There we were, nestled into our respective seats in the theater, hanging on to our growing anticipation for what was about to start. The lights dimmed, the trailers began, and the collective excitement of the audience was in the air.

This was the type of feeling I missed over the pandemic. I forgot just how thrilling seeing a movie with a big audience could be.

When 2022 started, I made a vow that I would see a blockbuster in theaters again. The movie that I ended up going with was “The Batman,” and it certainly delivered.

Admittedly, I have never been much of a fan of Batman as a superhero, but the idea of Robert Pattinson of all people playing him intrigued. Obviously, we all know him from “Twilight” films, but since then, he has been honing his acting skills with obscure indie movies that many critics have praised.

I went to see the movie out of pure curiosity, and it ended up making me finally like Batman. Part of this was due to the movie’s masterful balancing act of its tone. It was very serious, but still had all of the comic book fun that any good superhero movie should have.

The story touches on serious things, such as Bruce Wayne’s trauma that led to his transformation into Batman, as well as the effects that privilege has on how people react to trauma.

The serious elements, though, are balanced out by extravagant plot beats and thrilling action sequences. This contrast seems as though it would create a movie that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, but watching “The Batman” one gets the sense that the filmmakers knew exactly what they were trying to make. Its many contrasting elements are weaved together to create an immensely fun watch that has a little bit of something for everyone.

The cast was as good as the plot.

Pattinson was incredibly angsty as Bruce Wayne/Batman, which is exactly what this movie called for. His character also toed the line between serious and fun, with his dramatic extended monologues balanced out by a very genuine, thoughtful character arc.

The film does a good job of pointing out things about Batman that aren’t addressed on the surface of his character.

Zoë Kravitz made such a cool Catwoman. Her character’s motivations were very clear, and made sense given her backstory. I enjoyed how much this movie decided to flesh her out.

The Riddler was quite creepy, and I thought he was a good, entertaining villain to watch. His plans built up over the course of the film, which kept me engaged as they got more and more high stakes. The structure of the film overall kept me engaged, despite the fact that it was nearly three hours long.

If you haven’t seen a movie in theaters since before COVID and are looking for the blockbuster experience, this is definitely the movie to see. It gave me everything I missed about going to see a movie.