The Batman (2022) Review

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A CINEMATICALLY DARK (YET

BEAUTIFULLY POETIC) DETECTIVE STORY

 

Batman, the Cape Crusader, the Dark Knight, the Bat of Gotham….and so on and so forth. The character of the Batman has always been a fix point of fascination, finding the dual life of DC comic book creation Bruce Wayne, a wealthy philanthropist whose was orphaned at a young age drove him to become a crime fighting vigilante with a Bat-like costume appearance, to be one of compelling as an intriguing superhero and a mysterious character study. Batman has lived on for more than 83 years (at the time of this review), with the character undergoing transformation, alternative nuances, and fighting a great host of villainous antagonist from low-life thugs to powerful movers and shakers…some of which becoming more iconic and infamous than Batman himself. Still, through all of that, the character still remains fundamentally the same and quickly became a popular character in the DC universe among side the ranks of Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and several others. Given the allure and interest in the comic book superhero through the decades, Hollywood has expressed a curiosity in the masked superhero to the silver screen in various cinematic feature films, a live-action TV series, several animated cartoon TV series, a few spin-off projects, and many other apparel and toy marketing. Thus, the spirt of Batman has endured the changing of times and is still has relevant in pop culture and in the people’s mind for multiple generations. Now, a reboot is in order for DC Comic’s famous superhero character as Warner Bros. Studios and director Matt Reeves present the latest iteration of the Bat of Gotham with the movie The Batman. Does this newest interpretation reach for cinematic greatness or is it time to stop rebooting the character once and for all?

THE STORY

The city of Gotham is derelict, falling on hard times from politicians and torn apart from crime. Such hard times inspires on Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) to suit up as The Batman, a rogue vigilante that mops up Gotham’s troublemakers at night and places fear in the criminal underworld. Two years into his mission statement, Bruce struggles to make sense of his influences, finding a respectable ally in Detective James Gordon (Jeffery Wright), who finds Batman more effective and trustworthy than his fellow cops, who appear to be wearing shades of gray and loyal to local gangsters, including the mobster kingpin, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Rising up to cause terror and fear in the city is the Riddler (Paul Dano), a sadistic madman targeting specific victims tied to Gotham’s unspoken history of power and corruption, laying puzzling riddles and clues to attract Batman’s attention. When the mayor ends up being murder by the Riddler, Bruce begins to piece together clues about the man’s secretive life, connecting him to a missing girl with even further ties to Falcone and his criminal underling, Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin (Colin Farrell). Entangled in this grand scheme is one Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), who’s looking to acquire her own information of this situation, drawn to Batman and his detective ways as the pair tentatively working together for mutual enemies. Yet, disaster looms large as the Riddler’s masterplan slowly reveals itself, which will test Batman’s tactics and shed light on the Wayne’s past.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

As I’ve stated many times before in some of my reviews, I’m more of Marvel fan than a DC, so it goes without I’m more interested in seeing the likes of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America versus Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Still, I do like DC Comics and some of the characters / story arcs that have come across in these superhero narratives. The character of the Batman is one of mystery; a shroud individual who is dark and brooding superhero that pulls the life of rich philanthropy work of billionaire Bruce Wayne, which rubs against the crime fighting vigilante efforts made by his masked superhero character of Batman. Plus, of all his crime fighting, the bad guys that Batman has faced, including the Joker, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Bane, Mr. Freeze, and many others have been more iconic and infamous that masked crusader. As for all the Batman endeavors on the big and small screen, the best way to sum it up all the various iteration of the cape crusader is best described in the line from 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie, with the character of Alfred saying, “I’ve seen you through similar phases in 2016 and 2012 and 2008 and 2005 and 1997 and 1995 and 1992 and 1989 and that weird one in 1966”. Everyone has a personal favorite actor that had played the Batman over the years; finding each acting talent to bring something unique to the character and to the screen for their performance. Some say Adam West is the best because of his cheesy dialogue lines and overall campy style of the TV show of the mid 1960s, some say that Michael Keaton was good because he brought the cape crusader to the silver screen, some say that Christian Bale was the best because he brought a more grounded and realism with the character, and some even say that Ben Affleck was the best because he was more of a dark and brooding character. Personally, I liked Christian Bale as Bruce / Batman, but that was mostly because I liked director Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of the character in his Dark Knight trilogy. To me, that trilogy was great and brought some memorable cinematic moments in both of heroes and villain and filmmaking nuances. In the end, I think the overall popularity of the character of the Batman has been a fascinating one; a comic book superhero fascination that has been interesting to see the various iteration and interpretations over the years bring something new to the table; unmasking the mythos behind Bruce Wayne and the man behind the hood and cowl of cape crusader.

