Member review

(SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW- UNAVOIDABLE)

Director Matt Reeves stated when making The Batman that it was his ambition to surpass Nolan's summer blockbuster, the Dark Knight, which remains one of the greatest comic book movies of all time, a signal that Reeves was no coward. And it is true that in many respects, nobody can accuse Reeves of lacking ambition- this superhero-mystery-thriller boasts a fully fleshed-out Gotham, the camera offering us a bat’s-eye view of everywhere from the grimy, rain-sodden streets of the undercity to sleazy nightclubs frequented by corrupt members of Gotham’s elite, to a wide-shot of a bloody, setting sun reflected off the labyrinth of skyscrapers as Batman and Catwoman look on. Reeves’s Gotham, in short, is perhaps the most visceral ever put to screen, intensified by a truly epic steam-punk soundtrack by Michael Giacchino; the city is a growling, brooding, pulsing, pounding reflection of the conflicted vigilante himself, who haunts and hunts in its maze of dark and murky streets.

The inhabitants of Gotham are no less dark and murky themselves, played to near-perfection by a winning cast, headed by Hollywood’s latest favourite, Robert Pattinson, clearly moved on from his Twilight days in going from playing a moody teenage vampire to playing a moodier, slightly older vampire-cosplayer. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is all-rage, sporting accusatory eyes surrounded by black paint, clenched fists, and pallid skin that pulsates with restrained fury. Yet, this portrayal of Bruce, as a decidedly ‘frowning-emoji’ guy, means he comes across more like a sullen teenager than a man struggling with his identity and purpose after the deaths of his parents. Batman, on the other hand, who dominates the screen for the majority of the runtime, is the definition of intimidating, a hulking figure against the night in thick armour, mask, and leather, giving him a more brutal, grounded presence than previous incarnations (George Clooney’s bat-nipples come to mind). Pattinson’s performance does not let the character down. Rather, it is this version of Batman that lets him down. His Batman is missing that inherently human destructibility underneath his Kevlar armour that makes him stand out from the Supermen, Captain Americas, and Spidermen. This Batman can fall thirty feet onto a road, get hit by a car, and survive an explosion, then walk away without even a concussion. That, the serious lack of screentime devoted to fleshing out Bruce’s relationship with Alfred means it is hard to empathise with him. He is invulnerable and unattached, and therefore has no place on this flawed and twisted earth.

Contrastingly, the ever-versatile Paul Dano, as he so often does, makes the most of what little screen time he has to establish his rendition of the Riddler- a surprisingly effective combination of Jigsaw-imitator and psychotic social media influencer- as a formidable foe. But unlike Batman, there is a vulnerability to the character that sets him apart; he can be manipulative but can also be manipulated; he is a villain forged by the villainy of others. The pity he arouses is far more potent than the hatred, making him perhaps the most dangerous villain Pattinson’s Batman will have to face in the near future. Meanwhile, supporting performances by Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Zoe Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright, the latter two at least making this the most diverse Batman film to date, are extremely underwhelming in comparison with the two leads, given their lack of screen time so that more shots can be devoted to close-ups of Batman glaring.

Beyond the design, however, Reeves’s creative ambition plateaus. Every thread of the plot is neatly tied up in the end, for sure, but spun very thinly; the detective element of the story, a fascinating and original angle on the character, is rather clumsily put together, with each puzzle appearing to have high stakes, but Batman’s ability to solve each riddle within minutes, even seconds, considerably softens the threat; a dark twist of Bruce’s father and mother somehow being involved in a concealed scandal is resolved almost immediately it has been revealed; Catwoman’s complex backstory is unearthed, developed, and concluded, in the whole film. A dedication to going big on the aesthetic has meant time spent on character growth, plot, themes, and structure has been lost.

The whole thing, to conclude, is just too familiar and yet often underwhelming to be called anything more than 'good', with everything excellent about Dark Knight Trilogy- the conflicted love interest Rachel Dawes, the inner struggle Bruce faces between his morality and desire for vengeance, the father-son dynamic between Bruce and Alfred brought to life by top-of-his-game Sir Michael Caine and Bale- all replaced by shoddy substitutes. The Quorn, one might say, replacing the juicy beef in an otherwise delectable triple-decker cheeseburger. Noland definitely need not worry about protecting his legacy yet, and can safely put away whatever time machine he has had stored away in the basement of his LA mansion since Interstellar was released that he presumably uses to assassinate any directors threatening him.

The apparently contractually obligated appearance of the next Joker does not bode well for the confirmed sequel to The Batman, for the character has been performed by the best of the best and the worst of the worst, so that it now feels the Clown Prince himself has no more explosive surprises to throw at us. With the latest portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix in the origin story ‘Joker’, a compelling performance for sure, seemingly filling in the blanks for all the past and future portrayals of the character, what story is there left to squeeze out? What fresh take can this new Joker offer that overrides Nicholson's sinister but charming mastermind villain, or Ledger's indomitable, grounded, lip-licking psychopath, or Phoenix's tragic, abused anti-hero? It seems the standards set by some of Hollywood's best are nearing impossible to rise to and beyond, which risks the integrity of the sequel, if Reeves does indeed intend to have the Joker replace the Riddler as the next major villain to face Pattinson's Batman. Then again, Ledger's immortal incarnation of the smiling, scarred criminal was predicted to be a mistake by critics and fans alike before the Dark Knight even hit the screens.

So, maybe there is hope. Maybe this is the darkest hour before the dawn. A dawn that brings a new age for the Batman