The Batman Movie Review
by Karl W.
The Batman
Directed by Matt Reeves
Written by Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Produced by Dylan Clark, Matt Reeves
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
I don't think there's a superhero with a more prolific range of movies (as well as more alternative takes) than Batman. We're at, what, the 5th or 6th iteration of the character on the big screen now? It seemed like almost yesterday when I was reading about Ben Affleck being the next Batman or the final movie in the Christopher Nolan directed Dark Knight trilogy being released in theatres. There have been duds, for sure, but for the most part, I'd say Batman has had a solid track run of movies with various actors taking that role. Which is why it's also super frustrating to hear about the asinine backlash surrounding Robert Pattinson taking up the helm for the next iteration of the character in The Batman. Yes, he was in the much maligned (possibly even overly hated) Twilight movies, but that should not be an indictment on the actor, who has had a fantastic track record of movies after that point, like Good Time or The Lighthouse. Though, then again, bad-faith backlash towards casting choices have been a big thing regarding the Batman movies for a while, just look at the backlash Ben Affleck or even Michael Keaton got. That was not a deterrent for me though, as no matter what actor they get for a Batman movie, we're in for an exciting experience, and oh man, was this ever the exciting experience.
The Batman is easily the best Batman movie we've gotten since The Dark Knight, taking the superhero to the latest generation, with a thorough and in-depth knowledge on what and who Batman truly is. To put it another way, this is the first live-action Batman movie to truly give credence to Batman's title of World's Greatest Detective. This is a mystery movie and crime thriller through and through, exploring the mysterious murders of political figures throughout Gotham at the hands of the Riddler. The scenes are dripped with suspense and intrigue with each murder revealed as Batman attempts to uncover and capture the Riddler. Yet, the more Batman digs into it, the more he realizes that the problems run a lot deeper than a crazed lunatic killing people, running deep into the roots of political figures and the police and their connections with the underground perpetuating a broken system. Gotham is truly a terrible place to live, most of which is told through the cinematography, showcasing Gotham in a gritty, colorless tone. Gotham is beyond the point of saving, and while Batman hopes to make the city free of crime, he notes that crime has only gone up in the years since he donned the cowl. It addresses a lot of the themes and criticisms of the concept of Batman that have always lied under the surface, but are valid and interesting topics that most writers of Batman don't typically bring to light, or more commonly than not, choose to ignore.
Now we get to the part that people were dreading at first reveal, the performances. Thankfully, this film put the notion that the acting would've fallen on its face to bed. Robert Pattinson does an amazing job as Batman, pulling off a serious and inquisitive take on the Caped Crusader, not to mention his determination in solving the case that it even bleeds into his real life as Bruce Wayne, a criticism that I've seen in a handful of cases, though I can understand it in this case, as they're going for a more reclusive take on the character; the billionaire who stays away from the presses rather than make strong ploys for the public, rather using his money to fund for his gadgets to fight crime rather than fixing problems that run deep in the core of Gotham's systemic issues. What really sells it is his relationship with other characters. Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon specifically plays off of Pattinson well as the good cop to Pattinson's bad cop, working within the corrupt system to help sew trust in Batman with the rest of the police department. Batman's butler, Alfred (played by Andy Serkis), helps anchor Bruce Wayne to the real world and realize his roots, something that Bruce is hesitant to do at first, until he realizes that his personal life and his crime life are more closely tied than he would like to think. Then there's Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, who plays the roll of the chaotic neutral thief and anti-hero to a perfect degree, both working with Batman to weed out the bad actors, while also going against him when their personal ideologies clash. The villains also do a great job in this movie, with Colin Farrell playing the sleazy and rather comedic role as the Penguin, who in this movie serves as the right-hand to John Tuturro's criminal mastermind. Then there's Paul Dano as the Riddler. I always hoped to see Riddler in a more modern setting akin to the Dark Knight trilogy, and this take on the character as a Zodiac Killer-inspired maniac is truly something to behold.
As far as any real flaws, I will say there are a few pacing issues. The Batman is a LONG movie, running just below three hours in length, and by the ending, you can feel some of that length, to the point where you could probably cut out a few scenes near the end and have it still feel like a complete package (hell, there's enough going on in this movie that could fit two great Batman movies on their own). That being said, it's hard to truly argue with how great this movie is. Batman has had a great job with live-action movies in the past (Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight both come to mind), and it's safe to say The Batman joins that pantheon quite comfortably.
Light 8/10 (Great)
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