Why The Batman is the Best Superhero Movie in the Last 20 Years

Written by Luca DeSanto

April 7, 2022

I’m what you’d call a Batman fanatic. I’ve been obsessed since I watched Batman: The Brave and the Bold when I was five years old. I’ve seen every TV show, either know of or have read all famous comic storylines, and, most pertinent to this review, have knowledge of all his movies. From the dark campiness of Batman (1989), to Nolan’s critically acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy, I’ve seen it all. And, I fervently believe that Matt Reeves’ The Batman is not only the best Batman movie, but also the best adaptation of the character on the silver screen. 

So, where do I start? Visually, it was beautiful. Contrary to Marvel’s cookie-cutter installments,  it actually had a style. Instead of flat shots and pointless CGI, Reeves gives us his own unique way of directing. He plays with focus, the point of view of the camera, and long takes. In action scenes, everything is shown in a clear and, simply, awesome way. The Batmobile chase is one of the coolest and fast paced car chases I’ve seen in a long time. 

Then, there’s Batman’s combat with criminals. It’s straight out of the hit Batman videogame series Arkham, with his fast paced punches and counters. Reeves directs the action in a clear and concise way. He is a director with full control of his camera, instead of being a puppet of studio executives. 

Greig Fraser is one of the best cinematographers working in the industry today. The way he plays with color in this film was astounding, and surprising for a superhero movie. Every frame is an art piece, and Fraser’s coloring is a huge reason for that. 

Then, there’s Michael Giacchino’s score. listen to “The Batman” right now. Skip to the end for the cool part. I’ll wait. This is by far Batman’s best soundtrack since Danny Elfman’s iconic work on Batman (1989). It’s gritty, awesome, and spine chilling all at the same time. Truly, it’s one of the best soundtracks in a superhero movie and it demonstrates Giacchino’s prowess as a composer. 

Then, there’s the acting. Everyone gives an insanely good performance. Jeffery Wright’s straight-man Jim Gordon is the perfect foil for Batman, giving the scenes he’s in a buddy cop feel that’s perfect for the movie’s overall “detective” tone. 

Colin Farrell’s Penguin is amazing, and Farrell himself is unrecognizable in the role. You have to see it to believe it. Every line that comes out of his mouth is also funny, in a good way of course. 

John Tuturo’s Carmine Falcone was chilling, and played masterfully.

Andy Serkis’ Alfred, while not in the movie much, is an excellent portrayal of the character. It’s clear he cares about Bruce. I also really like how Serkis is younger than the usual Alfred. 

Zoe Kravitz plays the perfect Catwoman. She not only looks like Selina Kyle, but also seems to be the perfect fit for the character. Her sly playfulness contrasts with her brutalness in a really cool way. 

Then, there’s Paul Dano. He has the only performance I’m unsure about. Although he acts very well for his role, he has a problem with overacting. His yelling seems comical at times, and takes away from the chilling sensation we’re supposed to have with him. He never really scared me, just made me uneasy. That’s easy to forgive, however, for the best performance in this movie is Batman himself.

Robert Pattinson plays the best Batman ever put to screen. There are two, distinct ways he achieves this. The first is the most important. He is the first, actually intimidating Batman. When Keaton and Bale are in the batsuit, they are just that, men in a batsuit. Mortals. Batman is not a mortal. When criminals see him, they don’t see a man. They see a demon, there to take vengeance for their wrongdoings. Pattinson is the first live action Batman that channels that, and therefore is the first truly intimidating Batman put on the silver screen. 

The second reason is that Batman is portrayed as a true detective, not just a crime fighter. He is at every crime scene, analyzing evidence, looking for clues. Batman is the World’s Greatest Detective, and this movie makes that clear. 

Pattinson himself is chilling. As Bruce Wayne, he is a reclusive loner. While this would have been a criticism, as Wayne is supposed to be an eccentric billionaire playboy, this plays to the strengths of Reeves’ characterization of Batman. He’s young, and still dealing with his trauma. He hasn’t learned that for him to be the best Batman he can be, he needs Bruce Wayne. Because of that, he is Batman all the time. 

That isn’t to say it’s a perfect movie, though. First, it’s a three hour movie, and unfortunately sometimes you can feel the runtime, as it certainly drags at parts. For example, it had three distinct places it could have ended. Two of the three endings could have either been cut or been extra credit scenes. Along with this, certain relationships between characters were definitely rushed a bit, but that really isn’t a big deal considering it’s very accurate to the comics. Finally, the murder mystery plot itself could have been done a bit better. It seemed to want to be on Se7en’s level of disconcerting, but fell just a bit flat. These “flaws” are really just nitpicks about the movie though, because overall, it was amazing. So, how did Reeves achieve all this?

It was harder than it looks. Initially, Reeves wasn’t even supposed to direct this movie, and Pattinson wasn’t supposed to star. Instead Ben Affleck would write and direct a movie for his take on the character. But, Affleck decided he couldn’t handle both starring and directing his movie, saying in 2017, “I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director.” The director they eventually chose was Matt Reeves. But, Reeves came with a hitch. He wasn’t a fan of Afflecks initial action heavy, DCEU involved script, saying it was “James Bond-ian”, continuing by saying, “I’d like to get involved and find a way to take the story and make it very, very personal and get to the place I want him to be, to make it a Batman story and give him the arc, and have the story rock him to his core.” But then, something insane happened. Affleck stepped down from being Batman. Reeves could build his perfect Batman, and he went forward with his dream of making “Batman: Year Two.” And for the role of Batman, he chose Robert Pattinson. This perfect director-actor duo created the movie we have today.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman was an excellent adaptation of the character, and a near perfect movie. It was a spectacle to watch, and anyone who’s even a little bit a fan of Batman owes it to themselves to watch this movie.