What to say about The Batman? Does one look at it from the perspective of quality, as an action movie, superhero flick or gauged simply against the cannon of Batman films that preceded it? Alternately, you could evaluate The Batman as a contrast in movie styles when it comes to DC and Marvel. As a comic book fan and one who appreciates movies of all sort, The Batman is fabulous tour-de-force on every level.
First and foremost, The Batman is grounded in reality. Bats has one gadget in his belt and a muscle car to get around in, but that’s it. Also, Gotham City is big, really big. The city looks larger than it ever has in the movies. While the scenery looks similar, there are differences that project the feeling that this takes place in a bigger, European city, as opposed to Chicago.
It’s also worth noting that this film is all about Batman. There is more onscreen time for the character than in any movie. After watching the film and seeing how much time Robert Pattison spends in costume it’s understandable why designers wanted him to be able to use the bathroom on his own. This is the in-costume superhero who dominates the screen time when compared to his businessman alter-ego Bruce Wayne. And while the city looks more akin to Metropolis at times, its climate is more like Seattle, with many of the scenes happening in a downpour.
The Batman looks at Gotham City one year after he’s emerged from the cave. He’s physical, sees the Bat Signal as a warning to criminals, is keenly aware that he can’t be everywhere and only has one friend at the police department. The film opens as a serial killer is targeting certain people and then leaving riddles that are addressed to Batman. Many people in the media and the police force aren’t convinced that these aren’t being left by Batman, since he’s new to the scene and people don’t really know him.
The Riddler keeps targeting police and high profile people in bizarre, Saw-esque ways. During Batman’s investigation on one of these cases he discovers a photo of the victim who is outside of a nightclub that’s owned by Penguin. Selina Kyle works at the club and acts far too interested in the pictures that Batman shows Cobblepot. It’s these series of events that start The Batman and will keep audiences hooked in for most of the duration.
The Batman is a very well paced film that impossibly ups the ante each time you think it can’t get any bigger. It’s a superhero film with a disaster movie-mind and is intent on offering up all of Gotham City as its prize. There are some great twists that you won’t see coming, but to get to them you need to accommodate some time.
You don’t need to be patient, but you do need to block off three hours of cinema time from previews to the end of the film. For the most part, that run time is not a distraction. Yeah, it’s longer than the average bear, but most movies aren’t this engaging, well written or entertaining. However, it does feel self-indulgent at times and would’ve benefitted from just a ten minute haircut.
But, even as I wrote this in my head I was trying to figure out which part of the story would’ve benefitted from it being a little shorter. That’s a tough call because every aspect of the film is solid, some more so than others, but there are not any loose threads. The action sequences are solid. The story, as grandiose as it is, swings for the fences and largely succeeds. It’s dark as one would expect from Batman, but not depressing. The score is amazing. It’s Michael Giacchino and blends spaghetti western moods, with grand orchestral swings in a way that’s new, yet 100% Batman.
The Batman pushes the PG-13 rating to its limit. There aren’t overtly bloody or gory scenes, but there’s a sustained tension throughout the film, combined with the flashes of violence that might make those on the younger side of the scale uncomfortable. For a film that runs just under three hours that’s quite an accomplishment. It’s one that will reward movie fans, but will leave them a little drained at the end also.
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