By Kayla Loveless, Staff Writer
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ‘THE BATMAN’ DO NOT READ!
The Batman is back and full of vengeance. In this 2022 film, Batman takes on his latest villain: The Riddler.
In this dark and rainy adaptation of Gotham, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has been the Batman for over two years. Wayne is a recluse, who has chosen not to take over his father’s business, and is cared for by his family butler, Alfred (Andy Serkis).
The only way I can describe Robert Pattinson in this movie is as an emo Edward Cullen. The similarities between the two characters are endless. Both don’t eat nor go out in the sun, and need I point out the connections between bats and vampires?
The movie begins on Halloween night, where crime is at an all-time high. Every lawbreaker is afraid of Batman, fearing he is hiding in the shadows. On this particular night, the debate between the mayoral candidates for Gotham had just occurred.
The current mayor, Don Mitchell Jr. is murdered by a serial killer who labels himself as the Riddler, played by Paul Dano. He leaves a nice little note for Batman, which includes a riddle and a cipher. After solving the riddle, Batman begins to unravel the Riddler’s next crime.
It’s a pretty gruesome scene, even with the movie being rated PG-13. Don’t expect this to get any better as the movie progresses.
Wayne finds a thumb drive – which was attached to the mayor’s actual dismembered thumb – with photos of the mayor with a woman other than his wife, named Annika Koslov. When he goes to confront the Penguin for information at the Iceberg Lounge (a club owned by Carmine Falcone, a prominent mob boss in Gotham), he notices a waitress giving a suspicious glance to the photos.
This waitress ends up being Selina Kyle, Catwoman and roommate of Annika. Wayne decides to follow Selina home and observes as she and a frantic Annika watch the news, where the photos of the cheating mayor broke.
After Wayne catches Selina in the middle of a burglary, they return to her apartment and discover that Annika has been kidnapped. Wayne decides that Selina is a good asset to him, using her as an in to the Iceberg Lounge.
While she’s at the lounge, they discover that the Attorney General is a dirty politician, which consequently makes him the Riddler’s next target. He is kidnapped and sent to the funeral of the recently deceased mayor, with an explosive collar strapped to his neck.
Unfortunately, Batman isn’t able to save him after a FaceTime with the Riddler where he gives the Attorney General some riddles to solve. The last riddle given to him is unanswerable, inevitably leading to his death.
The Riddler created a “fanbase” because he made his name known through live-streams and videos of the crimes he was committing. Who would have thought that a serial killer could become an influencer?
The murders of prevalent figures in Gotham City paves the way to the final task of the Riddler: kill Bruce Wayne, who is the Batman, something that the Riddler isn’t aware of. He believes that Batman is on his side, because he’s attempting to destroy the corruption in the city.
The Riddler, whose name we now know to be Edward Nashton, was a forensic accountant. He is placed in Arkham Asylum, which is where he and Batman spoke.
It’s truly difficult to mention all of the details in this (just under) three hour long movie. I personally think that it could have ended an hour before it did. The last time we watched a movie this long, Iron Man died… Too soon?
When we do finally make it to the climax of the movie, the Riddler uses explosives to destroy the dam surrounding the city, causing a flash flood. Why they would build a city below sea level is unknown to me.
The citizens of Gotham flock to a shelter in a local arena, where the “fans” of the Riddler plot to assassinate the mayor-elect, Bella Reál. Batman thwarts these attempts – with no help from the mayor-elect, who stupidly runs onstage and immediately gets shot – and saves the people that were trapped as a result of the flood.
The end of the movie is an interaction between Wayne and Selina, where she asks him to travel with her, and leave Gotham behind. He says no, and the two go their separate ways. The final scene shows Nashton speaking to a new friend, whose evil laugh leads me to believe that he is the “Clown Prince of Crime,” AKA the Joker.
Despite the length of this film, I think the acting was amazing and I enjoyed the plot. The final scene between the Joker and the Riddler leaves me excited with the thought of a sequel. I recommend that you go see this movie if you haven’t already. Even though you weren’t supposed to read this if you haven’t…
Sophomore Kayla Loveless can be reached at 24lovelesska73@daretolearn.org.
