Why I Hated The New Batman Movie- Until I Watched It

I refused to see it at first, then changed my mind.

Illustrations by the author.

Let's make one thing crystal clear. I'm a Batman fan. Unlike most people, I actually read the comics and watch the movies and animated series. In fact, as a comic artist myself, I love drawing Batman.

The only problem? I'm kind of tired of him.

We've had way too many Batman movies, and in just the last ten years, we've had Ben Affleck and Christian Bale play the caped crusader in the films.

Moving aside from Affleck, I loved Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's second film in his series. Perhaps, you'll agree that it's one of the best Batman movies ever made. Pitting him against Heath Ledger's masterful take on the Joker is legendary.

As much as I love seeing Batman do his thing, I felt we should have had at least 3–5 years without new Batman films after Nolan's run. Give us a break, and build up anticipation for seeing him again.

The Justice League movies pulled Affleck out as a hefty Bruce Wayne, inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight, breaking bones and whispering raspy to give us a mediocre Bats performance.

Enough. I was done. Time for a Batman pause, don't you think Hollywood?

Nope. The money is just too good. They had to keep the train moving and announced a new film with Twilight actor Robert Pattinson as The Batman and directed by Matt Reeves—known for the Planet of The Apes films.

What?! Are you kidding me? Pattinson? That skinny, whiny dude? No way I'm watching that one. I guessed Hollywood figured people would spend money on a Batman movie no matter who's playing him.

Before watching The Batman

With Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne, I lost interest. It felt like anyone could play Batman nowadays. If just anyone can fit the role, why not get Channing Tatum or Finn Wolfhard—the kid from Stranger Things. As a Black man, I'd love to see Jaden Smith take on the caped crusader. Heck, let's go ahead and break the ground wide open, dig deeper.

Hint. Hollywood didn't.

So, when The Batman came out, I decided there was no way I would see it.

The trailer of him walking up to a gang with Joker painted faces and beating the crap out of them made him look like a psycho. And a bit silly. The scenes with Detective Gordon looked like they were trying too hard to look dark and gritty.

In my mind, I was okay with missing this one. Plus, the fact that it's three hours long! My issues with these saga-length movies recently were discussed thoroughly in a previous article about how they’re too damn long.

I avoided it the first month it was out. Then, my birthday came up, and I needed something fun to do for myself. As a husband and father, I rarely get out of the house for something only I want to do.

Looking up the reviews of The Batman, I discovered the critics were pretty happy with it overall. They said it was a bit too dark, with no jokes or light moments, but a pretty decent movie.

As a gift to myself, I decided to try the movie. If it sucked, I could write a review on Medium and make it an excuse to get my frustration out through the craft of writing. I am a Batman fan, after all.

After watching The Batman

I loved it. That’s right, I was hating on it before and was nervous it would be the worst three hours of my life, but surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman.

Yes, it was dark, sad, heavy, and they made Bruce Wayne look like a weirdo, but I like this take on him. If you think about it, a guy running around in a bat suit fighting crime is crazy.

For the first time, they addressed that he’s a billionaire orphan who thinks he has it the worst because his parents were killed. A tragedy to happen to anybody, but he can still live a privileged life. So many people have to go through worse, and it doesn’t drive them to become reclusive vigilantes.

Pitting him against The Riddler was interesting because it allowed us to see more of a detective Batman, still figuring out how the Gotham city underworld works. It’s only two years after Bruce started going out as Bats, so he keeps having to decide who he is and what to do at every turn.

The action scenes were pretty good, but I felt it looked a bit similar to The Dark Knight, but it is Batman, so there are certain things he has to do in the movies. I loved Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and her performance brought the whole film together for me, and the world wouldn’t have worked without her.

The cinematography was gorgeous, and it’s a movie I will buy and watch while drawing. I could put it on in the background, mute the sound, and enjoy watching the images as I write and create to keep my energy up.

I went to the restroom once during the film. But all in all, the three hours moved by quickly. They needed the time, and I’m glad they used it. When I was in high school, I dreamed of a dark Batman movie, and my young dream came true with The Batman.

