Batman is one of the most ubiquitous characters in pop culture with numerous actors having had a crack at playing the iconic comic book character. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, even the most detached person knows Batman’s backstory and a few of his villains and their stories. With this overwhelming familiarity, how could this possibly be rebooted yet again into a compelling story? Director Matt Reeves of the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise provides his neo-noir inspired take on the world of Gotham in an attempt to do so.
The Batman takes into the world of Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) once again, a billionaire orphan who witnessed his parents killed as a young boy who grows up into a crime fighting vigilante in a Bat costume. Two years into his night job as The Bat, a serial killer calling himself the Riddler (Paul Dano) begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, leaving clues for Batman as to his next move. Batman ventures into Gotham City’s underworld in search of the killer, investigating alongside Detective Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and meeting gangsters like Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and club waitress Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). Soon, the Riddler’s game leads Batman to his father’s past where he must confront his lineage and his view of what his vigilantism means.
Batman as the embodiment of vengeance has been the modern interpretation of the character for nearly three decades now, but The Batman is the first time that the superhero’s film output has truly reckoned with what that means for him, his cause, and the city for which he has appointed himself protector. The film’s story explores the nature of retribution through the lens of being an orphan made so by the wrongdoing of others. To those whom this applies in the film, they are faced with using their circumstance as fuel to right the wrong’s done to them through force, though of varying degrees. Bruce doles out brutality to criminals like the one who may have killed his father, but backs away from his self imposed line of killing in the name of vengeance, unlike others who may be tempted to use vengeance to inflict the pain of their lives and loss on those who they blame for their lot in life. Bruce believes that his refusal to kill or maim and vigilantism as Batman makes his brand of vengeance just, a righteous form of vengeance. But as the story unfolds, both he and the audience come to question just whether striking out at those whom you’ve made an avatar of your pain can be just at all no matter how many figurative punches you pull. Vengeance itself as a concept may be unable to be divorced from harm, whether it be direct or in the effect it has on the world around you. It’s an eternal question for mankind in how best to deal with our trauma and the part of ourselves that tells us to seek recompense for being wronged.
The Batman is sure to finally satisfy those fans that have been clamoring for the Dark Knight to be immortalized on film as the World’s Greatest Detective with a noir inspired story that is the best story ever written for a Batman film. The Caped Crusader, Jim Gordon, and Selina investigating the clues provided by The Riddler, The Riddler’s John Doe, Se7en inspired contraptions for his kills, and the slow uncovering of the rot in Gotham politics makes for a satisfying detective story that never becomes dull and engrosses the audience completely. Just when you thought ever my cool gadget had been thought of in Batman movies, his surveillance contact lenses add another soon to be iconic gadget to his catalogue that also perfectly complements the story onscreen.
The chemistry of the three heroes, or anti-hero in Selina’s case, contributes greatly to the strength of the story as Pattinson, Kravitz, and Wright bounce off of each other extremely well with performances that complement each other well and draw upon emotion perfectly, whether it’s the romantic and sexual tension between the Bat and the Cat or the growing professional trust between Gordon and Batman. Kravitz specifically gives a sensuous performance as Catwoman that is a worthy successor to Michelle Pfeiffer’s iconic turn in 1992’s Batman Returns and is someone you definitely want to see more of. But what is a superhero movie without its villains and The Batman has antagonists that are deliciously evil, terrifying, and perfect complements to its tale of corrupting rot in the big city. Paul Dano offers one of the best Batman villain performances ever as a completely cunning and psychopathic serial killer that may come to redefine the character of The Riddler. Dano has long been an actor that is woefully underrated outside of cinephile circles, but no more after this. His cat and mouse game with Pattinson’s Batman is a riveting watch. Farrell and Turturro’s turns as mobsters add a grounded crime element that is topical in its exploration of corruption at the highest levels of society.
The Batman manages to be a comic book film that is grounded and about something, exploring the limits of vengeance and examining societal corruption and the disenchantment of those at the bottom, while still satisfying die hard comics fans with action and references to their favorites. Matt Reeves and Peter Craig have written a noir that is engrossing and captivating, offering perhaps the most frightening depiction of Batman that showcases how frightening he is to encounter for his foes. They also managed to impart the perfect amount and brand of humor into the film, dry and integrated well in the moment, never too distracting. The film also has great visuals from director of photography Greig Fraser with some breathtaking shots of both Batman and Gotham. Robert Pattinson’s young Batman who is still getting his footing and figuring out his purpose as a vigilante succeeds in providing a different vantage point on a character that is rebooted every decade. Paul Dano’s turn as the Riddler will almost certainly be beloved and highly influential over time with a horrifying performance that will be replicated in the years to come. Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle will also be a fan favorite that we’ll be treated to more of. This is a film that stands strongly on its own and sets up a world you’ll want to see more of. Just when you think comic book movies and Batman films will get tired, a dark ray of hope appears.
Image: Warner Bros.
