This year’s release of The Batman sees a dramatically different version of the caped crusader on the silver screen, but is it an improvement?
Robert Pattinson (who shall hereafter and forevermore be known as #Battinson has taken on the Dark Knight’s cape and title, adding more than a dash of what Esquire delightfully called “gritty camp.”
A new type of Batman?
Pattinson, of Twilight and The Lighthouse fame, brings a decent amount of complexity and depth to billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, something we’ve come to expect from this eminently brooding character.
While Christian Bale’s portrayal of the Batman was dark, at times heavy, and very masculine, he was the perfect fit for Christopher Nolan’s cinematography style in the Dark Knight era. The 2022 version of the Batman, on the other hand, will see Pattinson bringing a grungier, emo, an almost effeminate new side to our favourite DC Comics hero.
It could be the right call for this generation of Batman fans and fans to-be. The film taps into a current Gen Z zeitgeist that bears much resemblance to the one shared among 90s ‘scene’ kids, while still retaining the comic book-esque flavour and cinematography style fans have come to love.
As the Guardian succinctly puts it, it’s in the way Pattinson sweeps his “his greasy, Kurt Cobain-style curtains out of his eyes.” Not to mention the moody soundtrack, which includes Nirvana’s ‘Something in the Way.’
Most of us have a favourite version of Batman, the same way we might prefer Sean Connery over Daniel Craig in James Bond. For those who grew up watching Adam West or Michael Keating, Pattinson is unlikely to hit the mark. But for those who formed their impression of the character based on Bale’s work, Pattinson’s efforts will feel closer to home.
It’s not so much that we’re seeing a new Batman, but a reworked version of Bale’s character — one that’s largely to be expected given the difference between Nolan and The Batman director, Matt Reeves’ style.
A lot has been said about Ben Affleck’s portrayal so, we won’t go over that here. But, it’s safe to say two things: it wasn’t entirely Zack Snyder’sfault, and Pattinson is a strong improvement.
Villainy rehashed
Cat masks (or hats) off to Zoë Kravitz who plays Catwoman in this film. Her version is brilliant, bratty, and just the right amount of bodacious for the cocktail waitress cum cat burglar, Selina Kyle.
As with previous films, there’s a hint of sexual chemistry between Batman and Catwoman, and the film taps on that as the dynamic duo work together to help find Selina’s missing girlfriend.
Kravitz’s Catwoman is a breath of fresh air and as many commentators have noted, her rendition is much closer to the comic book version of the character that we’ve grown to adore. . Less overtly sexual than Halle Berry or Michelle Pfeiffer’s version, yet still sexy and feminine, Kravitz has imbued Catwoman with a budding, almost innocent anti-heroism that’s refreshing to see.
Catwoman isn’t the only villain who makes an appearance in this three-hour-long epic, though. We see the return of the Penguin played by Colin Farrell(does the man ever miss?), a tough role for any actor to take on after Danny DeVito’s masterful portrayal in 1992’s Batman Returns. If you were hoping for another character raised by actual birds, you’re sadly out of luck as this version is a sleazy underground boss with a rather large nose.
Key among the villains, though, is the Riddler, who takes on the mantle of prime antagonist as a sadistic serial killer. Paul Dano’s portrayal of the Riddler’s alter ego, Edward Nashton, as a creepy, lone-wolf that’s unassuming and hard to pin down gives the film some much-needed oomph. Indeed, hiding in plain sight is a theme common in any Batman comic and Batman villains, as this infographic on the subject shows, it’s often hard to know whether the ‘real’ version is the one in the costume or not.
The Batman, 2022 is now playing in cinemas. So far, the 2 hour and 55minute long film has garnered a respectable 85% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6 on IMDb. Yes, it may ramble more than we’d like, and the plot could be much tighter, but in terms of sheer bleak Gothic noir, the film hits all the right notes.
