“The Batman” is one of the most anticipated films of 2022 with an engaging marketing campaign featuring extremely exciting trailers. On the other hand, the announcement of “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson as Batman made some fans worry. Other fans were optimistic about the performance even if he wouldn’t be able to measure up to Michael Keaton or Christian Bale. After multiple delays due to COVID-19, the movie was finally released last Friday. Suffice to say, “The Batman” escapes the large shadow of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” films with a new momentous and exciting direction for the franchise.
The movie begins with the film’s villain, the Riddler, committing a gruesome murder that sets off a cascade of events in the film’s plot. Played by Paul Dano, the Riddler is written perfectly as an unhinged interpretation of the character. The Riddler is the perfect character to use in this story because of the direction director Matt Reeves took. Instead of a normal action movie, the film flows as a detective story. Batman spends a majority of the movie investigating riddles, puzzles and clues that the Riddler leaves behind in an intriguing development of events. Many comics, including “Batman: The Long Halloween” by Jeph Loeb, place Batman in a detective noir setting but never has it been done to this extent in a live-action Batman film, which is a memorable aspect of the movie.
Not only is Paul Dano wonderful in his role, but the rest of the cast is, too. Colin Farrell is unrecognizable under heavy prosthetic makeup as the Penguin, but his performance added levity to the dark tone. Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman is another highlight. Her chemistry with Batman mirrors their comic book counterparts accurately while being extremely engaging as well. The main event is Robert Pattinson, and he does not disappoint as Batman. His performance is great as the brooding and angsty young Bruce Wayne just two years into his career as the superhero.
The entire look and feel of “The Batman” is gothic, seedy and really dark. Many of the scenes take place at night in the underbelly of Gotham City. You feel like you are being enveloped by the darkness and wondering if the city can actually be saved in the end by the caped crusader. The city feels like a character in the movie, and major credit is due to composer Michael Giacchino. Giacchino delivers one of the best scores of his career with a new and refreshing theme for Batman. His themes for Catwoman and the Riddler are also just as enjoyable. There is a classic feeling Giacchino achieved with his score for “The Batman” and that should be applauded.
An issue with the film is the third act — it goes on a little too long and features reveals that do not live up to their full potential. Some of the characters like Alfred, for example, could have gotten more screen time and lines. These issues are quite small though and the sequel can improve on them.
“The Batman” has some amazing predecessors to live up to, and it manages to reach that level. With a grounded tone, marvelous performances and an entrancing detective story, this movie becomes its own thing without adhering to traditional comic book movie standards. “The Batman” is worth your time and definitely worth checking out in theaters.
Rating: 4.5/5