The caped crusader returns to beat up criminals on the big screen once again, and it’s absolutely amazing!   

‘The Batman’ follows a young, reckless and rage-filled Bruce Wayne in his second year of fighting crime as the masked vigilante. As the Halloween holidays hit, bodies begin to drop at the hands of a crazed serial killer who calls himself the Riddler, leaving behind clues at each crime scene to expose Gotham’s corruption. Batman teams up with police officer Jim Gordon to track down the Riddler before he tears Gotham apart; in order to do so, they’ll have to search deep amongst Gotham’s extensive underbelly.  

It’s hard to find a place to start as this movie is just so damn good, and far better than half the stuff DC and Marvel are pumping out these days. The plot is interesting, clever and thought-provoking, as it takes on a ‘noir detective’ feel reflecting elements of classics like ‘Seven’. The great plot is accompanied by stunning visuals and a killer musical score that cuts through the entire film. I’d also like to add that the action sequences in this film are genuinely awesome, particularly one scene involving the Batmobile which had my jaw literally drop straight to the ground.  

Now, moving on to the bones of this movie; the characters. Every actor gives a wonderful performance from Zoe Kravitz as the femme fatale thief Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the mobster Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Jeffery Wright as Jim Gordon. But, of course, I can’t forget the standouts, with Paul Dano playing a creepy and unnerving Riddler, and, the man of the hour, Robert Pattison’s brilliant performance as Batman. Each of the central characters is given smart and satisfying arcs; some of which will lead well into possible sequels.  

Overall, ‘The Batman’ is a bloody marvellous film that perfectly captures the feel of Batman and Gotham city – and, for a three-hour movie, it only feels like two. So, if you’re a fan of comic book, detective, and/or action movies (or just movies in general), then this is definitely a must-watch; if not, then my suggestion would be Netflix’s wide range of Christmas rom coms.  

8/10 bin chickens