The Batman is a step in the right direction for the character, presenting a version unlike anything we've seen in film incarnations. As good as this looks and sounds on Blu-ray, I can only imagine how much better the 4k version is. Pick this one up tomorrow as a physical release to get the best quality possible!
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.
“When a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.”
From Director Matt Reeves comes one of the most interesting incarnations of the live-action character Batman in film history. Batman, one of the longest running characters in film/television and one of DC’s most popular characters, has had a tumultuous journey over the past few decades. The ebbs and flows of the films luckily haven’t dissuaded studios from exploring more of the character and portraying him in different ways, but coming from the massive decline from Nolan’s trilogy to Affleck taking over the mantel, this film was a necessity to get the character back on track to becoming DC and Warner’s most successful film character.
Although I think Affleck’s Batman gets a bad rap, and suffered immeasurably by consequences outside of his control, I think he could have gone on to do something a lot greater than what the character was, especially if the Snyder Cut and it’s Knightmare sequence was any indication. The biggest flaw of the DCU was trying to put it together too quickly, and while we still don’t know the fate of Affleck’s Batman after The Flash, their more successful and better quality films definitely seem to be the stand-alone ones where character and story are more the focus rather than universe and multi-franchise building. Employing the multi-verse mentality to keep different actors playing other incarnations of a character or to keep franchises rolling isn’t the way to success for Warner’s and DC, it’s the continuation of stand-alone films that focus on doing something new, and often dark, like Suicide Squad, a lot of their television shows, and now, The Batman.
While many were uncertain of Robert Pattinson’s ability to don the cowl of The Dark Knight, knowing him only from his early work on Twilight, his desire to push himself beyond that role is what gave me no doubt he could do it just as good as anyone. Some of his more recent work, such as Lighthouse, demonstrates just what he’s truly capable of and his range as an actor. That being said, Pattinson is perfect for the Batman that is portrayed in this film, younger, still defining himself, a different Batman that we’ve seen in films. Matt Reeves’ Gotham, while still manifesting that feel of a corrupted city that feels like it’s reaching its boiling point at any moment, holds all the familiar characters we know from other incarnations, but some with a minor twist. Batman himself is more of a detective in the film, being thrust into an ongoing investigation once mysterious puzzles are left at crime scenes addressed to him. One of the most different aspects of this film is the collaboration between Batman and the Gotham City Police Department, namely through Jim Gordon, despite the leeching corruption throughout it as well. It’s strange seeing Batman walk among crime scene investigators taking photos, as we’re usually accustomed to Batman being blamed for every little thing and evading the police at all costs.
Other characters in the film are equally as riveting; Zoë Kravitz is phenomenal as Selina Kyle. She’s given a unique backstory, nothing quite as cartoonish as falling out of a window and being licked by dozens of cats. Colin Farrell may be the most interesting as The Penguin, again, a unique backstory that doesn’t make him out to be a freak who eats raw fish, but with a legitimate criminal history and connections to crime families in Gotham. Farrell’s transformation into this character is mesmerizing, looking absolutely nothing like himself at all. As much as I’m comparing previous Batman films to this one, it’s a bit unfair to even attempt to compare Paul Dano’s The Riddler to the most known: Jim Carrey. While that film went for playful, toy-selling, nipple-suit Batman, Matt Reeves’ version of the character is legitimately a frightening character. Loosely based off the Zodiac Killer in a modern era, I would absolutely believe a nut-case like this would utilize social media to the full extent to easily acquire faithful nutjob followers. Without diving into too much detail, this version of The Riddler plays more like a true-crime story everyone is obsessed with these days. It’s a perfect incarnation to appeal to modern audiences, a life-like and real villain not just for Batman, but for an entire city to overcome.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the film, I do think it was a bit long, with the pacing dragging a few short times throughout. The introduction of another character, albeit short, shows the possible direction the next film might head, and I honestly think it was a mistake. Batman has his set of villains that are explored in every incarnation. Why can’t we gravitate away from that for once? Let’s explore some lesser-known characters from the comics, not just recasting the same villains constantly. My personal opinion aside, I’m excited to see what is in store next for Pattinson and his version of Batman!
Video
The Batman is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. This is a dark film, both thematically and technically. The blacks do consistently well in this Blu-ray release, although I know they’d benefit much more in the 4k release. Regardless, black levels are good, one of the main benefits of getting this on physical release rather than stream, as I find these are always all over the place and can never see it as intended. Colors that do come in are bright and vivid, contrasting nicely with these deep darks.
Audio
The audio is where I find this disc really shines. The Dolby Atmos is near perfection, with some explosive sequences, like the Batmobile chase sequence, that go over-the-top with encompassing you in the action. All the levels sound excellent, with a nice balance between surrounds and the dialogue in the center channel, but it’s hard to get over the action sequences that sound great. Add in the great score that accompanies the film, and you’ve got all you could ask for in terms of audio.
Special Features
There are plenty of extras on this set to satisfy fans of the film, an added bonus for picking this up as well.
- Looking for Vengeance
- The Batman: Genesis
- Vengeance Meets Justice
- Becoming Catwoman
- The Batmobile
- Anatomy of The Car Chase
- Anatomy of The Wing Suit Jump
- Vengeance in the Making
- Unpacking the Icons
- A Transformation: The Penguin
- Deleted Scenes
While the film suffers a bit from pacing at times, I can’t see a better re-introduction to one of cinema’s greatest heroes. It surpassed my expectations, as it should most, and is on its way to becoming another solid chapter in the history of the Batman character, keeping the mantel alive and well, and in good hands.
