The Batman

Summary

“Fear is a tool.”

Comic book readers have been pretty lucky recently. There have been a myriad of viewing options to view adaptations of superhero stories from both the DC and Marvel Universes. When I was growing up I enjoyed reading many comic books – DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and Image. I honestly credit that childhood passion with sparking my love of both art and literature. The comic book adaptations that feature Batman front and center had long been the golden standard for these types of films, until the Marvel universe crafted their numerous intertwining films over the last two decades with a well crafted storyline that weaved numerous film storylines together seamlessly. The Marvel movies are enjoyable, but I have always preferred my antiheroes as dark and conflicted as possible – Batman, The Punisher, Spawn, Constantine, etcetera.) Unfortunately, DC struggled the create compelling Batman stories during the Ben Affleck period despite what I found to be a solid Batman performance by Affleck. The scripts were the issue (and the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther. Ugh.) 

DC has basically gone back to the drawing board to relaunch their Batman film series, and thankfully, this iteration is the best since Christopher Nolan’s genre-defining trilogy. Director-co-writer Matt Reeves has created a Gotham that is much darker, more intense, and grittier than the prior iterations (aside from Joker, which stands as the grittiest film in the DC universe.) The Batman plays as a detective story and leans heavily into noir elements. As a Batman fan, I was excited to see Batman finally use his deductive abilities. It almost felt a little strange to see Batman consulted by the police on a crime, despite this being a trademark of the comic book (and animated) series. I watched the film with my family, which includes my twelve year old and seven year old boys. It is worth noting that this film is pretty dark and it is questionable how age appropriate it is for young children. That said, my two boys, my wife, and I all enjoyed it thoroughly.

The film begins on Halloween night. Gotham City is besieged by waves of crime with little help from the authorities in power to curtail it. The Batman, secretly billionaire orphan Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson,) has begun his career of vigilante justice just two years earlier. As the film begins, the mayor of Gotham City, Don Mitchell Jr. is stalked and then viciously murdered by a masked killer. (Note:This scene is intense and may be a little too much for young kids.) The killer leaves behind cryptic clues at the scene of the crime along with a note for Batman. Batman is brought in by Lieutenant James Gordon to investigate the crime alongside the police department. The Batman is renowned for his deductive ability. As he investigates the scene of the crime, he uses a technology that resides in a thin film over his iris to record all that he sees. He reviews the footage later. The Riddler kills again that night. Police commissioner Pete Savage is found murdered and disfigured. The Riddler has left another note for Batman. Based on the note, Batman finds a clue that leads to discovering a thumb drive inside of Mitchell’s car. The drive holds images of Commissioner Mitchell in front of the Iceberg Lounge with a bruised woman. The Iceberg Lounge is a seedy nightclub operated by the Penguin (Colin Farrell.) The Penguin works for reclusive gangster Carmine Falcone. The Batman visits the club and beats his way through the staff to the back of the club to talk with the Penguin. The Penguin is not helpful and claims he knows nothing of the girl named Annika’s whereabouts. In the meeting, Batman takes note of Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz,) who is working there as a waitress. He follows her back to her place. Selina explains that Annika is in danger and that she wants to help her friend. The Batman sends Selina back to the Iceberg Lounge wearing the technological eye contacts. Working together, Batman and Selina stumble upon a wave of corruption in Gotham revolving around drugs and bribery. As Batman tries to discover who, when, and where the Riddler will attack next, The Riddler reveals information about the corruption that has been secretly swallowing up Gotham with each victim he chooses.

In my opinion, this is the best Batman film since The Dark Knight. Matt Reeves wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig and it is obviously a labor of love. It is extremely well thought out. The film creates one of the most immersive and impressive versions of Gotham yet. Their version of Gotham is essentially a hellscape of Urban despair – dark, dirty, overbuilt, crowded, and soulless. Fans of the Batman comic book are going to love this vision of Gotham. Matt Reeves took notes from Frank Miller’s iconic Batman: Year One, for how he approached the character timelines for Alfred, Batman, Lieutenant Gordon, and Catwoman. They are all just at the beginning of their stories. Reeves has shaped Batman into a Howard Hughes style recluse whose sole purpose in life is to constantly, and brutally, avenge the death of his parents. Bruce Wayne is not presented as a lovable billionaire playboy, but instead a brilliant obsessive who has essentially been emotionally broken at a young age. He partially based his portrayal on the personality of Kurt Cobain ,and the song “Something in the Way” by Nirvana is featured prominently in the film. The aspect that impressed me the most is that this is the first Batman film to really focus on the detective elements of the Batman character. It’s a defining element of the character in the comic books, but always been given short thrift in the films. The film plays as a clever murder-mystery that will remind viewers of David Fincher’s films Zodiac and Se7en. Like in Se7en, there is a certain diabolical reasoning to why the Riddler has begun killing officials. While undeniably his actions are insane, the reasons that prompt him to kill have a believability. The motivations for each character are well thought out and make a certain sense. It is not an easy task to make superheroes believable characters, but I think they did a commendable job. 

