“The Batman”, the latest superhero film to dominate theaters, is definitely the most terrifying version of the Caped Crusader.

Directed by Matt Reeves, who is best known for his film “Cloverfield” and his work on the Planet of the Apes series, the newest take on one of the most iconic superheroes of all time is more like a detective thriller than a typical superhero film.

Originally the film was supposed to come out in 2021, but it was delayed twice because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But since it opened exclusively in theaters on March 4, the Caped Crusader’s return to the big screen seems well worth the wait. Fans have flocked to the  theaters and help the film bring in more than $463 million worldwide.

The film stars Robert Pattinson as Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, and Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Gordon. The story is set in Batman’s second year of crime fighting after uncovering corruption in Gotham. Much of the story focuses on Batman’s pursuit of the Riddler, a serial killer who is targeting the city’s prominent figures.

Unlike many versions of the film that don’t take nearly as dark a tone, “The Batman” is pretty terrifying, especially when watching Dano as the Riddler move on his targets. The film is often violent at times as well, but since it is rated PG-13 it doesn’t approach the gruesome violence of Toddy Phillips’ 2019 film “The Joker”.

On a lighter note, the chemistry between Pattinson and Kravitz was really good as it felt very similar to their comic book counterparts and it was nice to see them work together.  The writers also did a good job with bringing on fresh takes of each character, instead of being familiar with how they’re supposed to be in most Batman stories. 

Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight was really good as well. He’s proven himself to be an excellent choice for the Caped Crusader, which is good news for the two planned sequels. There are two spin-off series planned for HBO Max, but it’s not known if Pattinson will star in those.

The biggest complaint with the film is that its running time was almost three hours long, and some people don’t have the patience for that. Plus, there were scenes that were unnecessary or should have been edited.

Overall, “The Batman” is a great film. It’s exciting to see what the future awaits for the character in the sequels.