Live action Batman films may never be entirely free from the influence of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, and for the most part that’s for the better. The darker themes and more grounded approach to worldbuilding and villains have been extremely effective in past Batman films and that is no different with Director Matt Reeves ‘The Batman.’
‘The Batman'’s biggest and most glaring flaw is its pacing. It is painfully uneven and often arduously slow, which hampers some of the film's more impactful dramatic moments. Robert Pattison’s interpretation of Bruce Wayne went a little extreme on the brooding melancholia, but his Batman is a welcome addition to the pantheon of Batmen. It’s extremely unfortunate that Ben Affleck, who was a phenomenal Bruce Wayne and Batman, was not given a solo film of this caliber.
This may just be a testament to how great Paul Dano, Colin Ferrell, and Zoe Kravitz performances are, but their respective interpretations of The Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman outshine Pattison's as the titular hero. I would even go as far as to say Zoe Kravitz's incarnation of Selena Kyle/Catwoman might be the best to grace the silver screen. Also a huge Kudos to the make-up department whose masterful skills made Colin Farrell virtually unrecognizable in his portrayal of The Penguin. Retrospectively, Batman’s gallery of rogues tend to outshine the caped crusader in his films dating back to Jack Nickolson's unhinged tour de force as the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman.
I cannot stress how fantastic the score is for this film. Composer Michael Giacchino really had his work cut out for him, having to follow in the footsteps of legendary composers Danny Elfman and Hanz Zimmer with their iconic Batman scores.
‘The Batman’ plot and themes may seem a bit familiar to those who have played Telltale Batman games, but the plot details as well as the narrative approach are more often a pro more so than a con. The film's similarities to the game also help it stand apart from the other live action Batman films. The filmmakers lean heavy on the noir and detective aspect of the Batman mythos . Other Batman films often put the mystery/detective aspect of Batman on the backburner despite in being an integral part of the comics from day one.
My Rating 3.5/5
Before seeing 'The Batman' in theater, come browse The Brown Deer Public Library's various cross media collections on The Caped Crusader, all available to check out!
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