The Batman Review: Is It The Epic We Were Promised?

“We’re given everything we deserve from a Batman film…”

When Matt Reeves took the reigns of the Batman franchise a few years back, with Robert Pattinson due to don the cape and cowl, we were told to expect a reinvention of the character on the big screen. A character-driven noir detective story with a new take on the DC Comics mythos. Thankfully, Reeves delivers with this powerful new take on one of cinemas most loved heroes.

The story takes place two years into Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman. In that time, the vigilante has become feared by both criminals and everyday civilians. Only the GCPD’s Jim Gordon has his full support. Even his loyal butler/bodyguard Alfred is not on board with his nightly activities. With the murder of Gotham’s mayor sparking the plot, the duo quickly entwines with the likes of Selina Kyle, Carmine Falcone and Oz Cobblepot, as they work to uncover the identity and plans of an unhinged individual calling himself The Riddler.

To go straight into it, those who doubted Robert Pattinson’s casting should be eating their words now. As most of us expected, the Twilight alumni offers up a complete reinvention of both Bruce Wayne and Batman. We’re given a Bruce who has been mentally scarred by the trauma of his past. More so than any incarnation beforehand. It gives a deep rooted reason for his turning to a life of vigilantism. His take on Batman is raw and brutal, showing the hero in his early days. He is still edgy and can be prone to not always making the right decision. With the film being told squarely from his point of view 95% of the time, we needed a strong take on the complexity of this character, and that’s what we get.

Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton/Riddler is terrifying. The opening scene will have you ready to flinch. You can’t help but feel uncomfortable whenever he appears on screen, mask worn or not. A very unique take on the character Jim Carrey brought to the big screen in 1995, and all the more dominant of the role as a villain. This film’s take on a main villain only makes us comfortable that a sequel will up the stakes.

We of course have Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Colin Farrell as Penguin/Oz Cobblepot and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. It’s fair to say that Wright’s take on Gordon is probably the most action orientated we’ve seen in cinema. He gets a lot to do alongside The Dark Knight. He’s even willing to bend the rules to get results. Again, a different take on a character we know, but a very welcomed one. Kravitz and Farrell are dead set on returns in the future, and thank God they are. Their versions of the future Gotham criminals are so comic accurate. It’s amazing how much they blend into their characters, from their walks to their way of talking. This more so refers to Farrell’s performance. He’s pretty much unrecognisable and needs more screen time moving forward.

There is only one misfire in this whole character list, and it’s kind of a big one. Especially if you’re a big Batman fan. Serkis’ take on Alfred continues the new age of the character on screen in which he is a hardened ex-army man who was tasked with bringing Bruce up and keeping him tough whilst acting as his only family and shoulder to lean on. It has been publicised that Alfred and Bruce’s relationship is at the heart of the story. It’s fair to say that that is the case. Having said that, it is unfortunate that the character doesn’t get as much time on screen as he deserves. Once we get that scene between the pair near the end of the second act, that is the last we see of Bruce’s closest ally. The character should have gotten one scene in the end to tie up this new connection established with the man he brought up. It almost takes away from the emotion we see between the two characters. Hopefully, a sequel will rectify this in some way.

One thing you shouldn’t be fooled by with this film is it’s runtime. “Three hours!? This is going to bore me”. Fear not, The Batman doesn’t suffer from fillers or stretching out scenes beyond belief. We get good story beats consistently throughout. In fact, the film could almost be watched in parts as issues as a full blown graphic novel. This mega detective story takes you down the road of every lead Batman and Gordon head to. You’re constantly put to the test as you try and work out the mysteries before our resident hero does. The plot as a whole takes elements from comic books such as Year One and The Long Halloween. It even takes note from the well-received Arkham games in how Batman uses technology and how the character comes into contact with other comic book characters. As much as we love the graphic novel element, the film can sometimes break away from the main plot, for maybe too long. There is a whole section that takes us away from the Riddler goings on. It is used as a time for us to touch on the main character’s demons, but it does take us away for a bit too long, even for a film that is just under 180 minutes in length.

One thing we can’t fault the story for being able to throw us straight into the story. That’s without bogging us down with exposition. Gone are the days of watching Thomas and Martha Wayne be gunned down in front of a young Bruce. Going in the route of the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, the story only alludes to the history of our main hero and what has led him to this point. Instead, we go head first into the plot at hand, and spend time getting to know our characters here and now. We don’t even need to worry about how the film will effect multiple storylines in linear film trilogies. As much as we love the synergy of the Marvel films, it’s so refreshing to be back with one singular character. It’s just about them and their story. As a self contained world, we get to just worry about what is going on in this section of time in Gotham City. Nowhere outside of that matters. It’s great not having to head to YouTube before opening night to catch up on everything that may feed into this plot from films that have come out previously. It is worth noting nonetheless, that the film does give some small (and some massive) nods to the future of this world of Batman. Watch this space for more on that.

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The directing and tone from Matt Reeves is just masterful. If you’ve seen his Planet of the Apes films, you probably knew that this was going to be something to live up to. Not only do we get a living, breathing Gotham City like nothing seen on the big screen before (again, massive inspiration from the Arkham games clearly), but we actually get a Batman film that is frightening. The tone is dark, dreary and fearful in every aspect. The way we see criminals fearing to walk into the shadows. That opening sequence with The Riddler. The funeral scene. Reeves really gives us a scarier take on the world of Gotham City and it’s inhabitants. It sounds stupid given how dark of a character Batman is, but this really doubles down on it, taking a a few nods from Tim Burton’s version and then some. We also get a nice touch of Nirvana’s “Something in The Way” which has featured in the film’s earlier trailers and sort of set the tone for the film’s style. We know that Kurt Cobain was a bit of an influence of this version of Bruce Wayne, but the fact that the song is actually sewn into the DNA of not only the marketing but also the actual film score is beautiful.

This comic book film takes us into unexpected territory and doesn’t rely on the building of crossovers with other heroes for instance. It’s a new, fresh take on the character everyone is overly familiar with. It returns to the times when we wanted to see a self contained story and not worry about how it effects multiple linear storylines. Yes, characters crossing over on the big screen is still a new concept in the grand scheme of things, but it’s great to know that this genre isn’t slipping down that route completely and there is still room for these kinds of films to operate in their own corner.

Overall, I’m going to go out on a limb. This is the best Batman film to hit our screens. This is coming from someone who has adores and cherishes Batman Returns, so don’t take this lightly. We’re given everything we deserve from a Batman film. Amazing cast. Well established story. Elements of fear and darkness that fit the frame of the main character. A Gotham City that is visually striking. Appearances from multiple members of the rogues gallery without it being considered “too much”. More than anything, a promise of a bright future for this solo outing from one of cinema’s favourite superheroes. Yes, the off character deserved more screen in the third act and we stray away from the main plot for a bit too long here and there, but that can be swept under the rug quite easily given the outweighing of the positives.

Let’s get cheesy for just one moment. “Unmask the truth”. Fine; The Batman is a work of arm for any real Batman fan or general lover of comic books. Score? Pfft, easy. Solid 9.2/10. I’m already looking forward to a second viewing.

The Batman is currently in cinemas.