Welcome to the Nerd Review!  Every week the Nerds give you their take on entertainment from the Nerd-o-sphere.  This week, Patrick and Dave review the latest installment from Warner Brothers and DC The Batman!

• The Show:  The Batman
• What’s it About:  A young Batman collaborates with the Gotham City police to track a serial killer known as the Riddler.  But Batman’s worldview is thrown into doubt as the Riddler forces Batman’s alter ego Bruce Wayne to face the skeletons in his family’s closet.
• IMDB Score: 8.4/10

The Nerds’ Take on The Batman (2022):

Patrick:  Hello, fellow Nerds.  I gotta own this one.  Dave sent me a lovely review a week and a half ago, and I dropped the ball in making this a timely review.  Life gets in the way, and frankly, I needed a break after our last round of Nerd Reviews.  But we are back, and we are here to talk about the hottest DC movie to hit theaters in a long time, Matt Reeves’ The Batman. I was surprised to learn that it has been a decade since the Caped Crusader had a stand alone film, but here we are and I have to say the wait was worth it.  The Batman is a taught film noir that casts Batman in a light previously unseen in theaters.

The Batman takes a look at the early career of the world’s greatest detective and in a twist from previous film incarnations, the Bat is actively working with all of Gotham City PD. Jim Gordon(not yet Commissioner), though, is the only member of the force who seems to truly trust him.  A serial killer by the name of the Riddler is slowly picking off members of Gotham’s leadership beginning with the mayor, and it is up to Batman and the Police to find him and stop him before he kills again. The film takes Batman into the seedy underbelly of Gotham’s crime syndicates where he uncovers more than a serial killer at large. Batman is forced to face the sins of his alter ego Bruce Wayne’s family and their role in creating the turmoil in Gotham City.

I know Dave will spend a great deal of time discussing specific plot points, it is kinda his thing. So, I’m going to go right to the guts of what impressed me about Matt Reeves’ effort. Batman as a character begin in Detective Comics as just that, the World’s greatest detective.  While previous Batman films have dabbled in the Bat’s investigative talents, Reeves goes all in.  There are action pieces, yes, but Batman doesn’t spend most of his time fighting henchmen. He spends his time in the lab or venturing into the city searching for leads and uncovering the next layer of a deep seeded conspiracy. I found myself completely engrossed in the plot as Reeves creates a lore within this version of the Bat-verse. And the mood set by Reeves is ripped straight from 1940s-1950s detective film noir classics, complete with a Batman voiceover setting the stage. The city is dark and mysterious, and a touch menacing. You can see influences of the film Seven through Reeve’s use of lighting that just adds to the ambience of the film. Add in a dynamic score by Michael Giacchano and I couldn’t help but be drawn completely into this version of Gotham. I know some have quibbled over the film’s runtime, but I felt Reeves created a mood and pace that led me to completely lose the time. I didn’t feel three hours pass.

The cast assembled for The Batman was amazing as well and it begins with Bruce Wayne/Batman himself Robert Pattinson. I really hope this is the role that finally helps audiences see the talent beyond his Twilight days. Pattison’s Batman is still finding his role in the city and his evolution over the course of the film from an agent of vengeance to one of hope is remarkable. More notably for me though, is how Reeves and Pattinson turn the origin story trope around and show the audience how billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne came to be, rather than Batman’s origin. Bruce is largely absent in the film and Pattison plays him as a recluse with little interest in helping the city of Gotham for most of the film.  It is only through Batman’s journey that we see a new Bruce likely to emerge in future installments of the franchise. As the Counter to Pattinson’s Batman, we have Paul Dano’s portrayal of the Riddler. Dano full immerses himself into the role of disillusioned youth who feels wronged by his city.  Dano commands your attention in every one of his scenes and pushes Pattison’s performance when they share the screen.

