The Batman is a superhero film written and directed by Matt Reeves and produced by DC Films. The film has Robert Pattinson essaying the titular role, while Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis and others form the supporting cast. It has cinematography by Greig Fraser and music by Michael Giacchino.
The character Batman is a superhero who is a household name. Right from the previous generation to the ones born after 2010, almost everyone knows who he is, and his backstory. Director Matt Reeves gives the franchise a refreshing reboot, which is almost like starting Batman's story from scratch. In this installment, he fights crime in order to cope up with his traumatic past. He doesn't know who killed his parents, and is left with a lot of unanswered questions.
A series of killings take place in the city of Gotham, and it is upon the caped superhero to capture the serial killer and place him before the law. Unlike other superhero films, where the villain is revealed at first and it's a cat and mouse game between the hero and villain, the makers opt to make this film a crime thriller. So, Batman is not just an action figure here, but also a detective who solves cryptic clues posed by 'Riddle' (Paul Dano).
Although a lot of eyebrows were raised when Robert Pattinson was announced as the next Batman, he has silenced all critics with an almost perfect portrayal of Batman. He is supported by a fantastic Zoe Kravitz, who at times outperforms everyone in the stunt sequences. With interesting casting choices for characters like Alfred and Gordon, the film almost feels like an entirely new Batman film with no traces of the earlier films. This is a huge challenge because, the team not only has to win over the fans and give them a treat of a film, but should also make sure it is better than what the previous installments offered.
Another interesting fact about The Batman is the portrayal of the vulnerability of both Catwoman and Batman. As Batman solves the clues one by one, he also finds answers for the questions he didn't have answers for. Some of the answers are too heavy for him to handle and we have scenes where he almost tears up listening to the truth. This makes the superhero more human and relatable to all of us. Batman introduces himself as vengeance in the film, but the film puts justice before vengeance and the message is conveyed beautifully.
Technically, the film is extremely sound, with the production design being marvelous. The stunt/fight sequences rarely go over the top, barring a car chase. The music and cinematography offers proper support to Matt Reeves' vision. The former plays a huge role in hyping up the scenes, which enhances the movie watching experience for fans who expected a different kind of Batman. It kind of acts as a bridge between the Batman we've seen over the years and this Batman.
Overall, despite a runtime of close to three hours, the film engages you for most of the runtime, and the thriller nature of the script keeps you on the edge of the seat. This is no normal film, but a visual spectacle that transports you to its universe that has characters who have real flesh and bones, ones who resonate with you. A must watch film, for both fans and general audience.