Hollywood trends can be measured in “Batman” pictures, and the current social-media driven zeitgeist finds filmmakers actually listening to filmgoers. In the 1960s, camp was king; in the 1990s, spectacle reigned. Christopher Nolan correctly sensed fans wanted a serious take in the 2000s.
In the 2010s, the DCEU played copycat to the MCU, so we got two overblown Ben Affleck Bat-flicks. Also in that decade, Matt Reeves – overshadowed by superhero cinema — made the thoughtful and visually stunning “Planet of the Apes” pre-makes. And now the writer-director has turned his talents toward “The Batman,” knowing full well that people want something fresh, faithful, grounded and good.
And they seem to want 3-hour-long movies. I diverge on that count. “The Batman” keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny, and it has one more act than your bladder is prepared for. But it’s darn near good enough to earn its indulgences.
“The Batman” (2022)
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves and Peter Craig
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano
World’s most brooding detective
Despite “The Batman’s” status as “The Batman film people really want,” there were some grumblings about casting the former “Twilight” guy. But no worries there. Robert Pattinson plays a Bruce Wayne/Batman who is totally engaged in detective work even though he looks like he broods 23 hours a day. He resembles another brooding superhero, The Crow, when his mask is removed and his eyeblack streaks like permanent tears.
Rest assured, Reeves does not retell the murders of Bruce’s parents yet again; he understands we’ve heard that one around a campfire or two. If any moviegoer forgot it, the unmasked Batman tells us everything, even without speaking.
Continuing through the remarkably animal-centered dramatis personae, Zoe Kravitz is a sexy and earthy Selina Kyle/Catwoman; an unrecognizable Colin Farrell plays Oswald/The Penguin as a scar-faced established mobster; and John Turturro turns up as comfortably ensconced kingpin Carmine Falcone (think “Falcon”).
The characterizations are faithful to the 80-year-old lore – except for one twist that might be controversial – but everyone pops in new ways. Ironically, this is because Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig tap into an element that’s always been present in the Bat-verse but has gotten short shrift in the films: the hero’s detective skills.
Riddle me this and that
The Riddler (Paul Dano – wacky in a scarier way than Jim Carrey) is the ideal villain for a sleuth story because he purposely drops clues to Batman in the form of brain-teasers written in greeting cards. First, Batman and good cop Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright, more grizzled than in “Westworld” but with a similar bedraggled calmness) must find “the rat” in Gotham City. As you can imagine, they’re gonna need a few more clues to narrow it down, and the Riddler obliges.
The mystery is good rather than great. But it got under my skin: It touches all the heroes and villains — and the citizenry as a whole — in unshakable ways. It had me caring about what happens as “The Batman” ventures into its third hour.
The style is initially just that – dark colors with occasional splashes of red and plenty of splashes of rain. I was thinking of classic film noirs and the “Batman: Year One” comic. Batman gives bookending narration, and in between, the dialog crackles. Like all men-of-few-words, his words mean something – even if it’s merely a chuckle-worthy deadpan zinger like this exchange after a holding-room brawl:
“We got you for assaulting an officer.”
“You got me for assaulting three.”
A modern Gotham
Despite touchstones of noir’s heights of the 1940s and ’70s, and the nods to the comic’s ’80s heyday, and a Nirvana track that made me think of the ’90s, “The Batman” is firmly set in 2022. (Compare this to TV’s recent “Gotham,” which is purposely set outside of time.) Thomas Wayne ran for mayor in 2001, a clip shows us, and events back then reverberate to present day, which is replete with modern tech.
And ultra-modern tech, in the Batcave: Newfangled contact-lens cameras take us through an intense yet amusing sequence where Selina serves as Batman’s sleuth at an underground nightclub. Reeves assures us that despite all the depersonalized tech in society, a good ole crime-ridden and drug-infested city maintains resonance. He emphasizes old Batman tropes – such as cops chasing our hero through the precinct in the style of a cinematic angry mob — and lets us supply the new meaning.
As “The Batman” progresses, what’s happening on screen gradually catches up with the visual and aural motifs, first enhancing the style and then surpassing it for the viewer’s attention. The film has two soundtracks, in a manner of speaking. In one, Michael Giacchino delivers a smorgasbord of orchestration ranging from brooding to action-oriented (for a thrilling car chase) to soaring (as the Bat-Cat relationship subtly sinks in its claws).
In another, Batman’s leather outfit crinkles more than the reclining seats in 2022 movie theaters. Reeves gives us texture. It’s the opposite of the last time we saw The Riddler on the big screen in 1995’s “Batman Forever.”
A hero emerges
“The Batman” doesn’t have that film’s bright colors, but it knows how to use its dark palette. In a striking scene, Batman carries a red flare as he evacuates soggy Gothamites from a flooded arena. In an overhead shot, I think we’re supposed to notice the caravan forms the shape of a bat. It’s possible I imagined it, but it’s worth noting that “The Batman” gets a viewer subconsciously engrossed. We seek symbols and meaning.
Reeves’ entry is a candidate for the best Bat-film, period (and yes, I know there are more than 40 of them if we branch into animation). Although the happenings and the style define much of “The Batman,” by the end I realized Bruce was undergoing internal change all along.
As such, I’m not merely interested in the next “Batman” film for what it will say about moviegoers’ collective desires in the 2020s. Or even for who’s in it (I think I spotted a Two-Face teaser at the end of this one).
I’m interested in Reeves’ next Bat-effort for Batman’s journey. The World’s Greatest Detective struggles with how to be a force for not merely containing evil, but rather for doing proactive good. That formula is not as easy to figure out as it used to be, even for a superhero.
IMDb Top 250 trivia
- “The Batman” ranks No. 69 among IMDb’s Top 250 movies with an 8.5 rating.
- Bat-fans still favor “The Dark Knight,” though. It has climbed to No. 3 with a 9.0 rating.
- Another recent superhero smash, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” ranks No. 41 with an 8.5.