The Batman Movie Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs
Batman gets his darkest, boldest blockbuster outing yet.
There's no denying that The Batman is one of the year's most anticipated movies, the killer combo of acclaimed director Matt Reeves and star Robert Pattinson teasing a big-screen foray for the Caped Crusader quite like none that have come before.
If the marketing has done a fantastic job of selling the film as a singular evolution of previous Batman movies - especially Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Saga - then it's a relief to report that the end product lives up to that hype.
Time will tell whether or not The Batman is held by consensus to exceed de facto standard-bearer The Dark Knight - this critic thinks not - but on its own merits Reeves' film is a tremendously ambitious, daring, and artful superhero film.
Its lengthy runtime and mostly dour tone won't be for all tastes, but for those prepared to spend three hours soaking in the richest, most atmospheric Gotham yet, there are rewards a-plenty to be savoured. Above all else, this film is going to make a major quarter of Batman fans very, very happy.
But before we get to lavishing The Batman with praise, first here's what doesn't quite work...