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 (042822)
The Batman, a reboot of DC comics’ most popular character, brings the franchise
back into the shadows successfully embraced by Christopher Nolan’s phenomenally
popular take but without the fetishism of the Burton/Schumacher years or the
excesses of Zack Snyder’s more recent indulgences. Although “grounded” might not
be appropriate, this iteration is less gritty and focused more on the human
component than superhero tropes, although the latter are certainly present.
Essentially a serial killer movie with fantastical, comic book elements, The
Batman’s aesthetic owes a debt to film noir with occasional visual nods to
Westerns. It plays as if Batman were dropped into David Fincher's 2007 film
Zodiac.
Like any crime movie, The Batman deals in secrets, questions of identity, and
unexpected reveals. The hero is a troubled, tortured individual. The antagonist
is more of a force of nature – a twisted, malevolent one – than a human being.
There are plenty of crime lords and crooked cops. No one, not even Batman, is
imbued with any innate special abilities or magical powers. There are no gods or
devils to be fought. The story focuses on a series of murders and the lengths to
which Gotham City’s bat-costumed vigilante will go to uncover the culprit and
stop his spree while at the same time battling his own personal demons. Reeves
has adopted at least as much from ‘40s films and Fincher’s neo-noir efforts as
from traditional superhero movies. Never has the chasm between the MCU and DC
been more evident. Warner Brothers might be “lightening up” Wonder Woman and
Aquaman, but Batman remains steeped in darkness.
The Batman is thankfully, not an origin story. It opens at a time after recluse
billionaire Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has first donned the costume and
taken his one-man war against crime onto the streets. He is mostly distrusted by
Gotham City’s police force with one notable exception: Lieutenant Jim Gordon
(Jeffrey Wright), who has thrown in his lot with Batman, despite not knowing the
latter’s true identity. No one, except the Wayne manor butler and Bruce’s
mentor, Alfred (Andy Serkis), is privy to that. Gotham’s nest of crime lords and
criminals, including the feared boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his
underling, Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), don’t yet perceive
Batman to be sufficiently threatening to worry about him. After the events of
this film, that will change.
Gordon uses the Bat-signal to call the Caped Crusader for help with the
Halloween night murder of Gotham’s beloved (but crooked) mayor. The killer, who
is dubbed The Riddler (Paul Dano) because of the clues he leaves behind, is no
common assassin and it doesn’t take long before the trail of bodies lengthens,
with each fresh killing being someone highly-placed in the government or police
hierarchy. As Gordon works to uncover the assassin’s identity using traditional
police procedures, Batman does the things that Gordon can’t. This brings him
into contact with Falcone, The Penguin, and Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), a young
woman with a penchant for cat burglary and a score to settle.
The Batman is a long movie with a complex storyline that focuses on enough
tangential subplots that there are times when the hunt for The Riddler fades
into the background. While it’s fair to credit Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig
for their ambition, the film occasionally suffers from uneven pacing and feels
like it might have benefited from tighter editing. There are fewer high-octane
action sequences here than in many superhero movies, but the two major ones (a
ferocious car chase in which the Batmobile makes its debut and a one-on-many
fight where Batman is the only one without a gun) are spectacular. Overall,
however, The Batman concentrates on detecting, analyzing ciphers, answering
riddles, and following a maze to the eventual resolution. The Riddler may not be
quite as diabolical and demented as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but he’s a
close second.
Ben Affleck’s departure from the role during preproduction required that Reeves
(who replaced him in the director’s chair and completely rewrote the script)
embark on a recasting project. This took the film out of the so-called DCEU and
put it into its own pocket universe (much like Nolan’s version). Robert
Pattinson, who coincidentally appeared in Nolan’s
Tenet
before donning the cape and cowl, was chosen to fill the main role. Pattinson is
fine in the title role. He crafts both Bruce Wayne and Batman as almost
different characters, making it clear that this version of the hero is much more
comfortable with a mask than without. With it, he’s powerful, confident, and
menacing. Without, he’s shy, guarded, almost scared. He is so beyond emo as to
almost be a parody of a Goth kid who thinks he’s part vampire. But he somehow
makes it work, and his sulking turns out to be more of a cover for being a
social misfit than an actual personality trait.
For the supporting players, The Batman employs an out-of-the-box approach. Zoe
Kravitz isn’t the first woman of color to play Catwoman – Eartha Kitt was one of
several actresses to essay the character during the 1960s TV show and Halle
Berry took over the role for a movie whose existence DC would like to ignore.
Kravitz focuses more on the “Selina” aspect of her personality than the
“Catwoman” one and the script treats her like a femme fatale. Colin Farrell is
unrecognizable as The Penguin – the makeup job is impressive. The character is
underused but that’s likely because Reeves has big future plans for him
(including his own HBOMax series). Paul Dano looks nothing like any previous
incarnation of the Riddler and is masked for most of the film. Once out of
costume, however, he appears deceptively normal – likely one reason why the
unimposing Dano was cast. Andy Serkis, who has now moved beyond merely doing
motion capture work for WETA, provides a capable performance as Alfred. Jeffrey
Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard round out the cast. Although Wright and
Turturro have previously appeared in big-budget franchises, this is Sarsgaard’s
first such foray.
Greig Fraser’s cinematography and Michael Giacchino’s score contribute to the
film’s unique identity. Fraser uses light and shadow to good effect, including
crafting several memorable silhouette shots. Giacchino’s work here may be the
best of his career. It’s soft when it needs to be, percussive during the fight
and action scenes, and finds a way to incorporate “Ave Maria.”
The Batman is arguably the best superhero movie since Logan and the best movie
to feature the title character since the middle chapter of Nolan’s trilogy. Its
strengths lie in its differences and the ways in which Reeves is able to deliver
the money shots while avoiding the cookie-cutter feel that handicaps many
superhero movies. At a time when many comic book franchises are seeking to go
bigger, with cosmic beings and multi-verses, The Batman’s down-to-earth approach
offers a welcome reprieve.
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