nizzambaharuddin
Joined Dec 2019
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nizzambaharuddin's rating
To be honest, as soon as the news came back in 2017 that Matt Reeves was confirmed to direct the film, my interest went through the roof. Sure, it would have been nice to see Batfleck get his solo film (particularly because I liked most of his directed films), but he lost interest so that's that. I came into Reeves' Planet of the Apes trilogy (he only directed the 2nd and 3rd film, mind you) a little late, but I was blown away by the trilogy as a whole. It had the perfect setup, perfect plot and pretty good ending. It followed the 3 structure rule quite well. On top of that, the production was top notch, especially the VFX. I can easily point out last year's film that heavily uses CGI but pales in comparison to Caesar's VFX.
This is probably one of the few films where I totally utterly feel more connected with a CGI character rather than a human character. That is definitely no easy feat to match. Added with Andy Serkis' performance, an actor who's well and truly has grasped the motion capture side of film, makes the film all the more gripping. TL;DR I liked Reeves' POTA films, so I was excited for this film and trust him to do a good job. Added with the fact that Reeves cited Chinatown, Taxi Driver, Seven, The French Connection, Nirvana and Kurt Cobain (Matt Reeves based his Bruce Wayne around Kurt Cobain since Kurt actually have lived in a decaying mansion) and some famous Batman comics like Year One, Year Two, Ego and others, my hype easily went through the roof. So enough about all that jazz, now let's talk properly about the film.
I'll be the first to admit that I have been craving a noir Batman film for a very long time. And so, props had to be given to Reeves for making one of my wishes come true. This film has all the makings of a noir film, right from making Bruce Wayne narrates most of the film, to the puzzles and riddles scattered through out all the murders, up until the end where there's a revelation about the characters. So if you love noir films like me, then you definitely need to go see the film.
Something that quite surprising to me is the fact Batman was heavily featured in the film. Most of the scenes in the film involved Batman or Bruce Wayne of some kind (80% of the time, he's there every time : sorry cannot resist making that joke). There's probably no scene that doesn't involve him. So, it kinda fits in just nicely with the title. Come to think of it, that's how a noir film usually is. So in a way it's not that surprising at all. The film also shows Batman working with Jim Gordon almost all the time. It's no wonder that the mood, the cinematography and the overall story feels just like Seven, with the blend of a young and old detective.
The film also features something that other live action Batman haven't done, at least extensively: Batman as a detective. Considering the main villain is The Riddler, naturally there's a ton of riddles for Batman to solve involving his murders. A bit like Jigsaw meets the Zodiac Killer. This Bruce Wayne is also the reclusive celebrity type, actually one of the reasons Reeves chose Pattinson over everyone else. He's not the type that will be in front of a newspaper or a tabloid magazine.
Probably the thing that I like the most about the film is Bruce Wayne's character arc itself. It showed a naïve Batman and definitely still hasn't matured and be wise in doing his job. But slowly and surely, he's learning to be better besides having to accept hard to swallow truths. Even though the film is almost 3 hours long, it certainly doesn't feel that way and watching through it was a breeze with the plot paced just nicely and consistently without neck-breaking speed. Therefore, if you have some reservation about the film, do not worry since it's not Eternals (even though Eternals wasn't that slow to me too). The film also has a few homages, from The Dark Knight right to Adam West's Batman (wink, wink).
And although many were expecting the film to be lacking in action, it's actually not true. The film features all kinds of action, right down from closed quarter combats to high speed car chases. Add to that with Michael Giacchino's visibly haunting score that's loud and there (not like Hollywood's recent obsession with low volume temp music types of scores). I'm quite certain the album soundtrack will be as popular as the film.
Probably the best actor in the film was Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman) since she played her role coolly, not too over the top like Halle Berry or Michelle Pfeiffer and not too muted like Anne Hathaway. Colin Farrell is quite funny even though he's serious most of the time (one of his scenes had me cracking up!), while Paul Dano works his magic well as that mysterious psycho with a very punchable face, as usual. This Bruce Wayne definitely feels like Robert Pattinson playing himself, while also being moody and broody and not at all looking like he's channeling the other former actors.
