The Batman starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader is an intense, apocalyptic cinematic experience that brings to life the side of the superhero that we have never seen before. Director Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) delivers a classic comic book adaption of the vigilante that thrillingly blends action and psychological drama.
The opening sequence of the film is sinister, full of suspense and has a dread of fear to it. The film skips the boring origin story of the character and dives straight into the dark depiction of Gotham City.
As the Batman navigates through cryptic riddles left by a dangerous serial killer, viewers get an insight into the mindset of Batman, who is often referred to as the World’s Greatest Detective.
During the film, Batman stumbles upon secrets about his own family and begins to question everything about his family’s legacy. However, the way it was portrayed in the film left much to be desired. Batman’s Telltale Games explored this factor on a deeper level and quite frankly, did a better job on this part than the film.
Long time fans of the character are sure to love the grim and mystic nature of the film. Batman is one of the most iconic characters in comic book and movie history. Several famed actors such as Christian Bale, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck have portrayed the DC superhero. So naturally, Pattinson’s casting as the Batman was initially met with severe criticism. However, all that can be laid to rest, as Robert Pattinson was indeed a good choice.
Robert Pattinson’s Batman, in our opinion, is a darker and grimmer representation of the superhero. The movie dwells deeper into the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne and manages to hold a firm grip on the audience throughout the film. We could also feel strong chemistry between Officer Gordon (Jeffery Wright) and Batman.
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle are welcome additions to the film and capture the viewer’s attention in every scene they are in. Colin Farell portrays Penguin in the film, which caught several causal viewers off-guard as the makeover for the character is quite frankly unreal.
The movie is narrated by Batman which puts the events of the film in the first perspective. The mystery of the character and the screenplay kept the audience at the edge of their seats the entire time.
Paul Dano as The Riddler was simply terrifying, which is perfect for the role. The scene with The Batman and The Riddler was phenomenal and was one of the most memorable sequences from the film.
The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino is mesmerizing and captures a variety of emotions while keeping a layer of familiarity to the character.
The Batman captured unique themes and tones of the character that makes it different to any other iteration of the caped crusader we have seen so far.
Final Verdict: 4 stars (out of 5)