Comic books have become a main adaptation tool for franchise filmmaking. Allen Adams said in his review, “There is a staggering amount of IP out there, ripe for exploration on the big screen.” Still, there are so many characters who we always return to. Characters upon who filmmakers can’t resist making films about.
Few characters have the type of blend that we’ve gotten from Batman for a long time – a blend that continues with the release of this latest film.
Since Tim Burton’s “Batman” was released in 1989, putting the foundation for the superhero success that would later excel, we’ve seen so many people embrace the character in their own way. Adams noted, “Early on, we got Burton’s neo-Gothic vibes and Joel Schumacher’s candy-colored neon fever dreams. After that, Christopher Nolan’s trilogy redefined the possibilities of what the character – and comic book movies in general – could be. Next, we got Zach Snyder’s stylized grimdark take as the character was moved into a wider expanded cinematic universe.”
Now, Matt Reeves has joined the club.
Adams said, ““The Batman” promises a more grounded take on the character, moving away from the more extreme interpretations and focusing on a younger Batman, one still learning the logistical challenges and harsh realities that come with costumed vigilantism.” With Robert Pattinson wearing the cloak, the film looks to go into the early years of the hero and his origin.
Adams said, “The film seeks to embrace verisimilitude – at least, to the extent that a movie based on a superhero comic can – and focuses more on the idea of Batman as detective, an aspect of the character that has largely been underplayed or outright ignored by previous adaptations.” Even though the film looks uneven, it still makes room for change and improve in ways we haven’t seen in theaters.
We meet this Batman, played by Pattinson, just two years into him being Batman. Currently, he stays a street vigilante, one saying he’ll clean up the crime-filled streets of Gotham. Adams said, “it’s a mission reflective of that put forth by his now-deceased philanthropist father, though his methods are far removed from those exercised by Thomas Wayne.” He has a complicated but evidently mutually respectful relationship with Gotham PD lieutenant James Gordon, played by Jeffrey Wright, but the majority of Gotham’s greatest look at Batman as a pain at best and a danger at worst.
However, without the mask he’s just Bruce Wayne, offspring to a huge fortune that has been gradually declining in recent years. His main person is Alfred Pennyworth, played by Andy Serkis, the man who has been with him ever since the tragic death of his parents so many years before.
The already crime-filled city threatens to explode when a mysterious masked person called the Riddler, played by Paul Dano, begins to kill off important people of the community, wealthy and powerful citizens that the mysterious villain sees as evil people responsible for Gotham’s slow suicide.
Meanwhile, a young woman named Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) is on her own mission, trying to determine what happened to a friend of hers (Hana Hrzic) who has disappeared. Selina works at an infamous club famous for giving a place for criminals from every side to socialize. This club is run by a thug called the Penguin (Colin Ferrell), but the real boss is the crime lord Carmine Falone (John Turturro).
Selina – the famous cat burglar – decides to sue her certain set of skills to try and solve the mystery about her friend, leading her to meet up with the Batman. This encounter leads to both combining their plans, with the duo finding out just how deep and high the city’s crime goes. Their efforts put them in the radar of some very huge magnates who have a large interest in the status quo, even as a crazed serial killer target those very same magnates. In the end, it all comes down to who can be trusted, and who cannot.
There’s a great ambition with “The Batman.” Most superhero movies are about a mission scale, but this one uses that scale in a different way. Those films are about huge, world-threatening issues and scale that accordingly. This film’s stakes are must smaller, more down-to-earth. However, that’s not to say they’re less important or impactful – if anything, the less narrative swagger only increases out ability to directly connect.
Matt Reeves (who directed the film and co-wrote the script with Peter Craig) proves to be the right choice to make this version of Batman. Adams said, “He’s shown himself to be a deft hand with genre fare and IP franchise work – he wrote and directed the found-footage breakout “Cloverfield” and helmed the final two films of the excellent “Planet of the Apes” trilogy from the mid-2010s – and executed a clear and distinct vision in this film.”
