Growing up, Christian Bale’s “Batman” was a staple of my childhood. Filmed in 2005, 2008 and 2012 by Christopher Nolan, the trilogy was by far the best representation of Batman on the big screen for me at the time. It had everything I wanted in a superhero: strong and cool, with mind-blowing special effects in every fight scene. 

Seeing someone other than Bale as Batman did not excite me before the release of “The Batman.” However, Robert Pattinson blew me away, in multiple scenes having no dialogue yet conveying tons of emotions. Even taking preparations for his role as Batman possibly too seriously, British actor Pattinson read hundreds of the original Batman comics in order to create his own personification of the character and his own Batman voice. 

Matt Reeves directed “The Batman” in 2022 based on the Batman comics series.  Fans theorized that Reeves drew inspiration from the comics, “Batman: Year Two,”  “Batman: The Long Halloween” and “Batman: Ego and Other Tails,” yet he did not follow a specific storyline. However, unlike its predecessor, “The Batman” had a much less cartoon feel to it, going for a darker theme than before.

The movie, which premiered on March 4, opens with a first-person view and heavy breathing, which is instantly attention-grabbing. Comparing the next scene of Batman monologuing on a dark, rainy night, really shows the drastic changes between scenes in this movie. Each scene drew my attention whether it was a nightclub, a big fiery explosion or a gloomy alleyway, which of course is accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack. All 29 songs were conducted by Michael Giacchino, which caused the three-hour movie to feel much shorter. 

The darker themes of the movie were extremely noticeable in Batman himself, or should I say millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, without the playboy. Showing a much more antisocial Bruce than in previous movies and a darker, brooding personality. This gives him a much more serious appearance, both literally and figuratively.

The movie follows Batman as he attempts to solve the number of murders committed throughout the duration of the movie. He even finds himself befriending a mysterious cat burglar (Catwoman), played by Zoë Kravitz in order to find the murderer and stop the Penguin. Needless to say, they don’t just use Catwoman to advance Batman’s plotline but give her an interesting side story to accompany the main one. Catwoman, or Celina, has her own list of grievances she must face in the movie.

“The Batman” blew me away in almost every regard. If you are a fan of Batman, or just enjoy action movies in general, I definitely recommend giving the movie a go. 

Naamah Silcott contributed to this review.