The Batman finally got released this week and so reviews have been popping up everywhere. ABC found it a joyless affair. The Guardian thought it was “spectacular and well-cast” but had a “tiresome third act.”

YouTube has obviously been filled with reviews too, and one YouTuber’s opinion on the film has provoked severe backlash on social media. A clip from Ryan Kinel’s review spread on Twitter, in which he bemoaned the fact there were more good black people in the film than white people.

“But there were only a couple good people in this movie,” Kinel says in his review. “You had Bruce Wayne, Batman, and you had Alfred. Those are the only two good white people. The rest of the really three other major players that I would consider like overall moral good people were — you had Jim Gordon, who is black in this.

You had Catwoman, who is not white in this. And then you had the mayor who is a black woman. Again, very much on the nose for current day Hollywood. Did not like that.”

People were immediately irate on Twitter, with some even calling for Kinel to be removed from YouTube altogether. “What’s up with the way racist scum are always making there (sic) racist trash videos while seated in vehicles?” commented someone.

“I want to punch this guy in the face so bad,” insisted someone else, really channelling Batman. “Weird way to put “I’m racist,” said another. “Bring segregation back please these white people are getting way too comfortable,” was another comment. Several other calls to cancel Kinel also appeared.

In an interesting turn of events, Kinel has already responded to the backlash. In a follow-up video, he decried that there was “no mention of the fact that I liked the movie.” In his initial review, Kinel actually gave The Batman a solid rating of 8 out of 10. “No mention of the fact that I said I thought it was really good,” he added. “Just, ‘Well he didn’t like the fact that there were more good black people than white people.

Love Film & TV?

Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

Now, me talking about who I thought was a good person or shown as a good person in this movie, if you actually go watch it, it was about a small segment that I did about things that I did not like about the movie based on identity politics.”

Kinel continued: “Anyone with an IQ above room temperature could understand that what I’m talking about here is not simply, ‘Well there were more good black people than good white people so I didn’t like it,’ it was talking about the fact that every other white person, every single white person in this movie was portrayed as evil.

Every living white person in this movie was portrayed as an evil piece of garbage except for Batman and Alfred. That’s what the statement is talking about. That’s what I’m trying to get across.”

For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine