The Batman is a bold direction for the Batman movies, a strong performance by Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz’s unforgettable Selina Kyle, a superhero epic! The film is directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, who also co-wrote and directed War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and directed Cloverfield (2008). The co-writer is Peter Craig who also wrote Bad Boys for Life (2020) and has the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. Reeves’ Batman is unlike any other Batman film so a warning not to go in with any expectations about Batman from movies or comics.
The movie begins with breathing as a telescopic sight moves around a mansion. There is a young boy (Archie Barnes) in a red ninja costume and a man (Rupert Penry-Jones) who goes to the window. We also hear “Ave Maria” from Franz Schubert which is a prayer. The telescopic sight goes to the skylight window of the roof. The news program, GC1, notes that it is Halloween. We have the man in the mansion watching the Gotham mayor debate between Mayor Don Mitchell, Jr., the man in the mansion, and Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson).
Penry-Jones was in the dramatic mini-series, The Drowning (2021). Lawson’s previous movie was the romantic drama, farewell amor (2020). Mitchell brings up the Maroni drug bust, but Reál notes that crime is on the rise since the Renewal Program and the “masked vigilante.” It is Mitchell who paces the room and does not notice the gleaming eyes in the darkness. This is the menace in the shadows, who later calls himself the Riddler (Paul Dano), the other comic book film for Dano was Cowboys & Aliens (2011). The stalker emerges to strike Mitchell repeatedly with a tool. Then, he takes out a roll of electrical tape. The Riddler is a serial killer, similar to the Zodiac Killer, David Fincher directed the Zodiac (2007) film.
The narration by The Batman (Robert Pattinson) notes that it is Thursday and he has spent two years fighting crime. Pattison may be known for the Twilight movies, but he was also in Tenet (2020). Batman: Year Two was a story arc that ran through Detective Comics #575-578 (1987). It featured Gordon as police commissioner. Batman's character is interesting here because he has a distinct character arc, where he is at first motivated by revenge, but has to develop to protect Gotham. Side note: The Batman is noted here only by that name, Bruce Wayne is not really a strong identity in this film. There is Gotham Square Garden which makes me think of New York more than the Chicago of movies and comics. Metropolis is usually seen as New York.
We see a man with a melon mask rob a store, another with a mask spray painting, and several gang members in clown make-up in a subway car. There is a young member (Jay Lycurgo) who has half his face in white make-up. An Asian man (Akie Kotabe) moves away from them. The Batman narrator says about the Bat Signal, “It’s not just a call, it’s a warning to them.” I really like this idea that it strikes fear into criminals. Melon Head looks up and starts to run. A helicopter illuminates the vandal and looks into the shadows fearing who might be there. The Asian man leaves the subway car, the gang follows him, and slams him against a gate. They hear a noise and look towards the darkness.
The thump of boots is heard, the sound of which must be heard/felt in the theaters, then we see The Batman! A later scene has the engine of the Batmobile become almost its own character! The sound effects editor is Phil Barrie. The Batman has grey armor including the black, Bat chest symbol. The gang leader (Elliot Warren) says, “Who the hell are you supposed to be?” The Batman answers, “I’m vengeance.” This was part of what was said from the Batman: The Animated Series episode, “Nothing to Fear” (1992). By the way, he is not called Batman in this movie, and the name is only mentioned one time. This is a formative year for all of the Bat characters that we know.
The character of The Batman has a character arc from revenge, he is fighting to stop the crime, not the killer of his parents, but the act, from happening to others. The Batman brutally deals with the gang leader and then moves onto the other members. He is shot twice, but the bullets deflect off of Batman’s armor. The Batman uses his wrist armament to tazer a gang member and then takes down the others. The young gang member looks at him and then runs. The innocent civilian says, “Please, don’t hurt me.” They do not recognize Batman. Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) walks to the murder scene flanked by officers. Wright voices The Watcher in the What If…? (2021) animated series and plays Bernard Lowe in Westworld. His rank is not mentioned, but he is not a captain or an officer of high position.
He is followed by The Batman, but stopped by Officer Martinez (Gil Perez-Abraham) who puts his hand on the bat symbol. The body of Mitchell is on a chair with his head wrapped in electrical tape, written in his blood on it is, “No More Lies”, his left hand is in a bag. This is a hint at The Riddler trying to uncover the corruption of Gotham City. The medical examiner gives Gordon his findings, he removes the bag and shows the missing thumb. The Batman adds, “He was alive”, his dialogue in the beginning is short and to the point. There is an envelope taped to Mitchell’s body addressed, “To The Batman”, it has a card which gives the riddle, “What does a liar do when he’s dead?” and there’s also a cipher list of words.
Entering the room is a very angry, Commissioner Pete Savage (Alex Ferns), the actor was in the crime film, Wrath of Man (2021). There was a Pete Savage played by Albert Carrier in the classic Batman episode, “An Egg Grows in Gotham” (1966). In the episode, Savage was part of three families, one of which is the Wayne family, that founded Gotham City. An interesting nod to the 60’s Batman. There is another hint of the show in the form of a certain bust with a switch. Savage wants The Batman to leave the crime scene. There is great distrust of the vigilante by the police. He sees a bloody footprint and Gordon notes that Mitchell’s son is being questioned. The Batman stares at the boy which is a reflection of himself as a young boy.
