‘The Batman’ Spoiler-Free Review – A Detective for the Modern Day
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is an incredibly detailed detective story that folds some real-world ideas into the vigilante’s mythology.
There have been so many iterations of Batman on the big screen. And while this version again puts the “dark” in Dark Knight, the story is a perfect combination of refreshing takes and classic comic call-outs. The Batman has a long runtime, but it’s well worth your trip to the theater.
The Batman & Bruce Wayne
Finally, DC fans get a real detective story! The Batman sees our hero using his problem solving skills, not his tech or his gadgets. Sure, there’s a little tech. But this isn’t a Batman whose accustomed to just rubbing money on Gotham’s crime problem and senselessly beating the impoverished criminals of the city. Robert Pattison’s performance is subtly broody, but not sulky or alienating. He also manages to bring forth a Batman who’s principled without being preachy, which I appreciate.
What’s more, his character arc revolves around a lot of the issues that have had some questioning Batman’s relevancy in a modern world. How does a wealthy, privileged child of Gotham’s elite influence his city for the better? Bruce is obviously grappling with these questions in this film, and it works in this film’s favor.
The suit, the car, the cave – nothing looks over-the-top or too techy. All of the classic Bat-accoutrements are practically pieced together in a way that seems realistic (for a comic book hero movies). The suit looks smooth and functional during fight scenes, and gives us an incredible silhouette.
This Batmobile is, in my opinion, the best Batmobile yet. And like the incredibly-executed chase scene, this film does an impeccable job with fight choreography and cinematography. It’s visually thrilling, and ideal for a theatrical screen.
Courtesy of DC Entertainment Inc.
Selena Kyle, Cat Burglar & Mother of Strays
The Batman narrative invests a lot into Selena Kyle, and I’m thrilled to say it all paid off in full. Zoë Kravitz is electrifying in the role. The chemistry between Kravitz and Pattison is rightly a focus of the film. She’s integral to the plot, perfectly placed, and marvelously performed. I genuinely hope to see more of her if and when this universe expands from here.
There are several nuanced aspects to her character that I was downright gleeful about. The use of her cat-claw manicure, her fighting style, and her skills as a cat burglar are all delightful. But her character is also giving off a sex worker vibe in this movie. In fact, it seems like she’s filling a nurturing role for other sex workers as well. And while it’s not explicitly stated, even the whisper of positive representation of sex workers in media is a step in the right direction.
For my money, it’s also heavily implied that she’s bisexual, though it’s not explicitly stated either. Of course, DC is really good at implying casual bisexuality. Will this be The Mummy for the modern age?
Courtesy of DC Entertainment Inc.
The Villains of Gotham City
The Riddler was an excellent villain choice. While he is the “main villain”, he’s not overly used, which I greatly appreciate. He’s been compared to the Zodiac Killer in previous press releases, and there’s certainly validity in that. But there’s a greater thread of home-grown terrorism here that feels more inspired by modern atrocities than sensationalized serial killers of the past.
Courtesy of DC Entertainment Inc.
It feels very American for this villain to have a quasi-anarchist social following. It makes a lot more sense against a backdrop of a Gotham city that’s less 1940s-esque Chicago and more of a modern amalgamation of several major U.S. cities, primarily New York. Don’t get me wrong, the famous city is still in the grips of corruption. But the use of bribery and mob families doesn’t feel ripped from the pages of some old pulp novel and dropped out of context into the 21st century.
Colin Ferrel is certainly unrecognizable as the Penguin. I absolutely believe this could have been achieved without putting him in a fat suit. Just so we’re clear, that’s a Hollywood faux pas that needs to die a silent death. No, it’s his facial scarring and performance that create the illusion. He may be a secondary villain in this story, but he’s certainly the focal point of his scenes. We already know we’re probably going to see more of him and his rise to prominence in the Gotham underworld. And it promises to be a compelling tale.
Courtesy of DC Entertainment Inc.
It’s the Goddamn Batman!
Matt Reeves aimed to make a more realistic, grounded Batman film and exceeded expectations. The film does amazing work with visuals and silhouettes. The use of shadow and negative space is remarkable, and it’s clear that Reeves really has an eye for detail. Still, in light of all the details painstakingly placed throughout the movie, there were a small handful of details that pulled me out of the moment.
Some of the crime scenes have randomly-placed FBI agents, but it’s all GCPD beat-cops handling evidence and bodies. One cop has a really bad Godfather-ripoff accent for which there is no excuse. Are these details minor? Yes. But this is a movie that cares about the little things, so I do, too.
The Batman also has a lot of amazing comic book easter eggs. There’s a good bit of The Long Halloween in its DNA, but it’s not a blatant ripoff in any sense. There are other details for comic book fans to chew on, too. Like the frequent use of “goddamn” when people are talking about Batman. That kept making me chuckle.
There are also plenty of call-outs to members of Batman’s famous rogues gallery. There are a few moments when it feels like Reeves is laying down foundation for future Batman stories. But you get the sense he’s building out his Gotham universe rather than directly planning a trilogy.
The three-hour runtime may be a stretch for some folks, but I don’t think any screen time is wasted here. There’s no post-credits scene, so don’t feel pressured to push a bathroom break till after the credits roll lest you miss a major character appearance.
