By Jesse Dolojan, Staff Writer

The Batman keeps you on the edge of your seat right out of the gate with its gritty atmosphere, stellar acting, beautiful cinematography and tense story. 

As a lifelong Batman fan, this movie blew me out of the water and helped me remember why I originally fell in love with The Dark Knight. 

The story follows a young, angry Batman as he chases the Riddler and solves his puzzles while facing many of the various gangs in Gotham. Batman also encounters other iconic villains, including the Penguin and Catwoman. 

The Batman stands out from other superhero movies today because of its focus on Gotham as a city. Every time we catch a glimpse of Gotham, we see a city on the verge of self-destruction. Corrupt politicians are in the pockets of mob bosses, and the city supports a serial killer, showing how far Gotham has fallen. 

What truly brings out Gotham is the people who live in it, and they are brought to life by an incredible cast. Robert Pattinson is an amazing Batman — maybe the best one to grace the screen. Jeffery Wright fills the role of Commissioner Gordon seamlessly. Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell and virtually every other actor in this movie stepped into their roles pe rfectly. 

Paul Dano’s Riddler stood out the most to me. Dano plays a traditionally campy villain who torments Batman with puzzles, transforming the character into a psychotic maniac obsessed with killing and performing his own acts of “justice.”  

Dano has played some truly incredible roles in other underrated movies such as There Will Be Blood, but his role in The Batman is one of the best performances I have seen. He transforms a gag character into a psychotic monster. 

Another aspect of the movie that stands out is the amazing cinematography. This movie is a feast for the eyes and allows for us to appreciate the somber nature of Gotham and the terror that Batman faces on a nightly basis. Various shots amplify scenes such as Batman stepping out of the dark in heavy rain, explosive car chases and fights with thugs. 

As someone who has read various Batman novels, I can say that the plot of the movie is something exactly from a graphic novel. The opening monologue from Batman feels like something ripped from a Grant Morrison novel, and the story maintains this comic book feeling.  

This version of Batman, as mentioned earlier, is very angry. At the beginning of the movie, we see him viciously beat a thug despite already punching him to the ground. As the movie progresses, we see him learn about how his own actions affect the people of Gotham, realizing that he must be something more than just a vigilante. 

His character growth is beautiful because the movie does not shove this idea down our throats. Instead, the movie chooses to give subtle hints throughout the movie, finally making the viewers realize Batman’s growth during the final scene.  

As a long time fan of the character, The Batman is a movie that both hardcore and new fans can enjoy. Despite  being almost three hours, the movie never feels long and no scene feels wasted. 

Everyone owes it to themselves to see it in theaters.