“The Batman” (2022) Review
A Review by Victor DeBonis
When director Matt Reeves said that he was going to direct his version of Batman, it was hard for me to initially imagine what he might bring. Make no mistake. He is and always has been a very talented filmmaker. His version of the horror movie “Let Me In” was good, and his sequels to the previous “Planet of the Apes” trilogy still remain impressive for their groundbreaking effects and raw emotion. Reeves is a filmmaker who knows how to bring innovation and raw emotion to existing properties.
The question, however, was this: What could he bring in this latest retelling of one of the most familiar superheroes of all time?
Anyone who knows me a little quickly realizes that I am a diehard Batman fan. I watched and loved the “Batman” cartoon from the 90’s as a kid and consider it one of my Top 10 favorite shows any day of the week. I wore a backpack to school with the cartoon character proudly sweeping across it with pride. I watched (and eventually bought) VHS tapes of Schumacher’s films on repeat throughout my childhood. And, in addition to loving Burton’s 1989 movies to pieces, I still look back on my experiences of seeing “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” in the theater as a teen with fondness because those were moments that played a part in developing my love and fascination with film.
I could spend hours talking about my thoughts on this character in movies or animated form or even the comics. So, naturally, I was more than interested to see what Reeves and the rest of his hardworking crew would give us. While I wouldn’t call “The Batman” a masterpiece, necessarily, it goes beyond satisfying me. It left me admiring and respecting its approach to telling this character’s story in a different light. “The Batman” feels less like a traditional superhero film and more along the lines of an intense detective procedural focused on tracking down a sadistic, serial killer. For someone who loves great investigation films, such as “All the President’s Men” as well as David Fincher’s investigative mystery films, this film was right up my alley. Through it all, though, this film never loses focus on exploring what makes Batman resonate with so many and what his values are.
This movie is visually spot-on from the first frame. Gotham City has never appeared grimier or sleazier on screen. Harsh shadows in this setting are often accompanied by dim yellow or blood-red lighting in clubs and alleyways, and this lighting depicts an uncompromising atmosphere that feels right out of a classic noir film. During a few times, Pattinson as Wayne/Batman narrates, and his weary voice doesn’t sound different from a hardboiled investigator who constantly hunts down his prey but doesn’t necessarily have the best outlook of himself. The last time that I saw an environment as ominous but spellbinding in its presentation was probably 1994’s “The Crow” and, visually, I loved every frame of this movie.
The bleak setting provides the perfect backdrop for Reeves doing something different with this character that hadn’t truly been tapped into with recent Batman films: his impressive skills as a detective. In “The Batman” the audience watches the titular hero examine the size of a wound on the side of a victim’s skull or body and attempt to determine what might have caused it. He has moments in which he interviews people to determine what they knew about the victim or what their connection was with the murder at hand. Assisted by Lieutenant James Gordan (played with remarkable calmness and integrity by Jeffrey Wright), this version of the Dark Knight follows direct clues and vocally collaborates with him and other allies about the next missing puzzle piece that the film’s main antagonist, the Riddler, left behind.
For decades, culture has referred to Batman as the “World’s Greatest Detective” and, while there was never much doubt in regards to that, the only film that truly took more of a stab at diving into the character as a detective was, oddly enough, “Mask of the Phantasm.” Here, I felt that I was watching a brilliant investigator at work, and every step of his process of finding his target left me completely enthralled. Again, seeing this movie on the big screen reminded me of watching “Zodiac” or “Se7en” or one of those other excellent murder mysteries that left me nodding my head with approval from the level of detail with both the procedural and the impressive mind of the person (or people) trying to track down the sicko of the story. This movie honors this hero in a way that feels very different and clever.
Robert Pattinson does great as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. For years, people have given this actor flack for appearing in the “Twilight” films. And, while you will never hear me defend those movies as good products, I strongly believe that the level of bitterness given towards him is completely unwarranted and unnecessary. Pattinson has moved on from those films and created a fantastic career for himself through numerous blockbuster and arthouse films alike. He has given many remarkable performances in the past decade through countless great movies, including “Good Time” “The Lighthouse” and “The Lost City of Z.”
