THE BATMAN

 

Batman is recognized as the world's finest detective, although you'd never know it from his previous big-screen appearances. The finest Batman picture since The Dark Knight, directed by Matt Reeves, returns the spotlight to the caped crusader's crime-solving background.

The tone here feels extremely similar to Seven, indicating that Reeves took a lot of inspiration from David Fincher. It's bleak, bleak, and black (at least as dark as a PG-13 rating allows for). The entire city has a dirty vibe about it, as if it's deteriorating from the inside out. As a consequence, we have the best-looking depiction of Gotham we've ever seen on screen, as well as the ideal setting for the story to develop.

Considering that this is a three-hour film, the timing is excellent. I was aware of the running duration, but I did not believe it was excessive for the tale being given. The first act is a little dry, and it feels like it's trying a little too hard to be dark and edgy at moments, but as the plot picked up steam, I was hooked to the screen. There isn't much action, but the few passages that are there are well organized and thrilling. To be honest, the entire movie is absolutely stunning.

Robert Pattinson had a lot to prove when he took on this job, and he succeeds. This is a young, damaged Bruce Wayne who has yet to find the right balance between his personal life and his struggle against crime. It's a welcome break from the normally more mature Bruce we see on TV. He's fantastic, but the rest of the ensemble is much better. In their separate parts, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, and Colin Farrell all excel, but I wish Dano had a little more screen time.

Matt Reeves has directed a highly successful Batman picture that revisits what made the character famous in the first place. While I still feel Nolan's Dark Knight is the superior film, this is undeniably a superior Batman film.