After several years of anticipation, “The Batman” directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson hit theaters on March 4, drawing audiences in droves to the big screen for the first stand-alone Batman film since the “Dark Knight” trilogy. The latest adventure of the caped crusader departs from the superhero genre to delve into neo-noir and mystery, providing the most grounded and dark on-screen interpretation of the character yet.
Although the DC Extended Universe has made several films with Ben Affleck as Batman, Reeves’ directorial is detached from the DCEU and takes the character in a very different direction.
This version of the franchise is dark and does not pull punches in showing how hopeless and corrupt Gotham City truly is, with even the self-appointed knight of the city questioning whether it may be beyond saving.
Despite being filmed amidst a pandemic, the set design and cinematography provide every frame with an incredible amount of production value, creating one of the best-looking Batman films to date, alongside Michael Giacchino’s majestic theme that has carved a rightful place for itself among its iconic predecessors.
However, where the film shines is in making its characters and stakes feel real by replacing the formulaic superhero genre with a grounded and original story.
Matt Reeves focuses this tale of the broody crime-fighter on the detective story aspect of the Batman mythos, an angle often visited in the character’s comic book history yet pushed aside in previous film adaptations. The overall plot of the film is brilliantly conceived as not an origin story but a coming-of-age story for the dark knight wrapped up in an action-packed mystery. The investigation featured in the film is rather riveting to tag along with, regardless of the fact that some of the revelations may not hold their intended weight.
In true Batman fashion, an uproar of controversy surrounded the film ever since the casting of the lead actor was announced in 2019. While often remembered by his breakout role in the “Twilight” film series, Robert Pattinson has shown himself to be a brilliant actor in the following years and provides exactly what this reserved, broody, bordering-on-emo version of the character needs.
This is where Reeves’ Gotham stands out. His characters feel human. Bruce Wayne and his Batman are a product of trauma and misplaced rage, reasonably creating a weirdo even outside the bat-suit. Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman may be the best on-screen adaptation of the character, with better-written motivations than the titular detective himself. Collin Farrell is unrecognizable as a menacing yet occasionally funny Penguin and Jeffrey Wright exudes a muted charisma as Jim Gordon.
The Riddler, played by Paul Dano, is a merciless serial killer whose story is written to parallel Bruce’s own, such that the villain not only challenges Batman as a nemesis but leads the protagonist to question himself.
The stakes in this film are tangible, so much so that the audience may truly fear if iconic characters will be killed off. Even the third act places the viewer at the edge of their seat without having to tread far past the realm of realism.
Unlike the majority of mainstream superhero filmography, “The Batman” felt home-grown. Rather than a Batman film, Reeves delivers a dark mystery action-adventure film where Batman and Gotham City happen to take center stage. Boiled down, the film watches over a group of broken people, in a broken city, slowly tearing itself apart.
