The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves and written by Reeves & Peter Craig, is a fresh new take on DC's caped crusader that can successfully reinvigorate long time fans' interest in the billionaire superhero. The casting choices, while interesting, prove to be suited for their new and improved roles, especially Roberts Pattinson as Batman and Paul Dano as the Riddler. The long running time can sometimes be felt during some dragged out action scenes and long takes, but otherwise manages to keep you invested with its clever, layered writing and many unpredictable twists and turns. Spoilers beyond this point, you have been warned. The DC universe and Warned Bros. are finally learning from Marvel that a fan-favourite superhero like Batman no longer requires the typical origin story, when even those who have never seen the Batman movies before already know the popular icon's tragic origins. Like Spider-man: Homecoming, The Batman has wisely chosen to skip past Bruce Wayne's younger years of loss and trauma and instead introduces us to the world of Gotham City that has already had a masked vigilante for two years, allowing us to jump right into the action instead of sitting through more overtold backstories and scattered pearl necklaces (if you know what I mean). It also allows us to step back from seeing Bruce as the poor orphan boy who lost his parents and truly see him as the privileged son of a billionaire with hardly any other hardships, exactly as Riddler sees him. There are times when the scenes drag on just a little bit too long, such as the Bat Mobile car chase sequence and when Bruce and Catwoman part ways at the end. But for the most part, the longer running time is barely noticeable as the film manages to pack a punch with its many big characters and broader story structure.
This new iteration of the Riddler as a less comical but darker and unhinged version of the Prince of Puzzles (as compared to Jim Carrey's version from the 1995 Batman Forever), keeps both Batman and the audience constantly on their feet with the many twists, turns and hidden layers to his killing spree clues. The choice to base this version of the Riddler on the Zodiac Killer, the real life serial killer with a puzzles and ciphers obsession, makes him just as menacing as the Joker. The multi layered clues and riddles also make for a really compelling and mind-bending story. It will definitely be interesting to see how the two villains currently locked up together at Arkham will pair in the sequels. Zoë Kravitz's version of Catwoman on the other hand is less compelling despite efforts to make her less of a femme fatale. Throughout the movie, she is blindly focused on her goal of avenging her murdered roommate seemingly by jumping headfirst into enemy territory without a back up plan, which leads to Batman or sheer dumb luck constantly helping her get out of these situations. This is of course less the fault of Kravitz who played Selina spectacularly but more on the writing. Jeffrey Wright's Lieutenant James Gordon was a fresh take with a hint of nostalgia, while Andy Serkis's Alfred reminds us that the butler has always been more intrumental to the brooding masked hero as his unofficial sidekick. The suit, the tech, and bat cave all feel familiar yet fresh, although the Bat Mobile did seem more clunky than efficient despite the cool design. The characterizations of the many villains in The Batman also felt a lot more organic and realistic as compared to any previous live action versions, particularly with Riddler and Penguin, making them appear more menacing, hardy and unpredictable. It is almost unbelievable the transformation Colin Farell went through to become the Penguin, that I actually forgot he was in the movie until I saw the end credits. The cinematography, score and production design were immersive, and both the large scale and smaller details of the capital of crime made Gotham City feel like a character of its own. The best part of a well made movie is that it makes you yearn to know what happens next, and with that teaser of the clown prince of crime as the next big villain (just as Batman Begins did), they've already got us hooked. The film successfully manages to tell us a solid new Batman story, and dare I say, it is better than the first of the Dark Knight trilogy in terms of introducing us to a new version of the caped crusader. It is undeniably one of the better Batman movies ever made, and it reminds us that at its core, Batman has always been a detective first (with the added bonus of the cape, the tech, and Alfred.)
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