Released: March 2022
Director: Matt Reeves
Run Time: 175 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Genre: Action/Thriller
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Cast:
Robert Pattinson: Bruce Wayne/The Batman
Zoe Kravitz: Selina Kyle/Catwoman
Jeffrey Wright: Lt. James Gordon
Colin Farrell: Oz/The Penguin
Paul Dano: The Riddler
John Turturro: Carmine Falcone
Andy Serkis: Alfred
The purpose of marketing is to get people excited for a particular product or event. In the case of movies, you have trailers and posters for specific movies that were designed to get the public jazzed about something. There have been a lot of movies that have been hyped up so much that it seems almost impossible for the film to live up to that promise. There are notable cases in which a movie not only meets the hype, but exceeds it in many respects. But I’ve also seen a lot of movies where they don’t even come CLOSE to the hype. Cowboys and Aliens, anybody? Godzilla Vs. Kong was one that definitely lived up to the hype. For the character of Batman, The Dark Knight was hyped up to be one of the best sequels ever made. Not only did it meet those expectations, it blew them out of the water with one of the best comic book movies, ever. Now, we have another situation with a new film simply called The Batman. All the trailers and posters surrounding this movie have promised a movie that is dark, gritty, and powerful. Well, I can tell you this: The Batman is the movie to beat right now. Why? Well, let’s talk about that.
The Batman opens as the current mayor of Gotham City is running for re-election when a mysterious character appears out of the darkness and bludgeons him to death. Later, the police are investigating and Lt. James Gordon brings along the masked vigilante Batman to help. Someone is taking down Gotham’s elites and leaving clues behind specifically for Batman to solve, revealing the mysterious figure as the Riddler. At the same time, Batman encounters Selina Kyle, a self-styled cat-burglar who is looking for a woman that was kidnapped from her apartment. This woman also has connections to Batman’s case. But who is the Riddler? And why is he targeting Gotham’s corrupt elites? To say anything more about the story would be to spoil some really big surprises. How do I best describe this story? First of all, it’s unlike anything that I’ve seen in a Batman movie before. This is the first live-action Batman film to be more of a detective story and that’s awesome, because Batman has often been described as the world’s greatest detective. We finally get to see him at work here. There’s definitely a noir-ish style about the film that really gives it some serious grit. Any comparisons to the movie Se7en would not be inaccurate. In fact, I would say that The Batman is The Dark Knight crossed with Se7en, by way of Zodiac. The story is very dark, and it exposes the corruption in Gotham City like we’ve never seen before.
From a character standpoint, there’s some really strong writing here. There’s not a single character in The Batman that feels out of place. First of all, let’s talk about Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. Even from some of the earliest Batman stories, the relationship between Batman and Catwoman has been both antagonistic and flirty. I think it’s because the character isn’t a straight-up villain. She’s more of an anti-hero, if anything, but she is also the perfect foil for Batman. These are both very broken people, but come together because they do have similarities. This version of Catwoman is outstanding. The Penguin. In Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, The Penguin, or Oswald Cobblepot, was a deformed freak. Here, he’s psychologically demented, but he’s not a mutant. The character is clearly a mobster by trade, and he’s one mean son-of-a-bitch. When it comes to Batman’s villains, most people wouldn’t put the Riddler on the same level as the Joker OR the Penguin. Yet, in this film, the Riddler is the main villain, but he’s more of the Zodiac-killer variety than the jokey Jim Carrey version from Batman Forever. THIS Riddler is scary. His outfit is truly bizarre, but he does leave his trademark riddles for Batman, but he also has legitimate reasons for doing what he’s doing, which makes the character even more dangerous. Jim Gordon is Batman’s staunch ally even when the other cops are hesitant to trust a vigilante. Also, I would argue that the city of Gotham itself is a character.
Acting-wise, The Batman is one of the most perfectly cast movies I’ve ever seen. Zoe Kravitz gives Selina Kyle a particular strength and vulnerability that we really haven’t seen since Michelle Pfeiffer. Her character is clearly bruised and traumatized from her past, and Zoe just nails every nuance to the character and then some. She can also handle the physical aspects just as well, as you can see in her fights with Batman and other people. She’s great. Jeffrey Wright gives the right amount of gravity and pathos to Jim Gordon that makes him an ally of Batman. There are other real standouts here too. Let’s talk about Colin Farrell as Penguin. If I didn’t already know that Colin was playing the gangster, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was him. Between the outstanding make-up and prosthetics that Colin wears, and that amazing accent he uses, Colin Farrell just disappears into the role. He doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but he almost steals the show when he does show up. Paul Dano as the Riddler. Honestly, I think that Paul Dano’s Riddler is going to be just as memorable as Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. I’m being serious. Dano is terrifying as the Zodiac-style serial killer. He’s a far cry from the question-mark cane-wielding goon from the old days. Dano’s vocal performance is very unsettling. This guy is scary, because he makes you feel that someone exactly like him could pop up in the real world. Also, special mention has to be made for Andy Serkis as Alfred. This guy is basically Bruce Wayne’s only anchor to humanity, and Serkis is really good.
