Anthony's Film Review - The Batman (2022)

This 2022 movie presents Batman in a new style that works very well...

If you ask me which cinematic version of Batman is my favorite, it's Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, hands down. I was blown away when I watched those three movies (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises). Even if it's been a decade since I last saw the final entry of that series, I could never imagine another Batman movie coming along that would surpass, or even be in the same league as, the Dark Knight trilogy. So when I heard announcements about a new 2022 movie called The Batman, I didn't really care at first. In fact, once the movie came out, I felt no rush to see it opening weekend. I ended up seeing it in a theater a couple of weeks later, thinking that it'll be at least good and feel like a standard superhero movie. Nothing more.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. The Batman is not a standard superhero movie, because it's style of presentation and storytelling are not like what we've seen before with Batman. In the 1960s, the Batman television show was a fun light-hearted romp featuring the title character. From 1989 to 1997, Batman was brought to the big screen, with director Tim Burton presenting two mildly dark but still campy Batman movies and director Joel Schumacher giving us two fairly silly Batman movies. All of this can be considered part of one era: Batman as a fantasy superhero movie. Then Christopher Nolan comes along with three Batman movies that are another style: realistic superhero movies. Skipping over the mess of Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2022's The Batman effectively introduces another new subgenre: superhero film noir.

Film noir, as you may know, is a type of cinema characterized by elements like dark and cynical characters, a main character's jaded perspective of things, a world that is bleak, and shadowy styles of visual presentation. You can especially find film noir among American films of the mid-20th century, as well as certain examples in more recent years. Also, film noir tends to center on tough private eyes, detectives, or even criminals. Now, imagine Batman being the anti-hero protagonist of a film noir set in Gotham City. That's what The Batman in 2022 is.

Film noir is so effective for a Batman movie because the whole look totally fits with the main character: the washed-up son-of-a-billionaire Bruce Wayne who goes out into Gotham City as the brutal vigilante Batman. Robert Pattinson is very good here as Bruce Wayne/Batman, portraying a fearless man with a mostly stoic expression. He's a lot like Christian Bale playing the same character in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The film noir approach also benefits the dramatic dialogue scenes, especially those featuring Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon, the latter played by Jeffrey Wright. When those two characters discuss the meaning behind clues they come across, the dim look of the scene matches the seriousness of the situation they're in.

There are plenty of other characters who are part of the bleakness of Gotham City. Zoë Kravitz plays Selina Kyle, who works at a nightclub as herself but also dons a costume as Catwoman if she has to handle a dangerous task. At the same place, there's a mobster known as the Penguin (a somewhat unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and an Italian mobster named Falcone (played by John Turturro). There's even Peter Sarsgaard as a corrupt district attorney. To help bring a little light to this dark world, there is Bruce Wayne's trusted butler, Alfred, here played by Andy Serkis.

But I save the best character for last: The Riddler, played marvelously well by Paul Dano. When you think of past on-screen portrayals of The Riddler, you'll pretty much recall just two: The Riddler on the 1960s Batman TV show and Jim Carrey's Riddler in 1995's Batman Forever. Paul Dano's Riddler puts all past Riddlers to shame, the same way Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight practically overshadowed and eclipsed Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson in the same role decades earlier. The Riddler in this Batman movie is a chilling psychopath whose cryptic clues are an amusement to him but are sadistic to his victims and investigators. You will especially be frightened by The Riddler in an unforgettable scene late in the film that showcases Paul Dano's talent as an actor.

The story in this Batman movie is all about one thing: a gigantic web of lies, deceit, and corruption, from the lowest criminal scum to the highest officials in the Gotham City government. This is why there isn't only one plotline in this film. There are a few multiple plotlines, and they all intersect somehow. It may begin with a single event, the murder of Gotham's mayor, and go from there with one revelation after another, but at some point, new storylines emerge. The intricacies of the story are part of how the setting of Gotham City is like another major character. It's a dark element that influences all of the living characters, no matter which side of the law they stand on.

I didn't say much about the action because it's spectacular and that's all you need to know. Still, if you want me to elaborate, I will. Just imagine Batman being so fearless and brave that he throws swift punches without a single flinch. There's even a cool moment where he is fighting gunmen in a pitch-black environment, such that you get intermittent glimpses of the fight whenever there is light from one of the gunmen's machine guns firing repeatedly. Also, there is pretty good action in the climax, and it's not overly done. The result is that this Batman still stays in film noir mode even during the climax. It doesn't step away from film noir into standard superhero action fare before going back to film noir. The action stays in the confines of the same cinematic style from start to finish.

So, is The Batman better than Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy? No. However, does it at least come pretty darn close? Absolutely. This is a Batman movie that features an engaging story, characters brought to life through strong performances, action that excites, a setting that heightens the tension, and social commentary that is hard to ignore. On my 1-to-10 star rating scale, this movie consistently stayed at a 9 from the beginning. But then the last hour of this three-hour movie happened and it won me over, so I'm bumping this movie to my highest star rating. The movie is so good that it went by just like that, and I did not have any urge to leave the theater auditorium to use the restroom. With that, I was very impressed with The Batman, and I do look forward to seeing a new Batman series launching from here on out.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about The Batman, visit the Internet Movie Database.