“The Batman” has hit theaters recently, and with talented director Matt Reeves at the helm, the movie has impressed avid Batman fans and normal moviegoers alike with its intricate plot, star-studded cast, and fantastic cinematography.
Robert Pattison stars as the caped crusader, but this time, the caped crusader takes on a dark and gritty persona, a far-cry from past iterations of the Batman which were more campy or comedic. Joining him are established actors such as Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Paul Dano as the film’s antagonist, the Riddler.
Unlike many superhero movies of the past decade, “The Batman” stands out because it capitalizes on two aesthetics that audiences were eager to experience—crime and comic books. If not for its protagonist, “The Batman” reads nearly like a crime movie, with a substantial portion of the plot following the underground world of Gotham and mobsters such as Carmine Falcone and the Penguin. For fans of detective movies or “gangster” thrillers, “The Batman” will impress due to its authentic take of investigating crime families, political corruption, and societal unrest. This detective flair also envelops viewers into the story, as Batman and Catwoman continue to uncover mysteries surrounding the past of the Wayne family, the Riddler’s identity, and an anonymous “rat with wings” that has dismantled a significant portion of Gotham’s criminal empire.
Despite the fact that “The Batman” feels very much like a crime thriller, it may surprise audiences by how genuine it is towards its comic book origins. As other superhero films take creative liberties by trying to place their stories into an awkward contemporary lens or a plot that seems more reasonable for audiences, “The Batman” stays true to what has made the character extremely popular—eccentric villains, imaginative fight scenes, and a self-contained social milieu. The Riddler—while not as amusing as Jim Carey’s version in “Batman Forever”—dazzles audiences with creative puzzles and ominous one-liners, while the Batman himself entertains through action sequences that, both literally and figuratively, do not pull any punches, as the caped crusader punishes criminals with violence and self-proclaimed vengeance.
However, as I mentioned before, the most crucial aspect of this movie is that it is self-contained. Previous Batman films have failed because they intended to create cinematic universes, tease spinoffs, or connect Batman to modern society. Batman only works in Gotham. Through expert worldbuilding and cinematography, Reeves portrays Gotham as a standalone city, demonstrating its current issues, cultural atmosphere, and prominent figures so that audiences have an understanding of the setting of the film before the plot commences.
Setting is crucial in “The Batman” as it places the storyline amidst a contentious mayoral election in a city that continually is beaten-up and impoverished. Gotham truly fits in the “noir” aesthetic—it couples depressing ideals with a sense of nostalgia, the perfect environment for a morally-ambiguous hero like the Batman to chase villains while finding his own moral compass.
“The Batman” ends in a rather promising manner given its dark contents, as Batman realizes that instead of installing a sense of fear within the citizens of Gotham, he must rise past the corruption, controversy, and crime in order to become a beacon of hope, propelling the city he loves forward into a better future.
With origins as a crime thriller, “The Batman” has taken both fans and critics by storm due to its fantastic worldbuilding, intriguing mystery, and a refreshingly authentic take on the caped crusader.