Now, for the film's flaws. Probably the film's biggest weakness is the lack of interaction between Batman and Riddler. I feel like a film that has a cat and mouse chase would've worked better when the main protagonist and antagonist have a few exchanges of words (Catch Me If You Can springs to mind). Secondly, I feel like the film is a bit of a set up for the next few sequels, even though it's only one scene. It does feel a bit out of place. Maybe it could've worked better as an end credit scene. Lastly, I feel like the choices regarding the plot with some of the characters feels like a missed opportunity. It might have been the right way and would probably make it feel fresher if they went with that route. Especially in times like today. But they seem to choose the safest path.
In conclusion, this latest Batman film is probably not on the level of say The Dark Knight, in fact I would put Batman Begins higher than this film (I actually love that film, not like the popular consensus, I gave that film a 4.5 rating). Having said that, the film acts well as a set up to the next sequel having planted the seeds. The film managed to send the message which says that the very concept of Batman is not just tied to a man, it's an idea and a symbol of truth, justice and vigilance.
P/S: 1 scene in the film actually confirms a fan theory that's there somewhere on the Internet.
#nbfilmreviews #thebatman #battinson #robbatbattinbat.
This is probably one of the few films where I totally utterly feel more connected with a CGI character rather than a human character. That is definitely no easy feat to match. Added with Andy Serkis' performance, an actor who's well and truly has grasped the motion capture side of film, makes the film all the more gripping. TL;DR I liked Reeves' POTA films, so I was excited for this film and trust him to do a good job. Added with the fact that Reeves cited Chinatown, Taxi Driver, Seven, The French Connection, Nirvana and Kurt Cobain (Matt Reeves based his Bruce Wayne around Kurt Cobain since Kurt actually have lived in a decaying mansion) and some famous Batman comics like Year One, Year Two, Ego and others, my hype easily went through the roof. So enough about all that jazz, now let's talk properly about the film.
I'll be the first to admit that I have been craving a noir Batman film for a very long time. And so, props had to be given to Reeves for making one of my wishes come true. This film has all the makings of a noir film, right from making Bruce Wayne narrates most of the film, to the puzzles and riddles scattered through out all the murders, up until the end where there's a revelation about the characters. So if you love noir films like me, then you definitely need to go see the film.
Something that quite surprising to me is the fact Batman was heavily featured in the film. Most of the scenes in the film involved Batman or Bruce Wayne of some kind (80% of the time, he's there every time : sorry cannot resist making that joke). There's probably no scene that doesn't involve him. So, it kinda fits in just nicely with the title. Come to think of it, that's how a noir film usually is. So in a way it's not that surprising at all. The film also shows Batman working with Jim Gordon almost all the time. It's no wonder that the mood, the cinematography and the overall story feels just like Seven, with the blend of a young and old detective.
The film also features something that other live action Batman haven't done, at least extensively: Batman as a detective. Considering the main villain is The Riddler, naturally there's a ton of riddles for Batman to solve involving his murders. A bit like Jigsaw meets the Zodiac Killer. This Bruce Wayne is also the reclusive celebrity type, actually one of the reasons Reeves chose Pattinson over everyone else. He's not the type that will be in front of a newspaper or a tabloid magazine.
Probably the thing that I like the most about the film is Bruce Wayne's character arc itself. It showed a naïve Batman and definitely still hasn't matured and be wise in doing his job. But slowly and surely, he's learning to be better besides having to accept hard to swallow truths. Even though the film is almost 3 hours long, it certainly doesn't feel that way and watching through it was a breeze with the plot paced just nicely and consistently without neck-breaking speed. Therefore, if you have some reservation about the film, do not worry since it's not Eternals (even though Eternals wasn't that slow to me too). The film also has a few homages, from The Dark Knight right to Adam West's Batman (wink, wink).
And although many were expecting the film to be lacking in action, it's actually not true. The film features all kinds of action, right down from closed quarter combats to high speed car chases. Add to that with Michael Giacchino's visibly haunting score that's loud and there (not like Hollywood's recent obsession with low volume temp music types of scores). I'm quite certain the album soundtrack will be as popular as the film.
