Jim Carrey offers his mixed reaction to Paul Dano's version of the Riddler from The Batman. DC's Caped Crusader has once again been reinvented on the big screen, this time by director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson. The Batman debuted in theaters earlier this month and swiftly cemented itself as 2022's highest-grossing movie so far. The gritty, dark take on the character is set in a world separate from the DCEU and focuses on a Bruce Wayne in his second year of being Gotham's Dark Knight.
Dano's Riddler is the main villain in The Batman. A masked creep with a love for "Ave Maria," the Riddler aims to expose Gotham's corruption by killing off its most prominent public figures one by one. He certainly lives up to his name by leaving various riddles for Bruce and Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to work out, but Dano's depiction of the character is also a far cry from previous portrayals of the famous comics character. Prior to Dano, Carrey was perhaps the most well-known Riddler thanks to his performance in Batman Forever. Carrey's version of the villain is far sillier and campier than Dano's.
While promoting his new film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with UNILAD, Carrey was asked if he's seen The Batman and if he has any thoughts on this new Riddler. The beloved actor admitted he hasn't yet, but that overall he has some mixed feelings about the film and its depiction of the villain. Carrey didn't wish to overtly criticize it, stating:
"I’ve not seen it. It’s a very dark version. I have mixed emotions about it. To each his own and all that. I love him as an actor, he’s a tremendous actor. There’s a spot of worry in me over gaffer-taping people’s faces and encouraging people to do the same. Some sickos out there that might adopt that method.
"I do have a conscience about the things I choose. Robotnik [his Sonic 2 villain] has cartoon bombs and no-one gets hurt. I know there’s a place for it, and I don’t want to criticise it, but it’s not my kind of thing… it’s very well done, those movies are very well done."
Many have pointed out that Dano's Riddler in The Batman is an unsettling representation of a villain who could be all-too-real in today's society. The way he speaks to his followers, his disillusionment with Gotham's institutions, and his final plan for the city all feel sharply drawn from real life. In that sense, one might understand where Carrey is coming from. There's been plenty of debate over the years regarding whether violence and terror in movies lead to an increase of those things in reality, and while some might quickly dismiss the idea, Carrey's concern has some validity.
And lest fans of The Batman think Carrey is outright dismissing the film, he did acknowledge that he has no desire to reject it. He lent his support to Dano as a fellow actor, and he can probably admit that their versions of the character are different, and that's okay. They appeared in vastly different movies, so it would make sense that one Riddler would have little to do with the other. The Batman has earned its fair share of supporters, and while Carrey might not be fully on board, he at least respects what Dano, Reeves, and the rest of the creative team has done.
Source: UNILAD
