‘The Batman’ Movie Review: Robert Pattinson Serves Sublime Detective Crime Thriller

The Batman is an entirely immersive and exhilarating cinematic experience. Co-writer/director Matt Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig deliver an enthralling iteration of one of the world’s most familiar comic book characters. Further, this is the iteration of Batman the world has been waiting for. The Batman distinguishes itself apart from previous versions of the Caped Crusader.

‘The Batman’ pits the title character against The Riddler

Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), seeks to exact vengeance on the criminals of Gotham City. However, he’s about to involve himself with a lot more of the criminal underground than before when a sadistic killer called The Riddler (Paul Dano) leaves cryptic clues along with his victims.

The Riddler’s breadcrumbs continue to build and point toward a place too close to home. Batman works with other players, including Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), and James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). He must get to the bottom of this mystery of power and corruption before it gets back to him unless he wants to end up as another one of The Riddler’s victims.

Director/co-writer Matt Reeves brings a detective crime thriller to the familiar vigilante

The Batman puts its crime thriller elements ahead of its superhero aesthetic. It brings influences from Se7en and various noir flicks, including the genre’s voiceover narration. Subterfuge is a regular component of this world and offers a few of the film’s best moments.

All of the performances have the big challenge of selling these iconic characters. However, they all rightfully make the roles their own. Pattinson is a convincing Batman, who infuses his own signature style and voice. Kravitz brings a dramatically compelling Catwoman. The two actors don’t have much chemistry, but The Batman doesn’t lean into their relationship as a crutch. Meanwhile, Dano is just the right amount of unhinged to make this version of The Riddler sing.

The Batman is all about having the power to endure. It certainly doesn’t skimp on its action scenes. Reeves captures them beautifully with long shots, allowing the audience to truly take in the fight choreography and big, show-stopping moments. The Batman stumbles a bit during some of Wayne’s underbaked dramatic moments, but the nearly 3-hour runtime moves right along.

Reeves’ The Batman makes Wayne the mask that hides Batman, rather than the other way around. He crafted an iteration that feels removed from many of the other iterations, while still staying true to the character. It’s a thrilling good time. The Batman is an utterly mesmerizing detective story with electrifying execution.

The Batman hits theaters on March 4.

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