“The Batman” Review
Robert Pattinson dons the cape and cowl of Batman in “The Batman,” the latest depiction of the Caped Crusader on the big screen.
One thing I notice as a love of film history is that American cinema is full of eras. Every decade you look at you see that a lot of the big money makers are very similar. In the 50s and 60s, there were epics like “The Ten Commandments” and “Lawrence of Arabia.” The 70s gave us gritty personal dramas. The 90s produced the indie boom. Now, the big stars of cinemas are comic book films. But with so many franchises around, it can be difficult to stand out. Fortunately, “The Batman” is a new look at the Dark Knight which manages to add something different to the many film versions of Batman.
After two years of fighting crime, Batman (Robert Pattinson) must now contend with a serial killer calling himself The Riddler (Paul Dano) who is targeting elite citizens in Gotham City. As Batman tries to find him, he must also uncover why these citizens are being targeted, which becomes complicated when the Wayne family becomes a part of the Riddler’s puzzle.
Before I go on about why this film is fantastic, the history of this film is important to know. The film was originally supposed to be a part of the DC Extended Universe and was going to star Ben Affleck, who would reprise his role as Batman from the films “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” Affleck was also supposed to write and direct the film but, due to Affleck’s alcoholism, he decided to drop out of the film entirely in order to get the help he needed.
I say this because this film could have easily been shelved or could have become a messy story about development hell. Fortunately, they got an amazing writer/director called Matt Reeves, who previously helmed “Cloverfield,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes,” to work on the film. His direction for “The Batman” is absolutely wonderful as he takes on a neo-noir film aesthetic. This film has more in common with films like “Double Indemnity,” “Chinatown” and “Zodiac” than with any other comic book film today.
The decision to make this story more of a mystery was a welcomed change because Batman is said to be the world’s greatest detective. However, we’ve never really seen a live-action mystery involving Batman. In fact, the only theatrically released Batman film that had this kind of tone was the animated film “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.” The mystery is fantastic with twists and turns throughout and at the heart of it is Robert Pattinson as Batman.
While I was expecting his performance to be fantastic, I had no idea just how incredible Pattinson was in this role. With a plethora of great actors playing this character over the years, you have to really find a unique way to stand out. Pattinson plays it like a recluse, appearing in public rarely because of how much he’s dedicating to his life as Batman. If I’m going to compare it to a previous performance, it’s like Michael Keaton if pushed even further.
Zoë Kravitz (Left) and Robert Pattinson have incredible chemistry as Catwoman and Batman as they are drawn together but are on different paths with regards to justice.
I also like the little touches with Batman’s character in the film. For instance, pretty much every Batman has worn black eye makeup to blend with the mask but the film’s have never acknowledged it. When Pattinson takes off his mask, we see that makeup, which looks cool and adds some realism.
Along with Batman, there are an assortment of great heroes and anti-heroes that he works with to solve the Riddler’s crimes. Andy Serkis as Alfred is pretty fantastic, combining a level of warmth and intimidation. This is a guy who clearly cares about Bruce but is also capable of protecting himself. Jeffrey Wright is magnificent as James Gordon who is the only cop that Batman trusts and is the key to Batman’s uneasy relationship with the police force.
The biggest standout from the film’s supporting cast is Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. Her performance is always uncertain as we’re never sure where her allegiance lies. Is it to Batman? Or just herself? The entire relationship between the Bat and the Cat is fascinating.
But the real star, and worthy adversary to Batman, is Paul Dano as The Riddler who is the perfect combination of mysterious and creepy. Paul Dano is a talented actor and he brings his A-game to this role. He can be legitimately scary and this is absolutely clear in the film’s opening scene.
Other villains that appear include Colin Farrell in an unrecognizable performance as The Penguin and John Turturro as mob boss Carmine Falcone. I love the depiction of these two with Falcone running the crime syndicates of Gotham and The Penguin being his capo. As a massive fan of the “Year One” and “Long Halloween” storylines from the comics, Falcone is not only comic accurate but stands out in a world of catwomen, serial killers and vigilantes.
The film makes really good use of shadows with Director of Photography Greg Fraiser using light to his advantage. Every time you see dark shadows, you wonder if Batman is there or not which adds a new level of suspense. There is so much atmosphere on display with this Gotham City being the best looking since Tim Burton’s “Batman’ films. Despite being set in modern day, there’s a timeless feel to it with a combination of today’s technology with a gothic style of architecture much like “Batman: The Animated Series.”
Paul Dano’s chilling performance as The Riddler makes for one of the strongest cinematic depictions of a Batman villain.
While “The Batman” is a slow-moving mystery, with a runtime of nearly three hours, it never feels boring. There’s a sense of movement in the story that keeps you engaged. For every scene that is about Batman slowly and methodically solving The Riddler’s cyphers, there’s a brilliant action scene. The brutality of the fights are only matched by the incredible way they’re shot with the film rarely cutting. Everything is in frame and you see Batman beat up thugs with complete clarity.
One of my favorite hand-to-hand combat scenes involves Batman fighting goons in a hallway in the dark. The only illumination present are the gunshots so we get to see only parts of the fight which is better than seeing it in its entirety. The film also contains a car chase between Penguin and Batman and it’s absolutely incredible. Not only does The Batmobile look fantastic, looking like a muscle car, but the decision to put cameras directly on the cars gives the chase the manic energy of car chases from “Bullitt” and “The French Connection.”
The film’s score by Michael Giacchino is yet another reason to love this film because of how simple but effective it is. His work rivals anything done by Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. It’s the perfect balance of gothic and epic.
What I love the most about this film is how the detective story contemplates whether or not Batman’s vigilante nature is actually a good thing. Many stories like “The Dark Knight Returns” and “The Dark Knight” discuss this but they really analyze it here with Batman himself wondering if his crusade is worth it. The isn’t an origin story, but it’s set early in the Caped Crusader’s career which gives Bruce Wayne an inexperience that makes you feel for him. The film is simply called “The Batman” because that’s what the focus is on. It’s not about a noble dark knight trying to bring justice. It’s about an angry vigilante trying to find his place.
“The Batman” is more than just another comic book film. It’s a fantastic mystery that is engaging and stand out from the many comic book films of today.
