(SPOILER WARNING!!)
In the midst of the DCEU hurrying to catch up with Marvel with the success of comic book cinematic universes, and failing miserably to the point of a rumoured universe wide reboot via the upcoming Flash movie, we have director Matt Reeves coming in to helm an ongoing and messy production for a solo Batman movie. Initially, the project started out as a part of the DCEU with the writing and production being handled by original star Ben Affleck; Joe Manganiello was even cast to play Deathstroke as the antagonist, complete with test footage leaked on Affleck's Instagram account.
Unfortunately, due to Affleck going through shit in his personal life which included divorce and alcoholism, on top of the messy reshoots fiasco during the production with the Joss Whedon version of Justice League, Ben Affleck pretty much abandoned the production of his Batman film and ended up becoming disenfranchised with the character. In response, DC/WB decided to hit the unenviable "standalone reboot" button and pretty much did the entire project from scratch; this time, the direction would be helmed by Planet Of The Apes reboot director Matt Reeves, who then assisted novelist Peter Craig in the writing for the script, and the role of Batman would be filled by none other that Robert Pattinson, who has otherwise stuck to independent/indie film projects after his miserable time with the Twilight films.
And judging from the behind the scenes information, everything looked to be falling into place for an interesting Batman movie. There was a strong cast in the works that also included Andy Serkis as Alfred and Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, the trailers gave the sense of a dreary Gotham centred around solving the crimes of a Zodiac killer inspired version of the Riddler, and the direction they were taking by focusing on the detective-based and psychological aspects of Batman gave the film a unique edge over the Nolan or Burton films.
Just a pity that the film had to be delayed multiple times due to COVID conditions and the original Deathstroke story just ended up being regurgitated in the shitty Titans show.
Plot:
Bruce Wayne has been operating as the Batman in Gotham for two years by the time the film starts, where he is still something of an urban legend amongst criminals and he has a shaky alliance with the GCPD, including lieutenant Jim Gordan (played by Jeffrey Wright). Recently, a series of murders have gained special attention due to a series of clues and ciphers being left behind by the Riddler (played by Paul Dano), who has been targeting the upper class and seeks to "unmask the truth" about Gotham's corruption. In order to solve the mystery behind the Riddler's identity, Batman teams up with professional cat burglar Selina Kyle, who becomes involved due to the disappearance of her girlfriend Annika. All the while, Bruce starts learning the truth about the legacy of his parents and how the past affects Gotham in the present day.
Pros:
The direction and cinematography in this film is absolutely stellar, and Matt Reeves' ability to create a dark and grim mood helps to give Gotham so much personality, essentially turning the city into a character in and of itself. You aren't just told how much of a crime-ridden cesspool the place is; it's shown to you with a lot of darkened places and suspicious looking people on almost every corner in the city. You get a firm understanding of how much this city has deteriorated with the deaths of the Wayne family, and thus why people are actually looking to the Riddler as a sign of change for this city. Granted it probably could've done without all the rain that it seemed to get night after night, which does make some visuals difficult to make out; but otherwise, Reeves' vision of Gotham is hauntingly stunning.
Speaking of; Paul Dano's Riddler is a great update to the character. We still get the expected eccentricity and narcissism often associated with the prince of puzzlers, but with a terrifying twist with him being an otherwise faceless sociopath who plans everything ten steps ahead of everyone else. I also liked how they show Riddler being smart enough to figure out Bruce's alter ego, especially with his own motivations being based on how he and other orphans were basically forgotten while Bruce got sympathy for the death of his parents.
(EDIT (11/08/2022): After rewatching the film on DVD, I realised I made a mistake; Riddler never knew Bruce was Batman, him saying Bruce's name to Batman was simply a red herring for both the audience and the title character. It was something that I missed in my initial viewing and hadn't been rectified until recently. I apologise for the confusion and for misrepresenting what actually happened in the film).
Combine this characterisation with an eerie performance from Paul Dano, and you have one of the most intimidating villains in recent comic book movie affair.
But of course, a hero and his villain must be on equal grounds, which Pattinson does extremely well as a broodier, anger-driven, vengeance-obsessed version of the Dark Knight. For most of the film, we hardly see him outside of his outfit, feeding into the idea that he is more comfortable being the Batman than he is the billionaire. This is showcased early on with him being appalled that Alfred called over some company execs to talk with Bruce due to his refusal to have a life outside of being a vigilante. And by the end of the film, upon seeing that his acts of violence is only inspiring more criminals to rise amidst the chaos that the Riddler sowed, he realises that he can't be that kind of person anymore; he has to become a symbol of hope for the city, to actually help people both as himself and as a hero. That's a great arc for the character that I don't recall being fully explored in a live-action Batman film before.
