The Batman (2022)

When it was announced that yet another version of Batman was set to hit movie screens, many fans wondered why. Since 1989, no less than five different actors have donned the cape and cowl. What else could be done? But, after seeing 2022’s The Batman, I can see why a younger, grittier version of the character makes complete sense. And, if you’re reading this with skepticism about the casting of Twilight‘s Robert Pattinson in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, just stop reading and go see the movie.

Thankfully, this is not another origin story. The Batman opens as the caped crusader has been fighting street level crime in Gotham City for approximately two years. Driven by an insatiable desire to eliminate the city’s criminal forces by striking fear into them, Wayne confesses that doing so has turned him into a “nocturnal animal.” This new version of the billionaire Wayne has no inclination to socialize or perpetuate a playboy image as past celluloid depictions have done. He admits to Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis,) his longtime caretaker, that he doesn’t care what happens to himself as he puts his life in danger every night.

Things take a turn when The Riddler (Paul Dano) begins murdering Gotham’s politicians. Leaving clues that hint at wide-scale corruption within the city government, the Riddler calls out Batman to look more critically at those he serves. As Batman investigates the Riddler’s crimes, he meets Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), who has a dual identity of her own. Kyle works in a club where members of Gotham’s underworld and upper echelon mingle. Intending to use her access to the club’s patrons to gain information, Bruce Wayne discovers that he may not have all the facts about his father and his past.

Director Matt Reeves’ The Batman brings the character back to his detective origins. With Alfred’s help, he cracks codes, scans crime scenes, and collects evidence. Once core components of the Batman character in the comics, these investigative elements had largely been ignored by previous incarnations. Reeve’s Batman isn’t quite yet a fully-realized entity. Wayne hasn’t quite figured out a proper work/life balance for his alter ego. His armored suit looks homemade, as if it were pieced together out of existing protective equipment albeit with extensive customization. Even the famous Batmobile looks more like a modified muscle car than a high-tech military vehicle. All of this gives the character a rough edge we’ve not seen before.

Robert Pattinson delivers a convincing performance as the obsessive Bruce Wayne. He portrays a conflicted man compelled to positively impact the city but yet calls himself “Vengeance.” When he removes the mask, it appears he is sapped of his will to live. But as the Batman, his demeanor changes completely. The “nocturnal animal” emerges when he is forced to take on combatants. He becomes a man possessed.

I don’t want to give away too many specific plot details. I will say that Reeves, who also co-wrote the script, remolds the Gotham City we’ve visited many times before into something familiar but still capable of delivering surprises. Characters like James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), The Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell,) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) appear but never feel like tired retreads.

Michael Giacchino’s musical score deserves recognition as a character all its own. Giacchino’s motifs perfectly fit Reeve’s gritty vision. It’s one of those rare scores that enhance a film while never overpowering it or being distracting. It helps inject an additional layer of menace and dread to an already visually dark world.

For a movie with a nearly three hour running time, it never feels over long. Thankfully, Reeves never rushes to realize these new interpretations of Gotham City and its inhabitants. This allows for a complex — but never over-complicated — plot to take shape. At no point did I ever feel the need to look at my watch.

Potential viewers conditioned to the campiness of the Joel Schumacher films, the 1960s TV show, or the myriad number of animated versions of Batman may find themselves shocked at the brutality of this film. At the screening I attended, someone a few rows in front of me exclaimed, “Is this movie rated R?” No, it’s not, but it wouldn’t have taken much to deserve that rating. And within the context of the narrative, the violence is never gratuitous.

At once familiar and yet still surprising, The Batman is a welcome addition to the storied franchise.