Bruce Wayne; orphaned son of mega rich philanthropists Thomas and Martha Wayne, spends his days combatting the rise of crime in Gotham. When his symbol embellishes the skies it's a sign for the criminals to get off the streets before vengeance can rear his head. Something more sinister is afoot however, with the wealthy and powerful of Gotham being picked off one by one. Will he uncover the truth in time to save the city he loves, or is this mastermind always going to be one step ahead?
Batman finds himself embroiled in a case that the GCPD are investigating when the killer leaves him a card. Jim Gordon brings him in to assist with anything he can in order to discover the identity of this sadistic, brutal murderer. As the team attempt to uncover the motive they soon realise that not everyone is as innocent as they may seem, with all victims currently being proven to have been corrupt throughout their careers. First an election candidate, then the DA, but how far can this possibly go? With those who can feel a target on the back of their head becoming increasingly angsty, it's no surprise to Bruce Wayne that there are ties between the police and the mobsters of the city. Is anyone innocent? That's for the Riddler to judge and for us to find out!
I had my doubts about this movie. The trailer was in my opinion pretty poor. It left me with no desire to rush to the cinema. With the promise of ice cream though it only took me a few days after the release to make the effort to book tickets. Throughout filming there were constant setbacks and I remember quite clearly that there were known struggles both on set and off. It is a great time to have released a super hero movie though as it's been months since the last one, and we were looking forward to seeing what Matt Reeves brought to the table. As a big Burton and Nolan fan I didn't think I'd be questioning my favourite Batman movies, but I was delightfully surprised by just how much I enjoyed this movie. You might know Matt Reeves from his work on the Cloverfield and Planet of the Apes franchises, having been in the mix as a producer and director on a few big budget movies, but he actually doesn't have that many movies under his belt as of yet. I thought the movie itself; when you look at the production value, the style of filming, the use of effects etc was phenomenal. There are only a few gripes from me, so I'll list some of my favourite things and less enjoyed aspects of the film.
Bruce Wayne has, in every previous movie, been a bit of a philanthropist and of course a ladies man. This movie is set around 2 years after he started to do his vigilante work in the city of Gotham and he is depicted as neither a charitable man nor a socialite. A total recluse who many citizens wouldn't even recognise in the street in fact. We revisit the story of the murder of his parents but there's an insinuation that there's more to it than just a robber on the street, that there could have been corruption that stretched it's filthy fingers out to the Wayne family as well as every other part of the city. We've never had the family referred to in such a way previously and I would go as far as to say the addition of a family backstory was both insightful and it added that extra level of depth to the story of Bruce Wayne. He may not have known about the past of his parents or of their somewhat shady dealings prior to death, but he decided he would still stand up for what is right.
The soundtrack for this movie was insane. I absolutely loved the hero theme throughout, and the addition of some grungy and slightly emo tracks really got behind Robert Pattinson's portrayal of the character. His is a Batman like we've never seen before, and this music matched him to a tee.
Colin Farrell was great as the penguin but was most definitely not someone I could have seen myself picking had I of been the casting director. I saw many people comment online that they thought Richard Kind would have been perfect for the look they decided to channel in the movie, and I can't say I disagree because the final makeup they went with does kinda look like him! And of course the accent wouldn't have been a stretch. There's a level of confusion in Hollywood at the moment whereby they're choosing A-listers for roles that don't suit. Take Renée Zellweger and the fat suit criticism that's going on at the moment - why can't they just hire someone that matches what they'd like from the character? Quite frustrating! Taking away roles from people who share an ethnicity with their character, taking away roles from those who are actually the correct shape or size for what the production wants... the world has gone a little bit mad if you ask me.
Does the Riddler work well on his own as an antagonist? Yes if that was indeed the way in which the film was supposed to go. There were a few points in the film where I actually thought his story was a little OTT or didn't quite marry up in the way it should have, but I have to give credit to Paul Dano as he did a splendid job! At one point in the movie I felt as though there were almost too many different stories to keep up with - we had Batman/Bruce Wayne origin and also current day, Penguin and his club within a club; highlighting those well respected members of the community who've gotten their hands dirty, Catwoman's journey from server of drinks and illicit substances to serving justice, the Riddler's movements, Jim Gordon's detective work...
The length of the movie - wow was it long! I was pretty gripped all the way through so can't complain too much, but some scenes and story coverage did feel a little unnecessary. There were some details that really didn't have enough time or coverage if you ask me, and others that I could have totally ignored and they wouldn't have added or taken anything away from my watching experience.
A last minute scene in the Arkham facility shared another character with us who I imagine will play a big role in the next film, but this also means that this instalment was done in such a way that the viewer knew there'd be a follow-up for it. I imagine that it won't be too dissimilar to the route that Nolan took with his movies, but with baddies who don't have superpowers but are indeed dangerous.
Most of the cast chosen for this movie were excellent in their roles. Robert Pattinson, despite his emo/gothic look, did well to captivate the viewer. I found myself looking at every little detail alongside him when he was investigating, feeling all of the emotions that he was experiencing... it was quite full on but very enjoyable. Zoë Kravitz was a fantastic Selina Kyle too - she has some feline qualities about her in the way she walks and even her facial features/makeup. And I loved her everchanging look with the use of wigs! There was more depth to her character's origin story in this movie too which tied in to her childhood, her job in the movie and her family history too, but I won't spoil that! Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon is refreshing too, I love that he is so innocent and the most fair person you could find at the GCPD. There's no sneaking around with Batman in this movie really, as the whole police department knows they're in cahoots, especially once he's brought in on the Mitchell case.
I would recommend everyone watch this at least once in order to see Batman in this totally new narrative, but I don't know that it would be something I'd be re-watching right away due to the extent of the plots and just how long the film is. Watch it and you can see for yourself!
Review by CB
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