Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers for the film, “The Batman.”
Gotham’s crime-fighting superhero returned on March 4 in “The Batman,” immediately earning the praise of both long-time fans and casual moviegoers. As the newest reboot of the Batman film franchise, the film explores the character of Bruce Wayne in a new way, supplemented by amazing performances, beautiful cinematography and an overall dark, eerie tone.
The film is set two years after Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) began fighting crime in Gotham City as Batman. On Halloween, the mayor is murdered by a man who dubs himself The Riddler (Paul Dano), and Batman investigates this murder alongside Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) of the Gotham City Police Department. The Riddler leaves several messages and mysteries for Batman to decipher, one of which leads him to investigate a woman who was seen with the Penguin (Colin Farrell), who acts as the chief lieutenant of mobster Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). This leads him to encounter Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), who masquerades as the burglar Catwoman. Alongside Gordon and Kyle, Batman works to solve the mystery behind the Riddler and his plans to wreak havoc on Gotham City.
We’ve seen Batman movies before: Christian Bale gave a spectacular performance in the “Dark Knight” trilogy, and Ben Affleck takes on the role in the DC Extended Universe. However, as the first film in a new Batman reboot and one that focused on Batman’s early career, it did not focus on his origin story — no more flashbacks of the traumatic murder of Wayne’s parents, and no more pearl necklaces falling to the floor. Instead, we see a young superhero figuring out what exactly he is fighting for; in the beginning, he introduces himself with an edgy “I’m Vengeance,” but throughout the film, he becomes so much more than a shadowy husk of his trauma.
Pattinson may have gotten worldwide recognition from his role as Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” series, but he proves to be so much more than just a pretty face in “The Batman” if his involvement in other critically acclaimed films did not do so already. Pattinson’s Wayne is no longer the usual playboy and socialite; he’s broken, traumatized, wounded to the core, and Pattinson portrays the emotional trauma that Wayne suffers incredibly well. When his casting was announced, Pattinson was met with great backlash from some Batman fans, who even called for a Change.org petition to reverse the decision. However, Pattinson used his unique portrayal of Batman to prove the haters wrong with his outstanding immersion into the role.
The film puts a heavy emphasis on Batman’s role as a detective, which is an important deviation from previous “Batman” films. The Riddler is genuinely terrifying as a villain, and his little jokes and schemes are filled with dark humor that makes him all the more mysterious. The film is also terribly relevant to today’s political climate, with its conflict being deeply rooted in political corruption. “The Batman” is almost three hours long, but it’s fast-paced enough for immediate engagement and for the time to fly by. It is a skillful blend of the detective, action and psychological thriller genres that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
In contrast to flashy superhero movies rampant with superpowers and special effects, “The Batman” has more of a darker visual style. Most of the events occur during nighttime, and when Gotham City isn’t engulfed in darkness, it’s either cloudy or rainy. The film has an overall dark look to it, composed of generally muted colors. This isn’t some stereotypical positive “let’s save the world” type of superhero movie; rather, “The Batman” does more than that. It explores the darkness of both Wayne and Gotham City through, not only its plot but also its visual style. As a result, the cinematography is also top notch. At the end of the car chase scene between Batman and the Penguin, the Penguin finds himself upside down in a toppled-over car as Batman approaches him menacingly; the shot is filmed in the victim’s perspective with the superhero upside down, just like a bat. Toward the latter portion of the film, Batman raises a signal flare to guide the people of Gotham to safety; after a struggle, he has decided to become a beacon of light himself to protect the city in his own way instead of seeking vengeance aimlessly.
Presenting itself as a dark mystery, “The Batman” shows viewers that there is always room for improvement. With its stunning visuals, amazing performances and reinventions of characters, the film is a brilliant piece of art that deserves all its high praise.
Grace Tu is an Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tug2@uci.edu.