Probably the best actor in the film was Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman) since she played her role coolly, not too over the top like Halle Berry or Michelle Pfeiffer and not too muted like Anne Hathaway. Colin Farrell is quite funny even though he's serious most of the time (one of his scenes had me cracking up!), while Paul Dano works his magic well as that mysterious psycho with a very punchable face, as usual. This Bruce Wayne definitely feels like Robert Pattinson playing himself, while also being moody and broody and not at all looking like he's channeling the other former actors.
Now, for the film's flaws. Probably the film's biggest weakness is the lack of interaction between Batman and Riddler. I feel like a film that has a cat and mouse chase would've worked better when the main protagonist and antagonist have a few exchanges of words (Catch Me If You Can springs to mind). Secondly, I feel like the film is a bit of a set up for the next few sequels, even though it's only one scene. It does feel a bit out of place. Maybe it could've worked better as an end credit scene. Lastly, I feel like the choices regarding the plot with some of the characters feels like a missed opportunity. It might have been the right way and would probably make it feel fresher if they went with that route. Especially in times like today. But they seem to choose the safest path.
In conclusion, this latest Batman film is probably not on the level of say The Dark Knight, in fact I would put Batman Begins higher than this film (I actually love that film, not like the popular consensus, I gave that film a 4.5 rating). Having said that, the film acts well as a set up to the next sequel having planted the seeds. The film managed to send the message which says that the very concept of Batman is not just tied to a man, it's an idea and a symbol of truth, justice and vigilance.
P/S: 1 scene in the film actually confirms a fan theory that's there somewhere on the Internet.
#nbfilmreviews #thebatman #battinson #robbatbattinbat.
City of God or much more known as Cidade de Deus in Portuguese, have often featured on most people's best films of all time list. So as per usual me being myself, I was curious to see why the film is so popular.
The film is an adaptation of the book with the same title, inspired by the true events around author Paulo Lins. Basically, it tells the story of a child growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.
Interestingly, the film is lined up with child actors who mostly have no acting experience beforehand. If I had to sum up this movie briefly for people who haven't seen it, it's like Guy Ritchie's earlier films, only with a younger average age between the actors.
Why did I say that? Well, the film is littered with tons of colourful characters, and the storyline is presented in a more cheerful and upbeat tone, when in reality it probably should be the other way around: more grim and sombre. Meanwhile the gangster theme used is a lot closer to Scorsese's and Francis Ford Coppola's gangster films.
The film is edited in a very interesting way. The juxtaposition of the main character Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) who is in the middle of all these gangs makes the storyline organically connected and interwoven.
The pacing of this film also moves quite fast, so you won't feel that the film is too long (even if the duration of the film is over 2 hours). So, I think it can be watched by anyone. In addition, the arrangement of the film score is also good.
Writing very mature arcs in young characters is perhaps the most forefront specialty that the film represents, when compared with other films on the market. These characters have to grow up faster than they should, because too late in doing so will only benefit others around them except themselves.
Overall, the film for me is almost as perfect as it can be without any obvious flaws. It's a coming of age film that teaches us a lot about life and trust, that should be watched by a young audience, even though it is not appropriate and the context may probably be misunderstood by them if it is only examined literally but not thoroughly.
The film is an adaptation of the book with the same title, inspired by the true events around author Paulo Lins. Basically, it tells the story of a child growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.
Interestingly, the film is lined up with child actors who mostly have no acting experience beforehand. If I had to sum up this movie briefly for people who haven't seen it, it's like Guy Ritchie's earlier films, only with a younger average age between the actors.
Why did I say that? Well, the film is littered with tons of colourful characters, and the storyline is presented in a more cheerful and upbeat tone, when in reality it probably should be the other way around: more grim and sombre. Meanwhile the gangster theme used is a lot closer to Scorsese's and Francis Ford Coppola's gangster films.
The film is edited in a very interesting way. The juxtaposition of the main character Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) who is in the middle of all these gangs makes the storyline organically connected and interwoven.
The pacing of this film also moves quite fast, so you won't feel that the film is too long (even if the duration of the film is over 2 hours). So, I think it can be watched by anyone. In addition, the arrangement of the film score is also good.
Writing very mature arcs in young characters is perhaps the most forefront specialty that the film represents, when compared with other films on the market. These characters have to grow up faster than they should, because too late in doing so will only benefit others around them except themselves.
