Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The man made of bat

Ah, Batman, you fickle mistress. You drew me in with Michael Keaton, spurned me with Val Kilmer and George Clooney ... and then bored me with Christian Bale, and yet, you still can't shake my devotion. Just when I thought I was past wanting to see heroes wearing their underpants on the outside you draw me back in.

 

And who do I have to thank for this return to form? A sparkly vampire, of all things. Perhaps it's not too much of a stretch for a vampire to be a good candidate for a batman but, still, I had my reservations. Even if Robert Pattinson was everyone's Mormon pin-up, that hasn't stopped him from forging a credible acting career - especially when teamed up with Dafoe. You no longer can simply pigeon-hole him as that guy from that teenage flick. He's transcended that - just like Baffleck has transcended acting ... but I digress.

That's not to say that this vehicle rests solely on his shoulders to carry; all main characters were inspired choices and was also helmed by very capable cinematography and direction. This was a team effort that paid off. It's been a long time since I've been physically impressed by a set piece - and yet, I was. Perhaps it was the physicality of the filming and the restrained use of CGI which kept me invested - it impressed me. This is the best comic book rendition of Batman that I've seen so far. It's also closest to reproducing the feel from the Arkham series of games which tickled my pickle.

Even though I enjoyed this movie, it doesn't make it free from criticism. If I had to say the choice to have Bruce Wayne play out as emo seemed a little strange. It is a pretty dark and very wet version of Gotham which may wear on some people. I do question some of the choices for the riddler - I particularly found it strange that he'd end up as some kind of a fan boy. It's also overly long and I would agree that perhaps one ending is generally all one needs.

Having said all of that, the final conclusion may be a clue to how the story arc of Mr Wayne will play out. What could be better than for the Batman to find a middle ground between vengeance and complacency? This may work out to be the most interesting rite of passage a hero has gone through. Having said that, all I'm hoping is it doesn't end up with me holding back bile while Bruce smiles on while drinking champagne in Paris. Make it so, Mr Reeves, make it so.

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