Sometimes movies aren’t always what they seem

You can’t judge a movie by its trailer. At least not always. I’m pretty good at detecting a stinker from watching the previews, but this surprised me. If you’re a Batman fan and on the fence whether or not to spend the time to see it, I say go.

You can wait until it’s streaming online somewhere, and it will be worth your time. I’m glad I saw it in the theater, though, and it was more dynamic to watch the action scenes on the big screen.

I’m willing to admit I was wrong. The Batman is a good take on a character done to death. The movie showed me how you can still make characters fresh and breathe new life into them.

I’m looking forward to the sequel and where they’ll take Pattinson next.

Want more? If you’re struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

Movies Are Too Damn Long

Why not simplify and tell better stories, Hollywood?

Photo by tommao wang on Unsplash

Going to the movies feels like work now.

You have to sit through twenty minutes of previews; then, you already feel like it’s time to use the restroom when the movie actually starts.

Are you with me in wishing Hollywood would get better at telling more succinct stories? Let’s keep them at under two hours, please.

Whatever happened to an hour and a half? The amount of time to pull you in, present the characters and problem, take you through the climax and finish with a nice tying up of loose ends. Ah! That used to feel good.

Not anymore. Hollywood wants us to go back into movie theaters but gives us films longer than our commutes to work and back. Who wants to spend three hours in a big room with other germy humans, talking and checking their phones, when you could be at home?

Not only your comfort zone, but home is where you have all the power to pause, rewind, or shut off the movie you’re streaming whenever needed.

You’re not trapped in a box with a bunch of strangers.

Movies don’t have to be so long

You know it’s possible to cut out the majority of that three-hour movie you just watched, but the directors didn’t. In fact, they probably cut hours of footage to keep it under four.

I love how much we can do with special effects and how Hollywood is better at making quality movies now than thirty years ago, but I believe people are tired. Yes, from the pandemic and world affairs, but emotionally exhausted as well. Can we have a short escape that doesn’t vacuum our free time?

That’s probably why more people are watching YouTube videos. Give me a fifteen-minute piece of entertainment, where I can choose whether or not to watch another afterward, is golden. Having the power to decide how to use your entertainment time is compelling.

Believe it or not, I love going to the movies. Watching on the big screen and only having one thing to focus on for a couple of hours is magical. I can follow the story more leisurely and appreciate the hard work and creativity the cast and crew put into it.

If you’re making a marathon-length film, you have to expect some people to miss parts of the story. Either you’re leaving to use the restroom or zoning out while watching, thinking about when to get up and go to the bathroom.

Am I obsessed with having the freedom to relieve myself during a movie? Yes. There should be no shame in using the bathroom, but extremely long movies make you scared you’re going to miss something important. If you stay seated and push through, you’re uncomfortable and not enjoying it the way you should.

Bring back the intermission

Let’s treat going to the movies like watching a play. Please give us an intermission. You know you need a break between all the action and plot points to use the restroom and stretch your legs.

We take way too long for the entire story arc to play out nowadays, and viewers are left twiddling their thumbs while thinking about when to get up to go pee.

You have to sit longer than ever now because most Marvel movies, for example, have post-credit scenes. You have 20–30 minutes of sitting to watch a 30-second teaser that connects to the next film.

I love that this gives people a chance to read the credits and understand how many people it takes to make that special effects blockbuster you just watched, but it’s a considerable time investment we shouldn’t feel sad about missing.

If you know there’ll be an intermission, deciding to go to a movie theater will be more manageable and less stressful.

Give us our time back

We have enough devices and screens vying for our time and attention these days. While watching a movie in the theaters, you may stay focused on one thing, but so much of your day is sucked away by how long they are. For some people, I can see why they would opt out.

With our busy lives, it’s tough to devote half your day to go to the movies. There’s so much you’re missing or could be doing.

When you shorten movies and give more bang in less time, people feel like their time was well spent. I didn’t even bring up the giant elephant in the room—what if the movie sucks?

