The following article contains spoilers for The Batman.
There’s really no way around it, The Batman has a lot going on. This is a movie that lasts close to three hours, yet due to how jam-packed it is with so many murders, clues and its star-studded cast, the movie doesn't really feel like it overstays its welcome, a feat for which Matt Reeves certainly deserves tons of praise.
However, that accomplishment by itself does not necessarily translate to The Batman’s overall plot being without flaws, quite the contrary it makes the film risk stepping into The Dark Knight Rises territory, a different Batman flick hindered by overly ambitious intentions. Fair warning, this is indeed the world's greatest detective at work, Batman can solve the most elusive mysteries out there, but could this also be a case where Bruce Wayne could have benefited from working solo at times or simply not spreading his wings so much?
The Batman Is The Sum Of Its Many Parts
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Before diving into discussing the merits of Reeves’ fantastic movie, it bears saying that The Batman works the way it was written. Every main actor does a fantastic job in their respective roles, delivering refreshing new takes on each of the characters they play, whether it’s the less refined version of Carmine Falcone embodied by John Turturro or Zoe Kravitz acting like Batman’s uninteresting love interest (at least for Bruce).
The Batman would have to at least work twice as hard to be a bad or mediocre movie since its characters, performances, actions and visual style are all so great on their own, nevertheless, just like the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets can attest to, grouping a bunch of fine pieces doesn’t solve everything. In The Batman’s case, the oddly shaped piece is none other than lifelong misfit, the Riddler, a villain molded after some comic book stories plus the legacy of well-established thrillers like Se7en and Zodiac.
While the Riddler by himself is another spectacular piece by himself, he is the biggest mystery in film and that means he has a lot o live up to. This is an antagonist that would never have a hard time carrying an entire movie by himself, just as seen in both David Fincher movies, which is precisely why he’s the cause behind most of The Batman’s issues, regardless of how good of a job Paul Dano does bringing this terrifying serial killer to life.
Putting together The Batman’s puzzles was a real challenge for Matt Reeves, who at times wondered if the average audience member would be able to follow along with Batman and James Gordon detective work, as well as how it all came together. The end result, even if possibly better than anything most superhero movies could offer, is definitely not on par with the execution exhibited by movies that inspired Reeves nor does it reach the same heights in terms of shock and awe.
The Batman’s Confrontation And Resolution
In his quest to stop the Riddler, Batman comes across with many different foes, though due to the former’s historically unimpressive fighting skills, it’s never directly between the two. The Penguin is among those bad guys, nonetheless, the way the two’s epic car chase scene develops it’s actually Selina’s fault that things spin out of control, not Batman’s.
Catwoman’s ties to Falcone, the Penguin being her boss, and ultimately her friend Annika are what cause the two would-be lovers to cross paths, though at least she gets the chance to thrive in the film as a fully realized character. In The Penguin’s case, Colin Farrell’s performance is relegated to third in the movie's villainous depth chart, and the character getting his own spinoff series is testament of Reeves knowing that people would want to see more of him.
Ultimately, most of the tasks Batman and Gordon take on feel like side quests in the grand scope of the mission to stop the Riddler, a rather odd choice given how exciting they tend to be. Perhaps the biggest example of this is Alfred, whose relationship with Bruce is depicted very differently from what most fans might be accustomed to, yet their screen time together is very limited.
Lastly, there’s the main act, the Riddler, who goes missing before the movie’s final showdown, a shrewd move from Reeves the writer, and one that’s especially fresh in superhero films, but that isn' as impactful due to how Batman gets there. Unfortunately the weakest Riddler riddle Batman solves (or fails to solve) come towards the end, as the Riddler’s convoluted usage of Spanish even perplexes the Penguin and Falcone getting sniped comes as a surprise due to how odd of a guess it was.
Keep in mind that the greatest detective in the world only manages to solve the Riddler’s final puzzle due to an unsuspecting policeman reminding him that the first murder weapon is the key he needs to face the final boss.
It’s fun to see Batman solve a mystery due to a mere coincidence, but this can also be seen as a cheap workaround that Reeves had to resort to. The Batman still functions remarkably well, but it's hard not to think about what the more complex version of the script looked like, what kind of puzzles it had, and the “a-ha” moments it could have produced.
The Batman is currently available in theaters.