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The Batman
(Warner Bros. Pictures/DC)
By Lucas Allen
Batman has proved time and time again that he’s the most endearing superhero in motion picture history, no matter who puts on the Bat Suit. Originally conceived as a standalone film for the DCEU with Ben Affleck, “The Batman” becomes a different beast in its own right with a new actor donning the cape and cowl for a new legion of fans. This film is retooled under the care of co-writer and director Matt Reeves, who previously directed the last two films in the excellent Planet of the Apes trilogy.
For the past two years, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has roamed the crime-ridden streets of Gotham City as the mysterious Caped Crusader. Despite objections from the police force, Lt. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) likes having a vigilante help out when other officers are too busy working for mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Their latest case involves the murder of the city’s mayor, who was up for re-election, by a sadistic serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano). It becomes apparent that the killer is targeting city officials who are corrupt and have ties to the mob.
As he tries to unravel this series of puzzles, Batman finds out that the murders are linked to his late parents and the Wayne family fortune. He also sees secrets surrounding his parents’ deaths hidden from him by his loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis). Meanwhile, the case becomes more complicated when cat burglar Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) seeks vengeance for the disappearance of her roommate in the hands of Falcone and his lackey The Penguin (Colin Farrell). Batman will have to catch the Riddler before the city sinks further into chaos.
Each Batman film for better or worse isn’t afraid to play with tone, depending on both the writing and visual style. For this film, it goes back to the dark noir of the character’s early comics history as well as the ’89 Tim Burton film. The filmmakers also added a surreal look to Gotham as a gritty and highly stylized version of New York City. The end result is a beautiful-looking portrait of a comic book world from scenes at dawn to rainy nights. With its use of its color scheme like reds and oranges, the world of Batman has never looked this eye-catching.
If you thought “The Dark Knight” went far with the darker tone, “The Batman” ups the ante in every way. It contains very mature themes for a PG-13 rated-film as well as hard-hitting violence that will knock you out of your seat. The action scenes also give a visceral feel that you can’t take your eyes off of.
It’s worth noting that the movie runs about three hours, which can be overlong for a movie like this. Some pieces of it could’ve been edited out without much impact, while there are some parts that undoubtedly mirror Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy when it’s not necessary. A different filmmaker like Reeves has to put his own stamp on the classic character to make it stand out.
As Bruce Wayne, Pattinson has that whole brooding angle down pretty well and it’s not hard to get used to. But as Batman, the “Twilight” vet makes it his own as a violent and in-your-face anti-hero. Dano’s Riddler is more Jigsaw than crazed supervillain, which could be jarring for longtime fans, but it works fine for the story. Farrell is unrecognizable as the Penguin, but is fantastic in the role, while Turturro does a good Robert De Niro impression as Falcone. On the side of good, Kravitz, Serkis and Wright help give emotional weight to the main character and the story in some well-done scenes.
“The Batman” may not be at the top of the list of Batman movies, but it’s certainly at a high spot because of its dark story, great characters and heavy on atmosphere. Make sure you prepare yourself for a three-hour piece of entertainment that’ll likely stay with you long after the credits have ended.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
