The CineFiles
The Batman
Abby Denne
Embedded Files
Although my older brother and I are complete opposites in many ways, we share one glimmering similarity: our taste in movies. Our taste in movies aligns once again on a Saturday night and, for the first time in years, we go to see a movie together in theatres. My brother drives. We cruise down the highway while blasting tunes, arrive at the theatre just a few minutes early, pay for overpriced snacks (where we meet two cashiers who are uncomfortably aggressive in trying to sell us a rewards card), and find our spots in the reclining seats of Theatre 6. We are here for one reason: to see Robert Pattinson as Batman.
In the ongoing war between Marvel and DC fans, I’ve always been in the neutral third party that wonders why the hell we can’t just love both universes for what they are. However, this does not stop me from acknowledging that the quality of the content DC Films makes has been severely lacking for the past decade. Since Marvel has a monopoly on the superhero movie market, the flaws in films like Batman vs. Superman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League come under way more scrutiny than Marvel’s flaws (and rightly so) and it’s hardly a fair fight. But within the past few years, DC content seems to be on the mend-- and the release of 2022’s The Batman does not disprove this idea.
Robert Pattinson’s performance is one of the most captivating things about this film. Though the former Twilight heartthrob’s adaptation will definitely go down as the most “emo” Batman, his ability to convey all of Bruce Wayne’s pain and struggles with minute facial expressions and changes in his eye contact is nothing if not impressive. It is a very introspective take on Bruce Wayne, mainly because of all the versions of Batman that have been created, Pattinson gives us a Batman who feels much more Batman than Bruce Wayne. That ends up being the point of the movie. Bruce focuses too much on his Batman identity which leads him to ignore some crucial mistakes made by his parents and Wayne Enterprises, a business he never cared enough for. You also see smaller parts of his Batman persona being used against him, such as his trademark phrase “I am vengeance” which is a line dating back to the nineties as it was uttered by Kevin Conroy for the animated Batman series. The line is twisted and used to inspire criminal chaos in spite of Bruce’s good intentions. Even the Wayne Foundation that went untouched by Bruce becomes ripe for the criminal taking. Countless aspects of his identity, of his family, and of his life are being twisted into reasons or methods for doing terrible things. So if you find yourself rolling your eyes at the several minutes of angsty, emo, tortured narration by Bruce Wayne himself, remember that he has every reason to be all of those things and to channel that emo version we’ve seldom seen in other adaptations.
Zoe Kravitz, though not given much to work with, delivers just as solid of a performance as Selina Kyle. Even Paul Dano’s version of the Riddler is creepy, intricate, and intense. In addition, Barry Keoghan-- who seems to be getting the best of both worlds, given his recent role in Marvel’s Eternals-- also makes a small, but exciting, appearance towards the end. The villains in this movie are also exceptionally cast. Colin Farell is almost unrecognizable as the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) is a villain you’ll want to slap in the face at all times.
My issues with this movie, as is the case for most movies, fall mainly to length. The movie itself is entirely too long, with sections I found myself wishing they’d cut. What was done in three hours could have been accomplished in two. Or, at the very least, they could have shortened the dramatic first appearance of Batman and instead taken more time to develop Selina Kyle as Cat Woman. Even though Selina Kyle was given her own story, her own mission and her own views, I still would have appreciated more screen time for a talented gem like Zoe Kravitz because her character ended up adding very little to the real plot.
This movie does do some other things well though, such as the really great action sequences and what is probably one of the messiest, most insane and amazing high-speed car chases I’ve seen in the DCEU. The plot, though unnecessarily long and lost at certain points, was really intriguing. It was also extremely refreshing to see a Batman movie that did not involve the Joker but rather utilised Batman’s other infamous villains. In addition, the ending feels unsatisfying at first glance, mainly because you are left with only the slightest sliver of hope that Gotham is on the mend, but it is automatically negated by the entrance of a new villain that possibly sets up for a second movie with Pattinson’s Batman (which I would absolutely watch). Either way, you’re not left with the typical happy ending that most Marvel movies provide. Not even the soundtrack, with the appropriately gloomy “Something In The Way” by Nirvana playing in the background at various points throughout the film, gives you a good feeling about the future of Gotham. Part of this is necessary-- after all, the city of Gotham is known to deteriorate with every comic book issue, every film, every rendition. For now, I’ll operate under the assumption that the minimal amount of hope given at the end of the film is alluding more to a second movie instead of thinking of it as unsatisfying. Overall though, I’d say this is my personal favourite Batman adaptation and is objectively one of the best, ranking right up there with Christian Bale and Michael Keaton. (Although, truth be told, I think Will Arnett’s LEGO Batman is the best of them all. I wish I was saying that ironically.)
For a more personal look, you can go see Batman in theatres today, or watch it on HBO Max starting on April 4th, 2022.
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