With many past iterations of Batman and even more highly anticipated future releases, “The Batman” reaffirms viewers’ need for a relatable superhero as long as evil and crime exists.
Directed by Matt Reeves, who is also working on a new animated series featuring the caped crusader, this three-hour long film leaves audiences on the edge of their seats as the struggle between good versus evil plays out.
A scruffy-looking and mascaraed Robert Pattinson pulls off his role as Bruce Wayne aka Batman flawlessly, shedding his sparkly, pretty-boy image in “The Twilight Saga” that catapulted him to fame.
Zoe Kravitz, daughter of musician and actor Lenny Kravitz, similarly shines as the sultry Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
As perfect foils, Colin Farrell is completely unrecognisable in his role as The Penguin, a shady nightclub owner; while John Turturro is perfectly cast as Gotham City crime lord Carmine Falcone.
The psychological thriller, which is reported to be the first of a new trilogy, has already gained critical acclaim across the board.
Set in the second year of Batman’s crimefighting career, the movie follows the brutal murder of Gotham City’s mayor. True to his moniker, serial killer The Riddler (Paul Dano) leaves puzzles behind for our hero to solve.
Following subsequent assassinations of several prominent figures and the exposure of their misdeeds, The Riddler is eventually caught, leaving a growing number of cyberspace disciples in his wake.
Just when one breathes a sigh of relief believing Batman has saved the day, even more dangers crop up, each promising to be more catastrophic than the last.
The good, the evil, and the ambiguous
Both Batman and The Riddler are strongly motivated by childhood trauma in their relentless contrasting pursuits of good and evil.
It is revealed The Riddler grew up in an orphanage operated by Bruce Wayne’s parents. Batman is then forced to confront the notion that his parents were no saints, either, throwing into question his lifetime pursuit of justice to avenge their deaths.
Along the way he meets Catwoman, who becomes his partner in crime. Although her moral ambiguity clashes with his righteous nature, the couple exudes electrifying chemistry.
“The Batman” is a gripping watch, and when the credits roll, even the most restless moviegoer is unlikely to feel like 176 minutes have gone by.
Noteworthy is the film’s use of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way”, with Kurt Cobain’s haunting vocals and acoustic guitar providing complementary dark undertones that intensifies the mood.
That said, the film comes nowhere close to Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece “The Dark Knight”, although one can still hope for some of that magic in the upcoming sequels.
Gotham City resembles many locations across the globe that fight a continuous cycle of good and bad events, where attaining lasting peace seems to be impossible.
Corruption remains the biggest vice, especially among those who have been trusted to uphold justice. Batman’s parting soliloquy sums it up best: “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
But as long as bad exists, stories of good will remain – especially those that feature flawed, troubled heroes like Batman, providing some respite from the evils of the real world.
‘The Batman’ is playing in cinemas nationwide.