The Batman

After years of waiting, The Batman was finally released in theaters. This film attempts to see Robert Pattinson take on the role of Batman with a much more grounded and dark take on the character.

When The Riddler begins a string of murdering key political figures, Batman must team up with Lt. James Gordon to investigate and find the serial killer. During his investigation, he uncovers hidden corruption within the city that also may connect to his past.

I found this film to be a fantastic new take on the Batman character. This movie centers around Batman as a detective instead of just a superhero flick. This film takes more inspiration and has more in common with David Fincher's "Seven" and "Zodiac" than it does with modern superhero films. This gives Batman a new direction to go and lets audiences see him in a role that hasn't been done before. This film is also a very grounded and realistic story, with characters such as Catwoman and The Penguin having a relatable and realistic portrayal instead of more cartoonish as in past films. The most surprising part of the movie is Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. When the announcement was first made, I was very skeptical, not wanting to see Edward Cullen as Batman. That is not the case here at all, he absolutely pulls off the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman. After the first few minutes, you can't even tell it is Robert Pattinson anymore as you buy into this version of Batman. The supporting cast is all great as well with Colin Ferrell as the Penguin especially. They did such a good job with him that you can't even tell who the actor is. Finally, the detective story is just fantastic, with the plot pulling off just the right amount of suspense and intrigue. In the end, you get the right amount of payoff with the story with all of the questions of the mystery being answered and even see Batman have a pretty significant character arc.

The only negative I have for this movie is the length. The story that it was telling just didn't feel like it justified a 3 hour run time. The main mystery is solved about 2/3rds of the way through the film and the third act just felt a bit tacked on. If they had tightened things up by about 2o minutes and had a better transition to the final battle then this film would be a contender for the best Batman movie.

Overall, this film is a fantastic new direction to take the Batman franchise. It gives Batman the time and ability to do some detective work while also still doing justice to the Batman character and feeling like a Batman story.

Grade: A Rating: 9/10 Recommendation: Must Watch