Why “The Batman” Might Be the Greatest Superhero Movie Ever
With Matt Reeves’ film hitting HBO Max this month and more people getting to see it recently, is “The Batman” the best superhero movie ever made?
When I first heard that Hollywood was doing another “Batman” film – only this time without Ben Affleck, and with Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, I was immediately intrigued. To be honest, I never even saw any of the Affleck films, mostly because I have never been a big fan of director Zack Snyder and his obsession with using slow-motion at every conceivable moment. When I saw Matt Reeves was going to be directing, I became even more interested. For those that weren’t familiar with his name until now – Reeves directed three outstanding films during the 2010’s, those being Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes. And Pattinson, also very quietly, has turned in fantastic performances recently in more small scale movies like The Lighthouse, Good Time, and The Lost City of Z.
To be honest, it takes a lot to get me really excited about a comic book film nowadays. I feel like the market is oversaturated right now where it seems a new Marvel show/movie is coming out every other week. For whatever reason, Marvel films have never gripped me the same way a series like Star Wars did for instance. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really grow up on Marvel films and was already finishing high school when Iron Man came out. And ever since that movie, comic book films have been coming out at a breakneck pace.
But I did grow up watching the “Batman” cartoon shows and have always been fascinated with how complex and tortured a character Bruce Wayne is. Despite being a wealthy billionaire, he would trade it all in order to have his parents alive. And being the protector of “Gotham City” is really him trying to find some redemption for feeling personally responsible for his parents’ murders. Right from the start of this film, Pattinson captures this darkness and sadness perfectly. And you’re with him and believe in him as soon as we first see him emerge from the shadows.
Fortunately, The Batman doesn’t show us Bruce’s parents being killed for the millionth time. This isn’t an origin story, it’s a film that is focused on Wayne trying to find comfort in his own skin both as a person and as Batman in Year 2. Given the dark and violent nature of this film, Reeves and his writers treat their audiences like adults, wisely electing to divert away from backstory fans of the series have already seen unfold on screen. Like the series itself, Batman is established and known right from the jump. Gotham City is a chaotic mess, with crime running rampant. And the film’s greatest strength is allowing Batman to be who we want to see him as – the city’s greatest detective and protector.
One thing this movie also does so well is explore the underpinnings of why Gotham City is in dire need of a savior. Specifically, how certain politicians and members of law enforcement are corrupt and criminals themselves. Which is something the central villain in this movie, Paul Dano’s “The Riddler”, is obsessed with exposing. Outside of maybe remembering hearing Dano’s shrieking voice from the powerhouse film There Will Be Blood, he’s behind a Zodiac inspired leather serial killer disguise. And just like “The Joker”, there’s a method to the madness of “The Riddler”. Not to the point where killing people is justified obviously, but when the film starts digging into both his background as well as those who are supposed to be protecting Gotham City – you understand on some level why he’s so fed up with it all.
And we don’t just get “The Riddler” in this film. Both “The Penguin” (played by an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and “Catwoman” (played by Zoe Kravitz) play huge roles in this film as well. And the way the movie balances these three supporting pieces so well is especially impressive. There’s sexual tension between “Batman” and “Catwoman” due to both not seeing eye to eye on everything, despite needing one another for help. We get an iconic car chase scene with “Batman” and “The Penguin” that ends with the best shot of the film in my opinion. And on top of this, the “Batman” theme is an absolute knockout that effectively heightens the drama and excitement whenever it plays – which is relatively often.
When it comes to the all-time great superhero films – this one is right up there. I still believe The Dark Knight would be considered a fantastic film even if Heath Ledger would have lived, but it’s fair to speculate if that film is a tad overrated because of his legendary (and final) performance before his untimely death. And besides “The Joker” character in that movie, the secondary bad guys are laughable and not intimidating in the slightest, that is until Harvey Dent’s transformation. This is something The Batman beats The Dark Knight at, I believe.
Most importantly, as dark Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is – The Batman ups the ante. And it’s justified given how gloomy the story and Gotham City is. And without giving anything away, it’s not afraid to take risks when it comes to showing another side of the Wayne family and legacy that we haven’t seen before either.
Personally, I have The Dark Knight as slightly better than The Batman, but it’s close. With Avengers: Infinity War rounding out my top three in terms of best superhero movies. But that might change over time and the more The Batman ages.
And with it being announced to days ago that The Batman 2 is already in the works, I’m excited to see where Reeves takes it from here.