The Batman Robert Pattinson New Movie Review, Honest Review, DC Universe

Movie Review 

You're getting The Batman, the latest big-screen outing for the Caped Crusader, unlike any other. It's less a great comic book movie and more a dark serial killer thriller with puzzles Jigsaw would be proud of. It's also too long, too dark, and too serious a movie to test my patience at times. However, there are flashes of brilliance throughout, so even if it doesn't live up to the hype for me, it's still a film that demands to be seen. 

Confused Batman 

 Robert Pattinson wears a mask and cape, and he plays a younger and more confused Batman than Bale and Affleck's versions. Unfortunately, we never get to see the character's origins again, but it's clear that his psyche has been affected by his troubled upbringing and his thirst for revenge against the people who killed his family.

Bruce Wayne 

  This is Bruce Wayne, still coming to terms with his masked identity and a little uncomfortable in his role. But as the film progresses, we see him transform from a somewhat oblivious police assistant to the savior of Gotham City, something that has rarely been played out in such an expansive way before.

  Comic book fans will be happy to know that this is a movie that showcases Batman's skills as "the world's greatest detective". Most of his time on the job, he's at street level, investigating a series of crimes in the darkest and worst parts of Gotham City. A series of killers collide with some of the city's most respected men, and Batman is a shadowy figure behind Jim Gordon, picking up clues at each crime scene.

Matt Reeves 

  The detective work and neo-noirish tone of Matt Reeve's film set it apart from the Bat films that came before it. While there are a few scenes that set the pulse racing, such as the car chase scene between Batman and The Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell), this is more crime mystery than action film. However, audiences shouldn't expect a high-octane superhero movie that favors punching over talking, as this is a largely humorless affair that focuses more on Batman's brains than his wits.

Robert Pattinson 

  Pattinson is excellent as the brooding Batman, masterfully conveying both his wits and mental struggles in his performance. When the role was announced, keyboard warriors came out in force to criticize the director for casting the former Twilight star. However, Pattinson has proven himself to be a capable actor beyond this chilling film and its sequel, and hopefully his turn as Batman will change any critics' minds about him.

Cast

  The cast includes Farrell as the aforementioned Penguin, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. They're all great as always, but it's Paul Dano who steals the show. The acclaimed actor plays the film's big bad, The Riddler, and he delivers perhaps his best on-screen performance to date. 

Occasional TV appearances aside, Dano has been absent from our screens for a while, but he more than makes up for it here. He portrays a villain completely different from Jim Carrey's portrayal of the character, and the film is all the better for it. The actor gives a quietly menacing and evil performance rather than full-on craze, and therefore deftly steals the scenes he's in without excessive facial tics or body twitches.

  That's a good job Dano and the rest of the crew is great. It's a long film, with much of its 3-hour running time shrouded in darkness, and with less skilled actors, the extreme length could have been unbearable.

Performances 

 But since the performances are all perfect, the conversational nature of the script cannot be overlooked. The epic scale of the production design and a great performance by Michael Giacchino also do a lot to maintain interest in the film, so it's hard for viewers to get bored.

  Batman could have done with a few minutes of relief and maybe a little more color, as the heavy tone and rainy streets of Gotham are overwhelming at times. The brief action helps to dispel some of the darkness, but more scenes of Batman's superheroics would have made the film a little easier to watch.

 I'm glad this movie isn't the disaster it's been rumored to be, but it would be nice to see Batman and Gotham City get some light in the long run.

Decent Film

  Despite these minor gripes, this is still a decent film. Reeves dares to deliver a superhero movie more like Zodiac, LA Confidential, and the aforementioned Close to Seven than a traditional comic book movie. The Batmobile is still cool and the sight of Batman driving through Gotham is still breathtaking, but don't expect to walk away from the cinema with memories of the best fight scenes and action movies.

  It's a serious-minded piece of work that takes both Batman's character and the audience on a rarely entertaining yet quietly extraordinary journey.