“The Batman” (2022) captures audiences with strong performances and plot. PHOTO CREDIT: The Guardian
Going into “The Batman” (2022), I was unsure what side of cinema history the new Batman reboot would fall under: A modern masterpiece or a film that will be largely dated and forgotten soon.
“The Batman” has an unfortunate placement in the legacy of DC comics’ most profitable character, Batman. This film marks the third major reboot of the franchise in 17 years. Robert Pattinson, who plays Batman in this film, is contending with performances from Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, who more than uphold their place as the face of the most beloved DC hero.
Despite these odds stacked against the film, “The Batman” (2022) far and away meets all expectations placed upon it and establishes its place in the hall of fame, not just for Batman movies, but cinema at large. The film is phenomenal, entertaining at every scene and so gripping throughout that I found it difficult to find a break during the three-hour feature to go use the bathroom.
It looks and sounds amazing thanks to Greg Fraiser’s unmatched cinematography and Michael Giacchino’s ethereal soundtracks. The acting from every character immerses you in the city of Gotham. Most of all, the two main focuses and appeals of the movie, detective work and action scenes, deliver everything they promise.
The film displays its strengths from the first scene of the movie. The tone of this film is so powerful I struggled to focus on anything except the screen in front of me. Strong themes of psychological horror during the opening 15 minutes show how much of a hellscape Gotham truly is and sets up the question of whether or not Batman has been improving the city in his two years as the caped crusader. He has instilled fear through violence against criminals and has become the boogeyman to any ne’er-do-wells in Gotham.
Pattinson’s Batman is the darkest and most depressing yet, but he is joined by a cast of characters from the comics to compliment him. Andy Serkis carries any scene he’s in with his portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth. Jeffrey Wright plays an excellent Lieutenant Gordon as Batman’s partner in solving The Riddler’s depraved puzzles.
Speaking of the Riddler, Paul Dano can also join the ranks of Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy as some of the best-portrayed supervillains in film. His take on the historically goofy and cartoonish Riddler brings a whole new paradigm of terror and depravity to this movie and could have been the sole focus of the whole film with his unsettling performance.
The biggest weakness of the film is the unfortunate and complete removal of the mythos of the Batman story. The film ends up needing to justify the inclusion of comic book characters by following their comic accurate conclusion.
The most visible issue with this is when the movie is juggling characters like Carmine Falcone and Thomas Wayne, who could be the focal point of an entire movie, the plot has to put the Riddler’s crisis on standby for the majority of the second act. This becomes worse when the moral crisis of Thomas Wayne is introduced in one scene and then completely resolved in the following scene, allowing no room for the supposed revelation of his heinous activities to be pondered by the audience.
This grievance is legitimate, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to ruining the experience for me, especially when after this arc is resolved the Riddler is reintroduced for the final act of the movie, where everything starts going crazy. The interrogation scene between Batman and The Riddler is probably one of the best in the movie for Dano’s performance alone, and then it is followed by a real existential crisis for Gotham to handle and Batman to save the city from.
The action reaches its peak here, and Batman shows a real conclusion to the character development he’s been going through for the whole movie. As the cherry on top, fans are treated to a special cameo from Barry Keoghan playing an infamous Batman villain to bait fans for a sequel.
“The Batman (2022)” is without a doubt one of the best Batman movies we’ve seen, including the Nolan trilogy, and likely a contender for the best movie of 2022. There was exceptional effort and care put into this film, from the cinematography, lighting, orchestrating, and acting. I will enjoy my repeated rewatches of this film as much as I enjoyed the anticipation before its release.