design: Lily Clark
Hailed by many as the greatest superhero movie series of all time, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy remains cemented in pop culture. Now, almost a decade later, Matt Reeves has brought a new title to the Batman franchise.
“The Batman”, which debuted earlier this month has already garnered critical acclaim. Director Matt Reeves has successfully encapsulated the vengeful and mysterious grandeur of the caped crusader.
In contrast to other superhero movies, such as “Avengers: Endgame”, Batman movies tend to stray darker; they usually have less humor and more violence and gore.
Ben Affleck, who has played batman since 2016’s “Batman vs. Superman”, has not returned for this movie. Although Affleck will play the role in “The Flash” releasing later this year; Robert Pattinson, notable for his roles in both “Twilight” and Harry Potter, has become the new protector of Gotham.
Pattinson’s performance perfectly portrays the Batman Reeves was aiming to create. Pattinson doesn’t play a suave-playboy Batman; he plays a depressed and reclusive Batman. This makes sense: Batman is a character who witnessed the murder of both his parents as a child; it is realistic that he is slightly messed up. Zoë Kravitz, who plays Catwoman on the big screen, also does a wonderful job. She brings much more to the movie than one would expect.
Clocking in at almost three hours, “The Batman” is less of a traditional superhero movie. It is more akin to a mystery, with Batman, who has been protecting Gotham for only two years, playing a detective role throughout the movie. This is what makes the movie great, no origin stories or cliché plot lines. Instead, we witness a Batman who is still learning. This contrasts with previous portrayals such as Affleck’s Batman, Pattinson’s Batman doesn’t know everything; we actually witness him make mistakes often on screen.
The cinematography and soundtrack are very on-brand with Batman and Gotham city. Almost the entire movie takes place at night. We see lots of reds and greys and an overwhelming number of shadows. The soundtrack is just as dark. The movie’s main track is “Something in the way” by Nirvana, a sad and somber tune that places viewers directly in Gotham city.
For years, DC has been aiming to create a movie universe as profitable as the Marvel cinematic universe. While they have been largely unsuccessful, “The Batman” leaves them in an ideal spot for a sequel. Reeve’s Gotham city is perfect for future Batman films. I would love to see The Scarecrow or Mr. Freeze wreaking havoc in Gotham next.
According to IMBD, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Night” is rated the third best film of all time. “The Batman”is trying to follow suit and become a pop culture icon. The movie will definitely leave a mark on the DC extended universe, and I think it’s safe to say it gets better with every watch. I urge everyone to go and enjoy what will definitely be one of the greatest movies released in recent memory.
