Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” isn’t just another Batman reboot. This adaptation of Batman is something that’s never been seen before on the big screen. This new spin on the character completely does away with any of the goofy elements in previous adaptations.

 The Batman you get in this movie – and you sure get a lot of him – is a dark, vengeful, and a more grounded version of the character. I say grounded because unlike other incarnations, there is no tank of a Batmobile tearing up crowded and narrow city streets, instead, we get a more realistic souped-up muscle car. Instead of a physics-defying cape glider, he has a wingsuit. Decisions such as these are what I think really work for this Batman, especially since he’s only in his second year as the Caped Crusader so he would still be refining all of his gadgets. 

Reeves does a phenomenal job breathing life into not just Batman, but to everything and everyone within the city of Gotham,

 even the city itself. It becomes very clear from the opening of the movie that there isn’t a criminal in the city that does not fear Batman. This movie is Batman done right. Reeves even adds back a crucial aspect of the character of Batman that has been absent from every other version, his detective side. Detective work is a major part of this Batman character. The Batman we get is most akin to the one in the Arkham games. 

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne is also something to behold. Bruce Wayne is not the arrogant playboy we’re used to. Here, he is a hermit living in the spotlight. Rarely leaving Wayne tower in the middle of Gotham, Bruce still seems to be having trouble separating the billionaire from his dark alter ego. Reeves seems to have set up the possibility for this iteration of Bruce Wayne to grow into the ability to perfectly balance both parts of his life. 

Pattinson as Batman or Bruce Wayne isn’t to outshine the other amazing performances. Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman give

s never before seen depth to the character. Gone are the days of supernaturally resurrected crazy cat ladies wearing stitched spandex suits. The on-screen romance between Batman and Catwoman is subtle yet intense and very well done. The Riddler, played by Paul Dano, is genuinely terrifying. He terrorizes the people of Gotham and kills his victims in a Saw-esc way. Collin Farrell as Oz/Penguin is the perfect side antagonist giving us one of the best scenes in the entire movie. Jeffrey Wright plays Lieutenant Gordon (not quite commissioner at this point) and the partnership between him and Batman gives us another stand-out performance. Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth feels like the perfect fit to the Batman we get in this film and fills that father figure-shaped hole in Bruce’s heart.

The Batman we get in this film is a standout performance from Pattinson and the rest of the cast. This is the most well fleshed out Gotham city we’ve ever seen alongside the most frightening villain we’ve seen. The Batman is more than just another Batman reboot, it is a new character entirely.