This brings me back to talking about The Batman, a 2022 superhero film and the latest cinematic representation for DC’s brooding cape crusader. Giving the situation that surround the events of 2017’s Justice League and the personal substance abuse that affected actor Ben Affleck’s career (at that moment in his life), the idea of rebooting the Batman character once again was something I wasn’t completely interested in. While some will argue that Marvel’s shared superhero cinematic universe is more “family friendly” and has all the familiar beats (heart, comedy, and action) accompanying each new installment, I applaud that the MCU has a single, unified cannon timeline to follow. DC Comics movies of late, however, have had a rough road, with the DCEU loosing partial its stem after its strong start, a change in direction since Zack Snyder’s Justice League isn’t considered official timeline cannon (I personally would love to see where the story would go with Snyder’s Justice League sequels), and creating several projects that are more “one and done” (i.e. 2019’s Joker). So, seeing another Batman character, especially after Affleck’s quick and sudden appearance as the Bat of Gotham in the DCEU, just seems like an odd choice; bringing up that the idea of rebooting the character to be too hastily and almost like a “mad-dash” for WB / DC to catch up with Marvel’s popularity.

Thus, the official announcement made for The Batman being released was faced with mixed result…for me at least. I was excited to see that director Matt Reeves was attached to the project as the film’s director, with whom had proven himself as a director with the successful praise he did with the Planet of the Apes movies a few years back as well as the cast involved on this upcoming film (i.e., Kravitz, Wright, Turturro, Farrell, and Serkis), but I had varying thoughts about actor Robert Pattinson. From more manlier / mature actors such as actors Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, I was completely sold on the idea of Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne and his Batman alter-ego. Still, stranger things have occurred and for the better (i.e., Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight). So, while I did have a few reservations about the actor stepping into the role, I was still interested in seeing The Batman, especially after seeing some of the promotional still / images as well as the marketing campaign, including the film’s movie trailers. Thus, for better or worse, the anticipation hype and overall excitement to see The Batman was boiling over the internet and on social media, with the feature’s release set for June 25th, 2021. Unfortunately, like most movies released in the 2021 / 2021 years, The Batman was delayed due to the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 virus, with the film being shuffled first on October 1st, 2021 before being pushed back further to March 4th, 2022. I did get a chance to see the movie during its opening night, but waited a few days after it to fully digest everything that I saw. So…. what did I think of the movie? Was it worth all the hype? Short answer…. a solid definitely yes! The Batman is dark and twisted tale of ambiguity and cinematic nuances; propelling Reeve’s direction for a fresh take on the superhero character and mixes action and crime noire drama throughout. While I mentioned that I had some reservations about the movie, I can assure you…. that linger doubts were completely blow away by what The Batman had to offer. Believe the hype about this movie….it’s that good!

As stated, The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves, whose previous directorial works include such films like Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. Given the amount of success and praise that Reeves received for the Planet of the Apes movies, it was almost a forgone conclusion that the director would soon returning the director’s chair for another large and blockbuster-ish anticipation feature film endeavor. Thus, the idea of another Batman movie, one that would be different from the previous cinematic iterations, seems right up Reeve’s alley, which is probably why he was awarded the director position for The Batman. In truth, Reeves seems like the most suitable director for such a project and the film’s success is steeped in his creative filmmaking style and nuances throughout the entire picture. Reeves approach to the material is one that is full of reinvent the character of Bruce Wayne / Batman, but also keeping truth to the character and the iconic figure he’s become.

