Mar 4 2022

The Batman

A younger Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) takes to the streets of Gotham City punishing wrongdoers with vengeance and wrath; meanwhile, a zodiac-esque killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) is focused on exposing the corruption and hypocrisy of Gotham’s legal and political scene. So, when the two masked men finally meet, the fireworks begin; in fact, it may even take help from the Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) to crack this case and secure Gotham’s future. Written by Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bill Finger and Directed by Matt Reeves, this considerably darker and more terrestrially bound imagining of Batman skews grittier and more abrasive than any previous live incarnation, but, pushes the PG-13 rating pretty hard for it’s violent content. Cinematically, Reeves has put together a beautiful goth inspired texture and look that feels more visceral and brooding which also lends itself to fewer lines of dialogue from Pattinson, interesting. The whole ensemble sits nicely in frame by the way. Frustrating, the film’s three hour over stuffing and world building does tend to drag on, let’s bring this cow into the barn already, save something for the next two (already slated) installments. Bottom line, points for looks, feels, and aesthetics, demerits for length, bloat and overreach. The Batman is rated PG-13.