You’re spending hours of your life watching something terrible. Walking out of the theater in shock at how poorly you spent your time and how badly Hollywood just wasted it.

I’m looking for better, shorter, and more creative ways to tell stories, so we don’t have to devote our entire lives to our favorite movies or franchises. One upside to a shorter film is wanting more when the credits roll.

Remember that feeling?

We sure don’t have much of that anymore. When a movie is done playing through nowadays, we breathe a sigh of relief. “Phew! We made it through!”

The only exception is animated movies. Am I the only one going into one with less weight on my shoulders, knowing it will be a fun experience and over relatively quickly?

I’m sure animation studios would make three-hour movies if it didn’t take a bajillion years to make one. Sometimes the constraints of the creative arts can be a good thing.

Movies are too damn long, and making them last longer does not equal higher quality. From now on, I’m giving more props to the ones that can put it all together beautifully in under two hours.

Let’s see if Hollywood is up to the challenge.

Want more? If you’re struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

Why I’m Okay With Japan Using Covid Relief Money for a Giant Squid Sculpture

Image from CNN.com

Is a giant squid statue worth all the controversy it’s getting?

If you haven’t heard, in the coastal town of Noto, in Ishikawa, Japan, they spent $230,000 of the $6.2 million received from the government for Covid relief on a 43-foot sculpture of a flying squid. Could they have used their money on something more important — probably?

But I’m not mad.

In fact, I like that they spent some of their relief money on art. Mainly to promote tourism for their small fishing town. Apparently, the area is the center of squid fishing in Japan.

I never visited Noto while living in Japan. Still, now I’m interested in seeing the statue next time I can travel back to one of my favorite countries. Squid is a delicacy in Japan. Even though Americans might not be interested in eating it, it doesn’t mean the statue is a waste of money.

When it was unveiled, Japanese people were surprised by the timing, and so were people on Twitter. Guys, a ton of readers, most likely people who have never been to Japan, were upset about this giant flying squid.

According to this article by CNN news, someone commented, “No matter how you look at it, this is wrong. They have to return that money.”

Really? Is it that serious? Indeed, there are more important matters to get this upset about.

Here’s my take on why this isn’t such a huge deal.

Covid cases are low in Noto, Japan

In a town of around 16,000 residents, there have been fewer than 30 cases of Covid-19. Not that this is okay. It’s still a concern, but why can’t they take this opportunity to do something to put their area on the map?

I’m pretty sure that at the time this statue was approved and sculpted by the artist — most likely a year ago or so — Japan was doing pretty well controlling the virus. They probably thought it would be a positive way to celebrate victory over covid.

Unfortunately, cases have spiked in larger cities like Tokyo and Osaka, and hospitals have trouble keeping up with all the new patients. Scary times right now, for sure, and I’m hoping for the best. The Osaka area is my second home, and I want its citizens to stay healthy and the cases to drop.

Even though the statue’s unveiling timing is abysmal, I think they did what they thought was right when it was being created. Should we punish the town of Noto for that?

They need a way to attract tourism to keep their economy going strong

Even if Japan was doing well-handling covid, the virus was still causing huge dips in tourism. This town found an opportunity to provide funds to local artists and construction workers in this time of economic turmoil.

I bet this statue helped provide much-needed work while also investing in a new piece of fun, publicly accessible art — the perfect socially distanced tourist attraction.

Even I want to go and take a picture in front of it.

Japanese people love squid, and the sculpture will make visitors smile

Art is essential and beautiful. Squid is delicious and well-loved by the people of Japan. If a family visits the town of Noto, you know the kids will laugh and smile while taking pictures. Parents and couples will share their squid photos all over social media.

This statue will bring not only tourists to the area but excitement and joy.

It’s easy for people outside of Japan to hear about this and think it’s ridiculous. Why? Is this an easy way to take a cheap shot at Japan? With all the controversy over the summer Olympics, should we cancel them or not, here’s another reason to be angry at Japan. I say, calm down and let a town beautify itself.