What do I mean? Well, for starters, Reeve makes the feature feel very grounded in realism and has different approach to the film’s natural setting. Unlike the many of the previous iteration of Batman, Reeves’s The Batman is more closely resembles Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy by having a more grounded feeling in the real world rather than having cinematic universe of heroes, villains, and monsters and / or comic book inspiration. Thus, the characters (both good, bad, and those in-between) have some grit and splash of realistic characteristics and ambitions / motivations throughout the movie. No one is looking to enslave humanity or looking for global catastrophe. The influences of the narrative (more on that below) help propel this idea forward and keeps everything rooted in reality, which keeps the flow of the movie steady and makes the feature relatable to all. Additionally, Reeves decides to choose to start the movie not as the origin tale for Bruce Wayne; forgoing the iconic death of Thomas and Martha Wayne and the overall transformation of Bruce into a masked vigilante and instead deciding to pick up the narrative during Wayne’s second year, with the crime-fighting Batman still trying his footing and placement in being a symbol for the city and to himself. I think this is a good idea that, much like the origin tale of Spider-Man in Tom Holland’s iteration, a film doesn’t need to retread through such iconic moments over and over again. Because of this beginning original omission, Reeves can jump right into main plot of The Batman, which I do have mention that is quite hefty and elongated, but worth the exciting and thrilling narrative being told. In his directing, Reeves is confident in making his stamp on the Batman franchise, with the movie utilizing some great cinematic and directorial abilities that makes the film truly wonderful. The slow-burning nature of the picture can be used as a “double edge sword” mantra (more on that below), but what Reeves does with the feature makes for some incredible and cinematic storytelling that has a terrific third act that has a well-satisfying

Those who are worried that the film would be unrecognizable as Batman feature can rest assure that The Batman is very much still a Batman movie. While the dark nature of the movie is still present and wrapped within the guise of a detective narrative, the movie itself still boast plenty of Batman mythos and characters from the DC comics source material. There’s still Alfred, Penguin, Cat Woman, Riddler, Gordon, and few others that are peppered throughout the film and still play a vital part of the feature’s narrative. All in all, I think that Reeves did a tremendous job in making The Batman feel different, yet still familiar; bringing a new character angle to the man behind the bat cowl….and terrifically solid motion picture that is jam packed with detective noir nuances and powerful cinematics.

The script for The Batman, which was penned by Reeves as well as Peter Craig, is also worth noting, with the feature tapping into a darker and more twisted story that has several influences of other narratives. As mentioned, the film definitely has that an old detective story vibe, which borrows heavily from several other variations of the hardboiled detective genre of yesteryear as well as other psychological detective stories like Zodiac, Seven, and few others. Those spiritual influences bleed into The Batman’s narrative quite well and, while they aren’t a carbon copy retread of those said movies, one can definitely that the film is playing homage to those features as well as the detective thriller genre. The story of The Batman is also quite interesting, piecing together a narrative of clues and puzzles as the tale slowly begins to find its full picture and reaches a rousing finale. Plus, the script provided has plenty of character drama; showcasing that all the players in the film (both heroes and villains) are multifaceted and very much layered, which creates very complex and well-drawn-out characters in and out of the movie. All in all, The Batman is quite a refreshing cinematic take on the Dark Knight; one that could’ve easily slid into the more commonplace / traditional representation, but instead chooses something completely unique and well-rewarding from onset to conclusion.

In the presentation category, The Batman is certainly one for the books and has a solid overall presentation through and through. The film itself is steeped in grit and, much like the main protagonist character, has very dark and gloom take within the background; projecting the decay and ruined feeling that Gotham City is facing. One can visually see the depressive nature of the feature’s setting in almost every scene and captures the both the haunting and beauty of the film’s visual nuances. Plus, everything about the movie’s presentation looks authentic and has intricate detail and texture in a wide variety of forms; depicting the right usage of realism within this superhero detective story. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” team, including James Chinlund (production design), David Crossman, Glyn Dillion, and Jacqueline Durran (costume design), and the entire art direction department for their efforts in making The Batman come alive with such a cinematic way. Speaking of cinematics, the cinematography work done by Greig Fraser is one of greatness; drumming up some fantastic imagery throughout the entire movie. Definitely captures both the beautiful and ruin of Gotham as well as some amazing camera angle and shots that really do bring out some sweeping, epic, and dramatic effect. Sheer brilliance in making the film’s visual appeal in cinematic wizardry is breathtaking to behold and quite flashy; utilizing mood lighting and misty lights to capture harsh and gloomy environments. Even some of the more glitzy and luxurious places such as Wayne tower is rendered in mute colors, which adds to the dreariness of the city’s landscape. Again, great job from Fraser. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Michael Giacchino, is amazing throughout the entire film. I usually do highlight and examine the various film scoring for all the films that I do reviews for, and I do have to admit that the one for The Batman is incredible. Like the movie itself, Giacchino’s work is deep and bombastic, brimming with haunting and chilling music. The main theme is totally fantastic and definitely has a great impact throughout the feature. All in all, the score The Batman is superb and any cinephile soundtrack fan will love the music provided throughout the film.

