The Bat has returned to the big screen and this time Robert Pattinson has put on the cape and cowl as we check out Matt Reeves’ The Batman in IMAX at Cineworld.
It’s been five years since we last saw Batman on the big screen when we saw him take on Superman in Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, but now with this new release and what could be described as another soft reboot, Matt Reeves brings us a darker movie that isn’t so much a superhero movie but more of a detective mystery with Gotham as the stage and a grittier Bat than we have seen in the previous live-action movies.
We are now in “Year Two” of The Batman’s attempt to save Gotham and its citizens and this is a great touch for the film, we have gone past the parts of why we have the character and the loss of his parents and jumped straight into an ongoing horrific crime by a killer that is terrorising the city.
I loved the Batman Year One comic book, so seeing a movie that gives a nod to that as well as The Long Halloween is brilliant. So as I mentioned we are now in year two and the film opens with the unnerving scene of a family being watched by a heavy breathing villain who has a real passion for the murders that he is committing and some of them are brutal and one, in particular, is shocking, to say the least.
It’s down to Bruce Wayne aka The Batman to solve the puzzles that are left at the crime scenes and as the puzzles are left for Batman, Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) brings in Batman to help with the investigation and this is where we have a change from the previous movies in the style.
The Batman runs for a massive 2h 55m and is fairly slow-paced throughout, but this works well for the film as you follow along with the investigation, trying to figure out who is the killer behind the Riddler’s mask!
Ah The Riddler, what a change from the Jim Carrey portrayal, this version not only looks scary, but he is a brutal psychopath with a love for the terror that he is bringing to Gotham City. Brilliantly played by Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine).
Not only do we have The Riddler, we also have an unrecognisable Colin Farrel as The Penguin, forget the look you may know from Batman Returns or the 60s TV show, this Penguin is certainly more grounded with Farrell where prosthetics to flesh out his face, give him a slightly hooked nose and a nasty scared face. I have to say that I love this version of the character.
As with the trailer that has been going around, let’s not forget “The Cat”. Zoe Kravitz brings her version of Catwoman to The Batman and although it did take me a little longer to get used to the character, I think she worked well with Pattinson’s Batman which was enjoyable to watch.
We couldn’t have Bruce Wayne without Alfred and I loved Andy Serkis in the role as Bruce’s longtime companion Alfred Pennyworth, although I would have loved to have seen so much more of the character, here’s hoping that if/when we get a sequel we will see so much more of Alfred working alongside Bruce/Batman solving many more crimes. With a certain scene near the end of the movie that brings us one final character, it’s looking hopeful that a sequel will be on the way.
When it comes to the look of the movie it looks brilliant, yes it’s dark and foreboding, but the use of the location in Glasgow and Liverpool are used perfectly to bring Gotham City to life, the cinematography throughout The Batman looks great and brings that true Dark Knight feel to the overall production.
The sound mix is also well done with the surround sound being used perfectly throughout the movie allowing you to step into the DC universe and Gotham, one thing that did stand out for me sound-wise was the introduction of the Batmobile, it’s not just the sound that gave me a big smile it was the lighting that was used as well, a stunning introduction to the Year Two mode of Bat-transport.
The Batman IMAX thoughts
OK onto the IMAX, I was hoping for some IMAX Expanded Aspect Ratio in The Batman but sadly the film runs its entirety in a letterboxed format, but this isn’t really a bad thing as the IMAX screen is so big anyway it looked great, the IMAX screens also have a much better sound system than standard screens, so the IMAX releases certainly bring more bass with the seats rumbling to the explosions etc, also the crystal sound definition sounds great with scenes in the rain or those scenes that are quiet but have those subtle sounds that you can pick up on.
Overall Matt Reeves has certainly brought us probably the best Batman on the big screen for a long time, I loved the way it went down the route of being more of a detective thriller than a tongue-in-cheek take on the character. Let’s not forget that DC does stand for Detective Comics after all and The Batman is a superhero without the superpowers.
The Bat and the Cat return to the big screen
Movie title: The Batman
Movie description: When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.
Date published: March 7, 2022
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 55m
Director(s): Matt Reeves
Actor(s): Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Summary
Probably the best Batman movie (so far), Matt Reeves has brought us a movie that pulls you into the dark world of crime and Gotham City.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