Additional cast add terrific depth and breathe life into the greater world of Batman. Zoe Kravitz is a strong Catwoman and the added twist of her parentage (no spoiler here) is played very well. Plus, Catwoman is ACTUALLY a cat burglar! It’s awesome.  Colin Ferrell sets the stage for his ascension as The Penguin and like Dano, commands the attention of the audience when he is on the screen.  I look forward to the character’s development in future films. Finally, Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon is a strong counterbalance to Batman’s burning rage.  Wright also does great laying groundwork for the future of the two’s relationship.  I look forward to seeing the two work together in the future.

I really don’t have much to say in criticisms of this film. The runtime will turn some folks off. And while I loved this direction for the Batman character, I know it will not for everyone. Matt Reeves tells an engaging story that demands your attention, but those looking for something heavy on action may be disappointed there isn’t more. In fairness, though, the action sequences in the film are terrific. The car chase folks see in the trailer is a highlight to watch in its entirely. I am happy that this iteration has been well received as my bigger concern is a sequel forcing Reeves to change what he established for The Batman. So where am I in terms of rating? I put this film on par with The Dark Knight. People will inevitably compare the two and to me, that is unfair to both films. I think there’s no comparing the two given they are entirely different kinds of films. Both have value and Matt Reeves made a bold statement with his first foray into Gotham. I look forward to the next step.

Patrick’s Rating:  4.93/5.0

Dave It is no secret that, by and large, DC Movies have been left in the dust by the mega-powered MCU. So much so that the DCEU has become somewhat of the “red-headed step-child” of the behemoth of an industry known as comics-based movies. However, there has usually been one notable exception to this rule and that is with respect to Batman. The Caped Crusader has consistently been the one DC super-hero that meets or exceeds expectations. Issues with Zack Snyder’s portrayal of The Dark Knight notwithstanding, the prospect of a new Batman movie is always exciting. This past week, Matt Reeves delivered to us the newest iteration of The World’s Greatest Detective and, to be honest, this movie delivers on just about every level possible.

At its core, The Batman is a story about a very young Batman/Bruce Wayne in Year 2 of his war against crime and villainy in Gotham City. A mysterious villain (The Riddler) is engaging in a series of ever more violent crimes and is targeting some of Gotham’s elite, such as the mayor of Gotham City and the Police Commissioner. With both of the crimes, cryptic clues and puzzles are left behind and specifically directed at Batman to solve. One of the many unique aspects of this movie is the relationship between Batman and Jim Gordon. It is very different from that of Batman and the rest of the Gotham PD. The GPD view Batman as a vigilante, and nothing more. Gordon, however, recognizes that Batman is an elite level detective, investigator, and crime-fighter. This creates more than just a little friction between Gordon and his peers. 

The plot quickly thickens and involves other characters, such as The Penguin, Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and Carmine Falcone. By the time The Riddler is abducted and unmasked, there is an even bigger trail of bodies in his wake. Everything boils over to a crescendo just in time for Batman to discover a nefarious plot by The Riddler to detonate car bombs around the city to flood downtown Gotham while, at the same time, assassinate the new mayor, Bella Real. The plot ends up being foiled by Batman and Selina. In then end, Selina deems Gotham a lost cause and leaves while Batman stays behind realizing he has made a difference after all. The Riddler, incarcerated at Arkham Asylum, makes the acquaintance of a cell mate in an adjacent cell who has all the markings of being a variation of The Joker.

Yes, I am keeping the details deliberately vague because I am trying to spoil as little as possible. However, a few key points are worth noting. First off, this movie is right up there with The Dark Knight as far as the greatest Batman movies of all-time. No, that is not hyperbole. This movie is very gripping and feels more like a mystery than a comic book movie. It accentuates on Batman as a detective, which is something that has not been done too much in the past. We see Batman’s detecting skills on full display for much of the movie. It is a refreshing take on one of the most well-known, respected, and beloved characters in all of comicdom. Batman has been around since 1939. When someone can pull of what Reeves pulls off here, and give us an aspect of Batman we had not seen before, that is truly an accomplishment. 

