The Batman

After so many delays, the highly anticipated reimagining of the dark knight is here with Matt Reeves' The Batman. DC dropped the expanded universe several years ago now, throwing continuity to the wind, in favour of exploring their vast catalogue of characters without the need to jam them into a big Marvel-esque experience every couple of years. The result has been a mixed but at the very least it has put the creative control in the hands of the director following one too many films suffering from studio interference and now we have a much more mature take on Bruce Wayne and his alter ego.

Set several years after Wayne becoming Batman, the film follows him working alongside Jim Gordon as the two investigate a series of grisly murders that could all be connected due to a riddle left at each crime scene while Gotham endures an economic downward spiral into both moral and figurative decay. Mercifully we're free of origin stories here as Reeves keeps the focus on the situation at hand, which draws many stylistic elements from David Fincher's Seven and Zodiac to create one of the most immersive depictions of Gotham to date. 

I always felt Ben Affleck had potential to be a great Batman but was unfortunately cast during Zack Snyder's time with the franchise which I wasn't a fan of with his bombastic, sledgehammer approach. When news came Affleck might be starring and directing in his own Batman film, I was excited to see him be free of Snyder's vision and explore an older depiction of Wayne but this wasn't to be when plans were scrapped leading to the announcement of a much younger adaptation with Robert Pattinson. I felt it was too soon to have another version, particularly when Christian Bale already covered a more in-prime Wayne, but I can't deny Pattinson is perfect here as the gothic hero. 

Much like the moody Arkham Knight videogame, The Batman is coated in atmosphere from the very beginning as rain beats down on the grimy streets of Gotham in one of the most visually striking Batman films to date thanks to Greig Fraser's work behind the camera. The story and Reeves' direction also keeps the film moving without the extended running time ever from dragging, while the supporting cast with Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell are all great. I also want to give credit to Michael Giacchino's fantastic score who had big shoes to fill following the likes of Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer but he delivers 100%. 

For such a thrilling film that ditches the outlandish stylistics of Snyder's vision while balancing the realism of Christopher Nolan's work and the grandeur of Gotham with Tim Burton's Batman films, my only real gripe comes towards the end with some heavy sequel-baiting that felt out of place in the rest of the film. The third act has also received some criticism when trying to conclude an engaging first two parts but I personally how Reeves took a somewhat different approach here for the genre. 

The Batman has been worth the wait and a strong justification for DC wiping the slate clean to provide us with great films like this that offer something new while on familiar ground. I really hope Matt Reeves reunites with Pattinson and the cast again for future sequels as they evidentially work very well here in creating DC's best film since The Dark Knight. Yep, I said it even if that might be something of a low bar! Without further ado, this will be a joy for fans of the source material as well as other works, getting my full recommendation.