In Review: The Batman (2022)

Synopsis: Robert Pattinson stars in The Batman (2022). We see the title character face off against multiple foes. But it’s psychotic serial killer The Riddler (Paul Dano) who threatens to unleash chaos in Gotham City. It’s a tough task to try to prevent that . . .

Story

The strength of the plot of The Batman is the psychological, slow burn of the story. This allows us to get a wonderful character study of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Robert Pattinson) as events play out. We all know Batman’s childhood trauma, by now. So, that’s not revisited again. At least not in the sense that it usually is in a Batman film. But we do get references to it and find out things that change the established narrative. With so many stories to take from, this film’s plot manages to pay homage to some of the best, whilst telling an original story. We’re reminded why Batman will always be a huge deal on the big screen. That was one of the claims of our recent feature, Batman: A Hero For All Ages. What you get is a fine mix of tension, characterization and also plenty of action.

Acting

First things first. Robert Pattinson is wonderful in the role of Batman. It’s clear that the actor has taken the time to put his own stamp on the role. It’s incredible pressure to play such an icon. Pattinson rises to the occasion and gives us a nuanced version of Batman.

Zoe Kravitz impresses as Catwoman and is easily the best actress yet to portray Batman’s most well-known frenemy. We see wonderful layers to the character. The show-stealer is Paul Dano, who depicts a truly terrifying villain in his inspired performance.

Stunts and Action

There were some brilliant stunts in the film, and a great job was done on the choreography. getting fight scenes right is vital in a film such as The Batman. It takes consideration of lots of things, that must be carefully planned out. For example, Batman’s aggression and his rage form an crucially important aspect of his character. There was enough close attention to get this concept across to viewers.

We always love to see the Batmobile. Whilst the car didn’t have a massive amount of screen time, or attention focused on it, it did get it’s moment. The notable lack of gadgets helped keep the portrayal of Batman as a much sparser and stripped back version of him.

Overall

The Batman is a wonderful example of a story with vision and direction. What worked really well was making Gotham City a “character” fully. It’s not the first time we’ve seen that. But this version is one that focuses on the goings on with the people in power. Furthermore, we see that Bruce Wayne, and the Wayne family are an intrinsic element of the city. This concept is smartly tied to the plot, as we discover something Alfred (Andy Serkis) has never revealed to Bruce. The film had few weaknesses, but one was not making enough of the incredibly talented Andy Serkis. But perhaps he’ll return in what looks to be the inevitable next installment. Finally, the music score deserves to be mentioned, as that’s a huge reason The Batman was so impressively atmospheric and gothic.