The Batman Film Review (No Spoilers)

'The Batman' Warner Bros.

There have been MANY on screen adaptations of the Batman character over the last century and it seems as though the skepticism increases every time another adaptation is announced. Writer and Director, Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield, Let Me In) provides an origin story for the caped crusader unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Synopsis:

"Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis."

What You See, Feel, and Hear

Instead of a traditional studio set with green screens covered in the background, the production team took the same approach from "The Mandalorian" and shot in a fully wrapped LED studio so that the backdrops and background could better represent the environment of the film and reflect more accurate lighting. Why do I mention this? Because this was the most visually appealing Gotham City that I've seen on screen up to date. With a hazy black, orange, and of course, red color scheme, the visuals alone create the atmosphere that Reeves wants you to feel from his portrayal of Gotham.

This film is incredibly practical. Every detail from what Batman does, wears, and says is completely realistic and this was a major focal point for Reeves when he wrote the script. There are details that are explained in this film that you see in every other Batman that are never explained and as a viewer you experience these "ah hah" moments as the story progresses. The film is gritty, it's dark, it's relatable, and the characters are well represented. There were many hesitations when the cast was announced; not only for Batman but for characters such as Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, and The Penguin. The casting was brilliant and there wasn't a piece out of place. Besides referencing the comics, this film doesn't take any direction from previous adaptations so this 2h 56m story feels completely original and menacing.

You can clearly see certain films and characters that inspired this script. The story is parallel to "Seven" with a deeper dive on murder mystery, and the detective side of Batman rather than a pure origin story of Bruce Wayne. Also, the Riddler seems identical to the Zodiac Killer and Paul Dano was flawless in his performance and the standout character from the entire film. Though I'd consider this to be the darkest version of Batman yet, Reeves didn't hesitate to sprinkle in some necessary humor to keep the film moving in a relatable direction.

My Take

Wow. This film was well put together from the script, to the characters, to the acting, to the visuals, and to the score. All around an incredible film. One thing I genuinely appreciated was the fact that you focus heavily on the story rather than the characters alone which has always been a tough barrier to overcome with previous adaptations, and for superhero films all around. This is the first time that I saw Batman and had to ease into the character but once I did I really enjoyed what Robert Pattinson provided. He expresses his dark emotions in a way that we've never seen from a Bruce Wayne portrayal. However, Pattinson seemed a bit reserved and stiff with his expressions throughout the film but that very well could have been the way that his character was scripted. Though I'd consider this the most practical Batman film I was a bit disappointed from time to time with noticeable special effect sequences. Also, Pattinson was noticeably uncomfortable in his bat suit which is an issue that has been around since the creation of the character. The noir energy from the story as well as from Bruce Wayne was oddly refreshing and enjoyable. Overall, this film lived up to the expectations that I personally had and I'm excited to see what direction Matt Reeves goes from here.

Grade: 9.2/10