While the movie is incredibly well-made with so many positives, The Batman just has a few several points of criticisms that, don’t tarnish the movie at all, but are small blemishes on an otherwise solid feature film. What do I mean? Well, there is no denying the fact that the movie is amazingly long, with a runtime of 175 minutes (two hours and fifty-five minutes) …. just shy of being three hours in length. Given the amount of narrative that it has to unpack and the crime noire feeling, the elongated journey through The Batman is justifiable, but still like a very long endeavor to sit through. Don’t get me wrong, I was fully invested in the film’s story, so the movie never felt bloated, but there were a few times (mostly just cinematic nuances of camera shots / moments) that could’ve been trimmed down slightly for a slightly slimmer runtime (like maybe shortening the movie roughly 5 to 10 minutes). Even looking beyond that is a classic detective noire story, which means that the film itself is something of a slow burner, peeling away at the narrative before the core / heart is finally revealed. Again, as I stated above, what lies at the end of the movie is immensely satisfying that has all the right payoffs and conclusions for the picture’s narrative / themes, but it is quite slow burner through and through. This means that the movie meanders through the points not in a fast-paced action way as other superhero blockbusters commonly do. Thus, those looking for a more robust Hollywood blockbuster with superhero action might be a bit turned off by Reeve’s more methodical detective story take on the Batman character.

The cast in The Batman is also another big positive and highlight, with the assembled cast of acting talents for this film bringing their “A” game in their respective characters, with the feature’s script giving most of them enough time to make a memorable and lasting impression on the movie itself. Leading the charge in the film is actor Robert Pattinson, who plays the film’s central protagonist of Bruce Wayne / Batman. Known for his roles in the Twilight saga as well as movies like Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire, Tenet, and Water for Elephants, Pattinson has certainly been in the film industry for the greater part of a half of decade. Of course, his “claim to fame” in his career is playing the Twilight character of Edward Cullen, which catapulted his talents in his career. While I think he has certainly improved since his Twilight days, I did question the fact that Pattinson was cast in the role of Bruce Wayne / Batman in this upcoming superhero film, especially since he did quite match up with the more brooding / older interpretation of the character that has played by the likes of actors Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. That being said, I can definitely say that Pattinson is made for the role and makes for a very convincing Bruce Wayne and Batman character for this latest portrayal of the cape crusader.

As Bruce Wayne, Pattinson gets to have a lot of creative fun with the character as the script allows him to be more of a brooding young man that doesn’t have much to connect him to the classic stereotypical iteration of Bruce. What do I mean? He’s not thirty-something year old playboy who has a more charismatic persona when he’s in the public eye, with The Batman presenting a different shade to Bruce Wayne and being more of a recluse and having him more vulnerable and blurring between his real life as Bruce and his crime fighting alter-ego of Batman. It’s nice to see things shake up a bit to the portrayal of Bruce Wayne and I think that Pattinson does a great job toiling around with such a complex / moody character with some much anger and frustration. As Batman, he definitely has the right amount of grit and firmness in the vigilante crime fighting, yet that is only seeing on his tough exterior surface, with the character struggling to grasp on his full role as taking down the bad guys and crime organizations…. lacking a personal symbol of identity towards what he stands for. Again, I do like how the movie doesn’t show the origins of Bruce Wayne into Batman, with the film stating that Batman is in his second year…. finding more ambiguity in his character development and lacking the steadfast crime fighting that we’ve known come to love. In the end, while my initial thoughts on the casting were a bit leery, my afterthought of selecting Robert Pattinson in the title role of Bruce Wayne / Batman is one of immense positives; finding the actor incredible in the character and blew my expectations away.

