Critics Praise The Batman 's Darker Tone, 'Very Hot' Chemistry Between Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz

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The Batman is darker than ever.

Robert Pattinson's take on the DC Comics superhero hits theaters this week, and reviews of the film shared Monday morning praise it for its serious tone and gritty performances.

Variety's Peter Debruge said The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, is "darker than" The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's 2008 realistic Batman movie that won an Oscar for Heath Ledger's Joker portrayal. Wrote Debruge, "This grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if — or more aptly, because — what makes the film so great is its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes."

David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter said Pattinson, 35, has a "magnetic intensity" and is "riveting throughout" the movie.

Alex Stedman wrote in her IGN review that Pattinson's performance is "crushingly painful," but costars Zoë Kravitz and Paul Dano stood out even more as Catwoman and the Riddler, respectively.

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"Kravitz's layered portrayal of the cat-burglar clawed past even my high expectations. She's got all the slinkiness and slyness you could hope for, but, like Pattinson's Bruce, she's also incredibly vulnerable, while selling an insatiable need for revenge," Stedman wrote. "Pattinson may be the one screaming 'I am vengeance!' but it's Kravitz who simmers with a need for payback. Plus, the two actors' chemistry is undeniable. Whether they're trading fists or information, it's all very hot."

She added, "As for Dano, his Riddler is easily the best live-action Batman villain since Heath Ledger's Joker."

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A.V. Club's A.A. Dowd said Kravitz, 33, "brings an uncommon emotional realism to Catwoman," and that Colin Farrell is "unrecognizable under mounds" of prosthetics and makeup as Penguin, "mostly a hoot" in the role.

Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph said in her review that The Batman is "not a perfect movie, but it's darn close." She added, "It's so close. I would argue that it's the best Batman movie to date, with Robert Pattinson in a role he was born to play."

The Batman is in theaters this Friday.