"The Batman" is Cinema At Its Best, Plain and Simple

 

Let me just freaking cut to the chase - no opening fluff, no preamble ramble, none of that crap...

The Batman is pure cinematic awesomeness, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have witnessed it.

Director Matt Reeves has crafted a psychological thriller that takes the comic book genre and reinvents it in a stunningly beautiful and haunting way. It's so incredibly grounded in reality that it makes The Dark Knight trilogy - arguably the most "grounded" take on Batman up to this point - seem glossier and more "comic booky." Trust me when I say that's not a dig at The Dark Knight trilogy - there's enough hatred and vitriol in fandoms today that there really is no need to compare and put down other works. This comparison was simply to illustrate the point that The Batman is so immersed in reality that it feels like it could really take place. The added noir tone to the piece elevates this, for me, above being a comic book movie and simply a fantastically crafted noir/detective film that happens to feature Batman.

Comparisons will still run rampant, unfortunately, so I won't waste your time with that nonsense here. My one comparison earlier was it. I just want to speak about this movie on its own, specifically three key elements that stood out to me throughout the entire 3-hour runtime - the first being the dark knight himself. Robert Pattinson is fantastic. His Bruce Wayne is a more dower, pain-stricken Bruce that is fresh into his tenure as the Caped Crusader. The term "playboy" is throw around but we never really see that side of him. His mission to clean up the streets of Gotham has consumed him, and the arrival of the Riddler - played to creepy and unsettling perfection by Paul Dano - will put Batman to the ultimate test of will, trust, and strength. Pattinson brings this level of seriousness to the role; Bruce seems consumed by the Batman persona, which is inherent to the mythos. The idea that Batman is the real person and Bruce Wayne is the mask he hides behind has never seemed more tangible and clear than it does here. He also looks damn good in that suit. The action is awesome, and the detective aspect is such a refreshing take. Batman is known in the comics as being the world's greatest detective, but so many iterations of the character on screen seem to focus more on the action and theatrics than that of the detective aspect. Here we get both, with a heavy dose of detective; plastered within the noir tone, it fits like a glove.

Secondly, Matt Reeves' direction is stunning. The story he crafted takes wicked twists and turns, and I felt completely drenched within the world he created. His Gotham feels lived in, sick, and completely real. There are shots in this movie that blew me away, and what Reeves does with the camera is brilliant. Some of my favorite shots are just the lingering shots on shadowy areas; then that heart-thumping theme kicks in and you slowly start to see this image coming out of the shadows. Pure chills! This goes without saying, but a lot of this can be attributed to Greig Fraser's cinematography. As dark and dower as this film is, it's also a beautiful piece of art. The look and feel compliments the story completely, and I couldn't help but feel like Gotham was a real place the whole time. That level of realism laid a groundwork that made the dastardly plans of the Riddler look even more menacing and destructive. Martin Scorsese has been infamously berated for saying that comic book movies aren't cinema. Well, I want to know if he feels the same way after watching this movie. I would put Reeves' direction and Fraser's cinematography up for Oscar contention, no doubt.

Lastly, Michael Giacchino's score - my word! From the moment I first heard the DUN! DUN DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN DUN! DUN! in that first tease of Pattinson in the suit we got so long ago - I was sold. This Batman theme is so simple, but so menacing and inspiring. It's heard a lot, and I mean A LOT, throughout the movie, but never did it feel overly used. Giacchino mixes it up and plays around with the theme so effortlessly that it always feels new and fitting in the moments that you hear it. Like most iconic characters, their themes become as intwined with the character as their looks. I mean that the most for Batman, of which we've seen countless iterations, and have heard many memorable versions of his theme. This one will go down as one of the best, in my book, and I cannot help but applaud Giacchino for his work of brilliance.

The Batman is a heavy film, one that deals with a lot of dense themes. As I said before, it doesn't feel like a comic book movie, but more like a police procedural that features Batman. It's much more adult in that regard, and it leans into the choices it makes with full confidence that you'll go along for the ride. It's slower than most Batman movies because it's a psychological thriller that takes its time in unraveling the narrative, steeping heavily into that noir detective genre, which for this movie-lover was the best aspect overall. I've only scratched the surface with this review; I didn't even touch on Zoe Kravitz, who was awesome as Selina Kyle; Jeffrey Wright, who played a perfect Jim Gordon; Colin Farrell, who was completely lost in the Penguin, which I wanted more of; and John Turturro's Carmine Falcone, which was pure chef's kiss. Andy Serkis' Alfred was picture perfect casting, and he brings that wonderfully warm and supportive counter to Pattinson's hardened Bruce. I could go on and on, but I think it's simply safe to say that I loved everything about this movie, and I honestly think it has a chance of being my favorite Batman film ever.

Man, I need to see this again!