The Batman
WARNER BROSFor the past few years, Hollywood has had to solve a surprisingly puzzling riddle: Where does one even go with the character of Batman? After Ben Affleck’s version was met with mixed results, and his solo movie seemingly tossed aside, it seemed the caped crusader would have to be put on ice once again like in ‘97. But from the ashes of that Affleck script rose Matt Reeves’ The Batman, a stark reinvention of the character that is not only compelling, but fresh. It’s the kind of dark, pulpy crime thriller that this character was intended for. Matt Reeves has created a world in which Batman belongs, a crime epic serving as the character's exhilarating second – or third, who’s counting? – wind.
We find Bruce Wayne (portrayed by Robert Pattinson), having operated as Batman for two years now, a lonely, angry man. Crime has only risen in Gotham, and at what seems like a turning point for the city, a mysterious serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) begins a series of grisly murders involving high profile Gotham officials. Batman must solve the Riddler’s puzzles and catch him before he sees his plans through and exposes a conspiracy that runs deep through the heart of Gotham City.
For the first time since maybe Batman Returns, Gotham City truly feels like hell on earth. A dirty, neon drenched cesspool tinged in dark shadows and a seemingly never ending rainfall. Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser – who has been on an absolute roll lately – give us a vision of Gotham that is most akin to the version from the Arkham video game series: a destitute playground of despair where there seems to be a crime per every city block. The dark color palette serves the tone well – this might just be the darkest Batman movie to date, both literally and in terms of its content – and truly gives this Gotham a distinct look. Michael Giacchino’s score is outstanding; the titular character’s theme is as much of a slow burn as the movie itself, culminating in a bombastic adrenaline rush. The reuse of the theme whenever Batman enters a crime scene is one of the best details of the movie, it makes the character’s presence that much more commanding.
And commanding this Batman is, Pattinson turns in one of his most impressive performances to date. This is a far cry from the Bruce Wayne most expected; there are no tuxedo galas or playboy antics, only a deeply troubled, broken human on a seemingly futile crusade of vengeance. This is a Bruce Wayne that requires growth to become the Batman we know and love, and Pattinson’s younger, more intense portrayal is perfect to serve that role. Not to mention, he is killer in the action sequences; Batman moves with a ferocity like never before, making for some truly exhilarating fight scenes that soar on Pattinson’s driven performance. The massive supporting cast does an excellent job as well: Paul Dano is suitably unhinged as the Riddler, Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman is a surprisingly vulnerable – if a little underwritten – femme fatale, and Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon feels like a detective straight from a 40’s noir detective film, every line being delivered with an earnest hamminess that only Wright could pull off. The film’s MVP might just be Colin Farrell’s Penguin, who makes a very large impression in his very little screen time. Essentially being played up as a more devious and slimy Tony Soprano, Farrell steals every scene he’s in.
The only area wherein the movie falters is in its story. While not necessarily bad, it is needlessly convoluted, stringing together an exhaustingly intricate web of characters and plot lines together in a story that perhaps would’ve befitted a miniseries. The attempt at such a grandiose crime epic should be commended but it’s at the expense of some characters, such as Catwoman, Penguin, and Alfred (played by Andy Serkis, who does a fine job), who aren’t given quite enough screen time to be fleshed out. However, they’re a solid springboard for exploration in future sequels/spin-offs – of which there seem to be a few on the way – and function well enough in this movie.
While it may not be written quite as tightly and purely as exhilarating as The Dark Knight, The Batman understands the character in a way that no iteration has before and is one of the most compelling depictions of Gotham’s world put to screen. The Batman feels like the culmination of every movie in the franchise before it, combining the dour, gothic aesthetics of Burton with the mature, grounded lense of Nolan, packaged together as a compelling pulp noir murder mystery you could tear right out of the comic pages. Matt Reeves may have pulled off the impossible and made the definitive Batman film.