The Batman

It has been two years since Batman assumed the cape and cowl. A serial killer is loose in decaying Gotham, targeting high-level officials and claiming their lies will soon be exposed. Batman and Jim Gordon are on the case, racing to get ahead of the mastermind before he can kill again, while trying to figure out which public figures can be trusted. But in a city this corrupt, will these riddles be beyond the Bat?

Long-anticipated and critically-acclaimed, I expected this to be amazing. It was good, if long (almost three hours). It is a raw and gritty noir film, with a focus on sleuthing- it's more of a layered mystery than anything. (Batman is called the world's greatest detective, but other films seldom highlight that.) The action here is good and not over-the-top; it reminded me of the Bourne trilogy in its goal of 'realism.' Batman and the other characters (Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman) are portrayed quite well. Music is powerful and haunting, if repetitive (oscillating between the movie score, Nirvana's Something in the Way, and Schubert's Ave Maria). 

Mild spoilers (on message, not plot): the film explores how Batman and his focus on vengeance isn't so very different than the Riddler he hunts- both want the same goal (a city rid of lies and crime), and their methods differ less than Batman would care to admit. He grapples with that and realizes that part of his charge must include bringing hope to the people- by helping them vs. focusing on 'getting the bad guys.' It's a good concept and I wish they had fleshed that out more. In addition, you learn more of Batman's family past, with surprises contributing to the Dark Knight's angst.

Overall, there is a lot of good here. As I sat in the theater last night, though, something didn't ring true, and I'm having a hard time identifying what. It could be that the movie was long and I found the ending a touch lackluster. Or that the message wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked. I may change my mind, but for now: this film is solid, but I'm not ready to call it spectacular. Christopher Nolan's trilogy still reigns supreme in Batman lore.

Rating: A-