The Batman

 

On Halloween night, Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) is brutally murdered by masked killer The Riddler (Paul Dano), who leaves behind a cryptic clue for vigilante crimefighter Batman (Robert Pattinson). Though Gotham police higher-ups have a deep distrust of the caped crusader, Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) trusts him and welcomes his help. Batman decides to look for leads at the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub run by Oz Cobblepot aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell) on behalf of mafia don Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). While infiltrating the lounge, Batman meets Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), a thief who enlists him to help her find her missing friend. As the Riddler’s targets expand to include more and more corrupt Gotham officials, Bruce Wayne – Batman’s civilian alter ego – begins to see a connection to his murdered parents. His growing obsession disturbs his butler and confidant Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), but he will not stop until The Riddler is unmasked and the truth is revealed.

 

Matt Reeves’ long-delayed and long-anticipated take on a Batman film grew out of what was supposed to be a Ben Affleck project before morphing into something else entirely. The end result manages to provide a semi-fresh take on an oft-adapted character and a gripping murder mystery that only occasionally falls prey to its excesses.

 

The Batman is both tonally and aesthetically a very dark film. Even more so than most adaptations, Gotham here is depicted as a cesspool of bottomless corruption. Correspondingly, The Riddler’s murders of those responsible for it are that much more brutal than typical costumed villain hijinks. Much of the action takes place at night, and Michael Giacchino’s haunting theme only adds to the ambiance. Reeves’ film isn’t quite as dazzling as Christopher Nolans’ trilogy (a testament to how well those films hold up visually after more than a decade), but it’s still well-choreographed with style to spare. A chase scene involving the Batmobile (reimagined here as a massively modded muscle car) pursuing a gun-toting Penguin down a highway is a particular standout.

 

A capable cast largely supplies the substance to match. Pattinson is an excellent Batman, mastering the character’s menacing whisper, noirish voiceover, and unflappable dedication while also showing hints of vulnerability that befit a hero still coming into his own. The Bruce Wayne side of the character, on the other hand, feels hollow and underwritten. True, Batman is the “real” personality and Bruce the mask, but the civilian identity has always been a crucial part of the character whether it takes the guise of a frivolous playboy or an astute and responsible business mogul. Here, we’re given Bruce as a pallid ultra-recluse. And while Batman’s arc is learning to be more than just a symbol of fear and vengeance by providing hope, Bruce himself gets no such redemptive moment. So little attention is paid to this side of the character that Serkis as Alfred doesn’t make much of an impact either.

 

Fortunately, the other roles are meatier. Dano eschews the camp goofiness of Frank Gorshin and Jim Carrey and instead borrows from Cory Michael Smith of Gotham’s more demented Riddler with elements of the Zodiac Killer thrown in for good measure. It’s an effectively creepy performance though Dano’s high-pitched exhortations seem distractingly showy. A completely unrecognizable Farrell effectively plays Al Capone to Falcone’s Johnny Torrio, laying the groundwork for more screentime later. Kravitz’s Selina is a compassionate and sympathetic Catwoman who is nevertheless willing to get her hands dirty. It’s not as memorable a rendition as Michelle Pfeiffer provided, but it does the character justice. Given that this film plays up Batman’s role as a detective, it’s fitting that Wright’s version of Gordon functions as his de facto partner, not only the rare honest Gotham cop but a capable investigator in his own right.

 

The Batman draws heavily from The Long Halloween storyline, and even while condensing the plot and excising characters (don’t go looking for Harvey Dent), it still feels, at nearly three hours, a bit bloated. Pacing isn’t nearly as poor as the DCEU/Snyderverse films, but once the biggest mystery is solved, the film loses steam with only a few exciting set pieces and a memorable cameo to preserve audience interest.

 

More a moody noir thriller with flair than a superhero film, The Batman is a finely attuned synthesis of new and old. It’s overlong and far from essential, but it’s overall quite well-made.