It’s been a week since The Batman was released. It’s taken the internet by storm as reviews have gushed about the film‘s comic book elegance but how does the film do as a whole? Read on below to see my thoughts on the Batman 2022. Beware spoilers below.
The Plot
A young Batman must follow the clues left behind as a new enigmatic serial killer seems to be targeting corrupt officials in Gotham City. He meets the illusive Selina Kyle as she starts out on her own agenda as both of them delve deeper into the mystery that shrouds the past.
Acting
There have been tonnes of different Batman actors over the years. When Robert Pattinson was announced as the newest actor to don the cowl people didn’t know how to react. The same question was “How the Ex-Twilight star would do?” I am confidently saying he’s finally got the respect he deserves. He plays Batman and Bruce in such a quiet way that brings power to his performance. I still stand by the 90’s series as being the best iteration of the show but this Batman really encapsulates the core of the character where others don’t really. Batman isn’t just vengeance, he’s the hope that Gotham needs. Unlike the Dark Knight, it actually shows him away from the villains and interacting with the people of the city.
For as good as Pattinson is there’s gold star acting across the board. The leading lady of the film is femme fatale Catwoman. Zoe Kravitz is a cat who’s got claws and isn’t afraid to use them. I was anxious about how they’d write Catwoman. To my surprise, she was as smart and as competent as her comic book counterpart. She’s a badass without being emotionally walled off. What more do you want?
That Batman is only as good as the enemy he’s facing. I’m very happy to report that this Riddler is easily the best live-action Riddler we’ve had. No offence to Jim Carey or Corey Michael Smith but Paul Dano steals the show. He’s arrogant, childish, horrifying and a little adorable. They took a lot of inspiration from the SAW movies for this character. The opening scene with him in the mayors was worth the price of my admission ticket.
One final acting performance I have to commend is Colin Farrel. He is unrecognisable as the Penguin in the best way. He, again, like Riddler could easily be argued to be the best live-action version of the character. There’s nothing else to say except “Holy Acting Talent Batman!”
Story
The whole plot of this thing is the Riddler essentially leading Batman on this breadcrumb trail to find out about the city-wide corruption. The mystery is easy to follow despite being a complicated mystery. It has a very noir vibe to it.
The story also has hints of all the great Batman classics that came before it but mostly it seems to take its inspiration from The Long Halloween. (Another Batman story I really recommend) It definitely is a slow burn but it does enough with its action to keep you invested in what’s going on. It brings the more lesser-known parts of Batman mythos into the spotlight like Falcone and Maroni. Did it need to be three hours long? Probably not. Did I enjoy every minute of those three hours? You bet I did.
Technical Elements of The Batman
Right off the bat this is a beautiful looking film. This film is what people mean when they want a comic book movie. Each shot feels like a comic book panel and the colours are dark but it never feels like it’s to an extent that it ruins the immersion.
The action scenes are equally as artsy as the cinematography. There are multiple action sequences with slick, clear action. The car chase is stunning, the fight between Selina and Falcone is exciting. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Gotham has never looked better. The city is the right mix of Gothic architecture while feeling like a modern-day city. (With a small cameo from St George’s Hall to sweeten the deal). Each place has it’s own identity to it and it fits in well with the rest of the scenery. I’m sad that some locations were only used once. There’s a shot of Bruce and Alfred at breakfast and the interior design grabbed me in the cinema. It was dark, brooding and beautiful and they never show it again after.
Problems with The Batman
With so much good in this film there has to be something to nitpick. The way that they set up the BatCat romance relies on some outdated tropes. Catwoman is with a woman called Anika, who is later killed. It’s obvious in the film that Anika and Selina were together romantically. Catwoman’s actress Zoe Kravitz did confirm she played Catwoman as Bi. It comes off as a strange mix of Bury your gays/fridging. As an LGBT person, it made me uncomfortable but that’s otherwise the only problem in an otherwise great movie.
Conclusion
The Batman is a stylish, suave comic book movie that doubles as a detective noir with a satisfying beginning, middle and ending. With award-winning performances all around I strongly recommend checking this movie out, even if you’re not a comic book nerd.
Rating 9.5/10.
