‘The Batman’ an incredible, gripping film

Over the past few decades, the Caped Crusader has been protecting Gotham City on the big screen. From the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher era to the highly acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy from Christopher Nolan, Batman did what he could to entertain film audiences (well, except for maybe ‘Batman & Robin’).

Even after Nolan’s trilogy, the Caped Crusader joined the ‘Justice League’ members and got into a little tussle with the Man of Steel. Now, Batman is back on the screen in another reboot. Only this time, it’s a grittier, more character-driven look and fans will surely love it. In the eagerly-awaited release of ‘The Batman,’ this version ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues.

As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.

This film version of the famed Caped Crusader is probably one of the best ever released. ‘The Batman’ delivers some very tense action moments and a darker tone, which works perfectly with the film. Quite a few scenes have a good amount of suspense and the intense and amazing musical score helps set the tone of the scenes just right.

One aspect that I really enjoyed with this version is the detective aspect of the film. Unlike some of the other films, ‘The Batman’ shows a lot of the titular hero in detective mode trying to piece together everything that’s going on. There are plenty of twists and turns that are really incredible and interesting. The story can be a little complex at times, and the really long runtime does go by really fast. And, don’t worry about the complexity of the story. It wraps up nicely at the end with a third act that is simply awesome.

All of the performers in the film did an outstanding job and have their own moment to shine throughout the film. Robert Pattinson, mainly known as playing a sparkly vampire a few years back, really put in a great performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Actor Paul Dano (who mainly does indie films), really knocks it out of the park with The Riddler. Colin Farrell definitely steals the show as The Penguin/Oz. With the heavy make-up and a different sounding voice, you can forget that it’s actually him portraying the character. So, if you’ve enjoyed the previous versions of Batman over the years, make sure to check out ‘The Batman’ on the big screen at the Dietrich. This gritty, action-packed take of the series keeps you on your toes and hooked onto the screen until the very end.

The cast: Robert Pattinson (Tenet) as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Zoe Kravitz (HBO Max’s Kimi) as Selina Kyle/Catwoman; Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die) as Gordon; Colin Farrell (Voyagers) as Oz/Penguin; Paul Dano (Netflix’s Okja) as Riddler; John Turturro (Gloria Bell) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (Hulu’s Dopesick; Netflix’s The Lost Daughter) as DA Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson as Bella Real.

‘The Batman’ is written by Matt Reeves and Peter Craig (The Town; Bad Boys For Life) and also directed by Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes).

A new ‘Batman’ film had been in development for a few years. Originally, actor/director Ben Affleck intended to make a solo feature focusing on his version that was seen in ‘Justice League’ and ‘Batman v Superman.’ Due to numerous changes with the series and other issues, Affleck eventually stepped down.

Director Matt Reeves cites the Batman comics ‘Batman: Ego,’ ‘Batman: Year One’ and ‘Batman: The Long Halloween’ as influences on the film.

‘The Batman’ is intended to be the first of a new trilogy and establish a Batman-focused shared universe separate from the current DCEU. The filmmakers also have a few spin-off series’ in development that will focus on The Penguin (reportedly set right after this film) and Arkham Asylum. And, I’m sure there will be an announcement of a ‘Batman’ sequel soon. Since its domestic opening March 4, the latest ‘Batman’ feature earned great reviews and just crossed the $300 million mark (earning an additional $36 million as of the 19th).

‘The Batman’ is rated PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language and some suggestive content and has a running time of 176 minutes.