The infamous masked vigilante, dressed in black is back on our screen as The Batman shares the story of reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) and his earlier days as Gotham’s protector. When faced with a twisted serial killer who begins murdering key political figures in the city of Gotham, questions are raised about deep-rooted corruption in the city as well as the dark involvement from the Wayne family itself.
The film is an all-new immersive experience into the setting of Gotham which was carried on the backs of wonderful performances by Paul Dano as The Riddler and Zoe Kravits as Catwoman. The Batman is also shot beautifully. The colour palette and mise en scene all come together bine to really add to the film’s dark concept as we traverse through smoky nightclubs and gloomy tunnels. Apart from the downright breathtaking cinematography, it is grounded, gritty and brings a whole new perspective to the superhero genre. You get the feeling that you are watching something more similar to the popular crime thriller series than any typical DC film.
It is easily the most personal Batman film to date where Bruce Wayne feels as vital to the story as his vigilante alter ego. We delve deeper into the psyche of Wayne which is demonstrated through Robert Pattinson’s performance where he shows raw anger just through his stare and its simply captivating. Even the black eye makeup is unnerving.
Kravitz is also superb in her role as Catwoman as not only does her chemistry with Pattinson aid the dynamic in the film but she also has her own purpose and motive.
Meanwhile, Dano retains his reputation as an outstanding actor since he is genuinely terrifying as ‘The Riddler’. The masked murderer is both unhinged and eerily calculated as he weaves a web of mystery for both the viewer and our main character to untangle. The costume design adds to his sense of realistic insanity to make his overall character one to be remembered.
Despite all the character development and camerawork, you shouldn’t be mistaken to think there is any lack of action. The fight scenes give an almost video game feel keeping you on the edge of your seat as we see how Batman fares in different situations with an extensive array of combat choreography.
When director Matt Reeves was tasked with reimagining the beloved Batman franchise, it seemed to be a poisoned chalice of a job where die-hard traditional fans wouldn’t even give it a chance. Although there have been comparisons between this and Christopher Nolan’s classic The Dark Knight, both exist as different depictions of Batman but are brilliant in their own ways.
I would have to give The Batman a higher rating as it had the tall order of completely changing the way we look at Batman, and to answer your question, yes it did live up to the hype.
4.5/5 stars
Credit: TheMovieDB