The Batman (2022) Movie Review

The Batman (2022)

Nothing is as it seems. So goes for Gotham City: there is crime, fear and deception running rampant throughout. Many people have given up hope, let alone joy for the better days.

Bruce Wayne/Batman is one of those people. Like the citizens of Gotham, he has no hope in the justice system. However, when a killer called Riddler starts murdering people, Batman rises to the occasion. Little does he know that some personal information about his family is about to be thrown into the mix.

Positive Elements: Despite the deception throughout, there is a moral theme: changing for the better. When we first meet Bruce Wayne/Batman, he’s reclusive, only venturing out when needed. As the film treads on, Batman makes difficult but right choices to change himself. He’s a detective too, noticing little clues and deciphering them.

But mostly, Batman is a protector of Gotham. He cares for others (such as his butler Alfred) and doesn’t shy away from danger. During a crucial scene, Bruce saves a little boy from being hit by a car. He repeatedly puts his life on the line for Gotham despite taunts and jeers.

Batman’s not alone though. Jim Gordon constantly brings Batman onto the crime scenes, not because he needs a partner, but because of the trust bond they share. Both work hard to solve the mystery of murders, even when Jim’s police partners suggest leaving it alone. Jim trusts Batman and in turn, Batman proves to be a worthy ally. Jim is not a corrupt cop unlike his police companions, and shows it to be true multiple times.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman is a more complex character. She grows concerned when her roommate goes missing, fighting hard to find out the truth. Her determination is somewhat problematic, but nonetheless admirable. (Spoiler Warning): Selina saves Batman’s life on one occasion. She helps him out on a few occasions too.

Spiritual Content: Riddler (in his own twisted way) thinks of himself as Gotham’s savior by bringing lies to light. A funeral scene takes place in a church. At one point, Bruce spray paints “Sins of my Father” while figuring out a complex mystery.

Sensual Content: Selina wears revealing attire throughout the story. Batman spies on her changing out of a work outfit (we see Selina in her underwear for several seconds). Selina calls her roommate “babe” a few times and pries an agent for information by squeezing his thigh. It’s insinuated she had a previous relationship with crime master Carmine Falcone.

We learn Gotham’s mayor had an affair with Selina’s roommate (we see them leaving a lounge shown via picture). The nightclub scenes picture women in revealing outfits and the camera catches some of them pole dancing (briefly) in the background. Batman and Selina harbor a mutual attraction: they flirt, share longing looks, and kiss a couple times. We see Batman shirtless a few times.

Violence: Riddler is the main villain here and boy is he good at it. Thus The Batman isn’t your typical superhero film like say The Avengers: instead it’s more of a crime thriller. The opening sequence captures the mayor’s murder: Riddler bashes the mayor’s head with a tool (offscreen) then proceeds to tape his face, writing “No More Lies.”

That’s not the end of it either. Batman beats scores of bad guys in the film. Several explosions occur at critical junctures, once producing a mass flooding. (Spoiler Warning): That flooding is seen by many as a mass genocide plot, which (thankfully) doesn’t kill everyone. Batman lights a red flare to pull people to safety afterwards.

Batman and Catwoman engage in a few scuffles too. We see Batman’s scars on his back a few times. Penguin and Batman drive recklessly leading to an intense car chase. Cars get crumpled, smashed and tipped over. To that end, Penguin’s car flips repeatedly before Batman walks to him in the pouring rain. Catwoman is shot at and beats up her fair share of bad guys too.

We see a couple dead bodies. In the funeral scene, a car nearly kills one boy and an explosion blows Batman backwards, knocking him out for some time. One man is suffocated by a seat head rest and later on dies with a neck bomb on him. Batman punches Jim Gordon and his fellow officers.

Perhaps the most disturbing scene is Pete’s death. Riddler livestreams it and (it’s implied) put tubes in Pete’s body so the rats can eat him. Gordon later shows the picture of Pete’s eaten face to Penguin. Alfred almost dies via explosion and is taken to the hospital.

Language: One f-word followed by multiple uses of the s-word, Jesus’ name, God’s name, a—, h—, d—n, p—ed, and b—ch. God’s name is paired with d—n several times. One use each of d—k and pr—k.

Drugs/Alcohol: There’s quite a bit of talk about a fictional drug company. It’s said that the so called drugs were revived after what many thought was a complete shutdown. Some characters drink alcoholic beverages at the nightclub. Batman injects himself with a healing drug to keep fighting.

Other Negative Elements: As mentioned, Riddler brings the lies and corruption to light in his own twisted way. But he’s not the only one: characters lie, steal, and hide important information from each other about past misdeeds and the present ones too. Batman steals sometimes in order to catch criminals.

Conclusion: The Batman is, in a way, kind of like 2008’s The Dark Knight. Both have twisted villains bringing lies to light. There is plenty of action sequences and some disturbing scenes making the cut. Both movies have their fair share of foul language and negative choices.

However, where as Joker in The Dark Knight is sadistic and cruel, enjoying killing his victims, The Batman’s Riddler is a bit toned down. Yes, Riddler is a crazy person, but his methods are tricky to decipher. He leaves the audience guessing throughout the film and isn’t predictable like the Joker.

Another huge difference in The Batman is Batman trying to be a better person. In The Dark Knight, Christian Bale’s Batman was a good guy through and through. Robert Pattinson’s take on the classic character starts off as an introvert, but slowly becomes a better hero. In this version, Batman is challenged repeatedly by Riddler’s clues to figure out what type of hero he is.

All the comparisons aside, The Batman is a thrilling film. It challenges Batman (and the audience) to think about how to be a better person. It delves into how vengeance is counter productive, giving us a few examples. The Batman scores on acting with all the A-list stars making their characters believable.

Yes, The Batman has content issues as noted above. But it’s thought-provoking on multiple levels. The film gives us a flawed, but heroic Batman desiring more than just riches. He longs for justice and deep, personal connections too.

One scene pictures Batman lighting a red flare, walking towards the trapped citizens. At first, everyone dismisses him. But then, a boy clasps his hand into Batman’s, giving the hero a chance. Soon after, the people follow Batman through the water before the scene fades to black.

This scene reminds me of Moses walking the Israelites through the parted Red Sea. It’s a poignant reminder of how leaders are chosen. In Exodus 2, Moses fled to another town because of his act of vengeance. In a similar way, Bruce/Batman thinks he is vengeance. But both discover being a symbol of hope is far greater than revenge.

To clarify, God is the symbol of hope. However, he uses people in this fallen world to display his hope. While The Batman is secular no doubt, the film has plenty going for it, considering the Biblical parallels.

The Batman isn’t a perfect movie, but it dives into deeper themes that other films on beloved character didn’t. This movie will leave you with hope inside despite the dark tone, and I can say that’s better than nothing. Why? Because The Batman is one of the most challenging films ever put to screen (in a good way), and that is saying something.