I had zero to little interest in a new Batman film when this one was announced. Seemed unnecessary and broodingly drab. Then I saw the excessive runtime and the pretentious “THE” in the name… Expectations were in the basement. Perhaps that aided the experience, but I think I was wrong for this is one of the better Batman films and superhero films in a while. Yes, this is a gloomy and sulky emo Bats, with grit and psychological disillusionment for days, but it also has the most style since Burton. There is some stellar visual expressionism going on here, with scenes, lighting, and cinematography that linger in the minds eye. Also this is the definitive live-action take on the detective aspect of the Caped Crusader employing a gratifying cat and mouse interplay in the clues & riddles left at the crime scenes. Perhaps taking some nods from the Arkham gameplay, but employing them keenly and deftly.
Ambiguity and nuance isn’t forefront with this version of the Dark Knight. The sociopathic lineage is clear here: Taxi Driver begets Rorschach, who begets Reeves’ Batman. This is a pain and rage filled, PTSD fueled, creature of the shadows, literally and figuratively. It’s not my favorite interpretation of his psychological mythos but it is effective, especially when tied into this dreary world. If you thought Nolan’s Gotham and cast of characters were gravely and gray, Reeves’ hellmouth of a city & its citizenry will diminish the light within you. His Gotham is run down, corrupt, cold, dreary, loud and dingy. I was reminded of the ‘89 Joker’s line: “Decent people shouldn’t live here. They’d be happier someplace else.” This is a people and a place that reasonably needs the violence and vengeful wrath that the Bat provides, being drenched to its core in malevolence and malaise. At the very least, it encompassed a mood and style; a New Yorcago with the weather of Seattle - providing delicious pulpy cinema fodder.
The Batsuit was a mix of form and function. Sort of an amalgamation of Adam West’s camp, Burton’s vibe, and Nolan’s functionality. I almost disliked the Iron Man-esque hardness of the chest piece - its nigh-invulnerability - but I did dig the usable bat symbol that appeared to be made from a gun (theoretically the gun that killed his parents - symbolic juxtaposition to the hilt). Similar is the ‘Ultra NOS Bats & the Buriousmobile’, stripped down and ramped up. These are all examples of the film’s embracing of its innate silliness and not shying away from it. It’s tongue-in-cheek comicbookness was believable & silly, but always solid. This philosophy was applicable all throughout - hardware to interactions with the police & thugs to dialogue between characters; all comic bookey but contextually viable.
The ensemble was pretty dynamite. Pattinson mostly gives the emotion of stone, but that is the character as written. Kravitz shines, bringing the emotional core to the film. Farrell melts into his prosthesis and Penguin personality. Dano turns his bespectacled Prisoners creeper into a maddened menace, while Wright is always good and Serkis clicks.
I was pleased that the near 3 hour runtime didn’t make itself felt. It had a fairly solid flow and an engaging point A to D. I loved that it has a recognizable and resounding theme - so nice to have in a tentpole comic flick again. It’s not a perfect film, but it was so much better than it had a right to be and so much of it is a resounding success.