“The Batman” Brings the Bat Back to the Basics (Review)

The Batman. Now there’s a powerful title if I’ve ever seen one. Just like its story, it brings the Caped Crusader back to his detective roots, with a clean slate that doesn’t have to live up to the standards of an already-established cinematic universe. Directed by the impeccable Matt Reeves, The Batman reinvents the DC film universe once again, bringing in an entirely new cast and managing to differentiate itself by telling a story completely its own.

Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) isn’t doing much for Gotham City, but his alter ego The Batman is, fighting crime by night and day alongside police officer Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). A web of political conspiracy, reaching from the lowest depths to the highest offices of Gotham, comes to light when the Riddler (Paul Dano) begins to cause chaos by targeting government officials.

What separates The Batman from the rest is the fact that it doesn’t feel the need to be a straight action movie all through its nearly three-hour runtime. Batman stands still and untangles the mystery more than he beats up bad guys (though there’s plenty of that), but The Batman isn’t afraid of taking its time establishing tension and hinting at future twists, which is, honestly, why it’s three hours long. But that’s less of a problem and more of an attribute — I absolutely loved its commitment to setting the tone and making sure all of the puzzle pieces are put into place before the story really gets going.

“Joker” Review: Put on a Happy Face

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker look was devised by makeup artist Niki Lendermann.

The iconic Batman villain Joker has been known by several names over his seventy-nine years of life on the page, among them the Clown Prince of Crime, the Ace of Knaves, the Jester of Genocide, the Harlequin of Hate, and many more. However, unlike most comic book villains, he’s never had his “true” origin story firmly established. Until now.

Todd Phillips’ take on the painted-faced maniac stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a man (literally) beaten down by a society that doesn’t care for him. Arthur is affected by a chronic condition that causes him to sporadically laugh uncontrollably, which not only causes him physical pain but is a detriment to the social life he dearly wants to have. Aspiring to be a stand-up comedian, he has a job as a clown-for-hire, while also tending to the needs of his mother (Frances Conroy), whose misplaced hope in Trumpian businessman Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) is affecting her mentally and indirectly causing her family financial ruin. On top of all that, Arthur’s one chance at stand-up comedy is being mocked by his favorite late-night talk show host, Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). It seems that life itself has conspired against Arthur, and it takes a toll.