Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” doesn’t seek to redefine the story of The Dark Knight or subvert what it means to be a hero. How could it? By my count, eighteen actors have previously played Batman — most recently only a year ago — and Hollywood is popping out Superhero movies at such a breakneck pace that it seems as though they’re worried about a rapidly approaching cut-off date. The first hurdle that “The Batman” needs to jump over is  justifying its own existence. Why should I watch this movie when I own “The Dark Knight” on Blu Ray? The movie answers that question by being pretty good.

There are no cynical attempts to reinterpret the material or self-consciously interrogate the Batman mythos. For such a bleak movie, Matt Reeves approach is delightfully earnest and straightforward. He simply wants to tell a story about Batman. It’s an approach that tapers the superhero down to all of the best parts — combining elements of the noir vibes of the Golden Age comics, the grittiness of  Frank Miller and the suggestion of reality from Christopher Nolan. “The Batman” is remarkably faithful to the spirit of the comics, while blending in inspiration from other sources such as the novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, the detective film noirs starring Humphrey Bogart, movies of the 70’s such as “Taxi Driver,” “The French Connection,” “Chinatown,” “Dirty Harry” and the crime thrillers of David Fincher like “Se7en.”

More of a Serial Killer Thriller Than a Superhero Movie

“The Batman” is more of a serial killer thriller than a superhero movie. It opens with the grisly, brutal murder of Gotham’s mayor on Halloween night by a figure that seems to appear out of the shadows. The Riddler leaves concealed messages and cyphers for Batman at crime scenes, often incorporated into the Jigsaw-like torture devices that he has used. The targets belong to the city’s elite, and it soon becomes clear that a much larger conspiracy is being unraveled. The clues could have been laid out a little more elegantly, but that was only something that I noticed on walking out of the movie theater. While looking at the screen I was fully engaged. It’s as convoluted as any lover of the noir genre could hope for. The movie understands that what is important about noir are the vibes.

The threads of the mystery bring Batman into contact with Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) head of the largest Crime family in Gotham, and Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin, played by a delightfully hammy and unrecognizable Colin Farrell, who runs the Iceberg nightclub for Falcone. Also working at the nightclub is Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) who moonlights as a cat burglar and has her own mysterious agenda. Kravitz jumps off the screen with a vibrant, full-bodied, Lauren Bacall-type performance. Her and Robert Pattinson have electric chemistry.

Men Will Literally Dress Up Like a Bat Rather Than Go to Therapy

There is little difference between Batman and Bruce Wayne. In fact, by my reckoning, Pattinson spends the least amount of time out of the suit of any Batman iteration. Pattinson is tall, handsome and strapping, but he plays Bruce as though his body shrivels in on itself when it’s not in the suit. It’s as though he will turn to dust if he steps out of the shadows. Pattinson plays Batman as a combination of Kurt Cobain and Hamlet; not just a traumatized figure, but at the beginning there is a keen sense that he’s hurtling toward a tragedy.

While there were bits of business in the third act that could have been wrapped up more cleanly and efficiently, I believe that “The Batman” earns its long running time. I liked the leisurely pace and the way that allowed for a more complete picture of Gotham to emerge. The little details and digressions added up to a Gotham that felt like a lived-in, bustling city.

If there had to be another Batman movie in the Year of Our Lord 2022, I’m fine with it being this one.

[email protected]

@abovemegan