Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoƫ Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffery Wright, Peter Sarsgaard, John Turturro, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis, Colin Farell
176m 15
Running time: 176 mins
Release date: 4th March 2022
THE BATMAN REVIEW – it’s hard to believe that after all of this time, I am now able to finally write those words in the heading and discuss the film after such a lengthy delay due to the pandemic. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.
First of all, where to start?! The film is just four minutes short of three hours in length, so be prepared to be seated for a long period of time. THE BATMAN is director Matt Reeves’ new take on the infamous Caped Crusader who we meet during the second year of his crime-fighting journey, which has basically become his career. Bruce Wayne is an unseen-on-the-streets recluse by day and has embraced his life as more of a nocturnal animal seeking vengeance in disguise at night.Ā
Batman and the well-known villains of the comic book and past movies have been reinvented in THE BATMAN; a brave take by Reeves who has clearly delved back through the comic book history of the characters from the last 80 years. From the off-set Reeves’ vision and take on Batman is different to previous versions making his character and the screenplay more emotional. We witness a real story arc for Bruce Wayne and for his altar ego too played superbly by Robert Pattinson. Yes, the film has all of the villains you may be familiar with that often become the scene-stealers of the movie, but THE BATMAN really is about him and his evolution – we witness his becoming.Ā
THE BATMAN is not an origin story, but it very cleverly starts in his second year of prowling the streets and being a disliked vigilante seeking justice by many of the local law enforcement. Bruce Wayne is struggling to come to terms with his past and still feels the emotional trauma of losing his parents. His nightly transformation into Batman is his form of self-therapy and he comes somewhat of a detective in the crime-riddled streets of Gotham which is heavily emphasised in the film. He describes the city as eating itself and it’s beyond saving but he has to try.
The first ten to 15 minutes of the film is a bit of a slow-starter, but stick with it as there are outstanding visual treats unveiled with car chases, shootouts, fight scenes, explosions, impressive stunts and so much more that one would expect from this type of movie.Ā
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Robert Pattinson was born to be Batman. It’s not an easy feat to show emotions when the majority of your face is covered in a mask, but he achieves this with ease. In one particular moment when he is faced with Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton / The Riddler towards the end of the movie, Dano’s superbly passionate delivery of his life as an orphan and how it differed to that of Pattinson’s BATMAN was a moment of realisation for Bruce Wayne. Under that mask, the simple stillness and emotion within Pattinson’s eyes conveyed the humanity that lay within and that’s not easy to do under a face-covering costume. His accent is unwavering and he has the deep, gruff voice expected of the Dark Knight. His tall presence is looming on the screen and he so easily transforms between a clearly broken and troubled Bruce Wayne to an empowered, determined Batman.
Of course, it is The Riddler that drives the plot forward in this story. Dano’s take on this enigmatic character is outstanding and in this film, we see his character not just as a clearly unhinged serial-killer but as a man with a political agenda. He exposes the deceit of the people in power, the legitimate pillars of society. As he reveals the history of the city and their corruption, he also sets up his personal battle with The Batman.
Lurking in the shadows is an unrecognisable Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, who is later known as The Penguin. We see him as the emerging criminal in the story, not yet causing the chaos he dreams of wielding, but the intention and ability is certainly there, as it the presence of Gotham’s underworld gangster Carmine Falcone played by John Turturro. He’s corrupt, he’s powerful and he knew Bruce Wayne’s parents…
As the previous villains are largely known by their real names and not their villainous pseudonyms such as The Riddler and Penguin, this is where it may become a little bit tricky for some audience members to remember who is who. They are all entangled in the corruption and as this becomes unveiled, those new to the story may struggle to keep up. This is also a key reason for the long running time, as the movie takes the time to set the story up for future movies and the key character storylines. It resembles a chess game. All of the characters on the board and starting to make their first moves.
What is also reinvented in this movie, is the meeting of Batman and Catwoman for the very first time. Zoe Kravitz shines in the role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and she really was the perfect casting choice. She is effortlessly able to convey every emotion her character goes through when searching for her missing friend, whether it is anger, rage, sadness, vengeance and even moments of vulnerability with her caped counterpart. The chemistry between the two is undeniable and again shows the emotional side to the Batman story that Reeves has focused on. Kravitz’s Selina is not completely transformed into Catwoman yet, but we certainly witness the start of her transformation.
Overall, Matt Reeves has written a script with a superb story arc for Bruce Wayne and Batman, which is the central plot device. At the beginning, we see Wayne as broken, damaged, resentful and unable to make connections with people – particularly Alfred played by Andy Serkis. His experiences taking on the criminals and seeing the danger Serkis’ Alfred experienced made him soften and accept the tragedies of his past. For Batman, he starts off as the vigilante seeking justice, he wants vengeance and by the end of the film, he is accepting of who he really is and his purpose. He no longer wants to be ‘vengeance’, he wants to help and make a difference. He is supported in this mission by Jeffrey Wright‘s Detective James Gordon who befriends Batman; trusts his detective skills and believes that he is not a crazy vigilante but a mysterious person wanting to make a difference and put an end to the dark criminal behaviours of Gotham City.
The cinematography in the film is sublime. It encapsulates you into the dark world of Gotham’s shadows and the setting is so brilliantly realistic it becomes like its own character in the movie. It’s expansive, looming and depressing all of which reflects how life is for the citizens of the city. Ā the grey, blue and dark saturation to the scenes make it feel heavy and personifies the mood of the citizens in Gotham.
Of course bursting out of the shadows like a monster is some impressive machinery and that is the car that Bruce Wayne has been building in his garage. It’s unfinished and unpolished, but the vehicle proves to be a powerful force to be reckoned with – an extra muscle in Batman’s strength. As it powers through the streets, it is hard to believe that Gotham is not a real place.
THE BATMAN is certainly different in terms of its depth for the lead character. It has really touching, personal moments of sadness and hope. It is a movie that will draw you into the plight of Bruce Wayne and really engage with the character on a human form and not just as a superhero. The long running time sets up the story and fills you in on previous character backstories that have only been revealed in the comics. It is not all doom and gloom though as there is a nonchalant combination of the serious and the comic – there are brief moments of it, but it will draw out laughter.
THE BATMAN is a must-see whether you are a fan of the previous movies and comics or not. The acting is top-notch, the cinematography is sublime, the script is enticing and the soundtrack has the perfect mix of delicacy for the softer moments and booming beats for the fast-paced scenes.Ā
If you haven’t yet seen the trailer for the movie, then feast your eyes on the footage in the video player below:Ā
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