The Batman Is Three Hours Long And You Never Feel It

Look at the way Robert Pattinson's Batman and Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman are looking into each others' eyes in this picture. Look at how riveted they are. Do you think they notice how much time is passing in the rest of the world? Nope. They only have eyes for each other and time means nothing. I saw a screening of "The Batman" before there was any indication of how long this film was going to be. When it was over, I had no idea what time it was. I looked at my phone in absolute shock. 175 minutes? How did that happen? I was in the world of Gotham, and I didn't want to leave. 

Now, as a rule, I don't drink very much liquid before films. I hate missing things, and since nine times out of 10 I'm watching a film for work, I really can't miss things. I highly recommend you do the same thing for "The Batman," because you likely won't notice the time either (unless you have to pee). 

See that picture of Batman? Think of him glaring at you as you stand in the snack line and consider a large soda. 

"The Batman" is absolutely engrossing. It's dark. I mean, really, really dark. This is not a film for the kiddies, despite the PG-13 rating. For you, on the other hand, Bat-fan? Well, it's exactly the Batman film you've been waiting for. There is a place in the world for a bright and shiny Batman like Adam West's version, but in my mind, this Batman shows us what grief can twist into. I hope for your sake that it never does that to you, but sometimes ... I think part of the reason this film is so cathartic is that we've all felt incredibly powerful emotions that demand to be released. Society says we can't go break things or destroy everything around us, but that doesn't mean we don't feel it. Watching this film is like venting all the anger and rage and sadness that you've ever felt, and screaming into the air. After it, you feel drained, but in the best way. Like you've gotten it all out and been entertained while doing it. 

This Batman and the situation he finds himself in feels right for the times we're living in. It feels like a thing that could happen. The conclusion, the big set-piece at the end, doesn't feel that far off from our own situation. Every step of it makes you wonder how Batman manages not to kill (and he shouldn't). Pattinson and Kravitz, and oh my gosh, Jeffrey Wright have so much going on in their eyes that you don't want to blink or you'll miss some nuance of what their characters are feeling. I'd started taking notes for work at the beginning of my viewing and realized at the end that I'd laid down my notebook and never picked it up again.

Roger Ebert once said, "No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough." I think this is the perfect example of a film that is so good that you'll never notice your watch. There are plenty of examples of the second part of that quote and I bet you can come up with five off the top of your head. In a way, I wish no one knew how long this is, because I think the knowledge might put people off before they go. Still, at least you'll know how much you'll owe the babysitter. Maybe add in an extra half an hour for a post-film discussion.

"The Batman" is in theaters now.