‘The Batman‘ is the latest film portrayal of the DC Comics vigilante directed by Matt Reeves who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. Warner Media has made clear it is separated from the DCEU.

Gotham City suffers a blow when Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) is murdered on Halloween ahead of an upcoming election against candidate Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson). The killer calls himself the Riddler (Paul Dano) and begins to leave clues to his next victims for the vigilante known as The Batman (Robert Pattinson). Working with Detective Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), they discover a mysterious connection between Mafia Don Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), his assistant The Penguin (Colin Ferrell), and Gotham’s elite, who are targeted by the Riddler. Batman enlists the aid of his butler Alfred (Andy Serkis) and a thief named Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) to stop the mastermind as Gotham is caught in the crossfire.

There is one cringe moment in the movie. Selina discusses “white privilege” with the Batman. DC Comics and Warner Media are insistent are pandering to a group of social media snobs who don’t even like comic books or the Dark Knight. It was shoe-horned and a dumb line. Okay, moving on.

This movie is good. I have heard a lot of critics complain that this is more of the same in regards to the story of Bruce Wayne. Respectively, they are wrong. Just because some of the characters have had appearances in other media does not mean it is “more of the same.” In fact, this take on Caped Crusader was a different direction.

Instead of a gritty action film or a wannabe epic, we see Batman presented in the light of a psychological thriller. Sure, there were action and amazing fight sequences, but it relied on detective work, mystery, intrigue, and adrenaline to tell the story. That made it intriguing on top of being entertaining. Despite the long runtime, you do not lose track once.

I have made no secret of my hesitation about the cast, but I can safely say I was wrong. In the grand scheme of things, Robert Pattinson did a good job as the Batman. He did not get enough time as Bruce Wayne, but as the Guardian of Gotham, he threw himself into the role. I am not prepared to say the casting choice was perfect, but I have to give him credit, he did jump in fully to the role.

Paul Dano is also terrifying as the Riddler. I do wish they would have stuck to his more traditional costume, but that aside, I found his villainous performance excellent. He definitely had a knack for it and like Pattinson, you could tell he threw himself into the role.

The same goes for Jeffrey Wright as Gordon. While I do think he would have done better as the character Michael Arkins, he certainly did do a good job as Batman’s ally. The same could be said of Kravitz. Again, she would not have been my first pick for Catwoman, but I appreciated that the filmmakers avoided making her a Mary Sue. She had strengths, weaknesses, depth, and a story arc that was well-rounded.

For me, the two biggest strengths were the music and the fight choreography. Rogue One composer Michael Giacchino channeled Batman: TAS for the music and it definitely complemented the scenes, making you feel the chills. Stunt performer Daniel Arrias handled the fight choreography and it was superb especially the hallway fight scenes.

As a long-time Batman fan, I can say that I truly enjoyed the movie. I was enthralled in the story and credit to Matt Reeves for crafting such a compelling story set in Gotham City. It is not my favorite Batman film, but it definitely solidifies in my mind as a good one.

Bottom line, The Batman is an excellent movie that fans can enjoy and appreciate. Pattinson throws himself into the role and the villain is terrifying to keep you enthralled in the plot.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong violence, Foul language, Thematic elements, Drug content

FAVORITE QUOTE: I’m vengeance.

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Brazen and Shut In. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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