I have been a die-hard Robert Pattinson fan, ever since the Twilight Saga, his intense and mesmerizing characterization of Edward just blew my mind, there is no one darker, and more intense than Robert to play a vampire, when he was announced to be cast as the new Batman, I shrieked in excitement, and thought how perfect Pattinson would be to play ‘The Batman’, his charming and intensely deep character would be ideal for the role and ofcourse, I’m sure the ladies would agree, Pattinson’s jawline was perfectly carved and meant for the batman mask!

Richly layered in dark intrigue, “The Batman” takes viewers deeper into Bruce Wayne’s mind compared to previous “Batman” movies. This top-notch superhero film makes pointed social issues about greed, corruption, and the responsibilities of the wealthy.

Directed by Matt Reeves, “The Batman” is not an origin story, such as Christopher Nolan’s movies. This is something we need to keep in mind.

As Batman fans already know, Bruce lives in the fictional U.S. city of Gotham, The murders of Bruce’s parents motivated Bruce to become a secret crimefighter as an adult. Finding out who killed his parents is never far from Bruce’s mind. He’s been investigating with the help of Alfred his trusted butler (played by Andy Serkis). However, Batman’s other crimefighting duties often get in the way of this investigation.

When Gotham is rocked by a series of sadistic murders targeting high-profile officials, Batman is called upon to stop the mysterious killer (Paul Dano as The Riddler) in a hunt that will lead him straight into the city’s darkest underbelly. There, the Batman will cross paths with Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Colin Farrell, who was shockingly beyond recognizable, crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and of course, Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz).

As the trail of ciphers and riddles leads Batman closer to the truth and the scale of the murderer’s plans become clear, Pattinson’s Batman has to fight with his conflicting identities, philosophies, and the knock-on effects his violence creates if he is to weed out corruption and bring justice to his home. 

The Batman is a fantastic dive into the DC character’s psyche, as he reckons with his hopes and legacy.

Despite a few similarities from movies such as Zodiac, it still manages to be fresh. The stunningly textured, shadowy cinematography goes a long way towards bringing a grander flair to the otherwise grounded proceedings, carried along by an unforgettable music score (from composer Michael Giacchino). 

Meanwhile, the action made all the more brutal but necessary. Despite an almost three-hour runtime, The Batman has the density of 1940s film noir and hardboiled detective fiction.

I do wish they focused more on Batman and Selena’s relationship instead of focusing too much on the crime background of the city and villains, the movie is almost three-hour runtime, and felt the story was elongated due to this.

The Batman has the density of 1940s film noir and hardboiled detective fiction.

Pattinson as “The Batman” was great casting for the role, and could well be the best ‘New’ version of the character to bless the big screen. The movie is a visually stunning, violent, and believably gritty detective film to please the audience and introduce fans to a different version of Batman.

PG 13 – Strong Violence, Drugs & Language