That brings us to the man of the hour: Robert Pattinson as Batman. There’s been some controversy surrounding the casting of Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. After seeing Pattinson in movies like The Lighthouse and Tenet, why couldn’t he play Batman? There have been a lot of actors that put on the cape and cowl. Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck come to mind. The worst portrayal of Batman comes from George Clooney, and it wasn’t necessarily HIS fault. Robert Pattinson as Batman is inspired casting. As far as the character goes, we mostly see Batman, but we do get glimpses of Bruce Wayne from time to time. Mostly because the Bruce Wayne aspect of the character is the mask. Batman is who he truly is. Because of his trauma, you see the disconnect that Batman has with the rest of humanity. As some critics have said, he comes across alien-like in his approach to people. Well, not only does Pattinson put his spin on the character, he knocks it out of the park. Is Pattinson the best Batman yet? Give me one more movie with him before I can make that call. But as it stands, his Batman is scary, brutal, and calculating, despite the fact that the character has only been at it for 2 years. So, we are seeing Batman in his early years as the Dark Knight. Pattinson might come across as a bit emo, but when you understand the character, you’ll roll with it as I did. He has this smoldering intensity that makes him seem inhuman. He’s fantastic.
While The Batman is primarily a detective story at heart, it definitely has some serious action in it. One of the biggest complaints that I’ve heard about this movie before it was released was that it was a PG-13 movie. Well, I can tell you that it pushes that rating to the absolute limit. The violence in this movie is BRUTAL. The first real fight that Batman has with a group of thugs is crazy. The beat-down that he delivers on the first one is insane. There’s also another fight that Batman has with Catwoman that feels more flirty than anything, but is fantastic. Catwoman’s got some serious moves, but Batman sees them coming. I also have to bring this up just because: The Batmobile. Holy shit, this thing is AWESOME. People have compared it to a souped-up muscle car, which is exactly what it is. While I don’t think it’ll be as iconic as Tim Burton’s Batmobile, this one is an absolute beast, and the chase sequence that occurs between Batman and the Penguin is one of the best car chases put on screen. That brings me to the cinematography of the film. It’s amazing. The way the action is shot makes it incredibly easy to see what’s going on and who is fighting who. The design of the city is extraordinary. It feels both real and other-worldly at the same time. Every aspect of this movie’s production is outstanding. Also, the pacing of the movie is spot on. For a movie that runs nearly 3 hours, it doesn’t feel like it.
I haven’t talked about a movie’s music for a long time, but I figured NOW is a good time to start doing it again. The music in The Batman is wonderful. Whether it’s Batman’s main theme are some of the more action-oriented pieces, the score by Michael Giacchino is probably his best effort to date. Batman has always had iconic music in the movies. Whether it was Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, or even Elliot Goldenthal, the music in Batman movies have always been memorable. This is no different. In fact, I would put this score right up there with Danny Elfman’s iconic theme. Good music in a movie adds to the film’s atmosphere, and Giacchino’s music is grand, epic, intimate, and dark. It’s exactly what I have come to expect from a Batman musical score. If there’s really any negative that I can point out here, it’s that the film’s final act seems to run out of steam before it’s all over. I’m not saying that it’s awful, it’s still pretty good, but it’s much weaker than the rest of the film. Still, The Batman is a movie that I can honestly say is one of the best in the franchise. Is it as good as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight? Truthfully, no. That bar was set so high not only as a sequel, but as a film. That said, The Batman comes pretty damn close. So, I guess I could say that I recommend this movie. It’s not going to be for everyone. It’s dark, it’s bleak, and it’s violent. The fact that it DIDN’T get an R-rating is very surprising. This is not the kind of movie that you bring your 8-year old to. It certainly ain’t your grand-pappy’s Batman. Oh, no. This is a new Batman for a new generation.
I will say this, Michael Keaton is returning as Batman in the upcoming Flashpoint and Batgirl movies. So, if that’s more your speed, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m looking forward to those movies as well, so NOW is a good time to be a fan of Batman. Matt Reeves has crafted an outstanding detective noir story that I think will stand out in the years to come. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Robert Pattinson’s Batman, or shall I say, Battinson. Nope, not sorry at all. Go see this movie. It’s AMAZING.