This is another case, not unlike The Power of the Dog review where a day or two passing by and a couple of conversations with others who have seen the film has bunked the film down at least a couple of points. The Batman however had already somewhat lost me by the time I'd left the cinema. To put it plainly the culminating comment of my first discussion with someone who had also seen the film was a response to us talking for fifteen minutes solely about flaws, the comment was simple; "no three hour film should have this many questions and loose ends", and not in an open ended way for sequels, just a shoddy plotting way in the world of this film. For this humble reviewer, The Batman was certainly a mixed bag.
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I keep thinking of No Time to Die. Now I know I was a bigger fan of that film than a lot of people, but everything I said there feels to be things that people are saying about this film in a positive light, yet for me this past Bond did it infinitely better. Now as I always say comparison is a fruitless form of criticism, however it feels like the comparisons here aren't obvious, but are repeatedly clear to me. Both open with a startling surprise horror sequence, followed by an introductory extended sequence and both straddle expansive runtimes with intermittent balancing of action and drama – with of course the major difference of Bond closing out a built universe and The Batman building a whole new one from the ground up. However of course this is not the case, obviously. For The Batman is not a whole new world, rather instead a world that we have seen on-screen close to every facet of before, and therein lies the issue with Reeve’s outing here, we have seen it all before and often better than we do here. Reeves as a director flits between scenes and montages that build out his Gotham and his Batman in a thrilling manner, however ultimately one can’t help but feel a slight eye-roll rearing when the phrase “darker and grittier” is spoken, for despite moments of the film emulating above anything else a 90’s serial killer thriller and having a level of visual creativity that current blockbusters desperately lack, it is all drowning in this gloss and CGI grit that does make it all feel quite surface level and superficial no really allowing any element to have a real punch. But fundamentally before we get into characters and the like I must note that the films fundamental biggest issue is its plotting and mystery mechanics. For at the end of the day the mystery just isn’t really there. Things aren’t figured out, they are found out (and yes there is a major distinction). Mysteries are solved moments after they are introduced. Huge revelations are undermined in the very next scene. It is this department where questions and probing about the films run-time are most warranted.
Before we
get into performances, let’s discuss the undoubted big winner of the film
Michael Giacchino, whose score is an immediately iconic wonderful euphony of
organs and strings and powerful music. Such a startling departure from his MCU
trapping laden score for No Way Home that
just reeked of cookie-cutter cr*p, instead here there is real melody and
powerful composition that I can’t get out of my head. All of this stunning
score sets the tone for the characters and world that Reeves is creating in
this film. For undeniably the films strongest asset is its stellar cast and
their all singular and all brilliant performances, there really isn’t a single
lack-lustre one in the bunch. Now of course we can play dinner party games of
who was better across the years later, I know I certainly have my own opinions
on such matters, however for now, let us just declare here how incredible
everybody has been cast here and how exciting it is to have a whole new crop of
stellar talent in these roles. There are no major standouts however on the
other hand, nobody immediately jumps to mind. Colin Farrel’s penguin is
delightfully unrecognisable and Paul Dano’s Riddler does in his final scene unfortunately
take it a touch too far and undermine some of his scariness, however overall
the entire cast is a marvellous ensemble of talent that I look forward to re-appearing
and blooming as the sequels begin to be announced and made. But Pattinson is of
course the biggest talking point and for me this is the first Batman/Bruce
Wayne where a major choice has been made in a while and that does excite me,
mainly that Batman and Bruce are one in the same, there is limited to no public
facade of Wayne and instead they are largely the same mirroring of the same
person. Pattinson’s choices here are exciting and give us yet another great
performance in this bounty of brilliance, that for me clearly heightens the
quality of some rather surface level material.
Following one of the best opening 20 minutes to a Batman film I have ever seen, we are unfortunately saddled with the descending quality of ultimately a 7/10. It's pros are plentiful but are for the most part thwarted by a mystery plot with little mystery and little point, a Batman arc that feels shallow and overall a bounty of incredibly performed and perfectly cast roles (some we know, some we don't) that come together for an overlong (not that it felt it especially) and simultaneously over-flowing yet simple film. For as much as there are parts that lead one to believe this is an all new darker version of Batman, it does unfortunately not come to very much and is all things we have actually seen before and certainly seen done better, in films used as influence such as the detective features of the 70’s, as well as infact other previous Bat flicks.
P.S. However when it comes down to it, the most positive thing that I can say is that I could most certainly watch a couple more films in this specific Batman universe and although not official yet, the ending of this film certainly leads one to understand that at least one sequel is most certainly on the cards, with a scene that although naturally exciting in its premise was a touch goofy and cringey in depiction. But name recognition alone will send fans and even the most basic of Bat followers into a frenzy. I won't spoil it here, but my reaction to myself was along the lines of "three, at one time, really?". You'll understand and you'll agree or call me a little superhero hating cynic. It has been known to be said before afterall.
- Thomas Carruthers
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