The Batman- Just another caped outing or something more?
The World’s Greatest Detective is back! It’s been a while since we’ve had a solo Batman, nearly 10 years since Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Audiences and fans around the world have been dying for another adventure of the Caped Crusader since. But does The Batman live up to the hype and the expectations?
It absolutely does. Robert Pattinson plays a very different Batman than the one we’re used to. Gone is the slick playboy demeanour that Christian Bale’s and Micheal Keaton’s Waynes had, this Bruce Wayne doesn’t shy away from showcasing the trauma that’s made him the man he is. Robert Pattinson approaches Wayne as an exhausted young man riddled (haha) with PTSD, who pushes away everyone close to him in an attempt to safeguard himself from any further possible trauma, including his surrogate father/butler, Alfred, portrayed excellently by Andy Serkis.
Pattinson’s supporting cast shines along with him as well. Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle is a vulnerable yet charismatic version of the feline character, and Colin Farrell is nearly unrecognisable with all the prosthetics he wore as Oswald Cobblepot. Kravitz has undeniable and highly rewatchable chemistry with Pattinson, and is an essential component of this movie. Farrell plays the loud and obnoxious crime boss, The Penguin, and is a loudmouth in every sense of the word. Inspired by back-alley wannabe-cool gangsters, The Penguin provides a considerable part of the movie’s levity and it is a delight to watch him bounce off of Pattinson’s comparatively humourless Batman.
Jeffrey Wright has an excellent buddy cop dynamic with the dark knight, being the good cop to his “batshit cop”. Being one of the few honest cops in the incredibly corrupt system in place, Wright’s Jim Gordon is an excellent addition to the cast so as to showcase the inner workings of Gotham City. And here to expose said corrupt inner workings is Paul Dano’s Riddler, who is essentially a serial killer/anarchist who murders select individuals in Gotham’s higher up positions to unveil a larger criminal conspiracy in place. Dano’s character is a highly intelligent yet psychopathic loner, and manages to strike gold while leading Batman across his city-wide murder-filled treasure hunt and is thoroughly entertaining.
Adding to the characters of the story, Gotham City isn’t devoid of character as well. Taking inspiration from Tim Burton’s gothic architecture and Chris Nolan’s realistic city aesthetic, The Batman’s Gotham is a sickly and pathetic city to live in. The amount of personality poured into the sets is overwhelming at some points as you can see the garbage piled up on the streets, the neon-lit signs and the constant rain, giving the movie an atmospheric feel like no other. With cinematography provided by Greig Fraser (Dune, Rogue One, Lion), Gotham City is a sickening place to live in and it is absolutely amazing.
The Batman follows Wayne in Year 2 of his crusade; this isn’t just another origin story. While he is still seen as an urban legend and is a beginner at the superhero gig, he is very experienced in this universe and it works to great effect. The story wastes no time in picking up its noir detective adventure, with all key players outlined and established within the first 20 minutes or so. This being a detective movie first and a superhero movie second (without skimping on either department), Batman finally gets a chance to show off why he’s the World’s Greatest Detective after all.
This isn’t just a retread of the Chris Nolan trilogy either- The Batman stands on its own as an excellent adaptation of the character, including the parts that Nolan’s interpretation lacked. While The Dark Knight trilogy was a modern retelling of the Batman mythos, some felt that it leaned too much on the “realism” bit, and seemed to forget that this was a comic book movie. The Batman, however, manages to have its cake and eat it too. While all of Batman’s gear and methods appear grounded, it isn’t afraid to pull some of its comic-booky punches, and has decent moments of camp.
While some viewers might judge the movie as being just another grimdark edgy superhero movie for teens, fear not- while The Batman is a grounded and tonally dark movie, it is also an extremely emotional, empathetic and hopeful movie, the most hopeful the character’s been in live-action. While it’s taken a while to get a Batman who you’d think would be great with kids, he’s finally here and he does not disappoint.
The Batman is definitely a breath of fresh air in today’s landscape of endless superhero media, and actually feels like a legitimate movie instead of corporate-pushed content. While there is massive scope for improvement and expansion in future potential sequels, The Batman stands on its own as a fantastic interpretation of the character, and one that will serve as the definitive version for years, if not decades to come.
Score- 10/10
