April Monthly Review: The Batman (2022) (Patreon)

Resetting the Bruce Wayne life story for the umpteenth time, The Batman faced a formidable challenge. Could the latest Bat-flick cover well-trodden territory in a new and interesting way, while still appealing to the Batman die-hards who inevitably would take to Twitter in the bathrooms of theaters everywhere? 

As a woman of a certain age, the news that Battinson was a-coming had me feeling, to put it mildly, cautiously optimistic. Robert Pattinson's recent career in indies like the Lighthouse made him an unusual if exciting choice for the titular Bat, and the follow-up reveal of the Riddler as the main antagonist suggested a shift from the more machismo-fueled Bats of the mid 2000s. I spent the months prior to The Batman’s release tempering my excitement, worried I would latch on to the suggested campy style, only to languish is agony as another mediocre grim-dark Batman took to the screen. I am thrilled to announce dear readers, having now seen the film, The Batman (2022) brought all that child-like glee right to the surface with one intentional, heavy footfall.

The Batman succeeds where other superhero flicks fail for a few reasons, but all of them stem from the same place, this is a movie unafraid of its source material. The Batman is not ashamed to be about a man dressed in a costume of a small flying rodent, instead, the film embraces the campier elements of its mythos, infusing modern style and edgy aesthetics into the greatest detective’s classic story. 

"Camp" has always been at the heart of on-screen Batmen. From the 66’ West classic to the iconic bat-nips of Clooney, Batman has, to varying degrees of success, always been a little silly. As a reaction to this, modern takes on the world’s greatest detective have attempted to ground the Bat to appeal to more modern sensibilities. Military-inspired aesthetics, practical-if-boring designs, the ever-present awareness that in real cities, color has ceased to exist, these are the defining aesthetic principals behind your Batflecks and your Dark Knights. There is an argument to be made for those choices. I may not love the grim-dark vibe, but I can’t condemn such a clear creative vision for a character. Both my beloved silly, colorful hero and his edgy realistic cousin can coexist. The Batman takes that thesis a step further, proving they’re best when served together. 

The Batman doesn't outright reject the idea that Batman universe is gritty, instead injecting a much-needed spot of camp into the otherwise gloomy world. Gotham may be a dark and dangerous urban jungle, but the constant rain gives film noir rather than outright misery. Selina’s apartment full of strays is delightfully un-subtle and unrealistic. The obvious-only-to-Bats riddles call back to the goofiness of 66’s “sparrow with a machine gun.” These choices, among others, cut through the darkness to create a serious, contemporary Batman who feels true to the roots of the character on screen, and provide some much-needed levity to an audience who otherwise might drown in the misery of this world. 

Tied in with the campy choices is the film's look. Gotham is as much a character as Batman, and The Batman’s vision of the city is as clear as the characterization of its lead. Gotham is very dark, literally. The weather ranges from overcast to hurricane, most of the film takes place at night, and every alley terminates in pools of pure black. How then, does The Batman avoid the pitfalls of similar bat-flicks that embraced a darker aesthetic? It’s simple, contrast.

For every area of pure black, there is a pool of bright light. Shapes are clearly defined at by their outlines, giving a visual effect similar to Batman the Animated Series or, perhaps, an inked-in comic book. While we may not be able to pick out specific details on the streets of Gotham, we can clearly see the action, and we understand the shape of the space we’re working in. The emphasis on contrast in lighting and composition gives The Batman a distinct visual language, and prevents it from falling into the flat, washed out look of the other modern Bat-flicks. When the film community talks about visually interesting superhero movies, this is what we mean. An intentional, stylized look, well-executed and consistant. 

As much as I enjoyed the sensibilities of this film, it’s not without its flaws. The Riddler suffers from final-act character assassination, as is common of villains who’s motivations are just a smidge too sympathetic. His final ploy to drown Gotham feels a bit chaotic and unfocused compared to his previous web of fine-tuned, targeted acts. The result is that while the final rush to save the Gothamites does wonders for leaving the film on a high note and showing Batman’s core humanity, if you think on it too long, you start to see the cracks in the characters surrounding our caped crusader. In a similar vein, the half-hour dip into the Falcone plot, while establishing this variant Bruce Wayne's character, fails to significantly connect to the overarching scheme of the Riddler in a meaningful way. In a movie with a 3 hour runtime, this disconnect takes the audience out of the moment. When we do return to the ostensible “big bad” of the movie, it takes a moment for the Riddler-gears to kick back in, and by then, we've moved on to the more unintelligible parts of his plot.

Both of these critiques, you’ll note, are plot focused. This is not because The Batman is poorly written. On the contrary, the writing overall is snappy when it needs to be and direct when the twisty plot demands it. The problem lies not with the writing, but with the mission of the movie. As mentioned above, The Batman is unafraid of its source material. That source material is extensive, varied, and at times, convoluted. Any character that's been around since 1939 is going to come with some baggage, and in the case of Batman, some preexisting audience expectations. In order to define this iteration of Bruce Wayne and his cowled alter-ego, Matt Reeves and crew had to make decisions about what they valued in the world around him. They chose to focus on using the plot to show who this Batman is, and while at times the plot suffers in service of character creation, I think the added style and Batman that results from it was a worthy trade-off. 

Battinson was one of the most pleasant surprises of The Batman. Robert Pattinson's Bruce felt surprisingly human. Maybe it was just in comparison to the slicker, more detached Bats of Ben Affleck and Christian Bale, but Pattinson's Batman felt like a return to the heroic status the character should occupy. Pattinson gave a performance that communicated both the deep depression his character experienced that drove him to put on the mask, the cleverness that gives him an edge over the common brute, and the real human affection Bruce has for the people in his life and his city. It was refreshing to see a Batman who could create unease and fear when he entered a room, and still comfort a frightened child in the midst of a crisis. Battinson is the emotional core of his movie, all while pulling off an eyeliner look that could best be described as "weary raccoon." 

Not to say Pattinson's co-stars didn't pull their weight. Zoë Kravitz did the iconic Selina Kyle role justice, a great mix of cheeky and effortlessly sexy. Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis immediately endear Lt. Gordon and Alfred to the audience despite their franctional screen time. Paul Dano's Riddler, while given fewer opportunities to shine unmasked, gets the job done. His performance once was appropriately unhinged, if a little hammed-up at times. Overall though, no one stands out as a weak link, and creates a city populated with rich, interesting characters that leaves audiences excited to see more. 

On the technical side, again we see no breaks in the chain. The cinematography by Greg Fraser was particularly stunning. The score, already iconic thanks to some time trending on Tik Tok, was another home run by Michael Giacchino. While these are the standout departments, no one let their craft slide on this film and it shows, making a perusal through the crew credits worth it to try and spot these names when they inevitably pop up again on future features. 

Overall, The Batman (2022) is a success. In an era where release schedules are dominated by superhero flicks, The Batman managed to be distinct without completely rejecting its roots. Yes, this is another Batman movie, but it is also a visually stunning, compelling stand-alone story, that successfully redefines the Batman character as flawed, human, and interesting. It's a little long with some convoluted story moments, but overall, The Batman is worth the ride. 

8 Thumb-drives out of 10