In 2005, Batman got darker than ever. It was the year Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” hit theaters, and while it was obviously presaged (and influenced by) a lot of dark, blackish, brooding comic book tales from the Dark Knight like Denny O ‘Neil and Frank Miller, Nolan leaned into two main themes that have since defined Gotham’s hero: villains need to be plausible enough to seem real, and as often as possible the point is that being Batman… well , a bit useless.
Sure, if you still want your Adam West-style camp, he can be hunted down (the 2008-2011 cartoon “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” is a brightly colored, underrated delight), but on the big screen, fans have spent nearly 20 years with Christian Bale, Ben Affleck (aka Batfleck) and now Robert Pattinson (aka R Battz). We’ve seen them break their backs, brawl with Superman, stand helpless as their love interests die, navigate post-apocalyptic wastelands, lose their parents again and again, and ruminate… so much brooding.
If you like that kind of stuff, it’s the golden age of Batman (and let’s not forget ‘Titans’, the TV series, where Bruce Wayne is portrayed by ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Iain Glen like a miserable old man who only lives to torment Dick Grayson); if you’re not, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” advances this trend, going from feeling like a weighted blanket on you to feeling like you have an 18-wheeler parked on your chest. Essentially, the movie is David Fincher’s “Se7en,” featuring Batman; Gotham has never been so dark.
The film begins with a breathless, voyeuristic scene reminiscent of the opening sequence of “Halloween” like anything you’ve ever seen in a DC Comics movie. It’s the new Riddler stalking his prey – the people of Gotham power whom he considers hypocrites – and a crime scene is soon to follow. It’s Halloween night, and Batman and his trusty enabler Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) are soon on the scene, uncovering clues and being stared at by disapproving cops. Batman makes eye contact with the deceased’s young son; they share a moment.
It’s funny that no matter how hard these Batman adaptations try to make themselves “real”, some silly characteristics persist. The Riddler leaves cryptic clues for Batman, which he almost always solves in mere seconds; When the world’s greatest detective decides he needs to talk to the penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell), his not-so-secret hideout is a seedy nightclub called “The Iceberg Lounge.” Somewhere Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith nod in approval, even though their skills would never be allowed within a thousand miles of this Gotham.
At the saloon, he meets Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz, oozing with sexy confidence), along with other seedy Gothamites who are regulars and/or owners, including the district attorney (a wonderfully slimy Peter Sarsgaard, as he there are others) and the gangster Carmine Falcone (Jean Turturro). The noose tightens around the necks of these figures and others as one body after another continues to surface, adorned with duct tape and ominous scribbled messages like “No More Lies.”
All of the character’s features are present: you’ll see a Batmobile (although he seems to prefer his motorbike), a batcave (although it looks a lot more literal than usual), and a grappling hook (used in a great sequence with the floor after floor of police firing at the caped crusader). But just as the theme of Nolan’s movies was “escalation,” Batman fans have watched year after year as the hero not only improves on his technology, but also grows darker and darker. At some point, a chasm must develop between fans who want a darker Dark Knight and those who want a Gotham where it can’t rain. all the weather. While Pattinson does a good job with a difficult task, at this rate, one can only assume that the next Batman will have to be played by Werner Herzog or Eeyore.
