The latest installment of the Batman franchise, “The Batman,” came out on Mar. 4, 2022. Former “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson played the main role of Batman. Former “Divergent” series star Zoë Kravitz played Catwoman. This iconic duo brought a lot of anticipation to this movie well before its release. Produced and directed by Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark, the movie is four minutes short of a three-hour movie that attempts to fully capture the Dark Knight.   

   Unlike past Batman movies, “The Batman” has made a distinction among them by capturing a much darker, violent, and less child-friendly version of the superhero. This new side of Batman did not disappoint, as throughout the whole movie you were kept on your toes anticipating what will happen next. 

   The movie made $22.3 million in the opening week. The movie cost an estimated $200 million to make, so they still have a long way to go. 

   The cinematography and music choice were close to perfect. Throughout the movie, the song “Something in the Way” by Nirvana was introduced as a theme song for Batman. The moody 90s grunge completed the whole “Dark Knight” feeling you get while watching the movie. 

   This has been one of my favorite Batman movies so far. The whole time I was intrigued and lost in the movie. I wouldn’t even dare take a bathroom break, just so that I didn’t miss a single part of the movie.

  “The Batman” was also a big hit with senior Kyle Nestlerode, who happens to be a huge Batman enthusiast.   

   “This movie’s left me with a sense of excitement for the next two successors of its trilogy. I feel like ‘The Batman’ set a new standard in terms of film quality. The cinematography and angling of some of the shots are impeccable and at times combined with the musical score will make you feel like you’re there in Gotham,” Nestlerode said.

   Nestlerode is also pleased with the transition of one of Batman’s villains from a typically comedic role to a darker, more intimidating foe. 

   “The biggest accomplishment I’ll give the movie is that it was able to pull off having the Riddler as the main villain. The Riddler has, in the past, been seen as Batman’s comic relief villain and was portrayed as goofy and un-intimidating, whereas in this film, they gave him his proper spotlight,” Nestlerode said. “Unlike other Batman or Batman universe films, [director] Matt Reeves doesn’t make the mistake of trying too hard to make the villain cool. The Riddler is shown to be a nobody and is almost pitiable at times, though his upbringing and subsequent twisted methods of justice are what make him a good villain.” 

    Overall, “The Batman” captures a whole character, instead of a whole universe. For DC comic lovers and Batman fans, this could be the movie of the century. Even if you are not a big DC fan, the movie is understandable and intriguing enough for all audiences. I highly recommend “The Batman” and gladly rate it a 9/10.