Batman (Robert Pattinson) ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer, Edward Nashton/The Riddler (Paul Dano) leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer, he must forge new relationships, including Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption caused by Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Oz/The Penguin (Colin Farrell) that has long plagued the metropolis. Can Batman find this ruthless psychotic and still save Gotham City from this incredible corruption so it doesn't go down the societal drain?
Others to round out the cast are Peter Sarsgaard as D. A. Gil Colson, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Alex Ferns as Commissioner Pete Savage, Con O'Neill as Chief Mackenzie Bock, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, Peter McDonald as Kenzie, Gil Perez-Abraham as Officer Martinez, Hana Hrzic as Annika and Barry Keoghan as Officer Stanley Merkel.
It was directed with grit and intensity by Matt Reeves ("Future Shock" (segment "Mr. Petrified Forrest") '94, "The Pallbearer" '96, "Cloverfield" '08, "Let Me In" '10, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" '14, "War for the Planet of the Apes" '17) plus TV. What I presumed would be another 'Batman' film, which we've seen many, turned out to definitely have some differences. The two biggest differences between this incarnation and others was that: 1) while the cops in the other Batman films were friends with him, in this version, not only did the cops not respect, but disliked him as well. Few had the respect, but the ones with position could care less of him, and 2) as with the other films where you knew that his parents were killed, in this, you find out why. So, this made for an added interest to the story. By Reeves' very resume, one could certainly surmise that he was definitely in his wheelhouse. Will there be another Batman? Not sure, but knowing Hollywood and what drives them, as long as this makes a ton of money, assuredly they will. It was equally well penned by Reeves ("Future Shock" (segment "Mr. Petrified Forrest") '94, "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" '95, "The Pallbearer" '96, "The Yards" 2000, "Let Me In" '10, "War for the Planet of the Apes" '17) plus TV and Peter Craig ("The Town" '10, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1" '14, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2" '15, "Blood Father" '16, "12 Strong" '18, "Bad Boys for Life" '20, "The Unforgivable" '21), based on 'Batman' created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and DC Comics. I really thought that this would be yet another rehashed version of the same story, but as it started to unfold, the way that the story became intertwined within itself was amazingly well written. Both writers are obviously seasoned in their craft and this certainly showcased their expertise. How they were able to dissect the story and then connect different situations when those situations were so different was honed well. Really, other than the fact that this was a little long-in-the-tooth--approximately 5-10 minutes could have been edited out and give the same impact, this was a spot on script. And since ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) created the majority of the visual effects, this simply enhanced the story that much more.
If you're a Batman aficionado, you'll love this! Not being a fan, I really believe that this is definitely worthy of the price of admission. The acting, especially by Paul Dano as the Riddler and Robert Pattinson as Batman were well executed. If you like the film up, close and personal, it is presented in an IMAX format as well.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 176mins.
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