So, why am I mentioning this Marvel character in my review for a DC Comics movie? Because I had those same burned out feelings going into "The Batman". I had already seen multiple iterations of this character over the years and I was heading into this film without that usual excitement that I would have for a new Batman film.
I say this because that means that this movie had a tall order to pull me back into the franchise. Thankfully, director Matt Reeves delivers what I think might be the best film in this long running franchise. In this new iteration of Batman, the vigilante has been operating in Gotham for almost two years now and takes out his vengeful anger on the criminals who stalk those who can't defend themselves.
Unfortunately, there is a new villain in town calling himself the Riddler. He's a sadistic and anonymous madman that is targeting powerful people in Gotham including the mayor. The Riddler then leaves behind riddles directed at the Batman, seeming to indicate that the Dark Knight will have some sort of role to play in his sadistic schemes. Finally, Batman has a proper damned detective story to solve!
Meanwhile, Batman is feared not only by the criminals in Gotham but also by the citizens. His brutal tactics have criminals running scared, but what does his quest for vengeance mean to everyone else. The only one seeming ready to defend him is Lieutenant James Gordon, played perfectly by Jeffrey Wright, someone who I thought was perfect for the role the instant they announced his casting. Thankfully, he delivered and he may be my favorite actor to have ever taken on the role.
Now, how about our new Batman, Robert Pattinson? To be honest, I think that he may also be one of the best if not the best actor to play the role. He's not as connected to the Bruce Wayne side of things as much as other actors, but the story establishes that at this point in his career, Bruce is far more obsessed being a vengeful knight than trying to put on a good face as Wayne.
In addition to Pattinson's performance, Zoë Kravitz is good as Selina Kyle. Without spoiling anything for those not schooled in the comics, her story is mostly inspired by her role in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's "The Long Halloween" storyline. In fact, most of this movie's story is inspired by that famous storyline so if you're looking for where Reeves got most of his inspiration, then look no further. There are other inspirations from the comics but to note them here would be to have more spoilers than I want to reveal here.
Like previous Batman films, there is plenty of action to go around, but what I loved the most about this movie is that it is also a compelling detective story involving the utterly creepy Riddler. This time, the master of riddles isn't messing around and is obviously inspired by the Zodiac Killer. On top of that, there are some genuinely creepy moments with this character and he is definitely one of the more effective villains found in a superhero film these days.
Finally, I will admit that the film's runtime could have been shaved here and there and there was no real reason for this film to be pushing close to three hours with its runtime. However, the runtime didn't affect me anywhere near as much as I thought it would. I can understand the runtime turning some people away, but it really didn't bother me by the time the credits rolled.
Truth be told, the more I thought about this film, the more I loved it. I dare say that I found it to be more enjoyable even over "The Dark Knight". That means that, yes, I'm saying that this is most definitely my favorite Batman film of all time. That means even more when considering how low my excitement levels were going into the movie.
"The Batman" is a fun and scary ride that pushes the boundaries of its PG-13 rating to deliver one of the Caped Crusader's best cinematic adventures!
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