The Batman (2022)

Review

175min

Genre:       Comic-book, Action, Crime, Drama

Director:     Matt Reeves

Cast:         Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano…and more

Writers:     Matt Reeves, Peter Craig and Bob Kane

-Synopsis-

Struggling with his dual role as reclusive billionaire and caped protector of a rotting city whose corruption hits uncomfortably close to home, ‘Bruce Wayne’ forms an unlikely alliance and plunges into Gotham’s underbelly to stop a malevolent criminal mastermind who threatens to bring a city to its knees in this latest iteration of the ‘Batman’ saga from writer/director Matt Reeves.

Robert Pattinson stars as brooding billionaire Wayne, moonlighting as a caped crimefighting sleuth and doing his part to keep a decaying Gotham City from ripping itself apart, only to get pulled into a conspiracy which reaches the highest corridors of power when elusive psychotic criminal ‘The Riddler’ (Paul Dano) begins amassing a body count and exposing the city’s dirty secrets, dragging the likes of mob bosses ‘Carmine Falcone’ (John Turturro) and ‘The Penguin’ (Colin Farrell) uncomfortably close to Gotham’s cops and politicians. As ‘The Batman’ teams up with ‘Lt. James Gordon’ (Jeffrey Wright) and feline operator ‘Selina Kyle’ (Zoë Kravitz)—both of whom have skin in the game—to uncover the identity of the scheming madman before he can destroy the city and the legacy of its greatest citizens.

From his breakout directorial effort with 2008’s ‘Cloverfield’ and his solid 2010 American adaptation of a modern Swedish horror/drama gem ‘Let Me In’, to his two criminally underappreciated contributions to the recent ‘Planet of the Apes’ reboot series, Matt Reeves has proven adept at flying under the radar while underlining his credentials for balancing drama and character with scale and spectacle, making us excited for the possibilities he would bring to the table vis-à-vis a dark standalone ‘Batman’ reboot but not an origin story. Now the New York writer/director rises to his greatest challenge yet; shining a new light, or rather casting a fresh shadow upon one of the more beloved comic-book characters and the most re-cycled superhero franchise in film, whilst navigating the treacherous waters of industry expectation and rabid fandom—skilfully bringing together all the elements to deliver a considered moody blockbuster which triumphantly stands on its own two feet.

Billed as David Fincher’s ‘Se7en’ meets DC Comics—a bill that fits in terms of narrative, plot and even tone to a point—it’s fair to say that ‘The Batman’ sits as close to a neo-noir crime mystery/thriller on the cinematic spectrum as it does to a superhero film, bumping up its brooding credentials with a modernist gothic aesthetic combining gritty production designs with Liverpudlian and Scottish locations, all expertly captured with dark and dusky tones by Aussie cinematographer Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty, Dune) who gorgeously paints a worn and menacing Gotham City. Meanwhile prolific composer Michael Giacchino adds plenty of ominous atmosphere with yet another sumptuous score, albeit a slightly overfamiliar one with its imperial darkside lead motifs.

The foundations of the film are here for everyone to see with shades of everything from the DC Comics and films which directly inspired it to graphic novels like Alan Moore’s ‘Watchmen’, not to mention many a classic silver screen crime drama. But it’s the DNA of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy which truly courses through the veins of ‘The Batman’, from a raw narrative and an ultra-realist ethos to plot points and stylistic choices, and even how and where it’s shot, but with an added layer of grunge befitting the rotting society in which it unfolds.

As such ‘The Batman’ proves the most socially-conscious and least rose-tinted Batman film to date as Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig lean heavily into sobering and timely themes like inequality and corruption, privilege and legacy, trauma and survival, all combined with a combustible sense of societal isolation and despair which explodes in our face in the form of lone-wolf domestic terrorism and entitled violence couched as revolution and vengeance—threaded through a story which leans on generally well-realised characters.

Any reservations over the casting of Robert Pattinson in the dual lead role—clearly concerns from those unfamiliar with the actor’s impressive career over the last decade since the ‘Twilight’ series—will surely evaporate with the British star’s skilful turn as a colder and more brooding, stoic, and even soft-spoken Batman than we’ve become used to, occasionally harking back to Michael Keaton’s take on the role but in a far gloomier world.

And like most screen versions of the character since the camp 1960s series, he’s ably supported by a cast of colourful characters who often shine brighter and louder—which is appropriate for a Dark Knight who both dwells in the shadows and is a part of it—with the likes of Zoë Kravitz making a mark as a sultry and complex Catwoman, while the always reliable Jeffrey Wright holds down the fort as Gotham’s remaining pillar of justice Jim Gordon. But it’s of course the villains who leave the biggest impression, with Turturro as mob kingpin Falcone proving the lynchpin of the story while Dano and Farrell as the more overt villains get to gloriously chew up the scenery around him, whilst remaining true to the tone.

Yet in a bid to try and balance action with drama and mood, ‘The Batman’ ultimately makes for a superhero film and comic-book blockbuster which slightly lacks spectacle and awe, foregoing a focus on gadgets and the mythology of the character whilst not offering anything particularly revolutionary—apart from the framing of Gotham and the madman who represents a tear in the fabric of modern society. Clearly then Reeves & co. are going for something more subtle and tilting the balance toward narrative and character, and yet even though the story is far more centred on the Batman as the detective from the comics, this is hardly an intricate crime mystery and there aren’t many surprises of consequence, nor is it as daring as expected and doesn’t truly earn its 15 BBFC rating. And despite solid and moderately nuanced performances led by Pattinson himself, they all serve the story without lighting up the screen or proving particularly memorable, while only the unrecognisable Colin Farrell and sinister Paul Dano manage to linger in the memory.

If the goal was to make a Batman film to surpass the 2008 magnum opus of Nolan’s trilogy ‘The Dark Knight’—as the producers of this film have openly stated—and establish itself as The Batman, then mission far from accomplished. Yet ultimately the online debates and fandom feuds over whether Robert Pattinson makes a good Batman or Bruce Wayne, or whether ‘The Batman’ is a good ‘Batman’ film (whatever that means), or where it sits in the pantheon of the franchise on the big screen are all irrelevant. The only question that matters is does ‘The Batman’ stand on its own feet as a good film, and the answer is undoubtedly yes . . . but not quite a great one. Yet despite any shortcomings in this atmospheric repurposing of familiar elements with darker tones and within an updated context, there’s still plenty to admire here. And if box office results and corporate decisions allow Matt Reeves to show us what more he clearly has to offer for the caped crusader in this little isolated corner of the DC Universe, he might just get there.

The Bottom Line…

A moody, brooding comic-book blockbuster with bleak tones and timely social echoes, which does its upmost to blur the lines between superhero spectacle and gritty crime mystery/thriller, ‘The Batman’ may not re-invent the wheel or truly revolutionise a genre by sitting atop it, but it still delivers more than enough intrigue, atmosphere and spectacle to lift us out of a pandemic darkness by casting its own brand of stylish cinematic shade, and make a welcome addition to the legacy of DC Comics and Gotham’s Caped Crusader on the screen.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

In a world reeling from the discovery of a god-like alien on Earth and its destructive repercussions, Gotham’s Dark Knight turns Kryptonian-hunter in a conflict that will blind both caped crusaders to the real danger that has gathered to threaten humanity.

Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams among others.

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