The Batman

UK Release Date: 04 March 2022

Certification: 15

Director: Matt Reeves

Cast: Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz, Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Jeffrey Wright

Rating: 97%

"If you are justice please do not lie. What is the price for your blind eye?"

Review:

Batman is my favourite comic book hero of all time so it's safe to say I was absolutely buzzing to be watching Matt Reeves' The Batman on opening weekend. It's hard not to compare The Batman to The Dark Knight - the best comic book movie of all time -  but the film creates its own unique, bleak story that is more like a Seven rather than a superhero movie. 

Matt Reeves does an excellent job taking the character back to his roots whilst crafting an artistic film. Batman's original comic book run describes him as 'the world's greatest detective' and we've yet to see that on the big screen but The Batman delivers on that promise. It's nice to see Batman be the smartest man in the room multiple times through the run time. And the relationship between Batman and Gordon was reminiscent of up and coming cop and hardened cop relationship. 

Robert Pattinson received a lot of backlash when cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne due to his work on The Twilight Saga. But he's truly an imposing figure. He didn't even need to say anything to reveal every single emotion he's feeling, the funeral scene is the perfect example. Similarly, his eye acting when dawning the cowl is incredible and I really liked his Bat voice. Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman is the best portrayal of the character so far. The chemistry between her and Pattinson is magnificent and I loved the simplicity of her costume. Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Jim Gordon is brilliant although it did feel as if you had to have read Batman:Year One to understand the relationship between he and Batman. And Andy Serkis' Alfred is great (no Michael Caine) but I wanted more of him. 

The villains are also just as good if not even better. Paul Dano is phenomenally menacing as the Riddler. He had stopped acting for a while mainly due to working on his directorial debut but he was astonishing at being the perfect mental antagonist for Batman. Every time I've seen him in a movie he does a great job at portraying a serial killer. He's outstanding in Prisoners and his performance in The Batman is so captivating. He is the modern depiction of the Riddler and steals the show in every scene. John Turturro surprised me by just how good how he was as Carmine Falcone. He easily conveys the power he holds over Gotham as the mob boss. And Colin Farrell is unrecognisable as the Penguin. It was just the correct amount of crazy from him as well to the point where it was comic accurate and never felt over the top. 

However, saying all that, Michael Giacchino is the best aspect of The Batman. His score is already iconic and has quickly cemented itself as my second favourite of all time - only behind Inception. 'The Batman' and 'The Riddler' are both remarkable themes for their respective characters. I've had 'The Batman' on the repeat over the past twenty four hours. I love the melody Giacchino creates in the first half of the piece but the last three minutes are astounding. Repeating the four notes is a stroke of genius as it builds and builds to a legendary climax. Nirvana's 'Something in the Way' is also used perfectly as it encapsulates the gloomy nature of The Batman. 

Greg Fraser's cinematography is breathtaking. The Neo-noir story really complicates his style. He allows for brief moments of light against the dark and gritty nature of Gotham. And the way he frames Batman's introduction is epic. The sound design is impeccable especially when concerning the Batmobile and the sensational chase sequence. After the seeing the trailer I wasn't a huge fan of the design but it worked. The adapted muscle car is extraordinary. The moment where it revs up for the first time is simply sensual. 

The Batman is a film that has to be seen on the big screen, its peak fiction and an experience unlike any other that I enjoyed from start to finish even though the narration felt unnecessary to me. Whilst I don't think it's quite as good as The Dark Knight, I'm very much anticipating what Matt Reeves and DC do going forward with this trilogy.