A Parkside Movie Review: The Batman
The Batman is dark, and I do mean dark. From the first strains of the opening song by Nirvana to the new storyline, to the costuming, to the cinematography but that’s okay because Batman is supposed to be dark and brooding. The darker tone strikes a hard chord and follows it unrelenting throughout the film.
There are a couple of twists and changes here with the narrative but anyone who has followed the cannon of the Batman’s mythology knows that is nothing the Bat can’t handle. These changes, some subtle and some less so, work to flush out the story beautifully. Bruce Wayne as an orphan is highlighted here in a way it seldom has before. The trauma of his parents’ death is more prominently displayed than any other incarnation. It feels true to the story and what he would eventually become. The philanthropic playboy by day and winged vigilante by night felt stale the last go around and this take with its intimate understanding of trauma is better suited for our hero.
The fight scenes are choregraphed in brilliant and brutal fashion and play out against the desperation of the city of Gotham. Robert Pattinson steps into the costume and wears it well. He acts by reacting and this too, works. His chemistry with Zoe Kravitz, as Cat Woman, is palpable but it is his chemistry with Andy Serkis as Alfred that pulls on heartstrings. Colin Farrell all but disappears into the guise of the Penguin as the Penguin disappears into the seedy underground of yet to surge forward villains. Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon works as the moral compass of the piece and his struggle with clawing his way free of corruption all around him is nothing short of a morality tale.
As to our villain, the Riddler, Paul Dano, steps into the spotlight as a necessary and welcome change from a constant rehashing of the Joker. He is the unsung antagonist of the piece, charting out serial killings like he is leaving breadcrumbs without ever completely tipping his hand. It makes for a compelling mystery and since the director Matt Reeves has peopled the landscape with would be villains, you spend the entire time searching the screen for him without ever finding him.
This is a beautifully filmed, cohesive re-telling of a mythic hero and I would say one of the best Superhero movies of recent telling. And I say about time. DC surges forward on this one and shows itself as a worthy contender to the Marvel Superhero universe. This is a movie that I will re-watch, purchase for my collection and probably buy a few action figures from. Highly recommend for any serious Batman fan.
