When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.
In his second year of being Batman, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) and Lieutenant James Gordan (Jeffrey Wright) finds themselves trying to stop a serial killer by the name of the Riddler (Paul Dano). The Riddler leaves clues with each of his kills, which leads Batman to uncover more of Gotham’s dirty secrets with the help of Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz).
Everyone knows who Batman is, and we have seen plenty of versions of the character over the years. “The Batman” proves that there is still plenty of exciting opportunities to be had with the character and his world. This detective story of trying to track down a serial killer feels like Batman meets “Se7en.” If you have any young kids who are a fan of the character, I would wait until they are older to show them this film, as it does get very close to crossing into rated R territory, particularly with the Riddler.
The “Twilight” series gave fame to Robert Pattinson, but his work after those movies proved what an amazing actor he is. Films like “Good Time” and “The Lighthouse” showcased his range and I am glad to say that Pattinson is a great Batman. Remember, this is Batman in his early years, his priority is to spark fear into criminals. He can look quite intimidating in the suit, and you can see how others, including normal Gotham citizens, just quiver in his presence. He is also quite intelligent, given how quickly he can piece together the Riddler’s clues. But there is not much Bruce Wayne in this film, and he is not the charming playboy we know from the previous iterations. Instead, he is quiet and reclusive, focused on putting his all into being Batman.
Zoë Kravitz also shines as Selina Kyle. Again, this is the early years, so she is never referred to as Catwoman in the film, but all the seeds are planted there. She is alluring, confident, and skilled, but also has a bit of a soft spot as she tries to help a battered woman escape the city. Paul Dano is twisted and frightful as the Riddler. You can tell there is something wrong with him and the way his mind works. And I highly enjoyed Jeffrey Wright as James Gordan. He had nice chemistry with Batman, and they really felt like partners on this case.
Rounding out the supporting cast is Colin Farrell who is unrecognizable as The Penguin, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, and Andy Serkis as Alfred. They were all great. I thought the Penguin was a lot of fun, he provided some nice comic relief. Alfred was helpful and caring, but also a bit lost with what to do with Bruce. And Falcone made the hairs on your arms stand up. Lucy Bevan and Cindy Tolan were the casting directors of this film, and they deserve tons of praise for putting together this all-star cast.
There are two action set pieces that I did not enjoy much. The first is Batman in the Batmobile going after the Penguin. I really like the ending to that scene where the Penguin shouts, “I got you!” and everything that ensues after that. But I thought the car chase itself was a bit hard to follow and it just felt like a scene to show off the Batmobile. The next is the climactic third act showdown, which I was mainly just disappointed with because the Riddler does not have an active part. This is the culmination of his grand scheme, and he is simply not there for it. But I think the third act does tie up Batman’s arc rather nicely.
Thanks to cinematographer Greg Fraiser, “The Batman” may be the best-looking comic book film ever put to screen. The way he uses shadows and lighting is awe-inspiring. There was a bit of Batman hiding in the shadows in the Christopher Nolan trilogy, but not to the extent shown here, and it added a fear factor not only to the characters in the film but a bit to the audience as well. I must also mention Michael Giacchino, who created a memorable and iconic Batman theme that I have played on repeat since seeing the film.
“The Batman” is simply a great film with beautiful cinematography, a distinct story, and exceptional acting. I hope director Matt Reeves has more noir-style Batman stories up his sleeve because although this is a wonderful stand-alone Batman film, this world has so much rich potential it would be a waste not to reap what was sowed.
In Theaters Friday, March 4th