The casting in the film is great. Robert Pattinson has spent the last decade and a half since the Twilight series ended becoming a fine actor and working with independent filmmakers such as the Safdie brothers, Robert Eggers, and David Cronenberg. I had no doubt that Pattinson could pull off the role based on his recent work, and I was correct. Pattinson is an excellent Batman. Zoe Kravitz is an excellent choice for the role of Catwoman. She has no trouble stepping into the role and making it her own. Paul Dano was another clever bit of casting for the role of the Riddler. Dano first wowed me in his roles in both Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood. It is good to see that he is still challenging himself with interesting roles. Jeffrey Wright is a perfect choice for Jim Gordon. I don’t think I could have come up with a more satisfying choice in that role, since Gary Oldman already played him to perfection in the Nolan films. In another bit of inspired casting, Colin Farrell donned a fat suit and numerous prosthetics to become the Penguin. He is unrecognizable in the role, and delivers a Robert De Niro style performance that should please all fans of the series. He is great in the movie. Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and John Turturro are all great in their parts as well.

The Batman is three hours long, but the runtime of the film moves quickly. The screenplay is strong and reaches a finale that left me excited about the next film. The special effects work on the picture is honestly spectacular. The film is visually exciting from the beginning to the end, and if you want to see just how difficult it was to make the actions in the film look as believable as they do, watch the special features.

The Batman is an excellent start to what I hope will be a great series of films. If they maintain the same level of quality as this film, there will be a lot to be excited about.

Video

The Batman blasts onto the 4K UHD format in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film was shot with an Arri Alexa LF 4K camera, and the mastering of the film was performed in 4K. The 4K representation on the UHD is as perfect representation of the theatrical experience as possible with given technology, especially since they have put only the film itself on a 100GB disc. The film looks absolutely remarkable. Filmmaker Matt Reeves worked diligently with cinematographer Grieg Frasier and an amazing production crew to craft a truly cinematic experience. This is what films should look like when they cost nearly $200 million to make. The money spent actually comes across on the screen. The HDR10 and Dolby Vision applied to the master bring out precise saturation levels in the colors and fine details. While I am sure the Blu-ray would be an adequate way to experience this film, the UHD presentation is one of the best that I have seen on the format yet. Remarkable.

Audio

Like the video transfer, the Dolby Atmos track is demo quality and fantastic from beginning to end. The music by Michael Giacchino manages to pay homage to the soundtrack work of the films before while delivering something unique. It’s a great score and it fits the film perfectly. Clarity is excellent and the movie will test the range of all your speakers and subwoofers. The ambient effects and numerous sound effects in the action sequences are immersive. Warner Bros have provided probably the best Atmos track we will hear this year.

Supplements:

• Looking for Vengeance
• The Batman: Genesis
• Vengeance Meets Justice 
• Becoming Catwoman 
• The Batmobile 
• Anatomy of The Car Chase 
• Anatomy of The Wing Suit Jump 
• Vengeance In The Making
• Unpacking the Icons 
• A Transformation: The Penguin 
• Deleted Scenes

Overall Scores:

Video: 5/5

Audio: 5/5

Supplements: 4.5/5

Overall – 5/5

The Batman is a fantastic take on the iconic DC Comics superhero. Matt Reeves, who co-wrote and directed the film, has created one of the most compelling versions of Gotham City yet. The casting in the film is well thought out and all of the actors deliver on the promise of their roles. The film is extremely well shot and features some of the most impressive visual effects work I have ever seen. Robert Pattinson brings intensity and gravity to the role of Batman without losing touch with what makes the character so special to so many readers. This is the darkest Batman film yet, so some younger viewers may have a hard time with the film. This is my favorite Batman picture since Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. If Matt Reeves can keep this same level of quality for the future films, we will be in for something truly special. The Warner Bros. 4K UHD release looks and sounds incredible. This is a demo disc for sure, with a 100GB disc devoted just to the film’s presentation. The Atmos track is likely the best we will hear this year. The supplements are well appointed. This release earns our highest recommendation.