“The Batman” promises vengeance in recent release

“The Batman” has sealed its spot in DC history with the second-highest opening weekend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its release, the film has garnered praise from both fans and critics alike, despite its deviation from the previous movies.

“The Batman” embraces its place as a neo-noir, hitting every aspect of the genre with the classic cynical hero, typically dark action-packed storyline, and subtle existential philosophy. In this rendition, director Matt Reeves fully delves into a grim and dreary aura that is characteristic of Gotham and its characters.

Often with many hero-centric stories, directors are cautious about letting a moment simply be, but not in this case. Reeves isn’t afraid to release a film with little to no humor, focusing entirely on developing the storyline.

The few jokes that do appear are often very sporadic and dry, cementing the fact that this film is meant to be taken seriously.

An example of this is Bruce Wayne, who has at this point in time only been Batman for two years. Wayne is not the playboy billionaire with a dual personality we are used to seeing, but an inexperienced and incredibly solitary man.

Another major aspect is that he has very little involvement with Wayne Enterprises, an act that comes back to haunt him later on. 

The film is a detective story at heart, with Wayne working alongside James Gordon to solve the puzzles left behind by the Riddler. Though some have felt that these investigation scenes went on for too long, they are not pointess.

​​In addition to learning just how disturbed the Riddler truly is, we get introduced to other major characters that are sure to be extremely important to the rest of the franchise. Like Wayne, they are all a new take on previous beloved personalities.

A fan favorite is Selina Kyle, known as Catwoman, who helps Wayne unravel the many lies that are tightly wrapped around the Wayne name. In doing this, she faces a moral dilemma upon discovering that her own family is involved too.

She’s portrayed as a strong and skilled robber, who despite having a complicated relationship with those around her, is honest about her emotions and lets those she cares about know it.

Though there is undeniable romantic tension between her and Wayne, it is clear that they have to go through their own separate major arcs in order to discover who they are meant to be.

As well as learning about the other characters, Wayne discovers more about himself while getting closer to solving the case. The Riddler isn’t a mustache-twirling villain, but a mastermind of a killer with a personal investment in his crimes. He’s unhinged and unsettling to watch.

Most importantly, he’s a direct result of Batman’s influence on Gotham.

One can argue that the most shocking discovery of the film isn’t the Riddler’s grand plan, or even the dark past revealed about Wayne’s family.

It’s the revelation that the very people Wayne is trying to save have felt more harm from his appearance than good. From the very beginning of the film, Wayne describes that his style of protecting Gotham is by striking fear into his enemies.

When the bat signal is in the sky, he wants those guilty to become paranoid and sloppy.

Yet in this entire time, with how reclusive he has been from society, he never realized that he has struck fear into those that are innocent as well. Not only that, but he has inspired criminals to follow his tactics for greater evil.

By the end of the film, Wayne and the audience come to realize that he has a long way to go before he becomes the Batman he intended to be. His first step toward getting there is through improving himself, and his next is by re-evaluating what it means to rule through vengeance.

For students who want to be up to date on all the latest movies like “The Batman,” upcoming free movie days at York Theater are on Friday, April 8, and Tuesday, April 12. You must bring your Jaypass to receive the benefits.