Whether it’s the first Deadpool, Ready Player One or Us, I’m always late for big films. What can I say? The universe just loves to delay my cinema trips but I don’t give up and I do get there in the end. Hence here I am, a month after its release, reviewing The Batman. While I have some issues with the film, it might just be one of my favourite adaptations of the character.

This take on the caped crusader from Cloverfield and Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves sees a sprawling Gotham city in a state of panic as a serial killer, known as the Riddler (Paul Dano), is targeting the city’s elite. In his second year as a vigilante crime fighter, Batman (Robert Pattinson) follows the Riddler’s trail of clues, arriving at a point where he must abandon his lone ranger approach and make alliances. If he doesn’t, the city may not survive what the Riddler has planned for it.

The Characters

The Batman is made by fans for fans of the dark knight. Fortunately the film’s definition of a Batman fan is broad. I can count the number of Batman comics I’ve read on one hand, however I’ve seen almost all the films based on the character along with a handful of animated shows and I recognised The Batman’s world instantly.

If you don’t know Bruce Wayne’s backstory then The Batman may not be for you as the film doesn’t waste any time dramatizing or even describing it. You’re expected to already be familiar with it. Unlike other adaptations, the film doesn’t present Bruce Wayne and Batman as two sides of the same coin but rather the same person just with different skins. Within the first few minutes Bruce’s approach and intention with his Batman persona is clear. He wants to punish crime and injustice.

The rest of the cast, like in any good story, share similar but slightly different philosophies. They are reflections and variations on Batman’s morals. Investigating the Riddler’s murders Batman encounters Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), a nightclub waitress who uses her Catwoman persona to find her missing roommate. Her approach to combating the evils of Gotham is a lot more violent than Batman’s but as we learn more about her and her past, we begin to understand and even empathise with her position.

While visually it looks like a pastiche of Nolan’s grounded realism and Burton’s gothic spectacle, Gotham feels very lived in and authentic. Its criminal underworld certainly feels fleshed out with its own hierarchy and ranks, a key figure being the Penguin (Colin Farrell). Despite his iconic status in culture, he plays a small but significant role in The Batman. He’s a mobster with connections, a known but not entirely respected face in the city’s underworld. He’s undoubtedly the Penguin we all know and love but at the time he is convincing as just another criminal in the film’s world.

They may not be likable but if you’re familiar with the Batman mythos then you know they’re not supposed to be. They’re supposed to be real, interesting and, above all, have conviction – and in The Batman they do.

The Plot

The film has plenty of action and violence to offer but at its core, The Batman fits more in the detective noir genre than the superhero. The plot holds your attention by feeding you a mixture of world-building, character building and of course mystery. Donning his cape, Bruce has to use his brain more than his fists to combat the Riddler. Whether you’re a Batman fan or not, this is a new iteration, one that you discover as the film progresses. The Riddler’s trail goes from the city’s underground to its privileged pinnacle, which is a landscape Bruce is all too familiar with given his family. Comparisons to Se7en and the Saw franchise are justified as the mind-bending puzzles the Riddler leaves behind forces Batman and the Gotham City Police Department to re-evaluate their values.

Is it as good as Saw? I’d say better. Is it as good as Se7en? I wouldn’t go that far. While the mystery is well constructed, some clues that Batman puzzles over are a little too obvious. What you can deduce in a few seconds takes Batman and the police entire scenes to resolve. This isn’t to say that the film is stupid, just that it could’ve made more effort to complicate its puzzles.

Less an issue about plot and more about pace, the runtime could be shorter. Without getting into spoilers, the ending is reminiscent of Return of the King in that whenever you think it’s over, it keeps going.

I think The Batman is going to be viewed as a significant interpretation of the hero with its strong characters, noir aesthetic and police procedural elements. I would definitely put it up there with one of the best Batman films and recommend it as a must-see for any enthusiast of the dark knight.

I give The Batman a rainy 8 out of 10.