4.5/5 stars.
Directed by Matt Reeves and featuring an ambitious cast composed of the likes of Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell, 2022’s new Batman movie hit the pictures with an action-packed bang. As a gritty and considerably more cynical take on the superhero’s story, the film has been compared to the darker parts of the Dark Knight trilogy and adopts a new style as a detective thriller with film noir undertones. And while Christian Bale’s replacement of Robert Pattinson as the lead role was met with scepticism and even ridicule at first, and diehard fans were sure nothing would ever match up to legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s adaptations, it’s fair to say The Batman has been pleasantly surprising.
Since 1989, there have been five live-action Batmen on our screens (The Week Staff, 2022). Each one has brought something new to the beloved character, and we have seen an array of different villains and challenges the superhero has battled. Some have been reused time and time again as classic favourites such as the Joker, and even sidekicks like Catwoman (played by Zoë Kravitz in the latest instalment) and police commissioner James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) make repeat appearances. Many renditions revisit Batman’s origin tale as a young boy, Bruce Wayne, whose parents were victims in a mugging gone wrong and as such he is primarily raised by his butler, Alfred, while his parents’ killer is never caught — years later, he reaches an age where he can take justice into his own hands and creates a persona to fight the crime and corruption in the city of Gotham. As this narrative always forms an integral part of the plot, you would be forgiven for initially assuming the same old story with the same predictable characters will be told this time around, but this was not a mistake that director Matt Reeves was willing to make.
It feels entirely necessary to scrutinise Pattinson’s portrayal of such an iconic character and to examine how his role has been rewritten for this particular movie. Bruce Wayne is famously known to be a recluse, hiding away in the mountains of riches he inherited after his parents’ death, harbouring confusion and anger toward the traumatic event he witnessed as a child. However, previous interpretations have shown character growth in a way that sees Wayne adopting a calmer facade and more lenient tactics with his enemies, such as condemning murder. Pattinson’s Batman keeps these traits but there are instances where the viewer wonders if this rule is about to be broken; his character is relentless in his pursuit of justice, and coupled with a quiet demeanour, it’s hard to know exactly what he’s thinking. There is a layer of mystery we have never witnessed before, and it certainly adds to the tension of the film. Equally, when it comes to the actor himself (who is perhaps best known for playing vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga), this is a much darker part than many of the previous roles he’s played, but it’s clear to see how well Pattinson has adapted to it.
His fantastic chemistry with co-star Zoë Kravitz is one of the things the picture showcased the most, according to Christy Lemire’s online review. The two actors complement each other not just as romantic partners but also in their values as struggling human beings. ‘She’s a fighter and a survivor with a loyal heart and a strong sense of what’s right,’ writes Lemire (2022), and this sentiment can equally be applied when looking at Batman's morals. She also favours the other cast members’ superb acting.
The music is certainly another bonus. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for the Dark Knight trilogy was arguably one of his finest and set both an emotional and exhilarating scene for the franchise. Composer Michael Giacchino’s theme for the 2022 film will quickly cement itself in your memory as it takes to repeating a simple but effective few notes. Additionally, one of 90s grunge band Nirvana’s lesser-known tracks ‘Something in the Way’ featured in their album Nevermind sounds just bleak enough to fit in.
To contrast the list of pros this movie has to brag about, The Batman’s biggest negative aspect — that could arguably put potential viewers off before it even begins — is its length. The Batman is 2 hours and 57 minutes long. For comparison, the longest instalment in Nolan’s trilogy comes in at 2 hours 45m (The Dark Knight Rises) and 2019’s Joker is a mere 2 hours 2m (Barker, 2021). However, DC’s rival Marvel started producing films coming in at over three hours years ago, and this often seems an acceptable and even necessary time commitment when you factor in the sheer number of characters and the heavy plot that’s involved. The Batman contains a dense and action-packed sequence of events that leave you gripping the edge of your seat for most of it, so you’d think the end credits would roll around faster than expected — nonetheless, with such serious tones and the occasional dragging out of a scene, the three hours certainly feels a bit taxing.
In conclusion, The Batman is not a film superhero fans will want to miss out on. It edges out of the classic narrative chronicling billionaire Bruce Wayne’s masked rise to notoriety, and branches out into something thrilling and unique, using a host of new faces and exciting cinematic shots to make for a memorable viewing. Although it’s a densely-packed movie that seems more of a behemoth to conquer than previous, more light-hearted Batman films, it all comes together well enough for a very enjoyable watching experience. It also sets itself up for a promising-looking sequel which we can look forward to.
Figure 1: Robert Pattinson as the Batman, StyleCaster.
References
Barker, S. (2021). ‘The 10 Longest Superhero Movies, Ranked By Runtime’, Screen Rant [online]. Available at: https://screenrant.com/longest-superhero-movies-ranked-by-runtime/amp/ (Accessed 14/03/22).
Lemire, C. (2022). ‘The Batman Movie Review’, Roger Ebert [online]. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-batman-movie-review-2022 (Accessed 14/03/22).
The Week Staff. (2022). ‘Film review: The Batman’, The Week [online]. Available at: https://www.theweek.co.uk/arts-life/culture/film/956042/film-review-the-batman?amp (Accessed 14/03/22).
I loved this film😍 !!!