels at The Playlist gives the film a 91. He states, “Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” should tell audiences that other superhero movies are possible, and yet more, they can be had outside the formulaic tentpoles filling theaters today.”

Brian Truitt at USA Today gives the film an 88. He writes, “Pattinson’s main man holds down a revamped Gotham that feels distinctively gritty with its blueprint of madness and mayhem, a place you would never want to live in but still would love to revisit as soon as possible.”

Todd Gilchrist at TheWrap gives the film an 88 as well. He says, “With Pattinson glowering beneath his cowl, Reeves creates a Batman whose psychology is at least as interesting as his crime-fighting activities, for the first time in a long time.”

Clarisse Loughrey at The Independent gives the movie an 80. She states, “Matt Reeves’s take on the Caped Crusader may not be a genre-defining miracle, but it delivers a tapered-down, intimate portrait, while Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman brings an almost-extinct sensuality to the role.”

John Nugent at Empire also gives the movie an 80. He writes, “Matt Reeves’ arrival in the Bat-verse is a gripping, beautifully shot, neo-noir take on an age-old character. Though not a totally radical refit of the Nolan/Snyder era, it establishes a Gotham City we would keenly want a return visit to.”

Donald Clarke at The Irish Times gives the movie an 80 too. He states, “Swelling the running time close to three hours, the story, though well worked, has ideas above its humble station. One longs for the strings to be tightened. One yearns for just a smidgeon of levity.”

David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter gives the film an 80. He explains, “This glowering study in crime and punishment is meticulously crafted, vividly inhabited storytelling with a coherent, thought-through vision, and that makes for muscular entertainment.”

Richard Lawson at Vanity Fair gives the movie a 60. He states, “The reality is that there is probably nothing truly novel to be done with Batman at this point. He’s been thoroughly mined for both fun and pathos; try as Reeves and his co-screenwriter Peter Craig might, they can’t squeeze much higher-meaning blood out of a fatally depleted stone. Pattinson, moody and saturnine, does what he can, but he’s not afforded much beyond growling and scowling.”

Johnny Oleksinski at New York Post gives the movie a 50. He writes, “The Batman is the first caped crusader adventure in a while to come off as completely purposeless. Christopher Nolan’s movies reframed the comics as realistic, psychologically complex tales of an urban blight, and Affleck’s Bruce was built to fit into a wider DC universe. The Batman is here just to ensure that Marvel has box office competition.”

Mick LaSalle at San Francisco Chronicle gives the movie a 25. He explains, “Nothing that works here adds up to anything worth a long slog in a movie theater, watching Pattinson punching guys and knocking guns out of their hands. From start to finish, The Batman is mostly just a collection of bad ideas.”