Slight spoilers

Beating almost every Batman movie, “The Batman” pushes its way to the top of the franchise. This three hour long movie notched an estimate of 128.5 million box office sales. Filled with action packed and sinister scenes, it catches the eye of anyone who enjoys watching the stories of Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson).

The director Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser take us on a cinematic journey showing the vigilante solving cryptic clues planted by the sadistic villain, Riddler (Paul Dano) while uncovering truths of his own past. With Fraser’s astonishing display of cinematography in this film, the audience is able to see a more realistic aspect of the night time world of Gotham as well as the actions of Batman himself.

Starting with the sinister murder of the mayor done by Riddler (Paul Dano), we start to make our theories as to why he targeted the mayor, especially on the same day, 20 years from the death of Thomas Wayne (Luke Roberts). The crime rates in Gotham are at a high level and we get to observe that in different shots throughout the movie. Also, the bat symbol is displayed proudly in the sky that causes fear to rise in those committing a crime. Bruce further talked about their panic of Batman in the shadows.

The beginning of the movie was kind of slow, but it started to get more exciting as Bruce solves the riddles and also meets Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) who reveals early on that she is Catwoman. The duo works together to learn more about the secret club of corrupt politicians that Riddler is going after as well as their relationship growing into something more throughout the movie. I feel that there was a missed opportunity to show more action from Catwoman. They reveal that Selina is the daughter of one of the most powerful people in the industry of corruption, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). I feel that they should have gone more in-depth with that part of the story and further shown what she can do as Catwoman or how she got to where she is.

Throughout the movie, there is a continuous theme of dark and sinister lighting as well as informative and clear dialogue. The lighting would be darker in some scenes based on how eerie the events are and it fit the setting very well. The dialogue wasn’t hard to follow especially with all the riddles that were laid out for Bruce and his detective companion, James Gordan (Jefferey Wright). The music that was played in the background fit perfectly with every scene and was mostly the alternative band Nirvana which I believe would be on Bruce’s music playlist. The climax was noticeable with the curtain of secrets being opened and Bruce’s shock as to how his parents died and their pasts. The way Bruce’s parents are conveyed in this movie is more corrupt than any other movies where his parents were innocent with a content past. 

Batman’s suit was advanced in technology, unlike previous ‘Batman’ films. Even with these advances, it was still realistic, except for one scene where he seemed to fly. The visual effects seemed to be a little off but it made the event funny. Instead of making Batman perceived like a superhuman, they show that he’s a normal person behind the suit. He also shows more emotion other than an expressionless face and monotone voice that people are used to seeing. The Bruce in this film is almost comic book accurate, showing awkward, depressed yet compassion for helping others, different from the usual carless Bruce Wayne who wants attention. This makes the movie more enjoyable to watch and it made me more engaged in the process of wondering what he thought based on how he said things or his facial expressions. I was invested in what could happen next with his character and those around him.

My favorite scene by far was a car chase between Batman and Penguin (Colin Farrell), a leader of the secret corrupted club. We get to see the iconic batmobile that had really no special features but still displayed a lot of power. The stunt of the car jumping through the fire was actually said to be real which makes it even more extravagant. When Batman was walking towards the trapped Penguin, the scene reminded me that Batman doesn’t need special abilities to be powerful, it was the definition of Batman’s power. 

A big puzzle piece was revealed as Riddler went after Bruce Wayne. Riddler appears to be jealous of Bruce who as an orphan lived a comfortable life with riches other than his life at a rundown down orphanage. He tried to harm him but failed and hurt Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Bruce’s butler, more perceived as a father figure in this movie that Bruce shows he deeply cares for. I like that they gave more credibility to Alfred instead of making him seem like one of Bruce’s and Batman’s servants. 

After that moment, a final clue led Bruce to find Ridder who, behind the mask, looked almost like a highschooler. They put him in a prison where Batman visited him only to find out that Riddler already knew his identity. He wore glasses and seemed boring but once he talked and explained his final trick, he proves that not all villains have to look the part to really be unhinged. The way he gained followers to help him was unlike other villain’s in movies. Revealing his plans to a small community of Gotham that agreed with his motives, he gained other peoples attention to help him defeat Batman which is so different and interesting to see. I think they displayed Riddler’s character in a new way that made him ten times more menacing.

Overall, I believe this movie stepped out of the usual display of the character Bruce Wayne and what Batman really represents. The other characters were also displayed in a new light, different from previous movies. The film left me wanting to see more of the storyline. At the end we get to see the failed attempt of Riddler’s tricks, now in a prison cell he talks to a new inmate who has an identical laugh to that of Joker, but without showing the face of the new ominous villain. Now fans, like myself, of this new realistic Batman movie, stand by excited with new predictions for the possible sequel.

5/5