The Batman

Last night I had the opportunity to see an early screening of The Batman and I had so much fun!  The giant IMAX theater was completely sold out (which I haven't seen happen since The Force Awakens) and full of boisterous fans, many in costume, who cheered throughout and applauded at the end!  This movie is one of my most anticipated this year and, after seeing so many positive reviews, I was super hyped which sometimes leads to disappointment.  I am happy to report that it exceeded all of my expectations!  Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) is a virtual recluse but his alter ego Batman is a vigilante fighting crime in Gotham City.  He has a working relationship with Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) who summons him to the crime scene of a brutal murder because the killer, known as the Riddler (Paul Dano), has left him a personal message.  His investigation of the clues left by the Riddler at each subsequent crime scene brings him in contact with a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), uncovers city-wide corruption involving a mobster named Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his henchman Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), and reveals uncomfortable truths about his family before an epic confrontation.  I really liked the darker tone.  It feels more like a classic noir thriller with a brooding protagonist and a setting that is grounded in gritty realism rather than a stylized superhero action movie.  The story is absolutely riveting and, in my opinion, the almost three hour runtime flies by.  I especially enjoyed Bruce Wayne's character arc as a man almost broken by the weight of living up to his parents' legacy to finally accepting their fallibility and Batman's journey from exacting vengeance to becoming a symbol of hope for Gotham City.  I was also really struck by a similarity between the characters of Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, and Edward Nashton (who becomes the Riddler) because their reactions to their experiences are very telling.  Pattinson is brilliant in the role (I think he is very underrated as an actor) and the way he uses his eyes under the cowl to convey emotion is incredibly effective.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition between his more explosive performance as Batman with his restraint as Bruce Wayne because it really shows that he has been using his alter ego as a means of coping with his traumatic past.  He only feels alive when he is the Batman.  The rest of the cast is also outstanding but Dano is truly terrifying as the Riddler and Kravitz is the most realistic Catwoman I've seen on screen.  I loved this movie's version of the Batsuit because it actually looks like something that Bruce Wayne could have made himself and there are some fantastic gadgets.  The action sequences are exciting and intense, particularly a fight in a subway station, an epic car chase involving the Batmobile that ends in flames, and Batman's use of a wingsuit to escape from the police station (this prompted the loudest cheers from the audience).  The images on the screen are absolutely gorgeous and I particularly enjoyed the use of the color red.  Finally, I really loved the atmospheric score by Michael Giacchino, especially a motif that is repeatedly used for the Riddler (I kept wondering if that was really what I was hearing which lead to an incredible "aha" moment).  I loved this movie so much and I will definitely be seeing it again!