The Batman

The (important definite article attached) Batman has cleared up all the mess of previous DC Batman films and given us a grungy, gothic, dystopian film that has more in common with a Fincher thriller than a comic book. And it's trite to say all they needed to do was add a 'the' but it worked for The Suicide Squad, comes up roses again here. Director Matt Reeves actually sets this up as a detective yarn with a cryptic serial killer as the villain, happily eschewing any kind of Wayne backstory. The plot gets a touch strandy as we follow Batman, played with righteous jaw-work by Robert Pattinson and Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) as they winkle out the clues set by the Riddler, an incredible Paul Dano.

The film opens with someone watching an obviously rich, probably powerful guy through binoculars. This turns out to be the Riddler staking out Gotham City's mayor, before making him victim number one. The reflection of this scene happens shortly after when Batters himself watches Selina Kyle (an excellent Zoë Kravitz) in her apartment, only this time there's a slightly more voyeuristic feel to it, likely due to Kravitz getting down to jocks and singlet. An early indicator that this is no ordinary Batman film, and that the dichotomy between Ridders and Batters isn't so clear cut.

Thematically, The Batman is on point in its emphasis on corruption and privilege, illustrated in dialogue from Kyle, where she complains about all the rich white men in power, and especially the Riddler, in his fantastic caged soliloquy to Batman. I got a buzz here when Dano seems to exorcise the demon of Daniel Plainview with his 'Brruuuuucce....Waaaaaaayyne' almost reaching the levels of Daniel Day Lewis's 'Draaaaaaainnaaage!' Sometimes it's the little things that tickle.

The set pieces are great - rainy car chase, numerous brawls (including bullets bouncing off the Bat), an escape from a police station, where Batman becomes something more like Sugar Glider Man, and a superbly shot fight where the only illumination between black screens comes from gunfire. But the best for me was the extended sequence around the funeral service - this is very well paced and effectively shows the chaos and bafflement the Riddler wants.

The cast are fine, though an unrecognisable Colin Farrell seems to be trying to summon both Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese in his Penguin, and Robert Smith's eyes make an appearance on Pattinson, sans mask/helmet. And it's a nice touch having Andy Serkis talk about his days in the Circus (MI6). Serkis...Circus? The little things...

The revelation that Thomas Wayne wasn't squeaky clean is an honest move, it opens up Bruce's eyes and gives the Riddler motive to do what he does. The film even hinted at sympathy for the Riddler - he is after all wiping out the corruption of Gotham, but his final flourish felt a bit samey (Baney?) and also a little like a way out for the filmmakers to make sure we all know he's really an evil nutter. The Riddler's explanation for involving Batman, playing him like a fiddler, scans well enough - "I couldn't have got into that club - aggression, "focussed violence" was what was needed."

Where I felt the film wavered was in Batman's personal arc, from pure nightcrawling vengeance to admirable altruism. It doesn't really come across, pictorially, as an arc, more like a straight line, then a kind of paper clip turn at the end. His attempted sacrifice (which wasn't anything of the sort), followed by his 'light leading the flock through the flood' was a gigantic sour note for me. 

All (most) things considered, this is a success and will probably make squillions for DC, and after their initial missteps in trying to catch and match Marvel, they seem to be finally on track.

The Batman opens in Australia on March 3rd (today!).

See also:

I haven't seen this, and I'm loathe to suggest anything I haven't seen but Zoë Kravitz was the voice for Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), directed by Chris McKay. Does this mean she was preparing for this role for years before physically doing it? And Pattinson walks a bit like his characters in David Michôd's The Rover (2014) and Benny and Josh Safdie's Good Time (2017). Both interesting films.

MILD SPOILERS WITHIN POD