A lot of that vision is seen in the film’s visuals. The artistic Reeves and company have created is filled with stylized structures and scary shadows, all of it drenched in a near universal rain. A lot of the film is shot in darkness that even the moments filled with light carry that dark hint.
The stylistic influences on the film are mass and extremely present. Adams noted, “There’s a ‘40s noir feeling throughout, a hard-boiled vibe that informs the underlying detective story foundation of the film. But there’s also a New Hollywood feel to a lot of the film, stemming from the efforts at crafting a griminess to the setting – the unseemly urban sordidness of Gotham is plucked straight from that tradition. Not to mention the fact that Reeves is unapologetically Hitchcockian in his approach throughout. Elements of paranoid thrillers and clean-up-the-streets exploitation are apparent as well. That said, this isn’t pastiche – Reeves simply incorporates these elements to help fill out a world that ultimately proves to be very much his own creation.”
The music is awesome. The score, the needle drops, everything is great.
Now, you can’t have a Batman movie – even one more interested in Batman as detective – without some action scenes, and “The Batman” has some good ones. Adams said, “There are a handful of hand-to-hand combat moments that are beautifully executed – there’s one lit almost exclusively by muzzle flash that is striking to watch – and a couple of top-notch chase scenes, as well as an explosive and complicated third act sequence that I won’t spoil.”
About the performances, they are exceptional basically all around. Pattinson makes an outstanding Batman in this version, menacing and emotionally detached and clearly struggling to find the border line between Bruce Wayne and Batman. There’s a part of psychological disconnect to the character that Pattinson embodies nicely, even as he holds his own with the physical demands. Meanwhile, Kravitz somehow gives an even better performance, giving Selina/Catwoman with a power and agility reflected both in her physical presence and her dramatic connection. Adams credited, “She oozes movie star charisma and wields it wonderfully throughout. Oh, and the chemistry between she and Pattinson is legit – the screen practically crackles when they share it.”
Now we get to the supporting cast. Dano is fantastic as the Riddler, somehow marking his menace even through a full-face mask and a digitally altered voice, using his eyes to give us a look into the character’s damaged soul. Ferrell – who is completely unrecognizable – gives his performance with a shine-in-the-eye glow. He is a great look at the Penguin as hopeful mid-level criminal. Turturro is mainly doing the same thing, but it fits the character well, so it works nicely. Gordon is almost always a thankless part, but Wright finds ways to bring something new to a character that often feels like an afterthought. Sadly, Serkis kind of is an afterthought. Alfred kind of gets pushed aside here, but what we do get is typically solid. We also get some amazing work from Peter Sarsgaard in a couple of scenes.
Adams said, “As for the elephant in the room – the nearly three-hour runtime – all I can say is that it is remarkable how fast the time passes. I certainly didn’t feel like I had been in the theater for three hours; the overall quality of every aspect kept me more than engaged enough to lose awareness of the film’s length.” Could it have been shortened? Sure, but there was little included that felt actively superfluous. Maybe we didn’t need everything we got, but nothing we saw actively steered away from the experience.
Adams admitted, “Personally, I don’t think “The Batman” quite reaches the apex achieved by a few of its predecessors – specifically, Nolan’s first two films – but it settles quite comfortably into the tier just below. And yes, there’s an argument that perhaps we didn’t need to reboot/revisit the character quite so soon, but hey – if we were going to get a new take anyway, then I’m really glad that this is the one we got.”
Stylish and plain, filled with well-shot action and high-quality performances, “The Batman” is a welcome addition to the franchise of Batman. Here’s hoping we get to see more of what Reeves, Pattinson and the rest have in store.
For a new take on Batman, I think this is a great new
addition. If you want to see this, see it either in theaters, or if you want to
play it safe, see it on HBO Max. I really liked the film, and if you’re a Batman
fan, you will too. This was darker and edgier, and it really brought Batman
back to what we love about him. I will even say that this is the best on-screen adaptation of Batman that we got. Another one of my favorite comic book films.
Thank you for joining in on my review. Stay tuned this Friday for the continuation of “Science Fiction Month.”
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