It has to have been one of the most successful marketing campaigns in movie history. Trailers for The Batman gave away just enough juicy details for fans of the caped crusader to be chomping at the bit for this latest instalment in which Twilight-alumni Robert Pattinson dons the iconic cowl.
War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves enters the DC Comics fold with a fresh pair of eyes, joining at a time when the studio finally decides to start moving away from the constant quipping of the Marvel universe that they had tried, and failed, to emulate with some of their earlier films.
Joker did it first, and in incredible style, but can The Batman live up to its spectacular hype? Read on to find out.
Batman (Pattinson) ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
Dirty, grimy and strewn with litter, this interpretation of Gotham on the face of it doesn’t feel that much different to what we’ve seen before, but we get to see so much more of this iconic city in The Batman. From dimly lit subway stations to its relatively vibrant Times Square-esque centre, Gotham lives and breathes like never before.
As Robert Pattinson’s young Bruce Wayne monologues his way through the opening scenes, the realisation that this is a very different kind of superhero film really does dawn on you. In the same way that Joker shocked its audience with graphic violence and troubled characters, The Batman shows the titular character as a relatively immature superhero, not immune to the mistakes of the everyday man – and this is a fascinating sidestep.
From a casting perspective, we’ve got a heap on talent on offer here. We’ll get to Pattinson’s performance in a moment, but Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle lends the film a heart, while Colin Farrell’s Penguin is nothing short of mesmerising to watch. Andy Serkis’ Alfred is a sadly underused presence throughout the film, but really does bring a new angle to a character that has been done so many times.
But from a supporting cast perspective, the film really does belong to Paul Dano’s Riddler. Unhinged in a similar vein to Heath Ledger’s Joker, he’s a menacing presence both in and out of his mask.
And then there’s Pattinson himself. There was a lot of casting criticism when it was first announced he’d be playing Batman, but he absolutely does the role justice. This isn’t Christian Bale’s generation anymore – this is a younger version of the character, still learning the tricks of the trade and the multi-faceted performance that Pattinson puts in here will surely be his defining role.
To look at, and to listen to, The Batman is staggering. Cinematographer Greig Fraser (Dune, Rogue One) outdoes himself with shots of exquisite beauty. The muted colour palette is punctuated every now and then by vibrant reds and blues, bringing depth and adding more layers to an already impressive world.
A car chase between Wayne and the Penguin which has featured lightly in the trailers is an incredible feat of film-making, with gorgeous practical effects mixed seamlessly with CGI.
Michael Giacchino too brings one of his best scores to date. As a team of three, director Matt Reeves, Fraser and Giacchino have created something truly outstanding to behold on the big screen.
However, The Batman for all its wonder, is not perfect, and it would be wrong of me to sit here and tell you it is. While it’s true the pacing is pretty spot on, at 176 minutes, it is far too long. The world that has been built here could be just as immersive with 20 minutes easily cut from the runtime.
Summary
Overall, The Batman is a triumph of the superhero genre, and continues DC’s resurgence in this space. By following similar tropes to Joker, it manages to be an exhilarating take on a character that has been reset and rebooted more times than I would care to remember. Watch it on the biggest screen possible, and you won’t leave feeling empty handed.
Leave a Reply