DIRECTED BY: MATT REEVES STARRING: ROBERT PATTINSON, ZOÄ– KRAVITZ, & PAUL DANO
RATED PG-13 FOR STRONG VIOLENT AND DISTURBING CONTENT, DRUG CONTENT, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL
LENGTH: 175 MINUTES
Even before Iron Man reignited the public's interest in superhero films, the main trio of superheroes that everybody and their mother knew were: Superman, Spider-Man, and of course Batman. So it is fairly easy to see why these three characters are constantly being rebooted on the big screen and on television. Last year's mega-hit Spider-Man: No Way Home gave us all three cinematic Spider-Men joining forces to take on various villains from previous incarnations. This year, there's not just one, not two, but three Batman projects in the works. The DCEU flick The Flash will not only be Ben Affleck's curtain call as the dark knight, but it will also reintroduce the world to Michael Keaton's Batman. There's also a Batgirl movie hitting HBO Max at the tale end of the year with In The Heights star Leslie Grace playing the role of Barbara Gordon joined by DCEU veteran J.K. Simmons and Keaton once again reprising his role as Batman.
Though what has easily been the most eagerly anticipated of this year's Batman projects is Matt Reeves' The Batman. The film has gone through quite the development, initially Affleck was going to direct and star in the film with it being set within the world of the Justice League. Affleck then notoriously walked away from the director's chair, but still hinted at his intent to star in the film. Warner Bros eventually brought in Matt Reeves into the director's chair, known for his critically acclaimed Planet of the Apes films as well as the found-footage monster movie Cloverfield. Affleck eventually walked away from the role as well and Reeves opted to take the film into a different direction outside of the already established DCEU. He eventually brought in Twilight star turned acclaimed indie darling Robert Pattinson to don the cowl and built up quite the supporting cast. Warner Bros has been so confident in the project that they've already greenlit two spin-off shows for HBO Max, one following the Gotham City Police Department and another focusing around the Penguin.
The Batman is set in the second year of billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne's (Pattinson) secret career as Batman. Constantly touted by the news, government figures, and most of the police force as a violent and dangerous vigilante, the caped crusader strikes fear into the criminals, corrupt politicians, and wanna-be thugs who roam the streets of Gotham City. One of his only true allies is Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) who still remains weary of his true intentions and is in the dark of his true identity.
When a string of politically motivated murders erupt across Gotham City planned by the secretive serial killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano), Batman and Gordon uncover a hidden world of corruption which ties together Gotham's rich elite with mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Along the way, Batman forms an uneasy alliance with nightclub waitress Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) who just so happens to be the masked burglar known as Catwoman.
With the seemingly never-ending string of reboots, giving an audience a fresh and inventive take on Batman can prove to be difficult. Previous filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Todd Phillips, Zack Snyder, Tim Burton, and Joel Schumacher attempted to give their own unique visions on the world of Batman in an attempt to reinvent the character to varying levels of success and failure. Shockingly, Reeves seems to be more inclined to stay true to mythos of the character that audiences know and love, while at the same time making an unconventional superhero movie that is far more focused on being a noir-driven detective story as opposed to what most superhero films have succumbed to in today's world: a CGI-filled action-heavy extravaganza that is tailor made to make the audience cheer.
The film also acts as a character-study on Bruce Wayne, his grief, and his true feelings about being Batman. This isn't the charismatic playboy, this is the portrait of a heavily broken man dealing with his own insecurities and mental illness. To him, being Batman isn't merely a way to take out his anger on the criminals of Gotham, but a curse in order to prevent anyone having to go through what he did as a child. Pattinson's performance as the character is fresh and grounded, he's more Kurt Cobain than he is Tony Stark. Another surprising addition is that, for the first time in a live-action Batman film, it's the Bruce Wayne persona taking a backseat as the character remains suited up for the vast majority of the film's three-hour runtime. His performance could prove to be one of the most celebrated takes on the character as the years go by.
Kravitz is another dynamite addition to the cast as Catwoman, proving that she's was more than the right choice to take on such an iconic role. The chemistry she shares with Pattinson is intense and engaging. She also proves to be more than capable in taking part in the more action-heavy scenes, proving that in the coming years she has the potential to be one of the biggest movie-stars in the world. Over the years she has shown herself to be a mighty fine actress and with this and her recent work in KIMI she may might as well be ready to take on the world.
As for the rest of the cast, Dano makes for a terrifying Riddler, portraying the character as wildly unpredictable and unhinged. While on the surface some may find the character to be more of a prop in a larger story, Reeves' and Peter Craig's script use the character to delve into themes of media disinformation and the public's massive mistrust in authority. Wright shows that he was the perfect choice to take on the role of Jim Gordon, basking with gravitas but also a much more down to earth nature. Much like what Gary Oldman did with the character in The Dark Knight trilogy, Wright's presence shows that the character is one of the only pure people in the morally bankrupt city of Gotham.
Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as The Penguin, along with the transformative use of prosthetics and makeup, Farrell also greatly mixes up his mannerisms and acting style. He an be viewed as a bit goofy for some, but he also never feels out-of-place and is integrated into the overall mystery in a natural way. Turturro's Falcone has a much larger presence in the film than on might expect and really serves as Batman's second biggest adversary in this adventure after The Riddler. Andy Serkis, who previously worked with Reeves as Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes films, succeeds Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons in the role of Batman's loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth, but isn't given as much to do as the rest of the supporting cast and the character is largely sidelined.
Reeves take on The Batman is far more grounded than anything we've seen before, even compared to Nolan's trilogy. Within the three hour runtime Reeves creates a gothic but still realistic Gotham City, a combination between New York City, Chicago, and Seattle. The rain never seems to cease and even the skyscrapers look drab and weathered. There isn't much hope left for the city, except for the forthcoming mayoral race. It's the perfect kind of setting needed for this film noir take on the character and one that still stays true to its comic book origins.
Greig Fraser's cinematography always proves to be a highlight of the film. Fraser's work is immaculate and stunning, demanding to be seen in the biggest screen you can find. Much like his camerawork in last year's Dune helped transport filmgoers to Arrakis, he succeeds once again at getting the right kinds of shots that will suck the audience into the larger narrative, never being able to look away or finding their mind start to wander. Accompanied by Michael Giacchino's masterful score, that ranks among the Oscar winning composers finest achievements, this will prove to be one of the year's most truly cinematic filmgoing experiences.
The central mystery at its core will be fairly predictable for hardcore fans of Batman and DC Comics as it obviously plucks plot-beats from various comic storylines and video games, but none the less it still proves to keep the audience invested. Even with the lack of constant hand-to-hand combat, the film's mighty length is never once felt, even more the most impatient of moviegoers.
The film's third act may draw up some criticism, but one thing it's not is uninspired. Instead of relying on a heavy reliance on CGI that makes the film look more like a video game with the central hero taking on their evil counterpart, Reeves instead draws the action from previous incarnations while still being careful to stay true to Batman's number one rule not to kill. Reeve's commitment to practical effects can be compared to the work of one of his Batman predecessors in Nolan.
The Batman is a masterful and expertly crafted new take on the cherished and iconic character of Bruce Wayne/Batman and one which will surely not disappoint hardcore fans of the character. It is far less conventional than the crowd-pleasing superhero flicks we've become accustomed to, but it is a more than welcome step into another direction proving that not everything needs to be part of a larger cinematic universe or bank on nostalgia.
The Batman comes to theaters everywhere on March 4. Tickets are on-sale now.