I have been trying to differentiate in my posts here, as well as in my personal life, the difference between something being good and something being enjoyable.
The Batman is, for all intents and purposes, a well-made Batman film. There are dark streets, dark stories, and the ever stoic dark bat. In fact there is so much in this that captures the feeling of Gotham perfectly. The atmosphere, the tone, and our main cast: Penguin, Riddler, Cat Woman and Batman all encompass anything I would want from The Batman. And the actors go above and beyond in becoming these characters.
Introduction to Batman
This “Batman” is devoid of the Bruce Wayne character that we’re used to: the billionaire who enchants, and the one that’s caught between good and evil. In this story he is … as they name him: Vengeance. And while Wayne’s personality is unapparent, Batman is wrapped up in visible agony, in hatred and in fear. He says at one point to Alfred that he thought he had overcome that trauma, the one of losing someone. But it’s everything about him. Even in adulthood it guides his actions. The way he walks, talks, the suppression of emotion and his choice to undertake Gotham as a pissed off “hero” all point to this truth about him.
Villains
Most of the film is about uncovering the lies underneath the powerful of Gotham, to a kind of grand cynicism about those in control. The Wayne legacy is a big part of this. On one hand it’s interesting to see this twist to our usual story about the Wayne family being good samaritans that just happened to be super rich. A billionaire’s story is always going to have something unappetizing occurring underneath it. At the same time this theme feels dated for 2022, where it’s already the mass perception that those in control are manipulating, lying, spying on and stealing from the rest of the population. This left me feeling underwhelmed as a main concept to guiding the actions of Riddler, even though we later see his motivations are far more personal than they appear at first.
That said, we do have to remember that even though the characters are sporting cell phones, these stories are likely based on Batman’s stories from earlier decades where there was uncertainty and confusion about who held power and how. Not to mention the crime rates. Gotham is the NYC of the 70s and 80s, riddled with gangs and mob action.
Speaking of the mob, I think this version of the Penguin is my favourite so far. I’m used to Dany Devito in Tim Burton’s Batman 2, doing this almost literal (and utterly insane) penguin persona. The Penguin in Reeves’ The Batman is not about carnival tricks and antarctic birds. In fact he seems oddly sane, though caught up in some very shady business.
Do we like it?
With that said, I think the most common criticism I’ve heard or read is that the film is long. Some also feel that it is too dark, too artistic, or too self aware (apparently). I would argue that none of those things take away from the film at all.
I was pleased by the way Reeves portrays Gotham. Not as being about just one villain vs. one hero, but the way all of these people live there together experiencing it at the same time. Vengeance wants change, but so does everyone else. Catwoman, too, feels like she seamlessly blends into the story and background of this world. It’s refreshing as she usually exists in a much more sinister and separated context – like here is the main Batman story, and oh yeah, here’s this fiesty Catwoman too! Not in this. I love the way Reeves takes all of these characters and removes the superhero/supervillain world enough that it feels like a real place with people who are driven to these extremes because of the state of the society they live in.
If you’ve seen this movie, what did you think? Write to me in the comments!
Rating: 4/5
For more on film, see my cinema category!
