The Batman Review

The Batman marks the seventh different on-screen portrayal of the titular character since 1966. Since then, the character has evolved from Adam West’s campy portrayal in the 1960s to Christian Bale’s ultra-grounded take in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Today, Robert Pattinson was called upon to reinvent the character of Batman. Pattinson and the director, Matt Reeves, accomplished that task and then some. The Batman was released on Mar. 4, 2022, and breathes new life into the Batman character.

Robert Pattinson is simply brilliant as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The most interesting aspect of his performance has to be that the line between the two blurs throughout the narrative. Typically, Bruce Wayne is portrayed as a different character altogether compared to Batman. However, through the expertly-written script and Pattinson’s performance, Bruce Wayne feels more broken than ever. There’s no distinction between the two. It’s very clear that writer/director Matt Reeves and Pattinson fully understand the character of both Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Another important aspect of any Batman film is Gotham itself. Though nearly every Batman film makes the corruption and poor living conditions a key description of the city itself, The Batman goes above and beyond simply telling the audience this. It shows it through the grime, criminals, and general fear present in Gotham.

Gotham is ultimately its own character in well-written Batman stories, and Gotham has never felt more alive. This is the most alive and characterized Gotham has felt since Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman. Unlike Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder’s Gothams, which feel like Chicago, Gotham feels like its own living, breathing creature.

The Batman is an absolute delight visually. The cinematography is truly top-notch and easily the best shot Batman film to date. Instead of taking Christopher Nolan’s streamlined and wide shot-heavy approach to capturing The Dark Knight trilogy, Matt Reeves and his cinematographer, Greig Fraser, elected to take a grittier, unorthodox approach in shooting The Batman compared to the older films.

Reeves and Fraser decided to use a series of shots throughout the film that would vary between being focused and unfocused. The use of unfocused shots and shooting in low aperture frequently gave The Batman an incredibly distinct visual style compared to previous Batman films. The use of unfocused shots visually portrays the disorientation and overall mood that the film sets.

Both characterization and performances from supporting characters were great. Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Jeffrey Wright (Jim Gordon), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), and Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth) were brilliantly cast. This all-star cast did not disappoint. Bigger stars such as Farrell and Serkis could have easily stood out due to their notoriety and smaller role. This was not the case. Everyone disappears into their characters. Farrell, in particular, was a standout in his limited role as The Penguin.

Given that Batman has the best set of villains in comics, I cannot write this review without mentioning Paul Dano’s Riddler. His portrayal of The Riddler was absolutely perfect. The Riddler is an inherently silly villain, especially in the early days of DC Comics. However, Dano’s performance completely erases any preconceived notions.

His performance as Riddler feels like a blend of the real-world Zodiac Killer, Jigsaw from the Saw franchise, and John Doe from David Fincher’s Seven. Dano is equally as unhinged and unstable as he is cunning, creating a captivating antagonist for Batman.

Riddler himself also parallels Batman/Bruce Wayne extremely well. Throughout the film, their similarities become very apparent, providing thought-provoking social commentary through their parallel. Though not quite capturing the heights of Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker in The Dark Knight, Dano perfectly suits this film and the character of The Riddler.

I have no major negatives with the film at all. I was truly impressed throughout The Batman’s three-hour runtime. My only minor negative is that I don’t think Matt Reeves knew exactly when to end the film. It felt like it could have ended three separate times. That’s it, however. I was thoroughly captivated throughout the film.

Overall, The Batman is an absolute triumph for Robert Pattinson, Matt Reeves, DC Comics, and fans of the character. The debate for the following years will be whether The Batmanor The Dark Knight is the definitive Batman film. I have to say The Batman earned that title.