Originally, I was going to entitle this feature, Getting Past Our Affleck-tion; but felt it would be kinder to let sleeping dogs (and bats) lie. After all, to be fair to Ben, he portrayed Batman only in two films, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League; and hence, never had the chance to carry a Batman film on his own. Stoic and unemotional, Ben Affleck’s attack on the role was criticized for being too wooden and one-dimensional - but there were announcements being made, up to five years ago, of a Ben solo project. 

Well, that was then, and this is now! With The Batman from Director and co-Writer Matt Reeves, we’re given the maiden voyage of a new, younger iteration of Bruce Wayne/Batman, in the person of Robert Pattinson. The film opens in theaters here in Manila on March 2 - two days ahead of its release in the major global markets. I was afforded the opportunity to join a global media event two Fridays ago, when the cast and director were presented to the press.

 
Belying the very dark, moody, and impressive film (which I had previewed); I loved the lightness, the joking, and camaraderie displayed by the cast. When talking of being in costume or wearing a disguise, there were a lot of smiles and chuckles as John Turturro referred to his eyeglasses as his disguise. And Matt Reeves was visibly excited to have audiences all over the world finally view this ‘reboot’, as the initial comments were favorable and high in praise for his visuals and narrative.

When one thinks of Robert Pattinson and action films, the one I’ll rate highest is his portrayal in Good Time of the Safdie Brothers - which I include in my Best Films of 2017. So it was good to hear Reeves mention this film as well, as one of the roles that convinced Reeves that Pattinson was primed to be the new Batman. Pattinson is strong here - a mix of egotistical crusader and moody do-gooder, but with marked undercurrents of unpredictability, instability, and bouts of uncertainty. 

The film opens with a daringly executed sequence, where we’re taking the POV of a masked figure, breathing heavily through his disguise, while heavenly church music acts as the soundtrack. It’s eerie and unfamiliar, a unique opening for a superhero film, and yet, it’s so perfect as an introduction to this new chapter. If you’re looking for timeline guidance, place this in the second year of Batman’s vigilante crusade - when things were still relatively fresh, when law enforcer James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) was still a detective, and had not risen to Police Commissioner.

As Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Zoë Kravitz is a wonderful match and foil to Bruce/Batman. Like Bruce, Selina has her own dark secret, and double life. She teases and is playful with Batman, as befits her feline confidence and self-assuredness. When she’s Catwoman, the physical aspect of Kravitz shines through; but her more interesting screen time is undoubtedly as Selina, as it’s a complex character, a victim who refuses to accept that role, and yet, can’t shake off the tragic hand that Fate has dealt her.

Paul Dano as The Riddler, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin are the main villains in this outing. And if most of his screen time finds Dano in an outlandish disguise as The Riddler, I tip my hat off to Farrell for not wearing a costume but being completely unrecognizable under all the prosthetics and make up. There’s even a shaft of foreshadowing humor when his feet are trussed up in one scene, and he attempts to walk - thus anticipating how a penguin travels on land.

The aforementioned John Turturro plays Carmine Falcone, a Gotham City crime lord with a strong connection to Selina; and there’s Andy Serkis taking on the role of the trusted Alfred. It’s an interesting take on Alfred; as in Reeves’ DC Universe, the butler actually has something of an adversarial relationship with Bruce, second-guessing him, and at times, intimating that Bruce taking on the Batman role is foolish and won’t end well - and letting Bruce know that. 

So I’ll give high marks to Reeves for offering us this Batman iteration which feels familiar, yet has enough differences and deviations to challenge us, and have us considering this as a genuine ‘fresh start’. That it’s the first in what may be a new extended journey with this particular masked crusader is something to look forward to, and Pattinson takes to the role like a fish to water… or a bat to the nocturnal sky.