Allan Bryce, Anton van Beek and David Gelmini take a critical look at the latest sci-fi and fantasy cinema, Blu-ray and streaming releases…

THE BATMAN (2022) In Cinemas. Cert: PG13.

After being delayed numerous times due to the pandemic, The Batman has finally arrived in cinemas, and rest assured it was certainly worth the wait. This might even be the Dark Knight’s finest cinematic outing to date, so fans will certainly not be disappointed.

Director Matt Reeves has created something which might just be remembered as one of the very best superhero films of the past decade, and that really is not an exaggeration.

In the character’s first live-action solo feature since The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, Batman finds himself investigating a series of grisly murders committed across Gotham City, and soon discovers the killings may be related to a deeper conspiracy which threatens the very fabric of the deeply corrupt city he risks his life to protect. With time running out, the superhero dubbed the ‘World’s Greatest Detective’ needs to use all of his wits to uncover the truth before things are blown wide open.

It really does need to be said that The Batman feels more like a 176-minute detective movie which just happens to be about Batman than an actual superhero film. The vast majority of the almost three hour run-time involves Batman putting his investigative skills to good use as he examines crime scenes, studies evidence, and interacts with his police liaison, commissioner Gordon, as well as several less enthusiastic members of the Gotham City Police Department.

Sure, there are a few fight scenes here and there, but this is very much a slow-burning detective story which allows its mystery to unfold. And rather than the epic set-pieces most viewers expect from modern superhero films, the few action sequences feel grounded, brutal, and not too far removed from reality. It’s not much of a stretch to say The Batman is quite possibly the least action-oriented superhero film ever made. Instead, we are presented with a smarter and more thoughtful blockbuster which will keep audiences guessing until the very end.

Despite the initial backlash toward his casting, Robert Pattinson is astounding in the role of Batman, the former Twilight actor portraying Bruce Wayne as a deeply haunted billionaire who struggles to walk the line between doing the right thing and descending into madness. Since this is the only Batman film where Bruce Wayne spends more time wearing his Batsuit than his civilian attire, Pattinson was presented with the unique challenge of delivering most of his performance with his face hidden behind a mask, and yet he still manages to convey the character’s deeply tortured psyche without his face on display.

Pattinson has the softest and most gentle-sounding Batman voice you will ever hear, and yet he somehow still manages to sound intimidating.

Throughout his scenes without the suit, the actor manages to make Bruce Wayne seem like a desperate and vulnerable soul who clearly wishes he could spend all his time as Batman instead of needing to have a civilian life as well. And if you can look past the eye-liner Pattinson wears throughout these scenes, you will come to empathise with Bruce’s desperation as he slowly begins to feel like he is fighting a losing battle for Gotham’s soul.

At times, it feels like were it not for his butler, Alfred (Andy Serkis), Bruce Wayne really would forget that he has a life beyond the cape and cowl, as the loyal servant strives to ensure that his master keeps up his public appearance. While fans are accustomed to seeing Alfred portrayed as an older and more gentlemanly English butler, it is still refreshing to see Serkis making the role his own. Although it may be off-putting to some hardcore fans to hear Alfred speaking without the character’s signature upperclass accent, Serkis still manages to deliver a strong performance as the dedicated butler who strives to remain loyal to the Wayne family, even after some less than flattering revelations about Batman’s parents start to come to light.

In addition to Alfred and Commissioner Gordon, Batman also receives assistance from Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), a fellow vigilante who wants to stamp out Gotham’s criminal underworld. While her version of Catwoman does not know Batman’s secret identity, she still acts as his love interest, with Kravitz managing to convey both the character’s stronger and more vulnerable sides as she fights to protect those she cares about while also mourning her losses and hoping for a better future.

Although he only has a few minutes of screen time, Paul Dano is perfectly cast as Edward Nashton, the relentless serial killer who gleefully drives Gotham City into a state of chaos. Despite being clearly insane, Nashton is also perceptive enough to avoid capture until he willingly allows himself to be apprehended, and to determine Batman’s secret identity, making him a deeply formidable opponent for the Dark Knight to contend with.