The Batman (2022) Review
Listen, THE DARK KNIGHT will always be my favorite Batman film. It's a film that changed my life in how I view and appreciate cinema, as well as being the catalyst of my lifelong love for a fictional character that's grounded and relatable at the same time. That said, in terms of being a live-action "Batman film," this is arguably the best one we've gotten in a very, VERY long time. It encompasses everything that makes Batman unique in the Western Canon by providing a story, an atmosphere, and characters that are just as serious as it is campy.
Gorgeously complemented by Greig Fraser's Academy Award-winning cinematography, Matt Reeves' rendition of Gotham completely ditches Nolan's grounded Chicago-esque atmosphere for a baroque, neo-gothic scenery with elements of neo-noir sprinkled in for good measure.
This is a meaner, nastier, angrier, and disparagingly hopeless Gotham. It's a character in itself while perfectly reflecting the characters we see throughout the film. Everyone here is superb, but it's Robert Pattinson's Batman that really steals the show for me! His angry presence feels far more menacing than previous incarnations, and his methodical crusade on crime is a welcoming surprise to comic book fans who've been waiting to see the World's Greatest Detective do some detective work for a change.
Yet, my favorite thing about THE BATMAN is how it finally addresses the fundamental criticisms of Batman's crusade on crime and his motivations behind it. It's understandable to label Batman as a hard right, "law and order" vigilante who cares very little about how his tactics affect the poor and people of color. After all, crime disproportionately affects those marginalized communities with a justice system that's not entirely in their favor.
To Batman, criminals aren't complicated. They're motivated by a need to gain greater wealth, power, and influence to the detriment of innocent people. Although his heart's in the right place, Batman's use of his fortune towards his crusade on crime feels misguided and extravagant, where his wealth and status would be better suited for investing in Gotham's welfare than beating up the city's criminals. This would make sense in the real world; however, Reeves' Gotham makes that reality all but impossible. Gotham is so dark and corrupt that no matter how influential Bruce Wayne is, he's powerless to stop it.
Batman is a tool to combat that corruption but even tools malfunction occasionally. And it's here where Batman evolves both as a symbol and a character. He goes from a rich, vengeful emo kid lashing out his anger to the city's detriment to a hero who invests his time in being a symbol of hope for the city's betterment. And while troublesome, the film's slow-burn pacing brilliantly illustrates that dynamic character development, setting it distinctively apart from all the other Batman films before it.
All and all, I'm happy to see Matt Reeves' ambitious take on Batman didn't disappoint. I didn't think a slow-burn, horror-lite Batman film would work, but it did for me, and I loved every minute of it!
5/5
