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After the announcement that a new Batman film was going to be released, director Matt Reeves promised that it would be unlike any other film in the franchise, and to an extent he was right. There are several aspects of the film that make it stand out from its predecessors, but the filmmakers were also able to keep the legacy of the Batman character intact in the 2022 revamp.
That being said, the film isn't without its flaws. All in all, The Batman is a well-made superhero film and one that represents the changing of the times with its introspective themes and emphasis on the damaging effects of a corrupt society. The things it did well, it did really well, but that isn't to say there couldn't be improvements made.
Spoiler Alert For 'The Batman'
What It Got Right: The Casting Of Robert Pattinson And Zoë Kravitz
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When fans first found out that Robert Pattinson would be portraying the new Batman, they were skeptical. No one doubts Pattinson's abilities as an actor, but seeing him in such a mainstream role as Batman was shocking, perhaps because of the long string of indie films in his filmography following his commercial success with Twilight. However, true to Matt Reeves' promise, Pattinson did bring something different to the role. Namely, a Bruce Wayne that is likable. Previous manifestations of the character were almost exclusively a rich but troubled playboy who used his wealth and status as a means to his own end. Pattinson's Bruce Wayne however, is much more hollow; a melancholic hermit who barely leaves his house and refuses to engage with the outside world. In other words, he is disheartened and depressed, and frankly, we can relate.
Catwoman is a beloved character, but few actresses have been able to capture her essence to the satisfaction of fans. Zoë Kravitz is a versatile actress, and she contributes a level of cool-headedness, raw intelligence, and playfulness that is perfect for the character, offsetting the serious and moody Pattinson wonderfully. The two leads have great chemistry, making them one of, if not the best Batman/Catwoman duos in the history of DC.
What It Got Wrong: Robert Pattinson Spends Too Much Time in the Batman Suit
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Why give us a more nuanced and interesting version of Bruce Wayne only to keep him as Batman for the majority of the film? Robert Pattinson is a fantastic actor, but all of his marvelous acting chops are mostly wasted in the suit, where there is little difference between him and his predecessors.
With more and more respected actors gaining entry into the superhero universe, the industry has an opportunity to utilize extreme talent while still reaching mass audiences, and The Batman is a good example of that. Still, though, it feels like Pattinson could have had much more screen time as Bruce Wayne, to really show the masses what he's made of.
What It Got Right: Catwoman As A Character
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Catwoman, while beloved by fans, has proven to be a difficult character to adapt to the screen. The problem wasn't always with the actresses who portrayed her but with the lack of depth in the writing. In the past, Catwoman has shown up on our screens mainly as a sex object, and secondarily as a semi-villain. The character rarely had her own story or even any kind of depth, being used as a vehicle in which to put a beautiful woman in a skin-tight suit. Kravitz's Catwoman is a much more interesting and in-depth character, and it's been long overdue.
While Catwoman's trademark playfulness is still present in Kravitz's version of the character, she is not overly flirtatious, and she has her own personality, drive, and her own side story. Selina Kyle's goal in The Batman is to find out what happened to her girlfriend, who had gotten mixed up with a powerful and abusive politician. After finding out that she is dead, her new drive is to enact revenge on the men who killed her, while simultaneously getting back at her mobster father who left her impoverished mother to die, leaving her an orphan. Of all the Catwomen to appear on the screen, Kravitz's might just be the best acted and the most well-written.
What It Got Right: The Score and A Well-Utilized Nirvana Song
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The Batman, being a much darker and daring version of the Batman mythos, needed a score that would be just as edgy. Michael Giacchino's tracks are unnerving, to say the least. The creepiest ones share a resemblance to well-known horror scores of the past, such as Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow and Bernard Rose's Candyman (1992). These tracks are extremely eerie, and they represent the seedy underbelly of Gotham's political climate perfectly. All in all, Giacchino nailed the score.