Behind Pattinson, actress Zoe Kravitz does a great job in playing the role of Selina Kyle aka Cat Woman, a prominent character in the Batman comic book mythos. Known for her roles in Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class, and Divergent, Kravitz has certainly made a name for herself these past few years: appearing in a number of prominent titles in both small and large roles. It’s a testament to her acting that she won the role of for the character of Selina Kyle in The Batman, which showcases a more “human” side to the iconic character. Granted, Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Selina was also more “grounded” in The Dark Knight Rises, but the character gets more rooted in realism in this particular movie and plays more of intricate part; finding the script to have more juicier substance than one would realize. With a more well-rounded written character, Kravitz gets plenty of material to play around with as the actress is made into a dynamic portrayal of the famous Batman character. She’s hardened by associating of Gotham’s scum, but still yearns for a better life, with the movie’s story pulling her to a personal breaking point….and a wonderful character arc to follow. Overall, I think that Kravitz was fantastic as Selina and is probably my favorite interpretation of Selina Kyle. I also do have to mention that both Kravitz and Pattinson do share some great on-screen chemistry with each other, which is likeable and does help the relationship building of Selina and Batman throughout the course of the feature. Very well done!

Additionally, actor Jeffery Wright (The French Dispatch and Westworld) does a good job in playing the role of. James Gordon, a detective of the Gotham City Police Department and the only police authority figure that Batman trust. It’s interesting that we (as the viewer) don’t get a chance to see the origin friendship between Batman and Gordon in the film, but, much like the visual depiction of the death of Thomas and Marth Wayne, it wasn’t necessary to be revealed and I kind of feel it sort of refreshing that both Batman and Gordon are already working together in take down bad guys in Gotham. Plus, I found Wright’s performance to be solid and definitely sells Gordon the right way; a man who is still has a moral code of justice and (like Batman) is looking to root out evil in the city. Also, actor / director Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) does a great job in playing the role of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayan’s butler and confidant in his Batman crime fighting. Serkis is truly a gifted actor, and it clearly shows throughout his past work (I mean Gollum and Caesar…wow!). So, to seem him participating in this movie is definitely a treat and gives a solid performance as Alfred in the movie. Perhaps the only downside to him is that there isn’t much new or original to the character, so it’s basically more of nuance feeling and of Serkis’s performance. Plus, I would’ve liked to see one more scene with Alfred in the movie towards the film’s ending as the feature gets quite busy with his conclusion and doesn’t give the character a somewhat “closure” for him. Nevertheless, I liked Serkis’s portrayal of Alfred.

In the villain arena, The Batman sure does a great job in bringing these terrifying villains to life, some of which relish the chance to showcases the awfulness whenever on-screen. Of course, the one who shines the most in the film would have to be Edward Nashton, who goes by alias name of The Riddler, and who is played by actor Paul Dano. Known for his roles in 12 Years a Slave, Little Miss Sunshine, and There Will Be Blood, Dano isn’t quite the household name of some of his Batman co-stars, but he still delivers such a commanding and masterful performance in the movie. His portrayal of the Riddler, an iconic Batman villain who hasn’t been seeing in a live-action feature film since actor Jim Carrey played him in Batman Forever, is quite menacing and foreboding; finding the sociopathic nature to be “right in line” with the film’s overall tone and it comes across as sheer brilliant madness. It’s a testament to Dano’s acting talent he plays the character with such violent ruthlessness that makes for both a compelling and scary villain for the movie. Some have argued that the character of the Riddler in The Batman is similar to what actor Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight and that is a definite yes for me. However, the character is more like the Joaquin Phoenix in The Joker, with the creation of such a madman terrorist been developed by the decline of society and the usage of political corruption. I can’t say anymore on that as that would spoil his character arc in the movie. Suffice to say that Dano is wonderfully terrific as the frightening / unhinged menace of the Riddler and makes for a great villain in The Batman.