Overall, the film for me is almost as perfect as it can be without any obvious flaws. It's a coming of age film that teaches us a lot about life and trust, that should be watched by a young audience, even though it is not appropriate and the context may probably be misunderstood by them if it is only examined literally but not thoroughly.
MINOR SPOILER ALERT
I have to admit that I wasn't necessarily fond of the first Black Panther film. Sure, it has a lot of potential which was set up quite nicely in the film. But I feel like the conclusion and the entire third act to be quite weak, especially the CGI (which we now know isn't the VFX studio's fault). But like I said I did enjoy the worldbuilding and the overall tone. Just that I feel it suffers from the usual fate like all the other MCU films did; great set up but a lame execution.
Fast forward to this film, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer because it seems like a good set up. But I do wonder how they were going to tackle the issue of the main protagonist. On the whole set up, it is rather quite good for the most part. I enjoyed the part where Talokan and the whole sea people were introduced. I even liked the horror elements they implemented. You should be afraid of something that is unknown. I also liked the decision to change Atlantis into Talokan, and have it basically have ancient Aztec myths behind it. Very fresh and very smart to differentiate him from Aquaman. But I feel like that's about it in terms of good things that I enjoy in the film.
I feel like the inclusion of Riri Williams is probably the most pointless addition to the plot. She's there basically just to promote her upcoming Disney+ series, and nothing else. Yes, she's an integral part of the plot, but by the end I feel like they could have just used Shuri for that. It's also the same problem I find in other Disney+ series (like how the ending of Falcon & Winter Soldier doesn't further the plot of the start, which makes it feel just like filler episodes).
Also there tons of decisions that are pretty stupid from characters that are supposed to be very experienced (or basically immortal). And as always with MCU films, I find the third act to be rather dull and underwhelming. It set up quite nicely, only to disappoint me a bit in the end. The fights are pretty tame and lame too, compared to say the bridge scene. But hey, at least the CGI is better than the first film. The emotional scenes also failed to tug at my heartstrings, if compared to No Way Home for instance. It doesn't deserve
Overall, I actually prefer this film rather than the first film. And I actually like this film's overall tone rather than other MCU films which can be almost insufferable with their one-liners and jokes at every other minute. But in the end, it still suffers the same fate as other MCU films. And that's just sad.
I have to admit that I wasn't necessarily fond of the first Black Panther film. Sure, it has a lot of potential which was set up quite nicely in the film. But I feel like the conclusion and the entire third act to be quite weak, especially the CGI (which we now know isn't the VFX studio's fault). But like I said I did enjoy the worldbuilding and the overall tone. Just that I feel it suffers from the usual fate like all the other MCU films did; great set up but a lame execution.
Fast forward to this film, I was intrigued when I saw the trailer because it seems like a good set up. But I do wonder how they were going to tackle the issue of the main protagonist. On the whole set up, it is rather quite good for the most part. I enjoyed the part where Talokan and the whole sea people were introduced. I even liked the horror elements they implemented. You should be afraid of something that is unknown. I also liked the decision to change Atlantis into Talokan, and have it basically have ancient Aztec myths behind it. Very fresh and very smart to differentiate him from Aquaman. But I feel like that's about it in terms of good things that I enjoy in the film.
I feel like the inclusion of Riri Williams is probably the most pointless addition to the plot. She's there basically just to promote her upcoming Disney+ series, and nothing else. Yes, she's an integral part of the plot, but by the end I feel like they could have just used Shuri for that. It's also the same problem I find in other Disney+ series (like how the ending of Falcon & Winter Soldier doesn't further the plot of the start, which makes it feel just like filler episodes).
Also there tons of decisions that are pretty stupid from characters that are supposed to be very experienced (or basically immortal). And as always with MCU films, I find the third act to be rather dull and underwhelming. It set up quite nicely, only to disappoint me a bit in the end. The fights are pretty tame and lame too, compared to say the bridge scene. But hey, at least the CGI is better than the first film. The emotional scenes also failed to tug at my heartstrings, if compared to No Way Home for instance. It doesn't deserve
Overall, I actually prefer this film rather than the first film. And I actually like this film's overall tone rather than other MCU films which can be almost insufferable with their one-liners and jokes at every other minute. But in the end, it still suffers the same fate as other MCU films. And that's just sad.