When I finally got to see Matt Reeves’ The Batman last night, it proved to me that that there are still plenty of stories to be told with the caped crusader if the person writing them is familiar with and respectful of the source material, and is willing to explore all the layers of Bruce Wayne—not just dive right into the wish-fulfillment aspects of Batman. It is a truly great Batman movie, and one of its shining stars was actress Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
I had my doubts about Kravitz, but from the moment she appears onscreen and as the story continues, it’s clear that she embodies Selina Kyle. From the start, we see Selina as not just a sexual object, but also someone with great empathy and love for people. She is a protector, but that edge of what makes her an anti-hero/villain is still present in the story.
In The Batman, we meet Selina working at a club where Batman is investigating. The two end up teaming up when Selina goes searching for her missing girlfriend (they refer to her as a friend/roommate, but Selina calling her “baby” constantly begs to differ).
Selina joins Batman as a partner and as someone who can meet him snark for snark. She has her own emotional journey that fits in with the orphan theme that makes itself known. I found myself wishing there was more of her and that the story spent a little more time diving into her background. Reeves crafted a very dense image of Gotham that allows us to really feel the weight of it as a city, a community, under siege. Selina is another one of the forgotten wretches trying to get vengeance in the cold world of Gotham City.
After years of watching female characters all have the same fighting style as Black Widow, it’s cool to see that Selina’s style is more stealth and doesn’t involve any over-the-top flip dynamics. She is quick with good kicks and uses weapons to take down larger opponents. Also, she has cats! Not in an “I got resurrected by cats way,” but actually loves and takes care of stray cats.
The Batman allows all the layers of Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle to be explored, from her empathy for the downtrodden to darkness that makes her path divest from Batman’s. It is the most comic book-accurate version of Selina we have ever seen on film and has solidified Kravitz as this generation’s Catwoman.
For those who might say, “What about Michelle Pfeiffer?” I would say that both are iconic but very different. Pfeiffer’s Selina was pretty much invented wholesale by director Tim Burton in terms of origin and characterization. It is an apples to oranges comparison of Catwoman flavors—both delicious, but it all depends on which one you are in mood for.
Neither performance takes away from the other, but Kravitz’s Catwoman does feel lifted from the last ten years of Batman/Catwoman comics, and that is a feat. Reeves clearly understands these characters and respects their long history. The Batman is a film worth checking out, especially for those feeling slightly burnt out by Batman. This was a breath of fresh Batcave air.
(images: Warner Bros.)
