Review: 'The Batman' takes the vigilante back to his detective roots
The Batman
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Rated: PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) —Synopsis: With crime levels already spiking in Gotham, Batman is forced to turn his attention to the Riddler, a serial killer with a taste for people in power.
Review: Yesterday I was reading an article praising Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever” as a misunderstood classic that captured the spirit and feel of the source material and was a proper rebuff to the darkness that was Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns.”
How could anyone possibly think that? I despise “Batman Forever” like most people despise “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” “Batman Forever” is a monstrosity that was only surpassed by the awfulness of “Batman & Robin.” It’s wrong to saddle Schumacher with all the blame, Warner Bros. was hypersensitive to comments made during test screenings. A Schumacher cut of “Batman Forever” could, at least in theory, improve upon the final product.
The point is that we all react to art in different ways. We have different visions of what “true to the character” means. I personally prefer a Batman that comes with a hefty amount of emotional damage. A man who is initially driven by a sense of vengeance rather than justice. He believes he’s lost everything. He’s not nihilistic yet. His superpower is his reckless abandon.
Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale created a Batman that was filled with anger, self-hate, and, as odd as it might sound, love. He was committed to preserving the honor of his family and Gotham. He believed in the inherent goodness in humanity.
Forget that Batman.
Forget Michael Keaton, Adam West, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney, too.
Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson offer us a Batman who, a year into his vigilante work, keeps everyone at a distance. He’s sullen, withdrawn and at odds with everything. There is even a tension that exists between Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis). Both men are haunted by the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. They don’t speak of it. They don’t speak to each other much at all.
There’s very little glamour to this Gotham. The Wayne coffers aren’t nearly as full as they once were. The family’s reputation is tarnished. Tread upon and angry, Bruce Wayne walks the streets with black smudged eyes, his face obscured by a hoodie. A detective, piecing together clues while stalking the criminal underworld. Batman has enemies. A new threat every day.
Paul Dano stars as Edward Nashton, the Ridder, an unhinged psychopath that wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Fincher film. His uniform? A mix of army surplus items. His signature weapon: a roll of duct tape.
When Daniel Craig stepped into the role of James Bond he brought a more grounded approach to the franchise. There were still gadgets and girls, but the focus was more on Bond, the man. That’s what Reeves brings to Batman. It’s a brooding piece of cinema. A step away from the traditional superhero movie. Unique in that you can’t really imagine any other incarnation of Batman stepping into this Gotham. Even Affleck’s version of the character feels too refined.
Pattinson’s Batman still doesn’t know who he is — doesn’t know his purpose. He calls himself “vengeance.” He’s making it up as he goes. With a bit of luck and inspiration, he might find his way.
Batman only comes out at night. Bruce Wayne only exists during the day. Ninety-five percent of the film comes after dusk. Because so little time is spent with Bruce Wayne actually being Bruce Wayne, the character is difficult to connect with. Batman has always been a bit cold and disconnected. Removing the human side of the character won’t work in the long game. It works here.
The rest of the cast is good to great as Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is just doing whatever it takes to survive by manipulating those around; Colin Farrell chews a lot of scenery as Oswald Cobblepot and is completely unrecognizable; Jeffery Wright’s stubborn and occasionally bewildered performance as James Gordan; Peter Sarsgaard’s District Attorney Gil Colson is perfectly hard to like in what amounts to an expanded cameo; and that leaves us Dano who is unhinged in an almost giddy way. The Riddler feels a certain physical pleasure in being bad. Dano might prove to be polarizing.
“The Batman” is a film that you chew on. It hits you in the gut and stays there. Some will wish it had more action. Others will be enthralled by the movie’s slow-burning detective drama elements. Someone will inevitably say that Pattinson’s Batman is not their Batman. It’s too dark or it’s not dark enough. I think it’s provocative with a purpose. A dark, gripping coming-of-age narrative that feels familiar but refuses to retread the aspects of the story we already know. Some of the narrative beats feel a bit contrived, but never to the point of the “Martha” coincidence of “Batman v Superman.” The length is a little problematic. Reeves likes to let moments linger.
At this point, Pattison isn’t my favorite Batman. He doesn’t need to be. I’m just happy that he and Reeves are willing to take the character back to his roots as a detective. It’s strange that it’s taken this long to get there. Where does this rank? Nolan’s films on top, Burton’s films next, and then this.
We can talk sequel if they sharpen up the writing, give us and Pattinson more Bruce Wayne, and please tell me that Alfred gets out of the penthouse for more than a visit to the hospital.