When I first saw that Robert Pattinson was cast as Batman, I was a bit skeptical. I, like most of the grown-ups I know, still pine for Micheal Keaton. (Christian Bale would do in a pinch.) But as I learned more about the direction and aesthetic of the film, I was intrigued. After watching “The Batman,” I was pleasantly surprised. It was perfectly dark and mysterious. I loved the focus on the detective work. And Michael Giacchino’s score tied it up with a twisted ribbon!

Reeves and Giacchino have collaborated on a few films already (Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes). Knowing (and loving) Giacchino’s resume makes me love this score even more! I honestly think his work here made me enjoy The Batman more than I would had it been any other composer.

Giacchino assigned themes to the main characters (Batman, Catwoman, & The Riddler). My favorite is “The Batman”.

It’s solid and haunting and heroic and mysterious. The low piano notes and bells at the beginning set the tone not just for the character, but the movie as well. The way the music crescendos and uplifts before falling back down into something softer is indicative of the character. Then it winds its way into something mysterious and driven. It builds back up with purpose with the horns before dropping back into darkness.

I love it!

The story and mystery in “The Batman” were great. The darkness of the film is perfect for a pre-Halloween, non-scary showing.

I also want to point out the use of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” in the promotional trailers and twice in the movie. Reeves listened to the song while he wrote parts of the movie, and decided to step away from the Bruce Wayne character as a socialite. Instead, he used the reclusiveness of Kurt Cobain as inspiration. Paul Dano (who portrayed The Riddler) also used Nirvana songs to help develop his character. The remix of “Something in the Way” is a perfect blend of the film’s inspiration and Giacchino’s score…