The Batman Review

The Batman

Dir: Matt Reeves

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Paul Dano 

2h 55m

The opening scene of director Matt Reeves’ new incarnation of the Batman is the best introduction to the character delivered to film. In the black of night, with the fog-covered beam of the Bat-signal barely illuminating the skies of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne narrates the entire lore of the Dark Knight while bad guys cower at sounds echoing from the shadows. “I am vengeance” is the final phrase before the reveal from the darkness. 

Reeves, who co-wrote the script with Peter Craig, separates the superhero from the 60s television show playfulness and the 80s/90s playboy-by-day, caped-crusader-by-night designs. They move further away from Christopher Nolan’s serious trilogy and craft an even darker, more tormented, and traumatized version of Bruce Wayne in “The Batman.” The most noticeable emotion felt throughout Reeves’ film is dread. The darkness is consuming; much of the film feels shot with minimal light sources. The overwhelming tone feels like a mix of the horrific elements of David Fincher’s “Se7en” with the procedural aspects of “Zodiac.” 

Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) arrives at a crime scene, led by his ally in the Gotham City Police Department, James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). It’s a gruesome murder of a political figure, orchestrated by a serial killer dubbed The Riddler (Paul Dano) who leaves ciphers and codes addressed to The Batman. Gotham City is corrupt, drugs are rampant, and criminal organizations with deep ties to everything in the city protect old secrets and introduce new mayhem. With the help of Alfred (Andy Serkis), Batman begins solving the devious riddles left for him, uncovering truths that challenge Gotham City’s legacy and Batman’s true identity. 

What Matt Reeves has done with “The Batman” is fascinating in a world dominated by the Marvel machine of superhero films. Those bright, heroic, and hopeful films have come to define cinematic representations of extraordinary people fighting the manifestations of evil from Earth and other galaxies. However, while “The Batman” composes an environment that feels otherworldly, not with fancy technology but more the essence of a society reorganized by the worst people after the first society failed, the quality of this film is grounded with gritty realism. Bad guys are pummeled with fists and heels; no special weapons are needed. And if Batman needs any wonderful toys, they often feel like homemade garage experiments. The Batmobile looks like a 1969 Dodge Charger with a jet engine attached to the back. When Batman must evade a group of bad guys, he jumps from a building in a contemporary wingsuit. 

 At a staggering 175-minutes, much of “The Batman” is a neo-noir crime drama mixed with serial killer horror movie vibes, sprinkled with an occasional action scene that doesn’t boast extravagance but is framed more for character emotions. When a group of officers secures a crime scene, with a medical examiner detailing the cause of death for an unlucky soul, you’d think an inquisitive gumshoe with a fedora, trench coat, and a lit cigarette will enter the moment to describe motive and the assailant. Nope, it’s Batman in a full heavy armor suit doing the detective work. It’s jarring at first, but it works because of Reeves’ steadfast direction. What also helps the detective story is the demented masked villain, a riddle-obsessed killer who uses codes and puzzles to lead Batman to the next victim. 

Robert Pattison is the most haunted, most traumatized, Batman of all the Batman’s. His eyes echo an incomplete life, unleashing moments of rage that are destructive with a vengeance. The central idea of Bruce Wayne’s life, where the isolated and lonely hero tightropes the thin boundaries of vigilante justice, pushes “The Batman” into bolder choices for the characters. It composes a villain that must be worse than the nightmares that haunt the memories of Bruce’s life. The narrative never delves below the surface often, it avoids telling the familiar back story at all costs, but Pattison conveys all the emotions exceptionally well in the quiet moments. Assisting in performance is the wonderfully manic Paul Dano as The Riddler. Colin Ferrall is nearly unrecognizable as The Penguin; he composes the only character of any fun in the film. Zoë Kravitz is somewhat lost in this long narrative but is charming and confident as Catwoman whenever on screen. 

“The Batman” is a bold concept, a push in an interesting, if not thoroughly developed, direction for the often familiar franchise vigilante. Robert Pattison proves completely capable of shouldering the weight and expectations of the Dark Knight. 

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

The Matrix Resurrections Review

The Matrix Resurrections

Dir: Lana Wachowski

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick, and Neil Patrick Harris

2h 28m

 

“Follow the white rabbit.”

 

Lewis Carroll’s reference to the elusive bunny Alice chases into Wonderland are the words that evoke an awakening from Neo, aka The One, in the iconic science-fiction action film “The Matrix.” The metaphorical “white rabbit” leads Neo to discover a world outside the reality that he believes is real and into a savior-like position for a group of under-dwelling people fighting for freedom from the machines. The interpretations for “The Matrix” have spawned books on philosophy, podcasts, and essays on social/economic structure. It’s a pop culture phenomenon and masterpiece of science fiction, and action, cinema.

 

“The Matrix Resurrections,” solely directed by Lana Wachowski this time around, is an intriguing and weird look back and push forward for “The Matrix” saga. It's a film that doubles down on the emotional resonance of love’s lasting power to awaken and provoke action. A film that understands its limitations, and its 20-year influence, and cultural relevance and continues to charge forward with storytelling that pokes, prods, and persuades that the viewer examines their understanding of “The Matrix.” It stumbles during the execution of its narrative propositions throughout the film; however, the chemistry of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, along with the directorial passion from Lana Wachowski, makes “The Matrix Resurrections” a beguiling and flawed journey. 

 

Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a world-famous video game designer who has recurring memories of a life he hasn’t lived. These memories have influenced Neo to question whether his reality is a physical or mental construct. After meeting a determined woman named Bugs (Jessica Henwick), Neo comes face-to-face with Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). He is provided a choice: to remain intact with the reality he knows or pursue answers that will put his life and those around him at risk. Neo understands what he needs to do but doesn’t know that the Matrix is stronger and is waiting for his imminent return. 

 

Director Lana Wachowski composes “The Matrix Resurrections” as a film exploring the rabbit holes of its iconic and influential legacy. Along this path, explored with puzzling self-awareness, is a film that admires and mocks the relevance that “The Matrix” has occupied both as a heady science-fiction/drama and as an iconoclastic action/adventure blockbuster. It’s undeniable that “The Matrix,” released way back in March of 1999, paved the way for big-budget action films with heavy violence, special effects-driven environments, and superhuman characters. Wachowski understands the reverence for this franchise and uses it to shape and mold the story being told in "Resurrections.". The film even uses pieces of the past, flashbacks and cut-aways from the previous films, to directly influence the path of this film. 

 

“The Matrix Resurrections” attempts to subvert expectations at every opportunity. In the film, Neo is asked, “can’t you fly?” Neo confidently prepares into his power position. With his arms flexed and feet planted, Neo pushes up from the ground. The result is amusing in both successfully witty and unsuccessfully puzzling ways. That describes much of “The Matrix Resurrections,” a blend of bold ideas executed in varying degrees of success. 

 

Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves have fantastic chemistry whenever they are together on screen. It’s a joy to see these two talented actors back in familiar roles; their successful performances are effortlessly accomplished. 

 

Director Lana Wachowski composes much of “The Matrix Resurrections” with a rebel filmmaker spirit. Commentary on big-budget movie machines that churn out sequel after sequel is obvious, as are the understandings that “The Matrix” holds some responsibility in how properties are regurgitated over time. Unfortunately, many of these compelling commentaries feel like pieces of an unfinished puzzle. In an attempt to journey down the rabbit hole again, “The Matrix Resurrections” struggles with the choices of its execution.

 

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00