I also loved how they made sure to emphasize something not often seen in Batman movies; the fact that the character is a detective. More often than not in some of the other films, there seems to be more focus put on Batman as a martial artist and vigilante, less so on his actual deductive skills that earned him the title of the world's greatest detective. And even when that's a part of his character, it's either downplayed or his investigations happen off-screen. This film, however, makes it clear right out of the gate that Batman's keen mind and eye for detail are just as essential to him as the cape and cowl. With several scenes of him figuring out the clues found in the Riddler's ciphers as well as him actually finding evidence in the crime scenes, this is hands down the best representation of this aspect of Batman's identity as a hero. He doesn't have superpowers nor is he the strongest fighter in the world; he's the smartest guy in the room and he can easily prove it.
Also, as a side note; thank you Matt Reeves. You made the only Batman movie where he DOESN'T. FUCKING. KILL. ANYONE! I can't tell you how happy I was to see a live action Batman who, directly or indirectly, wasn't responsible for a single death. That is another essential detail about the character that so many films either ignore or stupidly mishandle in a way that makes him look like a hypocritical psychopath (looking at YOU, BvS!).
As for the supporting cast, I really enjoyed what they brought to the table. Zoe Kravitz was a great version of Selina Kyle, which in turn allowed for a lot of chemistry between her and Bruce though their banter and teamwork. She has her moments of being sly and snarky, but she also shows that she can be fierce and angry when push comes to shove; especially upon seeing her girlfriends corpse and learning that Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro) was responsible. I also really enjoyed Andy Serkis as Alfred; he still possesses the caring for his charge that any good version of the character should have by default, but he can also have his moments where he loses his patience with Bruce's obsession over his crusade. The scene that they share in the hospital shows exactly the kind of dynamic Bruce and Alfred should have. Jeffrey Wright made for a good Jim Gordon, and John Turturro made for quite the intimidating Carmine Falcone. But there was one actor who absolutely stole the show:
Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, later to be known as the Penguin. Ignoring the fact that Farrell is completely unrecognisable with the fat-suit and make-up the crew made for him, he also gives the kind of performance that this version of the Penguin deserves. This character is snarky, condescending, egotistical, and greedy, with an appropriately loud and bombastic performance from Farrell as he chews every single scene that he is in. Even in moments that are quieter than others, he still commands so much presence purely through his facial expressions. If anyone in the cast deserves recognition for the work they put into diving deep into the role, it's Colin Farrell.
The action scenes, while few and far between, are handled very well. What makes a lot of them stand out is that each one has something visually unique about them. Bruce's first fight is cast in a lot of heavy shadows as he beats up the group of thugs; the car chase between the Batmobile and the Penguin uses a lot of yellows and ambers to give the scene a darker atmosphere; Batman's first encounter with Selina is kept in a small room to emphasize the intimacy of the characters; my personal favourite is with Batman walking through a hallway and the only source of light is the flashes from the thugs guns as they fire. It's a visually dynamic, albeit brief, fight that acts as a great spectacle while also keeping the tone consistent.
Cons:
I think that of all of the praises I can give this film and how it handled the character of Batman, there is only really one issue that can only really be a nit-pick; after the Riddler is found and arrested, the film does kind of slow down a little. As I have brought up before in my review of Denis Villeneuve's Dune (read here), I don't have a problem when a film takes a slower pace in order to tell the story. However, my issue with the pacing in the last hour of this film is that it kind feels like the film should be wrapping up at a quicker momentum. The rest of the film has otherwise kept things steady, allowing the right amount time for scenes to breathe and just letting the story flow naturally. Once the Riddler is caught, however, the rest of the film kind of drags when it felt like it would've been the ample time to end the story in a neat little package. I ultimately liked the final battle between Batman and the Riddler's followers, but it could've been trimmed down a little as to allow the pacing to remain consistent throughout the entire run-time.
Also; I don't care that Barry Keoghan cameos as the Joker. It did absolutely nothing for me.
Conclusion:
But at the end of the day, even with the film slowing down near the end, I think this may be the best live action Batman movie in the longest time. Matt Reeves' direction and vision are excellent as always, and the cast gave strong performances all-around, with a moody tone that doesn't venture into becoming overly pretentious prattle like was seen in the Nolan movies, or unbearable edgelord cringe like was seen in BvS. It hits the right balances of all of the elements needed to tell a great Batman story, while allowing for further expansion of this universe in order to fully realise Reeves' plans for the mythos. Is it a perfect movie? I wouldn't say so. But it's still an intriguing detective story that also happens to be about Batman, which is exactly what was promised to the audience when it was first announced.
Overall rating: 9 out of 10 (Excellent).
Nonetheless, thanks for reading my review. Whatever your thoughts are of the movie, be sure to comment below. I would be extremely grateful if you could share this on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), and make sure to give me a follow as well; I'm very active on Twitter (@MediaHood23) and I will be sure to actually check my Instagram (@mediahood23) every once in a while. Also make sure to check out my YouTube channel (Media Hood Reviews) and please subscribe and ring the bell for any notifications.
But until next time, because there always will be one; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
