One of the greatest things about long-running icons is that we get to see the character interpreted in various ways by different artists. Batman is no exception. From the Adam West series to Burton, Schumacher, and Christopher Nolan, Batman has been reimagined time and time again in unique ways. Each director brings their own unique style to the Batman projects they helm. And today, we’re going to be talking about the latest in a long list of Batman movies. From the mind of Matt Reeves, this is The Batman.
The Batman, which was released in 2022, was directed by Matt Reeves and written by Peter Craig, Mattson Tomlin, and Matt Reeves. The score was provided by Michael Giacchino. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne “Batman,” Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle “Catwoman,” Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Paul Dano as the “Riddler.” Andy Serkis, John Turtorro, and Colin Pharrell also make appearances. The plot is as follows: When a serial killer known as the Riddler descends on the city of Gotham, Batman must apprehend him before all of Gotham succumbs to his evil tendencies. To do so, however, the Dark Knight must rid Gotham of the corruption lurking within it’s heart, which will require the assistance from Jim Gordon of the Gotham City Police, and even the unlikely assistance of Catwoman.
The Batman is a stand-alone story that is not connected to the Snyder continuity within the DCEU. Originally, Ben Affleck was supposed to direct and star in the film in which he faced off with Slade Wilson’s Deathstroke, but he pulled out of the project due to health reasons, as well as constant meddling by Warner Brothers on past projects. When Reeves signed on as director, he made changes to the story in order to distance the film from the DCEU and gain more creative freedom.
I would say that The Batman gives us the most accurate portrayal of Gotham City based on the comic books to date. The city is truly represented as a den of constant corruption and crime. Scenes were filmed not only in Liverpool, UK, but also Chicago, Illinois (Chicago had previously been used as a filming location for both Batman Begins as well as The Dark Knight). Excellent set design is further supplemented by Giacchino’s score, which provides a variety of musical motifs to the film. I was especially fond of the main Batman Suite composed for the film. It supplements the events on screen without overpowering them.
The performances in the film are right out of a crime noir. Paul Dano’s Riddler comes across as intellectual yet unhinged. Pattinson delivers a great first performance as the Dark Knight, presenting us with a Batman that is quite early in his career. (Canonically, this iteration of Batman is only in his second year of fighting crime.) This younger incarnation of Batman makes mistakes. His behavior and arsenal reflect his youth and relative inexperience.
The Batman is quite strong and consistent in its tone. The story emphasizes detective work, which makes sense given that Batman is known as the World’s Greatest Detective. The film plays out more like an investigation than previous Batman films, with twists and turns throughout the plot. That’s not to say there is no action in this film because there is, but it’s certainly not the focus. On the topic of said action, I find it to be very well done; the action is largely in frame with little to no cuts. A departure from the action of the Nolan Trilogy in which the action was a blurry mess of jump cuts. The film takes its time building upon a mystery. If you enjoy slower-paced stories, you’ll enjoy what is offered here. That being said, the slower pace of this movie could be a turn-off for some, as The Batman has a running time of 3 hours. Mostly, I find this film’s pacing to be fine, but you do start to feel a bit fatigued by the end.
This film truly captures the spirit of Batman from the comics. Batman isn’t just a man dressed like a bat who beats up criminals. He is a symbol of both hope and fear. He gives the criminals pause for fear that he will find them and exact justice. He is also a symbol of hope for the people of Gotham, who otherwise have none. This film is such a successful portrayal of the iconic character, that it is crazy to think we might not have had it at all if the decision hadn’t been made to separate it from the DCEU. The filming was slightly delayed due to the pandemic, but The Batman was only strengthened by this extra prep time. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. I recommend The Batman not only as a great Batman movie, but also as a strong mystery and crime noir film.
