‘The Batman’ leaves Rangers with high expectations

By Kylen Gray-Jacobson

The new reboot “Batman” movie, came out on March 4, starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz, and it received a lot of attention. Here is what some Redwood student opinions have to say about it, before the release date.

Fernando Bellido Mendez, ‘23 says he is more excited for the release because, “critics gave it the thumbs up.” Mendez feels that Pattinson is a, “pretty good actor, better fit than Ben Affleck, (the previous “Batman”)… more suited for “Batman,” and looked a lot more dark in the trailer.”

The problem with Affleck was that he was “too soft.” Mendez is familiar with most CW superhero shows and is equally interested in both DC and Marvel.

He says that “DC is good with shows, not movies.” Although, there haven’t been many superheroes given much exposure in DC, he still feels like this series is still a strong step. Some new movies he’s anticipating after “Batman” include the “Flash” and “Aqua Man.”

Mendez says “Warner Bros” the company, “is mean” and that, “they sometimes give the fans a treat, or they can be stubborn. ‘Warner Bros’ sometimes listens to the fans and ‘Batman looks promising’.”

He explains that he likes how this new trailer portrays the violence, and shows how “Batman” has a huge influence on villains, with this, we are definitely going to see ‘The Dark Knight.” He is reassured by IGN who gave the movie a “10/10” which is typically unheard of, other top critics gave the film a 96 percent rotten tomato score.

Mendez hopes to uncover the reasoning behind why “Batman” doesn’t kill his villains. He asks, “why he has not killed the joker yet.” Just from the shallow view of the trailer, the director appears to have done a great job so far with “the shots, cinematography, lighting, and everything else.”

All in all, Mendez is looking forward to the movie. He says that if they let him down, “they had it coming,” meaning he always has low expectations due to DC’s nature.

James Lucio, ‘22 is “really excited for the movie, it seems so different from any other superhero movie out there.” His thoughts on Pattinson are positive, as “he loved him in ‘The Lighthouse’,” which was a two-man, noir/horror film.

Lucio believes that, “the trailers have done an excellent job at showing the tone of the movie without giving too much plot away.” When Lucio was little, he used to watch cartoon animated series and play “Lego Batman.”

Lucio thinks that, “’Batman’ is a good step for DC to establish itself against Marvel… they may not have a more consistent universe, but they make great on-off films.” Lucio hopes that DC can come out with a movie based on the “Red Hood” character, similar to a “Batman-style” movie. He also thinks that DC has done a “good job pleasing the fans’ impossible expectations” and the refurbished cut of “Justice League” called “Snyders Cut” serves as evidence.

Lucio is, “most excited to see how the ‘Riddler’ will act in the film.” Another aspect that he is excited about is the new thriller genre that the film appears to take, which “could make this ‘Batman’ the most accurate onscreen yet.”

He wants to see “Pattinson’s ‘Batman’ gain more motivation to become a vigilante, aside from his parents dying… also hopes the ‘Riddler’ challenges ‘Batman’s’ moral code.”

Lastly, he “appreciates the marketing for the film,” he noticed the ‘Batman’ calzones at ‘Little Caesars’ or the “cryptic posters and teasers.” Lucio says, “it’s not in your face like other movie marketing, but hypes up the movie either way.”