Directed By: Matt Reeves
Directing – 9
Matt Reeves is a great director. This is the third film I’ve seen from him and he has not missed. He directs the film well, he seems to understand the story and the world in which he is telling. I appreciate that this film is its own thing, I also loved how he explored Gotham and how it truly feels like Gotham. I also loved how all the crucial characters in the film felt interesting. I loved the detective story and how the film, for the most part, is a detective story and focuses on the characters, the situations they are placed in, and the world as a whole. Overall, Matt Reeves did a really good job.
Cinematography – 10
Greg Fraser’s cinematography is just beautiful. This film’s cinematography is some of the best in any superhero film. I challenge many people to look for another superhero film that has better cinematography. The lighting, the angles, and some of the shots just look incredible. The film, at times, has a very Roger Deakins look to it, and I loved it. Greg Fraser is one of the best cinematographers working today.
Score – 10
Michael Giacchino. What more can I say? His score is great. Is it the best Batman score? That’s up for debate. But I think his score is definitely something to marvel at. Please don’t sleep on Giacchino.
Story – 9
The story follows Bruce Wayne as he must investigate when a serial killer named The Riddler comes around. The story is great. The writers wrote the film with a detective story very much in the forefront. It’s very clear that they weren’t trying to remake The Dark Knight Trilogy. While there are some Easter Eggs and Parallels, this film is very much trying to be its own thing. Gotham feels very much like Gotham it’s very much a place many people shouldn’t want to go to. It’s dirty, it’s filled with crime, danger lurks at every corner, it’s filled with poverty, it is not safe. I also loved the characters that were written: Batman/Bruce Wayne is very much traumatized, unhinged, broken, angry, in pain, etc. He’s very much has a lot of emotions boiling up inside him and we can very much feel, understand, and sometimes relate to him. Catwoman/Selina Kyle is great as well she’s very much a person just trying to do the best she can with what she has and we can very much understand her character as well. The Riddler, while not being the most sympathetic villain, is very much one who is very dark, sadistic, creepy, psychotic, intelligent, etc. I’m not going to into every major character, so I will say all the characters are all written well. I also realized Batman has a little bit of an arc, but he doesn’t really have a drastic change at the end for the most part. I actually thought it was fine because this is who he is. He has a particular set goal and that’s who he chooses to be, for the most part. The film is pretty similar to some films like ‘Se7en’ and even a little bit of ‘Zodiac’, and it works for the most part. The story and plot itself are overall solid.
Acting – 10
I don’t I can really describe how fucking good the acting is. Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, etc. All are amazing and play their characters well. Zoe Kravitz is an amazing Catwoman. She’s very vulnerable and someone who you can very much understand. Paul Dano as The Riddler is incredible he does a great job at playing someone who is very psychotic, sinister, and pretty insane. Paul Dano just knows how to play these very complex characters that aren’t exactly the greatest of people. And Robert Pattinson was just fucking impeccable. He plays Batman/Bruce Wayne so well, we can very much understand the feelings and emotions that he is experiencing. There are times when he doesn’t talk, but when we see his facial expressions he just gives off so much just by the look on his face. He plays his character well that contains so much depth and complexity. I’m glad Robert plays The Batman. Can’t wait to see more of him and this cast as well in future sequels.
Post-Production – 10
The editing, the effects, and the color grading are well done.
Entertainment – 9
The film is near 3 hours and it can very much be felt; however, I think the film justified its runtime, for the most part. This film was great. It may even get better as time goes on. On two watches, this is so far from how the film is rated by me. I hope this film gets even better on more re-watches.
Final Rating
9.4/10 – Really Good Film!
