First off, sorry for being away for so long. The Bunny Hunt has afforded me more time on this site that I have spent in weeks. I really do need to check in more often. I get a bit discouraged in writing these reviews, because I'm not sure anyone finds them particularly helpful or entertaining. Oh well - here goes another.
I finished this movie, and I felt the same way that I did walking out of The Dark Knight. I felt like I'd seen something special - something that comes along once every 10-15 years. It's ironic that the same feeling hit me walking out of a movie which had the same character is it's protagonist and same subject matter. Matt Reeves turned in a career defining masterpiece - though this movie didn't require the Batman Universe for it to be as intriguing as it was. Reeves has made other movies which I was surprised and entertained by: Let Me In (remake of the masterpiece, Let the Right One In), two installments of the new Planet of the Apes Trilogy and Cloverfield. Those movies pale in comparison.
The cast, led by Robert Pattinson, is filled out with excellent performances by Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and John Turturro. Pattinson shows us the raw Year 1 of The Batman. He is a man (or monster) obsessed with his mission. He has little humanity and no time for anything but vengeance. Pattinson is tremendous as both The Batman and his alternate identity, Bruce Wayne - but a Bruce Wayne before realizing that he needs to wear a playboy mask to shroud others from his real identity of a nocturnal vigilante. This young orphan is damaged goods, and Pattinson brings that to the forefront. His raw skills, tech and fortune help make up for his recklessness and inexperience. Jeffrey Wright shines in the role of Detective Lt. James Gordon. He's the Sommerset to Batman's Mills. The comparisons to Se7en are accurate. The movie is a crime thriller mystery as much as it is an action superhero film. The rest of the cast have moments of greatness and make the iconic gallery of villains their own with colorful and memorable portrayals.
The look of this movie is dreary, but the cinematography is gorgeous in relaying the despair and darkness which shrouds Gotham City. It's no accident that Darius Khondji's first Hollywood film is Se7en. Rain and shadows play as an additional character to this story and weigh on the viewers' as much as it does the characters. We struggle to see the things that they see. We are as 'in the dark' as they are. This is intentional and gives us the same experience which other bystanders follow in trying to solve the mystery of the Riddler serial killer. When the answers are finally brought to the light, they're not what they seem.
It's taken some time for me to reflect on this vs. The Dark Knight. It doesn't feel like 3 hours, but there are some parts which I did wonder if were necessary and also question what was missed by focusing on those parts - such as more time between Kravitz's Selina Kyle/Catwoman's relationship with The Batman. Ultimately, I decided that I need to carve out 3 hours to watch it again and see how it holds up with a second viewing. With consequent viewings of TDK, I stand firm that it's a 10/10 movie. I need to put The Batman to the same test. My knee jerk reaction is that it's a 9/10, but I may be more forgiving in follow-up viewings. It is the best work of a DC story in years - though Peacemaker is tremendous too and should be watched by all comic book fans.
If you're one of the few who has not yet seen The Batman, see it. See it on a big screen, and an IMAX if possible. This movie does not require being a comic book fan, DC fan or action/adventure movie-goer. It's a thriller/mystery first with rich, iconic characters leading the story. The movie is a 9/10 ... so far, and it's the best thing I've seen in a young 2022.