Retrospective: "The Batman" (2022)

Despite striving for operatic grandeur and weaving plot elements akin to a Greek tragedy, "The Batman" falls short of its ambitions.

Note: This week's “Movie Recap” will not be published as I took a brief break from my writing and movie watching duties during the 4th of July weekend (Happy 4th to my American readers!). Instead of our regular edition, we will be featuring a “Retrospective” focused on the movie "The Batman," given that a release date for the sequel was recently set.

Rest assured, dear readers, our weekly “Movie Recap” will resume next week with all the latest reviews. Thank you for your continued support.

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The Batman (2022) challenges some of the unwritten rules of commercial superhero cinema by immersing us in a visceral, visually striking experience. Director Matt Reeves adeptly blends New Hollywood realism with neo-noir sensibilities, crafting Gotham's most nightmarish and nihilistic version yet.

The cinematography, helmed by veteran Greig Fraser, juxtaposes the city’s perpetual darkness with aggressive crimson and marigold hues, evoking a menacing atmosphere. It sketches the portrait of a concrete jungle caught between two worlds: the sprawling grayscale citadel of The Naked City (1948) and the acid-washed alleys of Seven (1995). Simply put, The Batman looks stunning.

Reeves' twistedly poetic vision wouldn't be complete without Robert Pattinson's melancholic Batman and Zoë Kravitz's equally scarred yet fierce Catwoman. Pattinson's brooding and reticent performance almost makes him indistinguishable from the urban inferno that surrounds him. Kravitz, thankfully, grounds him and makes him seem vulnerable and unequivocally human.

However, The Batman's aesthetic ambitions aren't always enough to mask its numerous missteps. The movie overstays its welcome by at least 20 minutes, burdened by confusing subplots that contribute little emotional or narrative value.

I also have some quibbles with key casting choices, notably Colin Farrell's bloated, Tony Soprano-esque version of The Penguin. In the comics, The Penguin is a cunning, highly educated aristocrat who matches wits with Batman. Yet here he's reduced to a common thug with a Bugsy Malone accent.

Paul Dano's screaming, often unintelligible Riddler comes across as more irritating than menacing. If the filmmakers drew inspiration from Seven, they should’ve fully committed by modeling this Riddler on the cold-blooded, soft-spoken, lizard-like killer from the movie. (And don’t get me started on how Andy Serkis as Alfred is tragically underutilized.)

Despite striving for operatic grandeur and weaving plot elements akin to a Greek tragedy, The Batman falls short of its ambitions. Michael Giacchino's grandiose, grungy score amplifies the movie’s cathartic aspirations, yet cannot rescue it from its overbearing sense of self-importance.

As a longtime Batman fan and comic book reader, I've always had a complicated relationship with the franchise's six-decade cinematic history. My standards are probably too heterodox to satisfy. So, while The Batman has its flaws, I can at least admit that it hints at an intriguing future for the iconic character under Reeves' vision.

The Batman is available on Max.

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