There's a moment in Matt Reeves' The Batman where Selina Kyle approaches the caped crusader, gently putting her hand on his face, she says "Who are you under there? What are you hiding? Or are you just hideously scarred?" What he doesn't know she realises is that he is hideously scarred, but not in the literal and physical sense. This Bruce Wayne has scars deep within, emotional scars that have formed the man we see.

This may be yet another interpretation of the dark knight, but what fascinates me so much about this iteration is how he is truly treated as damaged goods and lives dangerously close to the edge of criminality i.e. those he swears to take down. We have seen previous Bruce Wayne's carry the burden of trauma but none more than this Kurt Cobain-inspired recluse. It is an interesting spin on the Batman mythos, to say the least.

It's not only the moral dilemma of his actions that haunt Bruce but the potential pointlessness of them. He wonders does his vigilantism help or hinder the cesspool he inhabits. Do his crime-fighting antics repel his advereries or does it actually attract them and add to the problem? Reeves purposely chose to insert Nirvana's Something in the Way into the film not once, but twice, to hammer home the point of ultimate irrelevance. He is vengeance, but vengeance may not be the answer. Is this Batman simply getting in the way of those who can really stop the rot? Or is Gotham too far beyond helping? You don't see that in Marvel movies, that much I can say.

To call The Batman a 'superhero movie' is to greatly devalue what is so much more. The film is, at it's heart, the tale of a city aswell as being a brilliantly crafted detective story with hints of film noir. This is the first time we have seen the character of the Batman live up to his 'world's greatest detective' moniker.

The most joyful realisation for me was Reeves' conscious decision to make the Batman one giant David Fincher tribute. The obvious influences are Se7en and Zodiac, and the director wears these influences on his sleeve. But it's the subtle references to other Fincher projects that had me slyly grinning from time to time.

While I'm on the topic of the directorial touch, I feel it necessary to say that this cinematic odyssey falls perfectly in between the dark gothic, heavily comic book inspired Burton films and the gritty realism of Nolan's works. Reeves' has crafted a Gotham unlike what we have been given before. It is dark, grungy, wet, dangerous, rotten to its very core and above all else, it feels lived in.

Huge credit should go the Dune cinematographer Greig Fraser for his astonishing work behind the lens here. The film is filled with various hues that never appear at odds with what sort of story Reeves is trying to tell. It is a world shrouded in darkness but it is a darkness brought to life by this incredible DP.

If we're referring to Batman as an anti-hero, then it is only fair to call The Riddler an anti-villain. Paul Dano's Zodiac-inspired serial killer is equal parts creepy and funny (yes you read that correctly). Even James Gordon exclaims at one point 'this guy is hilarious'. It is Riddler's wit, elusiveness and ruthlessness that make him a terrifying 'villain' but his motivations fall very much into the grey area - not a far cry from Batman's.

Matt Reeves has said in several interviews that both Batman and the Riddler (and their actual personas) are two sides of the same coin. Both characters are wildly intriguing case studies on trauma (so too is Catwoman). While The Batman aims to take down the scum of Gotham who incites the violent crimes, The Riddler vows to kill arguably the worst criminals of all, the white-collar criminals, albeit in a more brutal and twisted manner. This is, of course, the dirty politicians, the dirty cops, the filthy rich who ignore everything below the level of penthouse luxury. Ironically, Bruce Wayne falls into this category, leading to a fascinating dynamic between the supposed hero and villain. Who's the hunter? who's the hunted?

The remainder of the cast is no less impressive with charismatic turns by Zoe Kravitz (still torn between her and Pfeiffer for my favourite Catwoman) and Colin Farrell, beneath a mountain of impressive prosthetics. John Turturro plays sinister slime ball Carmine Falcone and somehow manages to be the most irredeemable of all Batman's foes. The buddy cop dynamic between the dark knight and Lieutenant Gordon provides some of the film’s more humane moments, also. Despite his limited screen time it is always great to see Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred clip the Bat's wings. Andy Serkis brings an unusual sensibility to a film, but it is a grizzled sensibility no doubt. Serkis' Alfred shares some poignant moments with Bruce and is arguably in the most emotional scene in the film.

To go back to Selina Kyle for a moment; this is a character who has entertained audiences for decades, however, this version really hits the nail on the head. Kravitz's Catwoman has an impressive amount of depth to her and never feels like a simple foil for Batman's plans. "Maybe we're not so different" she says to her crime-fighting partner at one stage, and that's putting it lightly. She too hovers directly over the faded morality line while trying to grapple with the trauma from her past. To hammer home the point once again, there are no heroes in Gotham, and the film is all the better for it. The chemistry between Selina and Bruce pops off the screen and they have some brilliant one-on-one moments throughout.

As for the action, don't be fooled by those who say that this is a less action-packed Batman than previous installments. Reeves goes for quality over quantity when it comes to the Bat's altercations with his enemies, and by god when it kicks off every punch is felt. Props to the stunt team and choreographers who do a fantastic job adding actual peril to the experience. One scene, in particular, involving a high-speed car chase will have you pinned to the back of your seat. Quick note: big fan of the new Batmobile.

The run time might intimidate some but I, for one, didn't feel it drag for a single second. The film is confidently paced, something we rarely see in modern blockbuster films. At nearly three hours long it rattles along at a perfect pace and really earns its behemoth run time.

I have had Michael Giacchino's mesmerising score on hard rotation since I had the pleasure of hearing it on a surround sound system in an IMAX theatre. I knew he was a genius when he composed the Incredibles back in 2004, I was reminded once more for Up in 2009 and I stand by that very judgement today after hearing this masterpiece. What really brought a smile to my face though, was the subtle nods to Danny Elfman's iconic score for the early Batman films. If this score doesn't get nominated for awards this year I will be shocked.

This isn't only the best Batman movie ever made but it is also without doubt one of the very best superhero movies. I hesitate to give 5 stars at the best of times but I struggled to find reasons not to give this one full marks.

4/5