Pattinson’s Batman Puts The “Goth” In Gotham

With a noticeable amount of eyeliner and edge, Robert Pattinson secures his place as a new Batman worthy of comparison to the likes of Micheal Keaton and Christian Bale. DC Comics’ latest release of “The Batman” has received widespread critical praise, and it is completely deserving of it. Pattinson plays a standout Batman in a darker-than-ever Gotham that holds nothing back in portraying the rampant crime that plagues his character. “The Batman” is the start of a new story that requires no knowledge of previous films from DC to enjoy and understand, and this may be part of the key to its massive commercial success. Theaters across the country have been selling out to see the movie, and Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman has been a massive topic of conversation for viewers everywhere since its release.

Matt Reeves, the director of the newly released film, chose his shots perfectly to fit with the cast and tone of the movie. Moments of Batman revealing himself from the darkness capture the theme of fear that is at the forefront of the movie. The emphasis that this movie puts on Batman’s notoriety among criminals is far more present than in other Batman films, and it makes that known from the first few minutes. The movie opens with an overview of the mass crime in Gotham on Halloween night, only to be completely put to a halt with the shining of the bat signal. This Batman is also depicted at an earlier time in his career as the masked vigilante as he struggles with how to truly help Gotham, if it is even possible. Pattinson’s character has not yet figured out how to balance the personalities of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, so the alternate personalities he portrays often blend. This is no mistake, and will very likely be explored in the sequel, which is all but confirmed due to the massive critical success that the movie has been.

“People loved the movie,” an AMC employee named Terry told us, “the ratings are great.” Theaters have been selling out, and both the critic and audience reviews have matched the hype surrounding this movie. This is due to Batman being a deviation from other roles in Pattinson’s career. Jordan Laird, a senior at Pennridge and a viewer of “The Batman” on its opening weekend, believes that Pattinson did the role of Batman justice on the big screen. “He made this batman his own kind, so I think it’s pretty good compared to others,” Laird explained. This is the general consensus among the audience so far, as Pattinson brings out as much moodiness as he could muster, which is significantly more than in the previous Batman films. This is not a criticism, however, as it is very refreshing to see Bruce Wayne himself deal with the same struggles as his alter ego instead of his usual portrayal as your average billionaire playboy.

Though this is an exceptional movie from DC, it is not completely free from criticism. This Batman may have a bulletproof suit, but it sometimes seems as though the one thing stronger is the plot armor. In a few instances, bullets from his enemies seem to always somehow miss the unprotected areas of his face. The most egregious example of this was towards the end of the movie when Batman is hanging from the top of Gotham Square Garden and was being shot at by copycat followers of The Riddler. The Riddler imposters were at a higher angle than Batman and would have had a perfect opportunity to hit their shot directly in his face. He dodges them all while remaining unscathed. In the same scene at a later moment, Batman is being shot at the same level as The Riddler’s followers. With at least ten of them having the intent to kill Batman, it’s hard to believe that not a single one was able to hit the exposed lower part of his face.

The moments of plot armor protecting the Caped Crusader don’t end there, as Batman did not suffer so much as a burn from a bomb exploding directly in front of him. While trying to save a victim of The Riddler, the bomb around the victim’s neck exploded before Batman could run away. Burns? No. Blood? None. Damage to the face of any sort? Nonexistent. The most that happens is him being unconscious for a short period after, but it is nothing notable that affected the story. In short, the plot armor surrounding Batman does not ruin the experience, but it certainly raises eyebrows in the theater and leaves the viewer wondering why the script wasn’t changed just slightly to account for these inconsistencies.

Pattinson shines in this new role, and both critics and audiences hope to see him return for a sequel to truly compete with the Batmans of the past. The villain, side characters, set pieces, action scenes, and dialogue between characters come together to create a memorable film experience for everybody while leaving viewers with a desire for expansion of this new Gotham and the characters that come with it. If asked to give this film a rating out of 10, we would give it an 8.5. Almost every aspect is that of a perfect superhero movie, and only small things that could easily be improved upon in a sequel hold it back from having a higher score.