The Dark Knight is at his absolute darkest in Matt Reeves’ anticipated new take on the comic book character, a near three-hour behemoth of a film that will reward fans with a less fantastical, more grounded approach than anything that has come before – including Christopher Nolan’s holy trilogy. Mild spoilers ahead.
Robert Pattinson assumes the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman in the film, two years into his persona as the caped crusader, his long dark shadow known on the streets of Gotham which continues to be gripped by an unrelenting crime wave smothering the city. Pattinson’s Wayne is clearly a man clearly destroyed by the death of his parents, but this original movie steers clear of going over old ground in depicting the assassination of Gotham’s most prosperous residents. Instead, the large majority of the film is made up of the actor in full costume as ‘The Bat’ as he teams with Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to solve the death of Gotham’s mayor, and a string of related murders with the killer leaving behind mysterious clues, all directed at The Batman.
With Nolan’s trilogy of Batman films labeled as the strongest out of all of the Dark Knight’s cinematic outings, it was never going to be an easy job in bringing something fresh to the screen. The big question was what kind of tone Reeves and co. were going to go with for this new version, some ten years on from Bale’s last outing as the superhero. As with Nolan’s films, this new one is absolutely grounded in reality – even more so – and is less of a superhero film and more of a psychological thriller, the film having more in common with the likes of Fincher’s Seven or even The Silence of the Lambs than anything DC. There is some pretty disturbing stuff in this movie from the outset, it’s ’15’ rating in the UK justified in the opening scenes alone as Paul Dano’s ‘Riddler’ begins to go about his business. Despite the presence of The Penguin (an unrecognisable Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Selena Kyle/ Catwoman, Dano’s Riddler is the clear villain of the piece, absolutely owning the role and pretty much every scene he is in. He’s fantastic here, the majority of his screen time seeing him having to act through imagery via mobile phones all the while dressed head to toe in leather with hist his spectacled eyeballs on show.
Pattinson is perfectly cast in the title role, too, the voice-over and visual introduction to his Batman one of the best we’ve ever seen on screen – a skillfully written and executed showpiece early on which sums up the character in just a matter of minutes – no need for any extra exposition.
Reeves’ film offers three hours of a weaving crime story, mostly set at night with each character getting enough time to shine, and the scenes between Pattinson and Wright are an absolute delight to watch. This is world-building stuff that is absolutely intent on telling its story, while at the same time allowing the viewer to immerse themselves into this dark new world.
The filmmakers, like the Nolan films that came before it, steer clear of any over-the-top CGI, the digital imagery used sparingly, and only when necessary, practical, real-life sets and stunts used when possible, and the film is better for it. Chicago once again steps in for some of the imagery, but Reeves also uses Glasgow, Liverpool, and London to create his Gotham City, which is very different in look and feel to the films that game before it. We saw it in IMAX, which is absolutey the best way to immerse yourselves in the visuals. It is magnificent on the large format.
The film does lose a bit of pace as we enter the final hour, and when you’re sure they’ve just wrapped up proceedings, we’re treated to another couple of scenes, including one which nicely sets up another villain for potential sequels. That said, any three-hour film will have
As a comic book movie fan who has started to wear tired of the genre of late, The Batman is a film that has injected some much-needed excitement into the superhero genre once again.
An excellent rebirth of the iconic character, and perhaps the best modern screen outing yet.
The Batman is now playing in cinemas.
The Batman
Summary
An exciting, well-cast, though extremely dark portrayal of the Dark Knight story which is more intent on telling its story than setting up any future sequels. A welcome return of the caped crusader that’ll have you begging for more despite its lengthy runtime.