This actor conveyed a dark edge in spades through quite a few of these movies, and, despite the majority of surrounding opinions that differed, I sensed from the very beginning that he could excel at capturing the torment and strength of this famous character. Pattinson doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. He is the first actor since probably Keaton to completely convey the sense that this character is battling with some serious demons from within but isn’t lost altogether. That is not to say that talented actors, such as Bale or even Affleck, never captured that. They certainly did.
Yet, there were moments when they would move through a scene with more surprising grace or guarded strength. You recognized that these versions were definitely better at hiding the darkness from within, whereas Pattinson’s version is still dealing with strong self-doubt about his role as Gotham’s masked savior. In several scenes, he leans forward with his pale face and appears almost broken from the sheer exhaustion of his present duties and the weight of his traumatic past. Pattinson’s journey as Wayne trying to feel more at peace with his role is more vulnerable and, therefore, more fascinating than what we’ve seen in recent years with this character on the big screen.
However, he’s not overly weak. When Pattinson steps into the suit as the Bat, he stomps forward with an ominous aura that lets criminals automatically know that they’re in trouble. He practically slams his opponents to the ground with his fists. Despite taking a few hard blows himself, he carries himself forward with a defiant posture that perfectly represents Batman’s intimidating power and presence. While other actors, even truly talented ones, have fallen into the trap of playing Bruce Wayne a little more believably than the Dark Knight himself, Pattinson plays both sides quite effectively, and his terrific performance plays a huge role into making this film succeed as it does.
One thing that I also read from interviews with Reeves that immediately made me even more interested in this movie was how the director was partly inspired by Kurt Cobain (the lead singer of the legendary 90’s rock band Nirvana) when thinking about Bruce Wayne. He saw both of these people as gifted souls in their own ways who dealt with their fair share of demons and recluse in their lives. I definitely sensed that in this story, and I’ll admit that my huge love for rock music (as well as Cobain and his band, rest his soul) and my respect for this character probably elevated it even further in a way that I wasn’t originally anticipating. Part of what has always made Batman both intriguing and inspiring to me is how he always came across as someone who dealt with a fair amount of darkness and personal pain in his life but still tried to find a way to stand as a source of good or hope towards others. Cobain impacted others with his wonderful music, and Wayne impacted others in his city through trying to carry on his family’s good name and standing as a hero to guide those who were pitted against evil and corruption.
The other actors also do great in their parts. Paul Dano is unsettling to the core as the main foe, the Riddler. When I saw a photo of his costume, earlier, it honestly didn’t look very good, as though someone had thrown that jacket and mask together. Yet, after watching this movie, it actually works alright because it is meant to blend with the bleaker environment and not stand out so much. It also helps that the Riddler is most likely based on sickos from real life who stand for a specific cause that is wrong but also don’t have much money, so it would make sense for him to not have a costume that is more than elaborate. It also gives some solid social commentary on what happens when one of these ugly people develops their own “following” and how society reacts when they continue to perform their ugly deeds. Also, the videos that the Riddler uses to spread his messages or provide his riddles are downright disturbing. For a PG-13 rated movie, I was surprised with how unsettled I was with the distorted voice and the appearances of his victims. This is the first time that I can say that a Batman movie effectively rattled me since “The Dark Knight” and it was neat to experience.
Andy Serkis is great as Alfred in this movie. He plays more of a crucial part in assisting Bruce with his investigation this time around, and it is fun to see him deliver either a snarky line or discuss what his family’s bond means to him without overstaying his welcome. Colin Farrell is delightfully devious as the Penguin in this movie. He is not quite the sicko that Danny DeVito’s version is. In this version, he is played more as a carefree 30’s gangster from a Martin Scorsese film if he didn’t deliver F-bombs, and he tries to have a ton of fun with his role. Farrell grins and parades throughout his club without a care in the world, and, through those thick prosthetics, he creates a version that is entertaining and effectively sleazy. Jon Turturro once more reminds me why he is an actor that I’m always happy to see pop up in something. As Carmine Falcone, he possesses a stillness and lethal gaze that instantly lets the audience know how much power and history he has had with this corrupt city. And, Zoe Kravitz excels as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, delivering her lethal moves and displaying both the humanity and ferocity that make her character both entertaining and tragic to witness on-screen.
