People are gonna talk this film to death so I’ll keep it short and simple. The Batman is dark, gritty, fully immersive and entertaining as hell. I can’t remember the last time a film got my adrenaline rushing and blood pumping like this one did. It’s a thorough crime procedural akin to something like Fincher’s Se7en mixed with Kurosawa’s High and Low (I know Darren and others got to that before me, but those were my exact thoughts watching this) set in the hyperbolic Gotham universe rampant with crime, corruption and vigilantes. Robert Patterson is my favorite Batman so far, he lets loose in his persona and goes full badass every time he puts on the costume. The Riddler was supposed to be the main antagonist of the film, but he was honestly the biggest weak spot for me. The real compelling villains were the shady political figures with complex involvements in the overarching story at hand. The action is fantastically thrilling while the plot keeps you on your toes throughout, The Batman is more of a crime/political thriller rather than a generic superhero film which is why it really shines. I’m not the biggest fan of superhero films, I haven’t seen a Marvel film I’ve liked but when they take themselves more seriously like this and Nolan’s The Dark Knight, some serious quality can be found. The Batman is one of the best films of the genre, and the best film of 2022 so far (though I think there’s a large handful of upcoming films that might have something to say about that). It’s not perfect, it could’ve been better, but I’m not complaining about the finished product relative to my expectations.