This is the only Batman movie where Batman has deductive reasoning, analyzing, and examining scenes. In the comics he is known as the “World’s Greatest Detective.” Later in the movie, this slogan is given a fun nod. The Batman puts on a motorcycle helmet and rides past “Real Change” signs as part of the mayor campaign. He rides into a tunnel, down stairs, a gate opens for him. He reaches the Batcave, it looks like Bat Warehouse, but it does have bats flying around. The Batman takes off his helmet, revealing black streaks around his eyes, which is how the actors look underneath the mask, but it is great to see Bruce Wayne here.
He looks sorrowful and sports the Goth look. He removes his contacts which is a high tech recording of everything he has seen that night through a pink filter. On television, the hosts report on the murder of Mayor Mitchell, and also bring up that it was twenty years ago since the death of Thomas Wayne. Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis) enters and tells Bruce Wayne that the arrival of the accountants. Serkis is of course known for playing Caesar including Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes and Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther (2018). This annoys Bruce who only wants to focus on his mission.
Later, he pulls his black shirt over his scarred back to walk over to Alfred at a table. He blinks at the sunlight, this is a great touch by Pattinson, the “creature of the night” repulsed by the day. Also, at the mansion is the housekeeper, Dory (Sandra Dickinson), not exactly Aunt Harriet from the 60’s show. Alfred is working on the cipher on his computer and eliminates words that forms a pattern that spells, “Drive.” Gordon and The Batman go to the Mitchell’s garage. He finds a bloody, garden shear in the tire of a car. The Batman uses a blacklight pen to search the car and finds a gruesome attachment to a USB drive.
They use the drive and find photos of the mayor with an unknown woman, her name we later find is Annika Kosolov (Hana Hrzic), but Gordon finds that the files have gone public and it was using his account! Gordon also recognizes behind them, the Penguin (Colin Farrell), who almost can’t be recognized in the make-up. The prosthetic make-up was by Michael Fontaine. He looks and almost sounds like a bizarre Robert DeNiro character. Farrell was in Artemis Fowl (2020) and appeared as another comic book villain, Bullseye, in Daredevil (2003). The Batman also notes the black, leather boots on Annika. Gordon points out that they are at the Iceberg Lounge. This was a location first appearing in Detective Comics #683 (1995).
The Batman walks through the rain to reach a club door. It is guarded by The Twins (Charlie and Max Carver), this reminds me of the Club Rockit doormen in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). He moves through the club, fights with the bouncers, and uses his grapnel on his gauntlet that goes through a guard’s leg. The Batman is stopped by The Penguin who takes him to his office above the club floor. Entering the office is a beautiful woman (Zoë Kravitz), we find later that this is Selina Kyle who gives Penguin a drink from a tray. The name Catwoman is never said in the movie, she has not become Catwoman here and has only the beginning of her cat suit. Kravitz is in the crime thriller, Kimi (2022), and played Angel Salvador in X-Men: First Class (2011).
The Batman notices that she glances at the photos and is wearing the same black boots. Selina walks out of the club and hails a taxi. The Batman follows in his motorcycle. At her apartment, Selina sees Annika, her movements are tracked by someone using binoculars. The black-rimmed eyes belong to The Batman, but has similarities to The Riddler. He watches as Selina changes into a black outfit, The Batman is getting a little voyeuristic here, and leaps down the fire escape. He follows her motorcycle. Selina puts a device onto a safe and looks through a sight to open the combination lock. She wears a black, wool mask only covering her nose with tiny ears at the side. Selina suddenly hears, “You’re pretty good at that”, and The Batman takes the passport she was stealing.
Selina throws several kicks at The Batman. Against the wall, The Batman covers her mouth as a security passes the room, then he gives the passport back. They enter a ruined apartment and Selina calls for Annika who ends up missing. The Batman sees on a bill Selina’s name. The news reports on Pete Savage’s death at a gym. A video of the Riddler shows Annika with a Saw-like cage filled with rats over her head. Selina tells The Batman about the 44 Below club, “the club within the club”, which is a mob hangout. The Batman gets Selina’s help. At the morgue, The Batman and Gordon find Savage’s body was injected with arsenic, The Batman says it is rat poison. They find a cage with symbols.
Later, Selina puts in the contacts to infiltrate the club. She enters the 44 Below club and sees the man with the broken nose from The Batman, William Kenzie (Peter McDonald), an off duty cop. The Batman asks for her on the mike to turn and look to see District Attorney Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard). The actor is in The Lost Daughter (2021) and was also the villain in Green Lantern (2011). One of his associates asks about "the rat." Selina is more interested in a woman there who seems to know Annika. She walks after her and sees Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). The veteran actor, Turturro has been in the drama, Hands of Stone (2016) and the lead role of the comedy, Barton Fink (1991). The character was introduced in Batman #404 (1987).
The Batman suspects Selina's ties with Falcone and she goes to the bathroom mirror to remove the contacts. We hear The Riddler's breathing as he watches Selina and then Colson who tries to give her a ride in his car. She gets into a cab and Colson goes back to his car, he turns and sees The Riddler! Gordon goes up a construction site elevator to turn off the Bat Signal. The Gotham sunset is impressive as well as the city and the Atlantic Ocean vista. Moody cinematography by Greig Fraser who also worked on Dune (2021). He meets with The Batman who suspects it all ties into the Maroni case. This mystery will follow suspects that will strike deep at the heart of Gotham City! The movie clocks in at two hours and fifty-five minutes, but the narrative keeps a good pace. The Batman has a noir-ish style and detective work that is the most accurate depiction of the comics character, and an impressive cast with Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, and Paul Dano!
Five+ Bat Signals out of Five!
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