Behind Dano, actor Collin Farrell does a very great character transformation performance in playing the Batman villain Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot…better known as the Penguin. Known for his roles in Alexander, The Lobster, and In Bruges, Farrell has always been a good actor; capable of playing such an even-keel character or one that is completely off-kilter. In the case of The Batman, Farrell goes for the off-kilter method, and he pulls out tremendously well. It’s almost quite shocking to see Farrell playing the character as his physical appearance is completely different. Seriously, all the talk of Farrell being “unrecognizable” in The Batman is true as the facial prosthetics used is terrific and utterly masks. He looks and sounds completely different as one can visible see (whenever on-screen) that Farrell is deep within the character for all his shots. His character isn’t the main villain of The Batman, but Penguin is a worthy secondary villain that certainly gets his moment to shine throughout, (again) Farrell proven to be such a talented actor with the handling of the particular memorable character of the Batman lore. All in all, great work from Farrell and his portrayal of the Penguin is spot on.

Of the three main villains, actor John Turturro (Transformers and The Night Of) gets the least amount of attention in on-screen villainy category as the mobster kingpin Carmine Falcone. That’s not to say that Turturro is terrible in the role…on the contrary…he’s quite good, for he never oversells the character in being cartoon-ish or over-the-top. In fact, Turturro downplays the character; making Falcone a more low-key, yet still sinister / powerful mobster that rules the underworld realm of Gotham City. The flip side is that the character isn’t as theatrically bold as Dano’s Riddler or Farrell’s Penguin, which is why he gets the least amount of attention in the movie. Still, Turturro does turn a good performance in the role of Carmine Falcone, which (like his bad guy co-stars) fits right in the moody and dark nuanced portrayal of this Batman movie.

The rest of the cast, including actor Peter Sarsgaard (The Magnificent Seven and Garden State) as district Attorney Gil Colston, actor Alex Ferns (Wrath of Man and EastEnders) as Commissioner Pete Savage, actor Rupert Penry-Jones (Black Sails and MI-5) as Mayor Don Mitchell Jr., actor Gil Perez-Abraham (Pose and The Young Pope) as Officer Martinez, actor Con O’Neil (Chernobyl and Vengeance is Mine) as Chief Mackenzie Bock, actress Jayme Lawson (Till and The Woman King) as Bella Real, and actors Charlie and Max Carver (Fist Fight and Desperate Housewives) as Penguins goons known as The Twins, are in minor supporting players in the movie. Most get their chance to shine in some capacity throughout the film and do handle themselves, making their involvement in The Batman fun and enjoyable in these supporting character roles.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It can be cruel, poetic, or blind…. but when its denied, it’s your violence you may find! A shared dark sentiment that echoes within the minds of several people as Bruce Wayne slowly unravels the twisted clues towards finding the Riddler’s endgame in the movie The Batman. Director Matt Reeves latest film takes a cinematic examination of different shades to DC Comic’s dark knight character, with a more brooding, unhinged, and gritter story that is grounded with realism and feeling more of a hard-boiled detective formula than a blockbuster endeavor. While there are a few minor quibbles about the project, a great majority of the film works tremendous well, especially from Reeve’s direction, a gripping narrative, a more grounded tone, detective nuances, intense action, dynamic / well-rounded characters, and a solid cast all the way around. Personally, I loved this movie. I did have a few reservations going into this movie, but those lingering doubts were quickly put to rest as the film itself was orchestrated masterfully in a way that feels different from the “status quo” of atypical Batman feature, but still retains the nuances one would come to expect from such iconic brooding character. Plus, I love the whole detective story angle, which was handled incredibly well, with the third act producing a gripping and satisfying conclusion. Loved it all! Thus, it goes without saying that my recommendation for this movie is an immeasurable “highly recommended” as cinephiles, movie buffs, and film aficionados will enjoy the subverted expectations from a comic book superhero film as well as causal moviegoers who are looking for something a bit more unconventional than the big studio superhero tentpoles of late. As I said previous, the movie is definitely worth the hype! While the movie itself is sort of a self-contained narrative, the ending leaves the door open for a possible continuation of this latest iteration of the cape crusader and, I for one, would love to see where this franchise will go. In the end, Matt Reeves’s The Batman is a darkly beautiful take on the Batman character; presenting a tale that completely blows away expectations, establishes a more complexed potency within infamous superhero, and showcases a more super sleuthing crime solving within the seedy underbelly of wealthy, corruption, and power.

4.8 Out of 5 (Highly Recommended)

 

Released On: March 4th, 2022
Reviewed On: March 11th, 2022

The Batman  is 175 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material

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