In conclusion

There are plenty of frustrating things about living in Japan and the experiences I went through. I didn’t fully understand why it’s that way. Still, I smiled, and whatever it was, let it go. As a Black man, having middle school students rub my skin to see if the brown would come off, for example, was one of those.

If I compare that to a small town deciding to use the money for a wild, eye-catching work of art to put their area on the map, I say go for it.

I’m confident Noto, Japan is not a corrupt town. If they needed the money to help save lives in their area, they would have used it for that purpose. Japanese people are pretty in tune with the needs of the many. Especially compared to other parts of the world where the culture revolves around thinking more about ourselves.

If I had any issue, it would be with the government giving so much money to an area with so few covid cases. They could have passed some of that on to bigger cities. Or, saved it for emergencies like the spike in cases happening right now.

With all the negativity, fear, and death in the world, let’s try and see the good in a tiny town trying to make the best of it all with the help of art.

The “New Normal” Mindset: 3 Hard Truths About Post Pandemic Life

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

I just got my first dose of the vaccine, the Moderna one, the other day and immediately felt relieved. “I’m safe.” I thought.

A few minutes later, I was back to fearing for my life.

Thankfully, I had no serious side effects, but a small amount of pain in my arm and feeling tired and low energy the next day. It’s all good now, though.

As a teacher, I should feel better, more positive at this point, right? I’m one of the ones getting vaccinated. There’s nothing else to worry about. I wish that were true.

I’m filled with concerns about going back into the classroom and getting exposed to COVID-19.

I’m lucky to have the opportunity to receive the vaccine. However, the risks and reasons for getting jabbed are still frightening. My work will require me to come back on campus in the next few weeks with other teachers and students who could be spreading the virus.

The reality of it all is frightening, but it’s something I realized we all need to be aware of and build up our mental and emotional strength to face. Living in our modern world means taking more risks with our lives than before.

The hard truths below may be uncomfortable to hear. They were for a person who’s mainly positive like me. After living in countries like Germany and Japan, I can take more of an “American looking from the outside in” approach to getting back to normal life. I want to help put your mind in a solid place where you’re looking at reality and facing it head-on.

Variants of the virus can kill us

Realizing this fact is like the “New Normal Mindset,” in my opinion. Accepting that you can’t hide from the virus. Even when deaths slow down, the virus itself will most likely continue to spread. You will need to go out in the world and face it. We will all live with the risk of getting sick, even when life looks normal again.

If variants of the virus keep popping up and most likely continue spreading in the states, even if you’re vaccinated, who knows how effective that will be on keeping you healthy if you get infected.

What bothers me the most is that as a teacher, I have to go back to work at some point soon, teaching remotely isn’t effective for most students, so if I want to support my family and eat, I have no choice but to take a risk on my life and health.

Going back will be after taking both vaccines in my case. Still, I’ve accepted the possibilities of getting seriously sick — and I ain’t no spring chicken. I’m 45 years old, so I’ve lived some life, and if you’re in my age group, you also need to be more concerned than someone in their 20's.

Americans need to get comfortable with wearing masks

I love America, but the freedom argument in this country has gone way too far. It’s only putting a mask over your face, not gagging your free speech. I know we don’t like someone telling us what to do, but let’s clarify that caring for others means putting the group’s needs first before the individual. The idea of risking your “freedom” by wearing a mask seems insane to me, but it’s what we need to do.

Wearing masks is something we’re all going to have to get used to over the next couple of years if we want to survive. Let’s hope new mask technology will be released to make this choice easier for those who can’t wear one for health reasons or refuse to wear one as their personal choice. Masks that are clear glass but do not fog up when you speak, for example, or some kind of clear mesh that fits comfortably, but you can see a person’s mouth move.

Like Japan, citizens of countries in Asia are comfortable wearing masks when they’re sick and need to ride on the train together or while working in the office. It’s seen as a sign of respect for others around you. When I was there, I appreciated that someone was making sure not to spread their germs to others.

