Breaking down The Batman movie: From the cast to the aesthetic

The much awaited new live action action adaptation of Gotham’s Caped Crusader is finally here and it definitely is something. The Batman clearly had a huge amount of hype and it really needed to meet the expectations. Matt Reeves needed to make something that will be iconic for this new generation of CBM fans. So here’s a swift breakdown of The Batman.

From the trailers, it was clear that this adaptation of Batman was much darker, grittier and very different from other live action Batman movies. It indeed was all that and much more. Here, we’ll talk about different aspects of the movie without giving any spoilers away.

A spoiler-free breakdown of The Batman

The Batman cast

The cast for this movie is really as good as it gets. If anyone had any doubts about Robert Pattinson as Batman, the movie definitely proves that he is THE Batman. As far as acting goes, he is brilliant both as Batman and Bruce Wayne. The whole cast is incredible. Standouts, apart from Pattinson, are Paul Dano (Riddler) and Zoe Kravitz( Catwoman). Though not the best villain, Paul Dano definitely brought a very scary and a little creepy Riddler on screen fantastically. Gordon and Alfred were great, too.

The Batman aesthetic and cinematography

The movie definitely feels inspired by Se7en. The aesthetic really carries the movie along with great performances. It’s really dark but still very well lit. The type of lighting definitely feels like its there for style not practicality which is not a bad thing at all. The shots and the lighting in this movie is some of the best in all CBM.

The Batman characters

This is a very different Bruce Wayne and Batman than what we’ve seen before, but all the important aspects of the character are still there. All the characters in this movie are, in some way, different and they feel grounded. Making characters different is risky, yet necessary.

The differences in any adaptation aren’t usually praised by audiences. The differences really worked well in this case, though. Obviously, to keep it spoiler-free, we won’t share what is different, but just know it’s just minor details that are mostly different to match the aesthetic and the story, the characters overall are what they usually are.

The pacing of The Batman

Pacing is a very important aspect of a movie. The movie mostly is paced really well. Yes, it feels long, but it is interesting enough that it doesn’t feel forced or boring. There are a few scenes that feel longer than they need to be.

The Batman’s writing, world-building, and story

Writing in this movie is good, but feels basic. The story requires a little better writing (subjectively). Though it’s going to be called great, because it feels like a normal Batman story. That’s all CBM audiences need. But that doesn’t stop it from being a top tier CBM at all. Reeves built a brand new world that feels real. It is a very difficult task, but it’s done so perfectly in The Batman. 

The mystery and detective elements are really good in this and the story is executed well, too. Things feel a little forced in a few scenes, though they are not that big of an issue. Now, to the obvious comparisons.

After watching the movie, Pattinson is personally the best live action Batman/Bruce (along with Ben Affleck’s portrayal). However, Christian Bale’s Bruce still feels more iconic. Since a lot are comparing it to The Dark Knight, honestly it’s not as perfect as that movie (subjectively). Both of these and BvS are great for what they are and definitely one being great shouldn’t be used to call other one bad.

So that’s it. The Batman is indeed a top tier comic book movie and a Batman movie. Though not the best, it’s right there among the best ones. It’s definitely worth a watch. Some scenes are instantly iconic too.

Considering all of this, I rate The Batman 8.5/10. Not perfect, but definitely very unique top tier CBM. This might be the beginning of another iconic Batman journey and we can’t wait for the sequel and spinoffs.