The Batman Movie Review

The Batman (2022)

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Written by: Matt Reeves & Peter Craig, Bill Finger & Bob Kane (Batman created by)
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.

Verdict
The DC extended universe hasn't done Batman any favors. This movie skips the universe and opts for a dark, brooding Batman. This is The Crow, Saw, and Seven meets the Batman franchise. It's got a great tone and feel, but the movie is just a bit too long. That it's "just a bit" for a three hour movie is an achievement. With the mood, this almost feels like an indy movie, aside from some of the larger set pieces and focus on side characters. The story is about a detective delving into conspiracies, but it ends feeling scattered by leaving the ending open for a sequel and spin offs.
Watch It.

Review
I saw the runtime, and three hours just seems like a lot for yet another iteration of Batman. I hoped this wouldn't show yet another version of the origin story that seems to appear in every Batman movie. Thankfully this feels shorter than three hours and avoids delving into yet another slightly different origin story.

Originally Ben Affleck was going to produce, write, direct, and star after his spot in Batman v Superman, but he eventually dropped out. Matt Reeves reworked the story, dropping all references to the DC universe and making the plot a detective story. It's no surprise DC pivoted after the fiasco that was the previous Batman movie.

Robert Pattinson plays Bruce Wayne/Batman

In the very first scene we know someone is watching a target. Is this Batman (Robert Pattinson) surveilling a criminal or a bad guy looking to cause chaos. There's a fine line between villain and hero. Legally, Batman's vigilantism is illegal. This gray area is what I hoped the movie would explore. This introduction scene is made to confuse and shock until you realize what's happening. From there we get brooding voiceover and how. This movie is dark in palette and mood. It looks good, and it's clear a lot of thought went into framing shots.

Early in, there's a quick shot of a "Good Times Grocery" sign that I have to wonder whether it's a call out to Pattinson's movie Good Time.

The movie focuses less on Batman's wealth and thus ability to out-gadget enemies and more on his detective skills. Of course Batman does have some toys, like a video recorder that is the size of a contact lens. I thought that would be physically impossible, and while it doesn't exist yet, Sony has filed a patent.

Batman is tracking a serial killer, and the inspiration for that character is the Zodiac Killer. This killer sees Gotham as corrupt and this is his way to expose the lies. In his mind he's cleaning up Gotham, which isn't all that different from Batman. The movie does acknowledge that. While following the clue and riddles left behind, Batman teams up with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) who isn't yet Catwoman.

Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz play Batman and Selina Kyle

This movie is more grounded, like the Joker movie. This feels how I imagined a Batman movie. There's a fair amount of angst with Nirvana music prevalent and Batman's black eye makeup reminiscent of The Crow. This doesn't have over the top villains and a ridiculous number of toys. Batman is early in his career and still figuring it out. He isn't Gotham's hero. Batman also crosses paths with Oswald Cobblepot who will become the Penguin. Oswald hasn't transformed yet, but that series is in the works. The most surprising thing about that character is the actor that plays him. There are a lot of prosthetics.

Bruce Wayne by way of his father becomes wrapped up in the serial killer's plight. There's a tease as to whether the killer knows Batman's true identity. This taps into the need some people have for attention. Batman and the killer have similarities, but the killer desires attention, to be known. He posts his crimes online and develops a following of this fringe group that wants to belong to something even if it becomes militant. That concept resonates strongly today with the fringe groups that have perpetrated crimes and even stormed the Capital Building.

Jeffrey Wright and Robert Pattinson play James Gordon and Batman

The focus in part seems to be that Gotham is a hard city. We see three orphans that have all resorted to living outside of the law. While Batman helps the police, he's still a vigilante. The Riddler is the extreme end of the spectrum. He wasn't justice and accountability on a broad scale at any cost. Catwoman wants her own revenge, though her story is a bit murkier. She's a skilled thief, but either she's been robbing Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) despite appearing that she doesn't have much money or she's a petty thief working her way up. For all of these characters, Gotham has been tough.

This is one of the better Batman movies as far as mood. It focuses on Batman instead of the villains, and for a lot of the general population Batman is closer to a bad guy than not. While this is a bit long, don't let that deter you. The mystery Batman chases remains intriguing and this has some solid action sequences without overdoing it.