I also admire that Selina doesn’t have a costume that feels completely stitched and put together. The mask looks closer to a ski mask but still hides her identity well enough, and she can effectively blend with her shadowy environment. Admittedly, it’s a small detail. However, it’s also a good example of how it shows both her and Bruce working on further cementing their alternate identities as Catwoman and Batman, respectively.
Speaking of which, it is worth pointing out that, while Batman and Catwoman don’t have a huge number of scenes together, their relationship is an investing one and one of the main reasons that I love the film as I do. One of my personal favorite storylines of the Batman franchise has always been the relationship between these two. It was one of those doomed and tragic connections that showed both of them trying to bring justice for themselves and their city but ultimately demonstrated how only one of them was more on the side of true justice. The audience could feel the passion from their bond, even if it never felt completely stable and was clearly never meant to survive in the long run. The cartoon and “Batman Returns” were both wonderful in representing this bond, and, while “The Dark Knight Rises” attempted to capture that same chemistry, it ultimately failed and showed them as more of a temporary duo than a believable pair.
“The Batman” thoroughly honors this storyline. Once or twice, there’s a phony line, but Batman and Catwoman legitimately help each other and work off of one another to trace the clues to who the killer is. They’re also both outcasts in their own ways from the rest of Gotham, and they both share a stronger connection in the sense that both of them possess scars from what happened to them in the past within this broken city. This film is great at tapping into the idea about how a specific city or environment can shape a person for better or worse and what one’s choices are when that setting is not so healthy. Quite a few of Batman and Catwoman’s conversations, along with some specific turns in the story, echo that theme, and it makes their bond with each other all the more interesting.
As far as the action goes, it’s very well-executed. The camera stays long enough to show Batman delivering a harsh punch or smack across the side, and it rarely cuts away from when a fight is taking place. It is also worth noting that Batman’s fighting style is more aggressive than in previous versions. Here, he practically flattens his opponents into the ground with each successive punch but never to the point that he kills them or comes across as sadistic. There’s also a fantastic chase scene that uses its angles and rapid yet precise editing to feel the sheer ferocity of the hero hauling to catch his target. It was great, and it almost makes me want to see the movie on the big screen again for this scene alone.
Musically, Michael Giacchino creates a great score that feels like its own unique vision. The music is more quiet to accompany the different approach to Batman’s story, but it still creates a rich atmosphere for a story filled with such tragedy and harshness. Giacchino’s theme is fantastic, too. It stays in my memory, and it sounds like the type of music that would come to mind when someone, such as Batman, is about to approach a criminal and bring serious fear and hurt.
“The Batman” isn’t a film without flaws by any means. In the last half-hour or so, the movie falls into what I refer to as the “Return of the King” trap, specifically showing scenes that are edited in a way that seems to suggest that the movie is about to end but doesn’t. There are also a few lines and moments that remind me that this is still technically a superhero film, and it was a little jolting to see them in the middle of what is still more of a gritty mystery than an action-heavy superhero film.
I should also give disclosure that this movie isn’t as heavy on action as some people might anticipate. Nolan’s movies, despite being part thrillers, had a fair amount of action in them, and those movies probably lean more towards what people are hoping to see from a general blockbuster. Personally, it didn’t bother me that “The Batman” wasn’t as heavy on action or humorous moments as a typical big-budget superhero movie might usually have. It honestly feels closer to a Jason Bourne movie in the sense that excellent fight or chase scenes are used sparingly in between discussions and planning for the next step to take, yet it still holds itself together as a investing movie and keeps its own momentum going. Audiences who know what they want from a superhero movie can act accordingly.
Through it all, I heavily admired Matt Reeves’ take on this character in this movie. The approach felt different and fresh. The level of detail to Batman’s investigation is impressive, and it helped make the experience of sitting through a near 3-hour movie honestly feel shorter. Every actor works great in their role, and Pattinson is completely believable in every scene that he’s in. He nails both the intimidating presence and aching vulnerability down to a tee. Michael Keaton and Kevin Conroy are tough to top, but Pattinson comes close to them. Reeves’ direction, as well as the engaging story about a city and its main hero trying to find a way forward, is completely well-handled, and it is another experience that reminds me why this hero resonates as well as he does, regardless of what types of stories he appears in, and why I heavily respect him as a character and fictional hero.
I hope the Bat Signal continues to shine and stand high in the sky for this version of this great character.
Grade: A