Robert Pattinson’s “The Batman” released in theaters on March 4. Due to the lack of theater accessibility in the Lafourche parish area, this review will NOT contain spoilers. 

Before we begin, it is important to note that I am a bit of a comic book nerd myself, and I am quite familiar with the character that is The Batman. That being said, this may have been my favorite Batman film yet. 

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy has long been considered the greatest comic book themed trilogy, and “The Dark Knight” is widely considered the best comic book film and a top tier overall film. However, that film, to me, always felt like a Joker movie. I do not believe that “The Batman” was an overall better film than “The Dark Knight,” but I do think that it is the best Batman film ever made. 

This is the first film to date that was very clearly focused around Batman as the main character, as Pattinson is on the screen and in the suit for the vast majority of the film. In fact, there are only four scenes in the entire film in which Bruce Wayne appears on the screen.  

Digging into the actual film itself, it was extremely dark and gritty. This was not your typical superhero, comic book film, but it was much more like an old school detective film. In fact, the entire purpose of Batman in this movie is that he is the only one that can solve the Riddler’s (Paul Dano) clues. At every crime scene, the Riddler would leave notes entitled “For the Batman,” and Batman was the only one at the scene that was able to solve the riddles. Wayne not only solved the riddles, but he solved them swiftly and easily while everyone else stood there impressed and confused. This shows Wayne’s detective skills, and it was a great nod to the fact that Batman is known as the “World’s Greatest Detective.” 

The best quality of this film was the exceptional acting by the entire cast. However, the performances by Robert Pattinson (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Paul Dano (Edward Nigma/Riddler), Colin Farrell (Penguin), and Zoë Kravitz (Selina Kyle/Catwoman) really stood out to me. I also heavily enjoyed John Turturro’s performance as mafia boss Carmine Falcone, as I thought he stole the show in every scene that he was in. 

Pattinson is already my favorite Batman character to date when he is in the suit. He has this crazy intimidating/heavy presence in Gotham, and the film makes sure to note this. As Bruce Wayne, he has a very different take on the character that I kind of vibe with. Instead of this billionaire playboy, he is very quiet and stays out of public life. He notes this at the beginning of the film when he states that he has been Batman for two years now and that he is practically nocturnal at this point. I think he fits the description of what Batman should be to a T; but I am excited to see how his perspective as Bruce Wayne develops in later films, as he noted that Wayne realized that he needs to do more in public life to help Gotham flourish at the end of the film. 

Dano gave a Heath Ledger’s Joker caliber performance in this film, and I do not say that lightly. Heath Ledger’s Joker and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin are some of the greatest acting performances in the history of film, and Dano deserves to be viewed in that same light. The Riddler was just a common man who was outright horrifying, as he wreaked havoc on the city of Gotham throughout the entire film; and as good of a villain as he was, his performance of playing a mentally insane character was frighteningly realistic. Dano even noted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he had trouble sleeping after playing this role, as it drove him to a dark place mentally. 

Farrell’s Penguin was an underrated performance to me, as I believe that he played the role of an Italian mafia boss perfectly. Kravitz’ individual performance as Catwoman was also extremely special, as I thought she and Pattinson shared great on screen chemistry in a non-romantic manner. 

However, the most impressive part of the film to me was the fact that the director, Matt Reeves, was able to make the actual city of Gotham its own character in the film. He also created Gotham to be its own unique city. It is extremely refreshing to see this, because most director’s portray Gotham as just a lazy version of Chicago.  

Overall, this film was incredible, as it featured top tier acting performances, an engaging storyline and a refreshing take on a story that has been told many times over. 

Personally, I believe that this is the best Batman film to date, but I do not believe that it is a better film than “The Dark Knight.”

Comic book films should have a crazy run this year, featuring: “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Black Adam,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2,” “The Flash,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” and “Morbius;” there is no doubt that “The Batman” has set the standards extraordinarily high.

Alexis Drouant: 

As someone who has never watched a single DC film, let alone a Batman film, I was not very excited to view “The Batman.” However, I was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling and the ending of the film.

The casting was one of the strongest parts of this film.

Robert Pattinson being casted as Batman has become very controversial leading up to the movie, however, I thought his performance was outstanding. When I picture Batman, I always picture someone like Pattinson. His previous role in Twilight helps with this too, as I already subconsciously picture him as a dark vampire. He does a tremendous job at bringing the dark side of Batman to the table, while also displaying his moral and just heart to fight for what is right in the city of Gotham. 

Zoë Kravitz also did a phenomenal job in her role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She captured great determination and passion throughout her performance. Kravitz and Pattinson’s chemistry on screen was also brilliantly flaunted.

If I could sum up “The Batman” in one word, it would be “dark.” From the gloomy city, solemn music and gory action, the film had an eerie feeling about it throughout.

Speaking of the music, the soundtrack and the score of “The Batman” was excellent, featuring Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” as Batman’s sort of theme song. This is important to note because Matt Reeves, the director of the film, said in an interview with Empire Magazine that he drew inspiration from Kurt Cobain when originally creating the newest version of Batman. 

Reeves stated that it gave him the idea of creating a Bruce Wayne that was so stricken by tragedy that instead of being a playboy, he became a bit of a recluse. This idea also resonated with Pattinson’s view of Bruce Wayne. 

All in all, the storyline of Batman’s quest kept me entertained and eager for the “good guys” to win. It is much more mystery based, and it will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end. In fact, I would describe it as a three hour true crime film featuring Robert Pattinson as the lead detective.

Have you seen “The Batman?” If so, leave us your thoughts in the comments!