Second, let’s discuss Robert Pattinson. Many people were underwhelmed when the former Twilight star was passed the mantle of the cape and cowl. Pattinson had been pigeonholed as Edward Cullen by so many. This ignored the significant body of dramatic work he had done since Twilight and, to some extent, many forgot the excellent work he did in Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire as the tragic Cedric Diggory. What we ended up with was one of the best portrayals of Batman ever, perhaps even the best. Pattinson hits all the proper marks as far as being Batman was concerned. He compares very favorably to Christian Bale’s portrayal in the Nolan Trilogy. As I mentioned on this past week’s Episode of BWN, Pattinson’s “Batman voice” was not overdone as it was with Bale. It felt more natural. When Pattinson did drop the voice into a deeper range, it was done for a specific reason and not just because, hey, that’s the Batman voice. It is very effective. And so much of what Pattinson did was very clever. We have to remember this is Year 2 Batman. This is the variation of Batman that still makes mistakes and is learning his craft and Pattinson nails that performance to a tee. His portrayal of Bruce Wayne was not nearly as strong as Bales or even Keaton, but that is mainly because this is a movie about Batman and not so much Bruce Wayne. 

Third is the fact that you have a really good, surprisingly tight, story being told here. There was great concern that with all the characters involved, this could spiral into Spider-Man 3 levels of absurdity. Those fears were misplaced. Each character had a specific role to play. Selina Kyle was the love interest, sure, but she was much more than that. The Penguin filled in some gaps and was a transitional villain leading up to The Riddler. Speaking of The Riddler, this was a much more malevolent variation of that character and felt more like The Joker in a few places, even though you do  not really see his face until three-fourths of the movie is done. Carmine Falcone creates quite a bit of internal conflict inside Bruce and causes Bruce to question who, and what, his father really was. Jim Gordon becomes Batman’s most trusted confidant and you see the first true signs of friendship develop in this movie. Everything fits together really well, which is no easy task considering the depth and length of the film.

So, let’s talk about the length of the movie. The Batman clocks in at just under 3 hours. It is a long movie. We must keep in mind, however, that Endgame was also 3 hours in length. Similar to Endgame though, I did not really notice the time because I was invested in what was happening the entire time I was there. Long movies are tricky to pull off, to be sure. But this is one of those rare events where the length of the movie does not really detract from the story being told. There are very few moments where you feel like things are dragging and, all told, the length of the film is, in my opinion, a non-factor. 

Lastly, there is the tremendous cast of this epic film. I already mentioned Pattinson. You also have  stellar performances by Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Gordon, John Turturo as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and a masterful performance by Colin Ferrell as The Penguin. All of them do a fantastic job and they each add their own unique spin on some of the most recognized characters in all of Batman lore. When one considers the great prior renditions of Catwoman by Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway, or the magnificent portrayal of Commissioner Gordon by Gary Oldman, I can honestly say that Kravitz and Wright more then held their own. The end result is a movie filled with iconic performances by tremendous actors all portraying enormously beloved characters. I cannot say enough about the magnificent performances of just about all involved with this movie.

I will close by saying this: The Batman is not as good a movie as The Dark Knight…. but it is not far behind at all. I felt like this was the second-best Batman movie I have ever seen and that is saying something. It is uniquely different in its approach of The Dark Knight and shifts the focus squarely onto him as a detective unlike any other. Yes, it is a dark and gritty movie. But it almost has to be here as this is as much a mystery as it is a super-hero flick. Everything is done so meticulously well from the first appearance of the Batmobile to the very end with Bruce and Selina taking literal separate paths. Bruce’s introductory monologue, with Nirvana’s “Something In The Way” playing in the background is an unforgettable moment. Bruce questioning whether he has made any sort of difference at all in the beginning, only to realize the specifics of how he has made a diffidence in the end, is just priceless movie magic. This movie is everything the MCU movies are and even more because of the depth of the issues it addresses. I feel so fortunate to have seen two of the best super-hero movies of all-time in the past 3-4 months. Spider-Man: No Way Home was one; this is the other. It is an instant classic in every sense of the word and I honestly cannot wait to see it again. 

Dave’s Rating:  5.00/5.0

Overall Nerds Rating for The Batman (2022):  4.96/5.00