So goes the story of The Batman. A tale we know well – so very well.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a billionaire orphan will be in want of a crusade. This of course will be brought on after his jaunt to an exotic land to discover and learn the way of the locals’ whiles being taught by a wise but understanding master – in the ways of various forms of martial arts.
Cue the close up of a smoking gun after it’s let off two rounds.
Transition slowly to expensive pearls falling endlessly in the air. Then cut to a small tearful and clearly traumatised orphan standing alone silhouetted by darkness.
The story of Bruce Wayne is one we all know too well. But this film isn’t the story of Bruce Wayne, it’s a story of the Batman (Robert Pattison). But they are the same person. They are and they aren’t. You see Bruce Wayne isn’t even Bruce Wayne, the mask of billionaire playboy isn’t the real him. Then there is the Batman, an intelligent detective that has a contingency for every foreseeable eventuality, who beats up criminals on the mean streets of Gotham.
The Batman – is Batman’s story, not Bruce’s.
The Director (Matt Reeves) knows we know the back story so he cuts right to the chase. Batman is two years into his vigilantism, the streets know him as vengeance – and his reputation is so iron clad that any and every dark corner is a source of apprehension for criminals. The police call him weird but their incompetence means they need his constant help. The Bat-signal is used frequently by the only clean cop in all of Gotham – Jim Gordan (Jeffrey Wright).
Cleaning up the streets of Gotham is no easy task with a ‘city so corrupt’ that crime has been able to infiltrate every level of its infrastructure. Who knows why anyone lives in Gotham when the experience is so bad that you’re one bad day away from turning to crime yourself.
Enter The Riddler (Paul Dano) a well-known villain of Batman. Like any great villain as far as he’s concerned he is right and Batman and he are alike in trying to cleanse Gotham of corruption. Except the Ridders methods are a tad more permanent and gory. He doesn’t believe in sending criminals to Arkham Asylum; a maximum security facility that every single criminal somehow manages to escape from every single time.
The Riddler knows the incompetence of the Police so he addresses himself to the only other intellectual in Gotham – the Batman, to – you guessed it – solve his Riddles as he terrorises the corrupt with his devious plans.
Batman’s hunt for the Riddler brings him face to face with other well-known foes: Oswald Cobblepot better known as the Penguin (Collin Farrell) and crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). All jockeying for power in the cease pool of crime that is Gotham city.
A towering task to say the least but Batman has help in the form of a feline friend – Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) she’s not really interested in helping Batman on his crusade. She’s trying to get hers just like everyone else in the city. Except of course when a friend is in trouble Catwoman agrees to help Batman.
Even with help, it’s not easy
Even with help, it’s not easy – we’re talking about an entire city where one in three people are criminals. But Batman isn’t here to save the city no – he is here to stop crime. The two are similar but not the same. You see one allows Batman to beat the living hell out of people. And beat the living hell he did!
The fight scenes were a thing of brute-y. Though I am a fan of Batman and the multitude of tricks on his utility belt. I did like this no-holds barred approach. There was no pulling of punishes or going easy on these criminals – nope they choose this life and Batman was here to make sure they knew it wouldn’t pay with every right hook, kidney jab and groin kick. Perfect.
The Cat and the Bat team-up worked perfectly. With duo circling each other – well like cats and wondering when to trust.
As I mentioned before this was not Bruce Wayne’s story and the mask of billionaire playboy was missing, a subject Bruce’s only reaming friend Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis) raised on numerous occasions.
The Batman is Batman’s story and it works. The focus on obsession, on putting clues together, on brooding on ledges (a favourite pastime of all superheroes), of not sleeping and living and breathing the crusade and being committed to the mission. Of not knowing when to trust those who were genuinely there to help: Jim, Catwoman and Alfred, and when to go at it alone. Of falling prey to the psychological mind games of the Riddler – it was aptly named. After all, Vengeance takes no time off. So why should he?
End thoughts:
The Batman is a different more noir take on the Dark Knight / the masked crusader, the Batman. A daring and brilliant psychological thriller with an all-star cast who really outdid themselves in this telling of the Batman. This is a vastly different Batman that we are used to and yet I felt strangely at home. The movie was sold as a stand-alone but a trilogy could be born here.
I only want to add that as a Batman Robert Pattison was an excellent choice – he worked as a younger Batman who has become so consumed in his lust for vengeance that he’s lost, Bruce Wayne. Zoë Kravitz – finally being cast as Catwoman! Redemption was had this day and she was purrfect!
Unmask the truth for yourselves.
The Batman will be released in cinemas every on Friday 4th of March 2022
I am Annabel or creativelyanzy as I’m known online! I am the founder of Melanin Gamers: a gaming community that promotes diversity and inclusivity in the video games industry, with a special focus on content creators; whiles also providing a safe space for people of colour to come together and game
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Hilarious review, can’t wait!