You would think that over half a million deaths in America would wake people up to what’s important. Saving lives, not complaining about putting on a mask, something that benefits us all in the long run.

You are not the exception

One of the main reasons the virus spread so fast in the U.S. is that people didn’t believe they would get infected. Why? Because of exceptionalism. We think we’re special, untouchable even.

exceptionalism ĭk-sĕp′shə-nə-lĭz″əm

• n. The condition of being exceptional or unique.

• n. The theory or belief that something, especially a nation, does not conform to a pattern or norm.

• n. The state of being special, exceptional, or unique

Let’s stop exceptionalism thinking and start paying attention to reality. America is a phenomenal country, but it can get hit hard by a virus, terrorism, and, yes, even racist attacks on its own citizens. We are not above it all or so “woke” to not have dark and terrible events occur in our own backyards.

Feeling like a unique and special person is good for self-confidence, and we should make sure that also comes with a healthy dose of humility.

Adopt the new normal mindset and grow stronger

When you look at the world as it is and understand that there are some things you can’t change but must accept to stay alive and thrive, you’re in good shape. This crazy and scary reality may be one we have to navigate, but it’s how you think about it that will make the difference. I also dream of the days we can all meet again without social distancing and can hug our loved ones.

Even when that day comes, we will still be taking risks with catching the virus. Each new day is a chance to also practice a new normal mindset — it’s time we live with the truth and keep moving forward.

One more thing about the coronavirus to worry about

There’s more to fear than getting sick.

The Coronavirus is undoubtedly something to fear, and I send my condolences to the families of those with loved ones who have passed away.

With the virus spreading like crazy, travel bans spreading even faster, and the news media blowing it up to epic proportions, I'm concerned about another sickness that may develop. One that could affect us mentally.

The fear of Asians. Not just people of Chinese descent, but all Asians.

This virus is not an excuse to be racist or xenophobic.

But you know people will be anyway.

With famous thinkers like Bill Gates sharing his belief that pandemics are one of the biggest threats to humanity, we're all left shaking in our boots and could possibly be afraid of any Asian person we think might have the virus.

As an African-American with a Japanese wife, I ask you to please keep an open mind. Don't use this as an excuse to show prejudice or hate towards Asian people.

I hate to lump everyone together, but I know a large portion of Americans, especially, will. I'll admit, before my two years living in Japan, it was difficult telling the difference between people from various countries in Asia. 

What will someone with very little exposure to Asian people believe?

I’m afraid most Americans will think a Korean person is Chinese. Or, see a Japanese person—wearing a mask only because they have a common cold and do not want to spread it to others—and assume they have the virus.

When you're all wound up in reacting to the "CORONAVIRUS: The End Is Nigh!" news coverage, it might make you say and do cruel things.   

Considering the symptoms that originated in the city of Wuhan, China is similar to the common cold or flu—coughing, fever, runny nose—makes it easy to judge others out of fear.

Yes, a fear of contracting something that could make you drop dead within a few weeks. But if this spreads throughout America, you might feel suspicious of your next-door neighbors and people on the street. You could refuse to see them or walk around or away from an Asian person because you want to "stay safe.

Is this fear mainly because the virus originated in China?

What would happen if there were a Switzerland Coronavirus outbreak taking the world by storm? Imagine you're watching videos on TV of blonde-haired Caucasians walking around with masks and hearing about hundreds of people dying in Europe. Would you feel as scared of all the white folks you see on the street?

If you're white, how would you feel if an Asian person saw you on the street and immediately crossed to the other side, scared of possibly breathing in a virus?

Imagine if an outbreak occurred in Mexico, and in turn, we all think it's ok to be afraid of getting a virus from any Hispanic person we see? You get where I'm going.

We should all be informed and safe but also remember our connection to each other as human beings. Be compassionate enough to understand that real people are passing away, the virus is spreading. Still, it doesn't make one race better or worse than another.

It doesn't give any of us a good reason to treat others with disrespect.

We are all one. Don't let fear spread a virus of hate.