Rating: 9.5
The Batman is nothing short of incredible. Matt Reeves had such an ambitious vision for it and truly delivered the perfect Batman movie! I am genuinely overwhelmed by how good this was; it was everything I wanted it to be and more! I literally cannot put it into words what this movie was, its so different than anything we have gotten from a comic book movie before and makes so many bold decisions that really pay off. It’s wonderfully dark and grim, embracing a somber noir tone, and it worked so well for the story. The film is also super comics accurate; many scenes jump right off the pages of the comics and show a new perspective of Batman that we haven’t seen on screen before. It even felt reminiscent of the “Arkham Knight” games. It’s a staggering achievement and I am so happy that WB allowed Matt Reeves to fully realize his vision, I was blown away by what Reeves was able to do!
Matt Reeves is the true star of this film. Say what you will, but he may be one of the best directors to ever get his hands on the Batman IP, and I’m saying this as someone who loves Christopher Nolan and “The Dark Knight” trilogy. And to clear up the question of “Is it better than “The Dark Knight?”, I have to say I feel that both these movies are on the same level for me, they’re both very different and have merits in their own ways. But yes, I really did love this one. You can very much tell that Reeves poured his heart and soul into this, and had such a strong sense of what he wanted to creatively achieve with this film. Not only does it have a very impressive script that really understands and unpacks many elements of the Batman character and world, but Reeves brings it to life in such an interesting and stylish way. It’s essentially a flawless film; a masterpiece by Reeves. He was firing on all cylinders, so brilliantly subverts the expectations of an origin story with a brooding and bleak noir film that completely reinvigorates the Batman story. I also loved that he seemed to embrace some of David Fincher’s styles and techniques!
The film is grim, gritty and gripping. I loved the mystery and thriller focus, and the fact we finally got to see the detective side of Batman in a movie was so exciting and satisfying. It’s something we’ve never seen before and worked so well! The film is very reminiscent of films like “Se7en” and “Chinatown”; the dark, noir-like tone is perfect. I wouldn’t even call it an action movie, but when we do get the action scenes… holy do they ever pack a punch! They are guttural, visceral and violent, you can feel the intensity of every punch! Even the car chase scene between Penguin and Batman was insanely cool, its one of the most thrilling car chases I’ve ever seen. (And can I just say the reveal and design of the Batmobile in the film was so exciting and cool, and the sound design sold it so well!) The atmosphere of the film was excellently established and I loved the darkness of it! A huge part of this was the stunning cinematography by Greig Fraser, who is quickly becoming one of my favourite cinematographers. Every single shot in this film seems to tell a story; its such a visually interesting and stylistic piece of cinema. There is such a strong visual aesthetic, from the colours used to the excellent use of lighting (or lack thereof) and shadows. There were so many shots where I stared at the screen in awe of what I was watching, I especially love the one in the dark tunnel only lit by the gun fire and other flashing lights as we see Batman swiftly destroy a team of guards, or the shots on the rooftop of the GCPD with the perfect orange lighting. The visual effects were also spectacular, to the point I honestly didn’t even notice if there were any or not (which is the goal)!
One of the other elements that I absolutely loved was Michael Giacchino’s score. The theme alone is incredible, and one that I think will go down in history as an iconic film theme. But when you see it paired with the visuals and the story it works insanely well. I couldn’t believe how breathtaking the entire score was and how it electrified the film. It’s easily one of my favourites from Giacchino, its unlike anything he’s done before, its dark, brooding yet beautiful, and filled with intensity! He truly is one of modern film’s best composers. Sound was just used spectacularly in this film, not just with the score but with the overall mix too, from the sounds of the suit and Batman’s footsteps really making you feel the weight of the suit, to the excellent sound design of the Batmobile.
This movie’s cast was stunningly perfect. I had my doubts about a few going in, but my god, every single performance in this movie blew me away, the acting was superlative. Robert Pattinson is awesome as Batman, and I have to say he is probably my favourite actor to ever play this iconic character. He killed it, he exudes power and intensity and feels somewhat unhinged. I liked the take on a younger Batman, and especially when it comes to his Bruce Wayne persona you could really see how truly broken he is. This is a damaged character and Pattinson sold that so well. He felt somewhat untethered from humanity, someone who is watching from the sidelines and so desperately wants to rejoin but can’t seem to keep his own life together. I loved this fresh take on the character, and how much Pattinson committed to the role. Seeing him in the suit, he seemed so ferocious and imposing, and he handled both the action and emotion so well. It was truly a first-rate performance. Zoë Kravitz was someone who also really surprised me, I didn’t have high hopes for her going in, but after seeing it she truly became the best iteration of Catwoman to ever be on the big screen. I especially loved her dynamics with Pattinson, and the chemistry they had. They really sold the tension between their characters so well! Another dynamic I loved was the one between Jeffrey Wright’s Gordon and Batman. They truly felt like partners here, and I loved that because the other movies always say they are but this was the first time we got to see them truly working together. I loved that they had their own lingo and seemed to be quite close, it worked so well and was one of my favourite parts of the film. And while all these actors did an incredible job, it was Paul Dano that truly stole the show for me. He is terrifying and compelling as Riddler, I genuinely couldn’t take my eyes off him when he was onscreen. I loved the fresh take on Riddler, swapping out the goofy persona for a more serious, threatening serial-killer type. He quickly became my second favourite Batman villain after Heath Ledger’s Joker, and I can’t even put into words how fucking unbelievable Dano was. He is electric, I love how deranged and unsettling he can be; absolutely a highlight for me! Colin Farrell was pretty good as Oz/Penguin too, but the true focus of his performance was how unrecognizable he was, because of the excellent makeup and accent he does. Andy Serkis even surprised me as Alfred, I love this new version!
This was some bold storytelling too, I love that it took risks and went in a more unique, interesting direction. I loved how it established this version of Batman and Gotham, really rooting them in a realistic setting and really made Gotham itself feel like a character in the movie! It was brilliantly written, had some awesome mystery elements and so many complex pieces to the plot! I loved the more vicious Batman we see, as well as the more damaged Bruce Wayne. My only problem is we didn’t really get enough of the Bruce Wayne persona, but trust me the Batman stuff is done so perfectly it makes up for it! The 1st and 2nd acts were masterful, but I felt the 3rd act was slightly weaker in some of its more softer reveals. That being said, I still loved so many things about the 3rd act, especially a lot of bold choices that were made! The movie as a whole is just flat out incredible! The 3 hours truly fly by, its excellently paced and has so much going on.
The Batman is easily one of the best comic book movies ever made, and is a perfect Batman movie! It felt like eating a full meal; it was incredibly satisfying to watch and I loved the fresh, dark take on the material. It has a high rewatchability factor, after seeing it for the second time it only got better! This was exactly what it needed to be, and I love what this sets up for the future. “The Batman” is in good hands with Reeves and Pattinson. If this film was a masterpiece (which it was), I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the future! I recognize this film may not be for everyone, but I for one absolutely and wholeheartedly LOVED IT! It’s perhaps one of my new favourite films!
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IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
RT Audience Score: 91%
Metacritic Score: 73
CinemaScore: A-
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Warner Bros
Directed by Matt Reeves
Written by Matt Reeves & Peter Craig
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard
Runtime: 2hr 56min
Rating: PG
Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
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When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.
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Fun Fact: Matt Reeves stated that his version of the Riddler was partly inspired by the infamous serial killer Zodiac who operated in California in the late 1960s.
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