'The Batman' Review

Arlington TX

04 March, 2022

7:17 PM

Description

By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report March 4, 2022 Matt Reeves gives moviegoers the darkest interpretation yet of Gotham City's vigilante crime-fighter with "The Batman" a foreboding film noir that plays like David Fincher's "Se7en" thus injecting "detective" back into DC Comics. Robert Pattinson's voiceover narration is dead-on matching the film's somber tone which is heightened by Michael Giacchino's score that comes complete with a Caped Crusader version of Vader's "The Imperial March." Zoë Kravitz is purrfect as the feral feline Catwoman, operating in a gray area between hero and villain, and I enjoyed Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Jim Gordon. The 3-hour run time is a tad long and Colin Farrell's Penguin wasn't menacing enough, but for me, this is the definitive Batman film. The minuscule opening credits, signal Reeves' intent to jump right into the action. At this point in time, Batman aka Bruce Wayne (Pattinson) has established an alliance with detective Jim Gordon (Wright) who uses a homemade bat signal to summon his vigilante ally. Their relationship is in its infancy evident by the pushback Gordon receives from fellow officers and superiors who view Batman as a criminal who should be locked up. Still, Batman has been operating long enough to establish fear in the heart of Gotham's criminal element who worry when they see the beacon in the form of a bat illuminating the skyline. In many ways, the film feels like an origins story but Reeves who wrote the script with Peter Craig ('The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2") isn't interested in beginnings, so there are no scenes explaining how Bruce established his alter ego. We are near the start of Batman's chronology, so Pattinson's version of the Caped Crusader is raw muscle. He is clouded by anger, an expert at hand-to-hand combat, but his self-confidence is under development. Alfred (Andy Serkis) doesn't resemble a butler in any shape or manner. Here he has become a father figure to Bruce and the brains behind the operation. If Bruce was James Bond, then Alfred would be Q. He solves The Riddler's ciphers while mentoring the young multi-millionaire. The film's dark tone continues with Paul Dano's performance as The Riddler who resembles a Steampunk version of The Gimp from "Pulp Fiction." The goggles, leather mask, and deep voice processor are truly frightening recalling Tom Hardy's Bane from Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" but when we see Riddler unmasked, Dano's boyish looks and meek personality provide a jolt for the audience. In retrospect, Dano's Riddler is like Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in Todd Phillips' 2019 film. Without the makeup or mask, Edward Nashton/the Riddler and Arthur Fleck/Joker seem harmless but, in both films, the final act reveals their psychotic personalities. Dano is terrific when he goes full-on psycho without his mask in a chilling scene that stays with you long after the film. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.