Brutally Honest Review Of ‘The Batman’
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is another dark and gritty take on Batman. That might sound familiar to anyone who has watched a Batman film in the last 30 years, but Matt Reeve’s take on the caped crusader does a lot to set itself apart from the previous films in Batman’s cinematic history. Not only does it stand out from the previous “grounded,” “realistic,” and “dark” Batman movies, but it also rises above them to be one of, if not, the greatest Batman films we have ever had.
The Batman leans heavily on the detective side of the caped crusader. Batman is the world's greatest detective after all, so it is shocking that other films have not tried to capture that side of the hero. Outside of a few scenes in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, we have yet to see Batman do any real detective work. However, at its heart, The Batman is a noir detective story shot through the lens of a Batman movie. The film works as a noir detective story by itself, and it takes clear inspiration from films like Chinatown, Se7en, and Zodiac. That is not to say that there is no comic influence in the film, great comic stories like Batman: The Long Halloween, Year One, and Ego. All of these inspirations combine to create one of the greatest and most accurate takes on Batman that has been featured in the film.
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One of the smartest choices the film makes is skipping Batman’s origin story. The film is set in the second year of Bruce Wayne prowling Gotham’s streets as Batman. This does two things for the film. For one, it saves the audience from having to watch an origin story that we have all seen countless times before. Secondly, it gives us a fairly established Batman, which allows the audience to see the origins of his rogues gallery. Seeing classic Batman villains and antagonists like Penguin, Riddler, and Catwoman is a refreshing twist on the origin stories we have seen in previous films.
Setting this during Batman’s second year also shows a Batman that is not as new as Christian Bale’s take as he has had a year of experience on his belt. It gives us a Batman who is more than capable of handling goons and thugs, but clearly still has a lot to learn. Batman is still growing and learning. His suit is not perfected yet and is still in a bit of a prototype. He has not been battling villains for years, so their moves and motives are still new to him. Most importantly, he still has not figured out what it means to be Batman or Bruce Wayne for that matter.
Robert Pattinson portrays this version of Batman flawlessly. He conveys a level of anger, rage, and in some cases, sadness for Bruce and Batman that guides his actions through the movie. He also has a level of intellect that plays into the detective aspect of this movie that has not been seen in a live-action Batman movie before. It is a great performance that makes Pattinson one of the greatest actors that have portrayed Batman on the screen, and he is easily my favorite live-action Batman.
The rest of the casting in this movie is nothing short of inspired. Every actor is giving their best in their respective role, and each portrayal of a character is the best version of that character in live-action. Jeffrey Wright is a fantastic Jim Gordon, and that goes doubly for Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle. Paul Dano plays a version of The Riddler that is intimidating and sadistic but also stays true to the puzzling nature of the character’s comic appearances. Colin Farrell makes The Penguin feel realistic and believable, but again, he manages not to stray so far away that it does not feel like he is playing a character called The Penguin. His makeup is also easily Oscar-worthy. Despite not having a ton of scenes, the great Andy Serkis is an amazing Alfred that shines bright. The rest of the cast is phenomenal, and they all work together to make this film great.
The Batman is a noir detective story at its heart, but it is committed to being a Batman movie. Unlike some of the other Batman films, there is a ton of Batman in it. Throughout the majority of the movie, Pattinson is in the suit. Batman talks to the cops. Batman goes to stake-outs for criminals. Batman is fighting criminals, and Batman is the one talking to the majority of the other characters. The absence of Bruce Wayne may throw off some, but it all plays into the theme of Batman learning what it means to be Batman. This makes most of the scenes in the film feel like they were ripped off a comic page, and there are plenty of homages to the Batman comics and films that came before. That is really seen in this film’s Gotham City. It is reminiscent of real cities like New York but is given just enough theatrical touches that make it feel like a metropolitan city from the realm of comics. It blends reality and fantasy in a truly beautiful way, and that is a statement that can be made for the entire film.
Greig Fraser’s cinematography is stunning. It creates a dark Gotham highlighted in shades of red that add to the dark, angry, and threatening tone of the city. The shots of the movie are also nothing short of picture-perfect. All of this is accented by Michael Giacchino’s amazing score. He creates a theme for Batman that is iconic and stands up next to the great Batman composers of the past like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman. However, he uses the sound in interesting and fantastic ways. His Batman theme telegraphs the arrival of Batman, and it is almost as if the villains in the film can hear this score striking fear into their hearts. The music adds a poetic tune to an already cinematic masterpiece.
All in all, the film is amazing. There is so much to like about the film. Does the film have any flaws? Of course, it does, but they nitpick at best. Despite this being a PG-13 film, I could see it actually frightening some kids, especially smaller ones. That is not to say that kids should not see it, because it does have a good moral to it. However, there may be some who do not make it to the end on their first viewing. There are also some questions I have about the practicality of some of his gadgets. The film is also three hours long, which can be a turn-off for some people. However, any time the film feels like it might be dragging it hits a new beat to keep things moving.
These are all nitpicking at best, and they hardly prevent the film from being enjoyed by the vast majority of kids and adults. There is something for everyone in the film. It is a great superhero movie, a great film noir, and a fantastic detective story. It is a must-see for any Batman fan, but there will be something to enjoy for almost anyone. It is well thought out, pays homage to the comics and films that made it, and gives “the world’s greatest detective” the film fans have been waiting for. Simply put, the caped crusader captivates.
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