Now that the Academy Awards are behind us, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programing. The beginning of the year can sometimes be slower for big movies. Many studios save their blockbusters for the summer and their awards contenders for later in the year. That being said, there have been some notable box office numbers generated so far this year.
Leading the 2022 box office by a large margin so far is “The Batman.” Yes, the Caped Crusader is back once again. The newest version of the classic DC Comics hero hit the big screen March 4 and has been pretty well received by audiences and critics alike. However, what do the critical minds at Mid-America Publishing think? Check out our review!
Travis Fischer joins the column this week to review “The Batman”
“The Batman” is directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, most well-known for directing the monster movie “Cloverfield” (2008) and a couple “Planet of the Apes” films. The film stars Robert Pattinson as the titular character, or affectionately, ‘RBatz’ or ‘Battinson.’ (Yes, that is the same guy who starred in the Twilight films.) Several members of the Rogue’s Gallery also make appearances, including Catwoman/Selina Kyle (played by Zoe Kravitz), the Riddler (Paul Dano), and The Penguin (Colin Farrell). Jeffrey Wright stars as Detective Jim Gordan and Andy Serkis plays a buff, younger version of Alfred the butler.
The movie starts with an already well-established Batman who is trying to clean up crime-riddled Gotham. Mercifully, we are spared seeing young Bruce Wayne’s parents killed. Instead, this one jumps in to the story where Batman is acting as “The World’s Greatest Detective.” We see him at crime scenes, working side by side with Gordan to solve the murders of some of Gotham’s most prominent officials, including the D.A. and police commissioner. The Riddler soon reveals himself as the culprit. The chase is on to find him, even as Bruce deals with some shadowy family mob connections and tries to help Selina Kyle find her roommate who is somehow wrapped up in all this.
No particular pre-existing Batman story is being adapted in this movie, but the influence from classic stories like Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One” and Jeph Loeb’s “The Long Halloween” is apparent.
Bridget’s Take-
This movie is dark, both literally and figuratively. 95% of it takes place at night and of that, 95% of the time it’s raining. It’s no wonder that a flood becomes a plot point in the movie. The movie is also a noir complete with a brooding voice-over from Batman. The whole thing is super moody. There’s not many smiles throughout. One of my favorite critics elsewhere called it “relentlessly cheerless.” And I can’t say I disagree.
All that said, I found the story quite engaging. Paul Dano’s Riddler is truly creepy and disturbing. Farrell’s Penguin (bet you won’t recognize the actor) is entertaining and responsible for some rare bits of levity in the movie. And I think that Pattinson does a fine job as the hero. If you’re only familiar with him from the Twilight movies, I would encourage you to watch this one and some of his other more recent work, because the guy really can act. That’s a relief, since unlike the Nolan Batman films and Batfleck (those starring Ben Affleck), the title character is on screen most of the time.
This movie is about three hours long, and by the end, starts to feel that way. I think it could have been trimmed. While I like Kravitz’s portrayal of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, they give her a certain cliched story arc that probably could have been cut out. I do look forward to seeing her more in possible future films though.
Overall, “The Batman” is reminiscent of psychological thrillers like “Seven” or “Zodiac.” If you like those types of movies and are a fan of the Caped Crusader, I think you’ll like this film. If you’re looking for a light and airy Batman, ala Adam West, this won’t be your cup of tea.
Travis’s Take-
This movie is a lot of a lot, touching on a lot of different themes but never fully committing to any of them. It touches on the idea that Batman works to invoke fear while also being driven by it, but that doesn’t really go anywhere or result in any great revelations. There’s a theme of legacy in how characters can be either driven or haunted by their parentage, but that doesn’t take center stage either. There is even a dash of the tried and true “Batman is inspiring crazier villains” idea, but nothing substantial.
There’s just so much going on that it leaves the movie feeling more like just a sequence of events rather than a purpose-built story. Which is fine, especially because the presentation is otherwise impeccable. This movie is a treat. A three hour long treat.
The characters are all great, the action is well done, the cat-and-mouse between Batman and Riddler is compelling, the movie is visually stunning, and the soundtrack rivals Danny Elfman’s classic theme.
“The Batman” isn’t more than the sum of its parts, but its parts are great and I’d happily sit down and watch another three hours of them.
