In a world where Batman is young, lacking a Robin, and seeking vengeance, crime crawls in Gotham City’s underworld. With a new serial killer on the block, The Riddler begins targeting Gothams’ most elite (and eventually, Bruce Wayne himself). The Caped Crusader is duty-bound to recognize the flaws in his methods, and stop the massacre.
While many have tried to portray Batman in visual media, few of his twenty-eight actors over the years have nailed his essence. Adam West’s suit looked like a Halloween costume, Ben Affleck’s was a whole lot better; but then again, it’s hardly fair to judge suits that are several decades apart. Even so, none can replicate Kevin Conroy’s three-decade animated tenure.
After seven years of Affleck’s impressive costume, Robert Pattinson’s billion-dollar debut definitely came with some controversy- and after viewing, it becomes apparent why. He fails to play “both” roles with just the right balance. Wearing the suit, he pulls off the stoic detective type really well, and that’s what we’ve come to expect from Batman in live action.
Considering that Bruce Wayne has only been Batman for two years in the film, it makes sense that he’s a little uncertain about the role. He doesn’t smile once in almost three whole hours. Out of the suit, though, he’s still edgy and lacks the usual Bruce Wayne charisma! It’s a bit tiresome, really.
When watching The Batman, I noticed a glaring relation to Tobey Macguire’s portrayal of Peter Parker vs Spiderman. He plays the dorky and anxious Peter Parker well, but that dorkiness bleeds into his performance as Spiderman. Casting directors need to play their cards carefully because actors aspiring for a superhero role need to be able to play their civilian identity just as well as their aliases. It gets messy when they can’t.
Paul Dano’s performance as The Riddler (aka Edward Nashton), also faced scrutiny. As Riddler always does, he has a very fragile ego, and, when proven wrong, is prone to breakdowns. He looks so run-of-the-mill that his mental illness being the driving factor to villainy hit a little too close to home for some. Conversely, in my opinion, this performance is pretty close to perfect. The Riddler, in comics where he’s featured, truly believes he’s the smartest guy in the room, and can’t stand being taken down. The slightly darker edge that Dano applies is a genius touch that makes Edward feel so much more rooted in reality.
Writers Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, and Bob Kane took far too many loose liberties regarding the plot. Selina Kyles’ backstory and character were totally changed for seemingly no reason other than plot development and a tough scene. On the surface, it’s understandable why they might do that, but it takes away from the character dynamic between Bruce and Selina. In so many other Batman medias with their relationship at the forefront, the fact that they know each other in and out of the suits adds a layer of depth that builds upon their relationship; when that’s missing, it feels a little hollow.
Similarly, Greig Fraser’s cinematography was an integral part of the film. DC never skimps on their action scenes and this was no exception. In a scene at the beginning, not long after the opening, Batman takes down a bunch of gang members in a subway. This serves as a formal introduction to Batman, and it’s so good it’s almost comical; it’s so awesome that it’s difficult not to laugh at the absurdity of it.
The Batman II is in the works for October 2026. While many are hopeful for a, literally, brighter sequel, after the horrendous dimming filter put in post- historically film sequels just haven’t been very good; Ready Player Two, Megamind 2, etc. A whole slew of people are lying in wait for the release because the ending left an awful lot of questions on their minds and everyone is lacking information. I, for one, hope the result is a bit more satisfying.
