Making a difference is a challenging choice that ultimately comes with consequences. When looking at comic book characters, none represent that more perfectly than Bob Kane's Batman. On film, the character has experienced a wide variety of filmmakers who brought their own distinct interpretations of the caped crusader to the screen from Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and now Matt Reeves. With the casting of Robert Pattinson, The Batman takes the franchise in a much darker and grim direction than any previous Batman film before it with the results being one of the best live-action adaptations yet.
The Batman's plot revolves around a young Batman (Robert Pattinson) early in his career working with Lt. Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to catch a sadistic serial killer named The Riddler (Paul Dano) whose murdering prominent politicians in Gotham. Reeves takes a more personal approach in exploring the character with his vision being more brutal, grittier, and feeling like a combined mixture of David Fincher's SeVen meets Zodiac. The new film gives the character an appropriate clean slate while laying out a solid new foundation of films that promises to go further with developing the characters along with building off the strengths of previous Batman works. With The Batman, Reeves takes the character back to his roots as being a terrifyingly effective savior for Gotham.
With much animosity being directed towards his casting, Pattinson exceeds expectations with playing a more tormented Bruce Wayne, whose consumed by his desire to fight crime while still bearing trauma from his parents murder. His Batman not just comes across as being extremely brutal and vengeful, but also struggling with insecurities in catching The Riddler. Along with Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz is mesmerizing as Selina Kyle/Catwoman with Kravitz brilliantly playing a cat burglar trying to score while showing concern for others. Their chemistry is fantastic with both making for thrilling partners in crime, who show a clear attraction for each other. Paul Dano delivers a chilling performance as Edward Nashton/Riddler with him playing a more serial killer type version of the character, who seeks to unmask the truth behind the corruption in Gotham's political arena. Jeffrey Wright is phenomenal as Batman's ally Lt. James Gordon, and the only cop whom Batman trusts. Like Gary Oldman before him in the role, Wright portrays Gordon as being a righteous cop who believes in the Batman. Other noteworthy performances include Colin Ferrell in a scene-stealing performance as mid-level mobster Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, with Andy Serkis playing a more aggressive version of Bruce's butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Both John Turturo and Peter Starsgard deliver admirable work as Selina's father/crime lord Carmine Falcone, and distasteful Gotham district attorney Girl Colson. Overall, Batman's outstanding cast brings a tremendous amount of realism to the screen.
The directing by Reeves is impressive with the film carrying stunning visual work for Gotham. The cinematography is breathtaking with some of the films images consisting of rainy backdrops, a warmish brown tone, orange and brown highlights which emphasize both a weariness and desperation to the story. With the violence, Reeves delivers the most brutal Batman film yet along with Riddler performing a series of killings which push the boundaries of its PG-13 rating. Some of the more gruesome images include a severed thumb along with showing bodies wrapped in tape. The sequences in which Batman's character steps out of shadows and fights his opponents are intense like the opening train station sequence, or a thrilling car chase involving the Penguin and the new Batmobile that's electrifying. Michael Giacchino's score is brilliantly effective in enhancing the mood of a crime-ridden Gotham in need of a savior. Given the films 175-minute running time, it movies relatively quick with audiences becoming immersed in the story, though it could've been trimmed down by about 15 minutes. With his directorial work, Reeves gives an extremely confident take on Batman, that feels refreshing and further redefines what's possible for comic book movies.
The Batman's script incorporates relevant themes including vigilantism, lawlessness, political corruption, restoring faith in institutions, wealth division, and vengeance along with playing out more like a detective story and giving more complexed versions of the characters like Bruce shown as obsessive over being Batman with little regard for his public image as Philanderpist Bruce Wayne. One example is his character being called out for his lack of charity in comparison to his parents work. Though the script leaves little room for audiences to see Pattinson portray the traditional Bruce, it nails the Batman arc in going from being a vengeful figure to becoming the saviour that Gotham needs. A brilliant technique that the script does is allowing Pattinson's Batman to narrate his own story with such a choice proving enormously effective because it gives a deeper insight to Bruce's inner turmoil as Batman. Like all the previous films, the story combines multiple villains and balances them well without feeling overcrowded or eclipsing Batman's main arc. Reeves also manages to strike a clever balance between being serious and incorporating humorous bits including one clever piece of dialogue exchange between Gordon and Batman in which the latter comments on his lack of gun usage with Gordon replying "Yea that's your thing."
Despite Batman's script being well-rounded, it has moments of weaknesses. The lack of development for Bruce Wayne is glaring, along with Alfred's character having minimal development despite their back and forth bantering. As effective as Riddler's character comes across at being a Zodiac type killer, it would've been even more effective if he was shown less with the omitting of video messages with his character being more in the background for most of the movie. It's also ridiculous that Batman got knocked unconscious and the police don't seize the opportunity to unmask him. Despite these issues, The Batman remains a dark, gritty, and more intense version of the character thats extremely faithful to the comics, although it doesn't surpass the work of previous films, preferably The Dark Knight and Batman Begins.
Final Verdict: For both Batman and comic book fans, Matt Reeve's The Batman is a must see.
Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers
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