The Batman – Movie Review

Almost 10 years later, a brand new solo Batman film has been released. With March 4th, 2022 being its official theatrical release date, The Batman has performed extremely well with box office numbers, grossing $258M worldwide on its opening weekend. The movie has an all-star cast of actors, starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Collin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

The movie was originally set for a June 2021 release date, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was delayed to Oct. 1st 2021, and again, for the final time, to March 4th 2022 and it will be able to stream on HBO Max on April 19th, 2022.

When Robert Pattinson was cast as Batman in 2019, general reactions were mixed, with some people only knowing him as “that guy from Twilight” while others were excited because of his previous roles in movies such as Tenet, The Lighthouse and The King. But as far as current reviews go, it seems that Pattinson’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader is one of the best ones yet. Pattinson shines in the role as Bruce Wayne especially, giving us a new look at the billionaire orphan’s mentality. Previous iterations of the character have Bruce Wayne and Batman being almost like two separate characters, with Wayne being the public, playboy persona, while Batman was dark, serious, and didn’t show up to make friends.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pattinson describes the character to be “kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman.” No doubt, that’s what comes across in The Batman. Bruce is a dejected person that wants to save his city, no matter the cost, be it his money or his life. Yet his privilege and lack of interaction with society denies him a good part of that heroism. Pattinson’s performance is top-notch, emoting not only through his hushed tone when he speaks, but also the agony in his eyes behind the cowl, fused with a sense of martyrdom.

To counterbalance this stoicism in and out of the costume, we’re introduced to Zoë Kravitz’ Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Selina is introduced as a waitress at the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub run by the Penguin, where she is looking for clues to find her missing roommate Annika. In The Batman, Selina is a mirror to Bruce. Both of them are lost people, trying to find their identity. The only difference? They want to find justice in different ways.

In most interpretations of Catwoman’s character, she’s sultry, alluring, and especially deceitful. But the thing that sets Kravitz’ Catwoman apart from all the others is that she is so much more than a thief in tight leather. Her ungovernable attitude paired with her desire to help those in need have a better life than she did allows her to be arguably the best and most impactful interpretation of Selina Kyle/Catwoman that’s ever been presented. Equally risqué and egalitarian, Kravitz’ Catwoman works wonderfully on-screen with Pattinson’s Batman, showcasing how captivating that working dynamic is.

The Batman deals with themes of internal corruption in the colloquialism and severity that is Gotham City. Darkness pours into the city’s heart and soul, corrupting its every corner, swallowing it with crime and waves of violence. But in that darkness, the city fights for its justice, and the Batman inflicts vengeance. In the movie, Gotham City is its own character. It is the very personification of grief itself and it mirrors all that it was and all that it will be.

James “Jim” Gordon, lieutenant in the GCPD and working-partner with Batman, is important to Gotham City just as much as Batman, because without him, the entirety of GCPD may no longer have any good men left, leaving it up to the department’s scum to run the city with an iron fist. Jeffrey Wright’s rendition of James Gordon is faithful to the comic counterpart, being cool and collected under high-pressure situations, and not falling victim to the corruption within his own department. Wright delivers a great acting dynamic with Pattinson, being like The Batman‘s Holmes and Watson.

The Penguin brings a very nice twist of playfulness to the movie, despite being somewhat of an antagonist. Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the Penguin is fantastic. He made Penguin, lovable in a sense, in that he’s a man with a lighthearted attitude with a mafioso complex. Though his time in the movie is noticeably short in comparison to most of the other characters, Farrell takes the part and runs with it, offering Penguin’s character quick-witted humor, without overdoing it, and balancing it out with his character’s conniving and ambitious plans for his own success.

It would be an understatement to say that Paul Dano’s Riddler is “different”. He is not a spandex-wearing and playful person as seen in the past; he’s a frightening, malicious and cunning specimen with a knack for arrogance. Dano’s performance is thoroughly chilling. You are allowed a look into Riddler’s mind in the movie, and even then, you still wonder that even with all the trauma, how someone can be so cold. Ruthless, cruel and callous is the Riddler, and all the more are the questions he unnervingly proposes for you to dwell on.

Always held in the highest regard, beloved butler Alfred Pennyworth is a father figure and wiseman, and is especially important to Bruce Wayne. Andy Serkis plays this Alfred as a badass with a golden heart that only wants the best for Bruce, and will always see to it that he takes the time he needs for his well-being when he’s not being Batman. Alfred is part of the emotional peak of the movie, and that goes to show his significance not only to Bruce but to the Batman mythos as a whole. It is within reason that the argument can be made that without Alfred Pennyworth, there would be no Batman, and in this movie, that proves to be the truth, because when Alfred is affected, so is Bruce. Their father-son dynamic is strengthening for the both of them. It’s imaginable that somewhere down the line, a little Robin could be introduced, and Bruce’s fatherly side will have been influenced and be self-evident, all thanks to Alfred carrying on Thomas and Martha Wayne’s raising of their son.

The Batman is an astonishing experience, with stunning cinematography. It makes use of its dark tone, and has humor at just the right time (the thumb-drive joke as an example for those that have seen it). Though lengthy, the film takes advantage of that, and turns itself into a immersible crime-noir that feels like you are directly involved in it. Every actor in this movie brought their best to their characters, giving memorable performances that will surely hold themselves as the new standard for further movies to come. The Batman is a light in the dark, the assurance in ourselves that we all need from time to time so we can carry on fighting for justice, and holding out hope for what lies ahead.