Matt Reeves’ The Batman is good cinema. The movie has pushed forward the realism in the superhero genre making it clear for the rest to follow the suit or perish. The Robert Pattinson led has established itself as the second biggest pandemic debut with a staggering $ 128 million standing next only to Spider-Man: No Way Home’s $260 million opening weekend.
The Batman is beautifully crafted, executed and neatly delivered. The movie single-handedly elevated the superhero genre. It’s worth all the hype and then some more.
Another Feather in Reeves’ Hat
Reeves walked a very tight rope of expectations. The celebrated director not only had studio and fan expectations to meet but also to make a Batman movie following Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. And in between, there was also The Batman’s own origin story which started back in 2013 when Ben Affleck was set to act and direct the feature. There’s no wonder on The Batman’s release day Affleck was also trending.
Affleck donned the cape and cowl for Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman and Justice League. He also wanted to do a prequel standalone movie later for which Reeves was brought in to direct. However, Affleck withdrew from the project altogether. And The Batman we saw today is the by-product of all the circumstances that precede it.
Reeves explained in one of the interviews, ‘Here’s the thing I respect that the DC Universe has become an extended universe and all the movies were kind of connected. But another Batman film – it shouldn’t have to carry the weight of connecting the characters from all those other movies. I didn’t want them in there.”
And true to his intentions Matt Reeves delivered. His movie has layers and layers of influence right from Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, The Long Halloween, the Zodiac Killer, Batman: Year Two and more. But as a creator, Reeves took all that in and was able to create something original and his own.
His depiction of Gotham is of a living, breathing entity. We feel its horrors and heal with it. The POV driven cinematography of the movie makes an instant connection with its viewers. That makes the three-hour runtime bearable – because you’re constantly looking at Gotham from Batman’s eyes and sometimes from the Riddler’s.
I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!
Pattinson delivers a very detached Batman to the extent at times he’d let the suit do the intimidation and it works! If not the best, Robert Pattinson is certainly among the best Batman portrayals. He has an impeccable presence as the Dark Knight and brings out the detective side effortlessly. His version of Batman is just the response to Bruce Wayne’s childhood trauma and it’s effective!
This Batman who is in Year Two of his vigilante career is yet flawed, easily manipulated but in the end, is able to get the trust of Gotham. His idea is to be ‘vengeance’ of Gotham city backfires which makes him realise that he can be a symbol of hope.
This is a very interesting side to the caped crusader and certainly never done before. The Planet of the Apes director stood tall on the shoulders of all that came before him by leaving out things that we have seen before. Like, you never get to see Martha and Thomas Wayne dying or just rely on Barry Keoghan’s laughter to figure he’s the Joker.
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The Rogue Gallery
Batman is nothing without his rouge gallery. Reeves makes sure to add a Joker (Keoghan), Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), Penguin/Oz (Collin Farrell) along with Riddler (Paul Dano). The casting decision feels like, ‘find the best actor and let them do their job.’
Both Kravitz and Farrell are pleasant surprises in the movie. Dano did his best but knowing his previous performances (There Will Be Blood, 12 Years A Slave) we are certain he could bring much more in the sequel. Both Jeffery Wright (Gordon) and Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth) were also underutilized as actors.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is running in theatres now.
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