The Batman

Comparisons can be a fickle b***h sometimes. 

That's one of my first thoughts while I was watching The Batman, absorbing it, and understanding the levels of hype that surrounded it for the better part of 6 months. Not to mention, some recent reviews with exciting, crazy levels of praise, and calling it "the best Batman movie ever". 

It immediately makes you think of The Dark Knight. One of the biggest pop culture phenoms of the 2000s, it was an intoxicating blend of superhero blockbuster and brainy, well-made cinema, anchored by one of the best, most cant-turn-your-eyes-away performances of all time in Heath Ledger's Joker. 

I'm telling you things you already know, but I'm doing so because it's really hard to separate The Batman from...well...the Batman's film legacy. 

And while I'll review the film on its own merits, accomplishments, and issues, it should be noted that - at least for this reviewer - The Batman doesn't surpass The Dark Knight. It doesn't even really come close, but that's probably more about how damn good TDK is (in my Top 10, all time) and less about how short The Batman falls.

The Batman feels like the film that Batman purists have been waiting for since Hollywood began with this hero decades ago. This is detective Batman, through and through. I am no Batman purist, but I enjoyed the new approach, even if it slows the pace considerably. There in lies The Batman's biggest issue: it's length, at 2 hours and 55 minutes, is felt by the end. It's an epic, make no doubt about it, but even a 15 minute trim would have helped a lot. Strangely, I felt it's length less near the end, but more between the halfway mark and the end, where heavy, name-filled exposition dumps are trying to connect all the dots of the mystery behind the Riddler's killings. It's never exhausting, but it left me ready for some massive reveal that...kind of never comes. There's certainly a climax that has worthwhile payoff, but if there's some twist or "woah, I would have never guessed!" moment you're searching for, it's not here. That's not inherently a bad thing, but then I'd argue you didn't need all the time to build up either.

"People let me tell ya 'bout my bessssst friend!"

Seeing Batman and Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) in detective mode does have a certain, wonderful "buddy cop" element to it though. As they go through the paces of solving clues, attending murder scenes, and racing to save the next person, you start to see the film more like a Zodiac (of which there's clear inspiration) and less like a superhero film. The Riddler kills his victims in unique, almost Saw-esque ways (that suggest there's potentially an R-rated version of this movie somewhere because most of these are heavily neutered), while the clues about Gotham's past and how he wants to right the wrongs and have "real change" grow more chilling as time moves on. A particular final video and support from online followers is eerily and uncomfortably close to home knowing that we have insane fringe theorists in the U.S. in spades, but I digress. Overall, the mystery is piled on well, even if the payoff was "meh".

This staring contest was never won

A large reason The Batman works as well as it does and can maintain that runtime is because of the atmosphere it breeds, thanks to a lot of strong technical work and the direction of Matt Reeves. Reeve's - who has a silently very strong track record - handles this material like a pro and it's clear there was a vision from the get go, even if this long-gestating project has had a changing bat and changing tone over the years. His version of Batman, while heavily more "detective", is also dark and brooding and pained. Luckily we're spared a lot of the backstory we already know so this picks up with an established Batman. To support this mood, we've got dark lighting with lots of grey, black, and dark yellow, and an original score (+ a couple soundtrack pieces) that scream "superhero angst" in the best of ways. Probably most significant however is the cinematography that ranges from good to spectacular, using shadows and wide shots to create some truly awesome looking images that feel ripped straight from a comic book. We've also got some fantastic action set pieces that, while they may feel too few, they're awesome when they arrive. The choreography is brutal and bone-crunching, while the editing lets a lot of the violence sit and not be overedited. My highlight was a Batmobile chase a little past the halfway mark, but there's a lot to love here when Batman decides to go into "serving justice" mode. 

Our cast is great too. Trying to stay away from comparisons as much as possible, this is a good foundation to work on. Pattinson's Batman is moody and tortured, just like the doctor ordered, and is certainly a little less able to live the Bruce Wayne version of himself than previous iterations. Jeffrey Wright is great, as always, as Gordon and gets a lot of screentime, making their partnership and chemistry feel strong. Zoe Kravitz is underused, but lights up the screen whenever she's on, slinking from frame to frame like a cat herself. Colin Ferrell, under a ton of prosthetics and makeup, is having a blast and provides most of the film's rare humor. For me, Paul Dano wasn't disappointing, but I think his Riddler was overhyped. All the stories about finding the right glasses and looks and voice are captivating and Dano is an incredible actor, but it felt like too much of his best work was "off screen" . The villain itself is still fantastic, but again, comparison is a fickle b***h and there's a catalog of villains to compare to that I found more captivating and imposing. The rest of the cast does well and like I started this paragraph with, it's a solid foundation to build upon for future sequels. 

"You're saying you think the suit would be better with bat nipples?!"

The Batman is not the second coming of The Dark Knight and honestly that's okay, largely because it never claims to be. It stands alone as a fairly unique, crime-noir version of the hero we've seen many times before, and earns its stripes that way. Looking back, it's crazy that it took an entire decade to get another solo Batman film, but it's good to have the darkest of our heroes back in the mix. 

CONS

• At nearly 3 hours long, I'm not sure it fully earns the runtime. I felt it the most during name-filled exposition dumps as the mystery was nearing its end
• The mystery's "final plan" and reveal is pretty standard
• Love the original score, but the new Batman theme feels a tad overused, particularly in quiet moments

PROS

• Neat to have a detective-heavy Batman, and the serial killer mystery/drama that is the majority of the film is captivating in the same way that some of the best crime-noirs can be
• Wonderful, heavy atmosphere. Gotham and this world feel real, dark, and painful. Matt Reeves direction is unsurprisingly on-point
• Laundry list of technical achievements that help elevate the film
• Cinematography was a highlight
• Original score is present everywhere (good thing)
• "let it breathe" editing style
• Exciting action that is brutal and well choreographed. Also, while barely used, the new Batmobile is a menace!
• Very strong cast with equally strong performances. Pattinson, Kravitz, Wright, Farrell, and Dano all turn in memorable work
• Feels big and epic and by the end, it achieves actually being big and epic. Builds excitement for what's to come

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10