Long, grim, and gritty, The Batman fully embraces the darkness and turmoil surrounding its titular character to deliver a solid neo-noir crime thriller.
Overall Score: 10/10
Image: DC Films / Warner Bros. Pictures
Riddle me this: What takes flight in the dead of night, has a use for sound but not one for sight?
The answer? Why, a bat, of course, which leads us to the matter at hand: There’s a new Batman movie on the loose yet again. Throughout the history of film, we’ve seen multiple different takes on the titular character. In fact, I’m fairly sure that Batman has been and, to this day, continues to be the superhero with the most live-action cinematic adaptations, with outings that have ranged from being universally praised (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight) to being downright awful — I’m looking at you, Batman and Robin. Yet, despite thinking that filmmakers have done everything they possibly can with the Caped Crusader, someone always manages to come along and prove us wrong.
While most — not counting the sequels — of the character’s past movies have time and time again explored his origin story and what makes him tick, none have touched on what some may consider one of his most defining traits. “What’s that,” you ask? Well, Batman is often referred to — at least among DC fans — as “the world’s greatest detective,” is he not? Then why has this well-known aspect not fully been shown on the big screen before?
This is where The Batman comes in. Writer-director Matt Reeves has largely decided to ditch the origin story and instead place Bruce Wayne a full two years into being Batman. It’s a wise and rather smart move as it allows him to focus almost entirely on Batman’s crime-solving abilities. As a result, The Batman looks, feels, and plays exactly like a crime thriller (and a darn good one at that), drawing from films that came before it like David Fincher’s Zodiac and Se7en — the latter of which, I hear, is extremely disgusting, therefore I will not be watching it any time soon. By doing this, Reeves is effectively able to avoid repeating what has already been done by so many others before him, giving him the freedom to fully shape the world of Batman and its characters how he sees fit.
Speaking of worlds, the world-building here is just amazing. And what’s fascinating here is that it seems to be done instantly and effortlessly — I swear, one scene in and you’ll feel as if Gotham were a real and lived-in place. It’s interesting to see a take on the city that presents itself as a parallel of sorts to our own society (both are plagued by corruption, inequality, and classism). And while, yes, this Gotham is presented in more of a dystopic light, through his careful attention to even the subtlest of details, Reeves makes sure that it feels like the most grounded one we’ve gotten yet.
Nevertheless, the excellent writing and directing efforts alone cannot, of course, be credited as the sole contributors to the creation and birth of The Batman. A lot of different factors, departments, and kinds of artistic talents go into the making of these movies, but one of the immediate standouts, I feel, is the film’s score. Michael Giacchino's work here is, once again, perfect. It’s epic and operatic (Batman’s theme), soft and beautiful at times (Catwoman’s), and even eerie and uncomfortable when it needs to be (Riddler’s). Another outstanding aspect is the movie’s beautiful cinematography — done by Greig Fraser, who’s worked on other high-profile films like Rogue One and, most recently, Dune — which features some of, if not the best, visuals we’ve seen in a Batman movie thus far.
Moving on from the creative forces behind the scenes, let’s shift our focus to the artists who appear on-screen: the actors. Naturally, we must start with the film’s lead, Robert Pattinson. Now, I’ll admit, when The Batman was initially announced, I was doubtful. The thought of seeing yet another actor take on the mantle of the Dark Knight was just… tiring. However, once the official promo photos — and later, trailers — began rolling out, almost all of my reservations and negative feelings quickly subsided. Thinking about it now, I feel that although Batman has already been portrayed plenty of times before, no matter how many actors put on the iconic cowl and suit, each (yes, even George Clooney) has something new and different that further expands on the character, and Pattinson is no exception. His Batman largely benefits from not being the version of the Caped Crusader we’re used to seeing. In fact, neither of his dual identities (Bruce Wayne or Batman) are that akin to their traditional depictions, but that’s okay because Battinson — as some may refer to him — grows as both a vigilante and a person by the end of the film. And while he has yet to usurp Christian Bale’s — or whoever’s, it’s subjective after all — status as the greatest Batman of all time, he certainly gives him a run for his money and will undoubtedly only improve from here on out.
Of course, Batman wouldn’t be complete without his significant other, Catwoman. Like him, she’s been played by several actresses over the years. Therefore, it’s both shocking and interesting to think that Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman might just be the most comic-accurate depiction of the character we’ve ever seen. Sure, other versions have indeed shown that she is a strong and independent woman, but none, until now, have truly captured the dynamic she and Batman share. This version draws directly from the eternal moral conflict the two characters have long been locked in: Batman has a no-killing rule and he struggles to keep Catwoman in line because she’s constantly on the verge of breaking it. Previous iterations may have hinted at and, perhaps, toyed with this dynamic, but Kravitz’s version alone seems to understand and show the emotional struggles — the human struggles — the character has to endure. Furthermore, her Catwoman looks just like the one that can be found in the comics, and because others have largely deviated from the source material in favor of creative liberties, this instantly makes hers the superior one.
Enough about the heroes though, for what good is a film without a compelling villain? Fortunately, the Riddler, The Batman’s main antagonist, is as good, or should I say, evil, as they come. The Riddler is rather disturbing, there’s no denying that. Gone are his days of prancing around in bright green leotards and yelling out wild and often nonsensical riddles in fits of insanity (sorry, Jim Carrey, your performance was fun and all while it lasted, but it hasn’t aged particularly well), replaced instead with a more menacing and maniacal version that serves as an interesting and compelling foil for our heroes. This new and updated take on the Riddler is successful in being unsettling in more ways than one, owing thanks, in large part, to its real-life inspiration: the infamous Zodiac Killer. Everything, ranging from his choice of clothing, his cryptic ciphers (and riddles, which prove to be key to solving the film’s overarching mystery), his style of speech, to even the way he claims responsibility for and taunts Batman and the police with the murders he commits, instantly brings to mind the notorious murderer — or, at least, the one seen in Fincher’s film. But, perhaps, what’s most noteworthy is that, much like Heath Ledger’s Joker and the other baddies from Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, the Riddler actually has a point, even if his sense of justice is twisted and perverted. In other words, while his methods may be cruel and the nature of his murders grotesque, through them he raises important questions about social inequality and institution-wide corruption, prompting our heroes, and, by extension, us, to reconsider what we consider good or evil.
Of course, none of this would’ve really worked had it not been for Paul Dano’s terrific and chill-inducing performance. What he’s is able to do — for the majority of the film — with just his eyes, voice, and body language is terrifying, and it’s nothing short of phenomenal. The man really does put on one heck of a show, for we hardly ever see his face, and yet, his presence is nonetheless menacing, looming over the rest of the film, even when he’s not on-screen. To be honest, I don’t care whether or not you think his version of the master of puzzles is the best Batman villain, because the one thing we should all agree on is that Dano, effective immediately, should be considered the definitive Riddler — for the time being, at least.
Look, I could sit here all day and tell you just how great this new Batman film is, but I’d rather stop here for fear of spoiling things — I’d also probably bore you to death while trying to cover all of the intricate details anyways. The Batman is huge — not to mention really long — and it requires a lot of unpacking, but regardless, it feels fresh and unique, and it just might be the best Batman movie yet. So, if you’re into superheroes, old-school detective mysteries, and cynical noir crime thrillers, buckle up, because this is one helluva ride you’re not gonna want to miss.
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