Directed by American filmmaker Matt Reeves, The Batman reimagines the Caped Crusader in his second year of fighting crime in Gotham City. Theatrically released in the United States on Mar. 4, 2022, the film features a stellar ensemble of Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, and Andy Serkis.
Gotham is terrorized by the serial killer known as The Riddler (Dano), leaving cryptic clues and hunting down those in power. Batman (Pattinson), in his second year of fighting crime, must then uncover the city’s hidden lies of corruption in a classic noir detective fashion.
From Batfleck to Battinson
In 2016, The Batman was originally set as a standalone film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), to be starred in and directed and co-written by Ben Affleck, the Batman of this shared universe.
The script was set after the events of 2016’s Batman v Superman and director Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League. Comic book stories such as “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” and "Batman: Knightfall,” as well as the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game, were cited as influences for this story.
Set in Arkham Asylum, the planned main antagonist was Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello), who eventually plans a breakout at Arkham Asylum, before facing off against Affleck's Batman. Moreover, Batgirl was also set to appear to fight alongside Batman and would have also explored the death of Robin, which was established in Batman v Superman.
After Affleck’s departure, Reeves came on board and planned to keep the project set in the DCEU. But ultimately, he decided to take his own version with a younger Batman and self-contained in a standalone Batman universe.
Vengeance, lies, and everything in between
For starters, The Batman is not an origin story. Reeves made sure that they’ve gone past the run-on-the-mill reboot where the audience would see the murder of the Waynes and the birth of Batman once again. But what somewhat stays the same is that Gotham is a cesspool, in fear of a vigilante lurking in the shadows and waiting to hunt down lowlife thugs and criminals.
What makes this Gotham different from past cinematic incarnations is how grounded yet reminiscent of the source material it is. Granted, Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight trilogy, brought to life a Gotham that can exist in our world, but it also feels just like any other city, specifically Chicago.
Moreover, what an ensemble. The cast hit all the right notes in portraying their respective characters that bring out the best in them, as well as reinventing and giving new life.
The dark and brooding Bruce Wayne feels fresh and grounded. Still traumatized by the loss of his parents, Bruce struggles to balance his life as a normal citizen and a vigilante crime fighter. Gone is the billionaire playboy persona everyone grew to know. However, the film still sets the foundation for Bruce to evolve and grow, eventually finding a new mask to put on. After all, this is his second year as Batman, and he still has a lot of years left in him.
Meanwhile, Kravitz’s Catwoman surprisingly adds more than expected to the story. Selina Kyle is just as integral as Bruce Wayne is. The audience learns her motivations as to why she would want to work alongside Batman, setting the tone for more Bat and the Cat dynamics in the future. And of course, Pattinson and Kravitz’s on screen chemistry brings out heavy bisexual energy.
Moving on towards a villainous turn, the unrecognizable Colin Farrell portrays The Penguin as a mid-level mobster who operates the nightclub the Iceberg Lounge, where Selina works. Farrell brings much charisma in his portrayal, which totally veers away from his past on screen performances.
But Dano’s The Riddler deserves all the praise he gets. Orchestrating chaos in Gotham much akin to the late Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, interesting villains are those who rightfully believe they’re on the good side. Clearly, seeing Batman and The Riddler duke it out in a psychological manner adds more tension compared to a Batman villain that leans more on a physical square-off.
American film composer Michael Giacchino’s score is one, if not the main, highlight of the film. Bringing to life a cinematic tune that elevates the scene to the fullest, viewers have a timeless and iconic Batman theme brewing. Not to mention the incorporation of the “Ave Maria” song, which plays an integral part in the film.
When Batman appears from the shadows, the thrilling Batmobile sequence, and adrenaline-rushing action pieces manage to be more impactful to the audience, thanks to Giacchino’s magnificent score.
Overall, the detective noir take brings back the classic Batman from the Golden Age of comic books but still manages to feel fresh for modern audiences. Pattinson monologuing over his nightly antics and investigating the crime scenes make it feel more of a detective story sprinkled over with some superhero film flavor.
The adventure continues
It’s no surprise that The Batman will be the first in a cinematic trilogy under Reeves’ helm. Perhaps, we’ll see Bruce’s family grow in numbers starting with a Robin under his wing. Moreover, the Court of Owls, Calendar Man, Mr. Freeze, and Hush are teased as potential villains in the sequels.
Reeves is brewing his own Batman cinematic universe, starting with The Batman. Audiences get to see more of Farrell’s The Penguin fleshed out in a solo spin-off series. It will revolve around the Penguin’s rise in Gotham’s criminal underworld and will borrow heavily from mob film classics such as Scarface and The Long Good Friday. The series will premiere on HBO Max sometime before the release of this film’s sequel.
On the other hand, a series centered on the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) was in development for quite some time, but was canceled in March 2022 in favor of an untitled Arkham horror series on HBO Max moving forward. This would explore Arkham Asylum as a haunted house and will feature different characters from Batman lore. Perhaps, more of Batman’s rogues gallery making an appearance?
Return to Gotham city and go see The Batman, still playing in Philippine cinemas near you!
