The Batman (2022), directed by Matt Reeves, stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, Jayme Lawson, and Peter Sarsgaard. The film follows the titular comic book hero as he attempts to solve the shocking murder of a Gotham City politician. Along with his trusted ally, Lt. James Gordon (Wright), Batman (Pattinson) is thrust into a dangerous game of wits with a maniacal yet brilliant killer obsessed with riddles (Dano). The investigation leads him to cross paths with various players in Gotham’s powerful criminal underworld. These include merciless mob boss Carmine Falcone (Turturro), his power-hungry underling Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Farrell), and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Kravitz) – an alluring thief intent on revenge. Plunged into a dangerous game where the entire city is at stake, Batman is forced to consider what truly separates him from his foes. Is he Gotham’s savior or its plague?

Pattinson provides a more brooding and dark Batman than previous portrayals. We see very little of his alter ego Bruce Wayne which allows Batman to shine as a singular entity. Pattinson is wonderful when conveying the character’s broken psyche. This makes the character a bit more believable than previous iterations because it is obvious that Batman/Bruce Wayne is not doing well mentally. 

Kravitz provides everything a fan could want from a Selina Kyle/Catwoman portrayal – alluring, kickass, and intelligent with just the right touch of vulnerability. The script also succeeds in changing the character’s comic book origins. This is dangerous territory in terms of fan reception, but it’s done so to improve the story as opposed to providing the film with a lazy and hollow attempt at distinguishing itself from other Batman stories. This is a great example of what this film does so damn well: integrates iconic characters into the story in ways that feel natural. As opposed to asking himself what characters he should include before writing his script, it’s clear that writer/director Matt Reeves first asked himself what kind of story he wanted to tell – finding the right characters to fit his story instead of finding the right story to fit his characters. 

Jeffery Wright is fantastic casting for Lt. Gordon, proving that the vast majority of fans care little about race-swapping popular characters as long as the hearts of those characters remain. Across the board, The Batman finds a fantastic balance between taking liberties with its iconic characters as well as staying true to what fans love about them in the first place. Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Alfred is a great example of this. He plays a much younger version of the character that audiences are sure to not be accustomed to. I was oddly afraid that a younger Alfred would result in the sacrifice of some of the characters’ inherently wise aura, fortunately, Serkis’s performance quickly quelled those fears. Although Serkis’ portrayal doesn’t have the benefit of two sequels under its belt like Michael Caine in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, he’s still able to mostly match the emotional weight of that fantastic string of performances. 

As for the film’s villains, Paul Dano smartly takes a darker direction with the Riddler than previous iterations. Instead of coming off as goofy and energetic similar to Jim Carrey in Batman Forever (1995), Dano comes off as blood-thirsty and disturbed. This fits nicely with the film’s overall darker tone while generally making the character more intimidating than he has ever been. That being said, he still conveys a certain fun-loving nature that’s essential to the character. 

Although the majority of the cast provides strong work, the clear standout is Collin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepott/The Penguin. It is a transformative performance that should be held in the top tier of Batman villain portrayals. Due to some impressive prosthetics, Farrell is unrecognizable. The thing is, Farrell takes complete advantage of the physical transformation, likewise changing his voice and typical aura to create a villain that just pops off the screen. He’s charismatic, ruthless, and tinged with just the right amount of a pathetic hunger for power. 

It’s a tough ask to reboot a character like Batman and do something truly new, but against all odds, The Batman succeeds. It’s able to distinguish itself from past films while honoring the character’s comic book origins in a way that satisfies fans. For example, the inclusion of red in the film’s color scheme harkens back to the beloved Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95), providing the previously mentioned fanservice as well as a visual style not yet seen in the films. 

This also reestablishes Batman’s title as “The World’s Greatest Detective.” Most films in the Batman canon have focused more on the character kicking ass instead of something a bit more contemplative, but this is very much a welcome change. Not only does this distinguish The Batman from other films in the series, but this distinguishes it from a majority of films in the genre. There’s a twisty structure to the mystery that harkens back to classic noir films, resulting in a plot that’s complex and requires the viewer to pay close attention. This is not a superhero film for the typical MCU fan and takes an approach that respects its audience’s intelligence as full-grown adults. As one can guess, this sacrifices a good portion of the traditional action we come to expect in comic book films. The thing is, it doesn’t matter. When the action does kick into gear, it’s that much more satisfying because it feels earned.

 This brings me to the film’s glaring flaw: its monster runtime. Look, I love Batman movies and will take everything I can get, but this is just absurd. The less action-centric nature along with this three-hour length compound each other, resulting in a film that drags in its final 20 minutes whether you’re enjoying it or not. Yes, it’s epic, but does a Batman film always need to be epic? I’m not saying it shouldn’t, but I think there’s a better balance to be found. 

Overall, this is one of my favorite comic book films of the last decade and has held up for me after multiple rewatches. The cast is outstanding, the plotting is complex, and the cinematography is stunning. After his two wonderful Planet of the Apes films, this establishes Matt Reeves as one of the most exciting directors of blockbusters working in Hollywood today. If you like comic book films but have been frustrated by their recent childish nature, The Batman stands out from the pack as something a bit more original and mature. As long as a person can deal with a monster length that leads to a dangerously swift climax, there’s not much to hate. But when I say it’s long, I mean EXTREMELY long. B+