The Batman

More of a detective saga than a superhero adventure, The Batman adds a noir element to the enduring big-screen mythology of a character whose most impressive power seems to be reincarnation.

The latest variation in an endless string of franchise reboots once again finds a mumbling caped crusader brooding and deeply conflicted as he resorts to vigilantism against myriad real-world ills as catharsis for a troubled past.

This stylish and moderately taut installment from director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) feels more intended to set up sequels and spinoffs than to provide much resolution on its own. By the end, it’s taken three hours to cover one chapter.

Overflowing with visual flourishes and big-budget spectacle within its dark and foreboding urban landscape, the film uses shadows and silhouettes to position Gotham City as a dystopian wasteland with rampant crime and sociopolitical corruption.

Billionaire recluse Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has recently unleashed his Batman masked alter-ego to clean up the streets. Burdened by past tragedies and the pressure of upholding his family legacy, he struggles to earn trust, aided by police sergeant Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and his loyal butler Alfred (Andy Serkis).

His latest case is a serial killing spree perpetrated by the sociopathic Riddler (Paul Dano), who has an axe of his own to grind. As he gains an online following, Riddler playfully leaves behind cryptic clues to torment Batman and make the danger more personal.

Other familiar nemeses return, too, including the alluring petty criminal Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), whose motives remain unclear, and the crime boss Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. Penguin (Colin Farrell), who becomes a red-herring adversary during the investigation.

As played with stone-faced intensity by Pattinson (Twilight), Batman’s joyless demeanor and hostile worldview carry over to a film in which the deliberate pace carries a sense of ponderous self-importance. Each big-screen iteration of his origin story, it seems, competes to be progressively bleaker and more cynical.

However, The Batman also too often forgets to be fun, which would be forgivable if the central mystery was more compelling or if the film’s thematic complexity matched its technical ambitions.

The film gradually gains steam as a straightforward bat-and-mouse procedural. The unveiling of a souped-up Batmobile for a rousing highway chase leads to some high-stakes twists that eventually distinguish this version from its predecessors. The elaborate climax is harrowing and provocative, but it takes too long to get there.

Rated PG-13, 176 minutes.