By Alexys DeMaria
Writer’s note: This article may contain spoilers.
In my previous review of Dune, I awarded the film for having the “longest runtime of any movie I had ever seen before,” but “The Batman” outstandingly beats that record, with a runtime of two hours and 57 minutes. I prepared myself for a repetitive story and far-fetched conflicts. Yet cinematographer Greig Frasier masterminds both movies showing that sometimes bigger is better.
To be completely honest, I have never been a superhero movie fan, but I left the theater amazed by the cinematics. It was like no superhero movie I had ever seen before, thanks to director Matt Reeves.
Robert Pattinson’s raw and vulnerable performance expertly aids to show the development of Batman in his early years, struggling to define what his role is in the gritty Gotham city.
The best way I could describe this movie is dark—from the performances to the cinematography, to the winding story. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is angsty, reclusive, emo and downright weird. This agoraphobic Wayne was rarely seen before but lends insight to the development of the character before he becomes a romantic socialite seen in other movies.
Though you never see the pearls falling to the ground for the millionth time, you do understand how the shadow of his parents burden Wayne in later years.
With one of the most comic-accurate Batman performances, the movie leans more to the detective aspect of the hero, leaving the few action sequences to feel exhilarating. This is a far cry from most superhero movies today, which feel as if characters find any excuse to enter a brawl.
The scarcity of the huge fight scenes makes the few included have much more weight and brings the watcher to the edge of their seat.
This Batman isn’t the invincible all-powerful superhero of the story, he struggles. Reeves perfectly illustrates the weaknesses in Batman as he develops, showing his emotional vulnerability and issues with cooperation- whether it’s with the Gotham police force or Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz).
Though, the movie stays loyal to what makes Batman stories so fun to watch. The film uses the “Batman figures something out at the absolute perfect time” trope in order to circumvent unnecessary waiting time—as well as the outrageous flamboyance of the villains that provide some relief to the overall gloominess of the film.
Whether you’re a long-time Batman fan, or just watching for some Twilight emo nostalgia, “The Batman” will surprise you with its re-imagination of the classic superhero story.