The score was compelling, but what really brought it all together was that well-placed Nirvana song. Matt Reeves has stated in interviews that he took inspiration from Kurt Cobain while writing the unique version of Bruce Wayne we see in this film, and it shows. To really drive the point home, Reeves placed Nirvana's "Something In The Way" near the beginning of the film over a go-pro-type helmet shot of Wayne on his motorcycle, and it so accurately set the tone for the rest of the film.
What It Got Wrong: The Voiceover Was Unnecessary
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Perhaps Pattinson's voiceover at the beginning and end of the film was written as a way to give the audience some insight into his character. However, the Batman franchise is immensely popular, and most of us already know what is going on in Bruce Wayne's head. The voiceover says more or less the same thing that is said in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989), and therefore seems unnecessary.
Reeves said this movie would be different, but the fundamentals of the Batman character didn't change all that much, so "reintroducing" us to Batman and his motives just felt redundant. The voiceover wasn't bad, but it didn't seem to match the tone of the film, and it made Pattinson's Bruce Wayne less mysterious. A big part of this new characterization of Batman is that he's quieter, much shyer, and much less enthusiastic about life. His voiceover takes away from that a bit, even if it is decently written and well-acted.
What It Got Right: A More Nuanced Presentation Of "Good" And "Bad"
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In the past, superhero films have had a very rigid definition of who is the "good guy" and who is the "bad guy", but as America's perspective on such things as mental health, addiction, and poverty, has shifted, so has our entertainment. One of the best things about this new Batman film is that it explores villains that are not lower-class, impoverished deviants but men in power, namely politicians and the police force. The film speaks more to the corruption of the system as a whole, rather than focusing primarily on individual agency.
One of the bigger examples of this nuanced look of good versus bad is with Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne. Around halfway through the film, we learn that Thomas Wayne was, as are all politicians in Gotham City, a corrupt individual. This is devastating for our protagonist, and he spends the rest of the film trying to figure out what he's doing and why. Although a later scene shows Alfred (Andy Serkis) defending the Wayne patriarch's actions, whether the character was a good person or a bad person is left up in the air, and by the end of the film Bruce decides it doesn't matter who is father was, as long as he knows who he is, and he believes what he is doing is right.
What It Got Wrong: The Mentally Ill And Oppressed Are The Villains... Again
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The Batman franchise has a bad habit of putting those with mental health conditions at the end of our protagonist's hand of justice, and it doesn't do much to help the stigmatization of mental illness in America. Recent films like Joker have attempted to provide a more nuanced view, but in the end, the impoverished and people with mental health issues are often the ones who create the most chaos in Gotham City. The Batman does put an emphasis on those in power, and how that power can be abused, but The Riddler turns out to be an impoverished former orphan. He's basically Bruce Wayne without the money, power, prestige, and Alfred.
The Batman is one of the most nuanced adaptations of the beloved character, and with Bruce Wayne's depressive characterization in this film, we see how mental health can be an issue for our heroes as well, and that is much appreciated. Still, it might not be the worst thing in the world if DC introduced a character with a condition like BPD or schizophrenia as a superhero and a protagonist, rather than an antagonist. Role models like that could challenge the negative stereotypes around mental health conditions, and reach children who also have these conditions, and make them feel empowered, and isn't that what the superhero genre is all about?
What It Got Right: Addressed Bruce Wayne's Privilege And Income Disparity/Wealth Gap
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One of the biggest criticisms of the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman is that he is immensely wealthy. All of the resources he uses to fight crime are a product of his enormous inheritance. The Batman addresses that criticism in a way that doesn't defend Wayne, only leading him to more intense introspection within the narrative, which is always a good thing when it comes to our protagonists.
When Batman finally meets The Riddler, he realizes their roles could easily have been switched had he not been left with an enormous inheritance, and he begins to wonder what sets him apart from the downtrodden of Gotham City, if anything. This level of introspection is important for a good character and film, and it was done beautifully. In the end, Wayne finds peace within himself and who he is, as he continues to help people in the best way he knows how. Whether you agree with his ability to overcome his self-doubt and find faith in himself, one thing is for sure, it's a pretty good ending to an otherwise dark film.