"no more Lies"; The Batman, a recurring theme in Matt Reeves' ambitious, tragic film noir, gives Christopher Nolan's classic The Dark Knight quite a run for its money with deep, disturbing undertones. Considering the emotional trauma of both an anger-driven Bruce Wayne and his caped crusader alter-ego, we have Robert Pattinson's most emo on-screen appearance ever. But does The Batman "renewal" (all pun intended! You'll understand after watching the movie) rewards hardcore DC loyalists (comic book fans in particular) and casual fans with a catchy watch? let's find out!
Set in the early days with Batman grabbing his place in slum-ish Gotham City and fighting only gangsters, Vigilante's detective skills are tested in The Batman when he is embroiled in a serial killer case involving The barbarian Riddler aka Edward joins in. Nashton (Paul Dano), who murders white-collar men of immense power, including Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penny-Jones), just before election day, and leaves a trail of intriguing puzzles to solve. As the Riddler toys with Batman and his only police ally, James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), the dead body count rises at an excruciating pace, while the mystery is all tied to the elitist Wayne family, with Bruce Wayne as the primary target. When It's Batman, organized crime follows and in The Batman, we have mobster Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his right-hand penguin aka Oswald "Oz" Coblepot (Colin Farrell), a "drops Drugs involved in racket, seemingly busted. Amidst the mighty chaos, Batman finds an unexpected acquaintance in Catwoman aka Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), who is equally attuned to the mystery at hand with his quest to uncover the truth.
Make no mistake, despite so many beloved Batman characters letting loose and a 176-minute long run, The Batman is strictly "The Batman Show." Unlike previous Batman iterations, where a carefully crafted villain can sometimes dominate the Dark Knight, we're given a subtle view of how Bruce's severe emotional trauma, stemming from major daddy issues, has taken a toll on his psyche. Left indelible marks, especially in the form of the Caped Crusader. Transmitting these harsh and difficult feelings with elegance is Robert Pattinson, who shuns the pessimists with a terrifying and subtle performance that deserves applause and future iterations. Batman is equivalent to the superhero version of Hamlet, which includes several well-known actors. With Robert's version in The Batman, we're treated to a comic book exact Batman we really yearn to like on the big screen. You're left truly convinced that Pattinson was tailor-made to play the tortured souls of both Batman and Bruce Wayne at a painstakingly comfortable pace. At least this reviewer firmly stands by it!
As far as Batman's supporting cast is concerned, Zoey takes the high road and tries not to copy past cinematic outings (Michelle Pfeiffer is still The One to Beat!) Kyle. Kravitz is mesmerizing to watch on-screen and, in particular, the apparent sexual tension between "The Bat and the Cat" is given an electrifying touch by Robert and Zoe's arresting chemistry. We get to see two opposing sides of the same coin with how Bruce and Selina handle the "bad guys". Dano's deranged undertaking of a notorious psychic villain like the Riddler pays off in spades because I was in awe of his galvanic performance, really terrifying. An unfamiliar Pharrell as Penguin added right over the top dose of drama to the superhero potboiler mix with some much-needed humor. Wright, Turturro and Serkis bring immaculate DC characters to life before they find their stable (and classic monikers) in Gotham City, with fruitful justice, but never beyond their welcome. Even Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham District Attorney Gil Colson and Jaime Lawson as Gotham City mayoral candidate Bella Real make an impressive but limited appearance in The Batman.
“I am Vengeance,” says our new Batman, which lays the foundation for what director (and co-writer) Matt Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig were trying to achieve with Batman. Instead of portraying the flamboyant billionaire side of Bruce Wayne (or even getting into the nuance of the beginning that the symbol is attached to, we see him delving into post-rockstar syndrome, where he's full of literal and metaphorical wounds. In particular, the horrific deaths of the parents accompanying him. The Batman sequence delves into two poignant ones, one of which is Bruce's immediate sympathy for Don's young son after his father's murder and his "family, but in fact his" family. In No Family" Heart to Heart with Butler Alfred Pennyworth. A Hospital.
While the current real-life political climate of The Batman storyline (you've left to question it all in real time!), the final act in particular, "Too Close to Home," has a surprising balance between the correct definitions of "good" and "bad." "Have to be. Being a superhero and the moral ambiguity behind it are cleverly attested in The Batman. While there are times when the script deviates or gets too ahead of itself with depressing, gloomy results, overall, you're left hypnotized with the man behind the cowl and limitless, unexplained "murder" mystery. The fun is solved with twists and turns.
One particular non-surprising strength of Batman lies in his superior technical prowess. As seen in The Dune's captivating landscape, Greg Fraser's cinematography in The Batman is simple to the point that it's a character in his own right while masterfully embodying the physical aspects of Bruce's psychological wounds. James Chinlund's production design redefines the landscape of New York as Gotham City with a spectacular touch as Times Square and Madison Square Garden have been given a deadly kind of grunge makeover. In particular, you can't help but admire how the dark light with red as the primary theme color, and the dark smoke manages to add a touch of gravity to the deep dark plot. This is especially seen in captivating action sequences, which feel potentially real rather than cinematic. In The Batman, Batman is depicted not only as a courageous superhero, but as a human who is prone to injury and more importantly, fear. Michael Giacchino's pitch-perfect score is equally thrilling, with "Merky" and some Nirvana tunes fueling the mayhem behind all that mischief. Editors William Hoy and Tyler Nelson had their work cut out for him but bring real depth to Wayne's story without editing out the main parts.
In the end, I believe the team of Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves crafted a gritty, gritty, and gripping noir where a "hero" was born to a rebellious, brutal cause, while watching the audience play a superhero movie. So unlike any other superhero movie we've ever seen before!