Review: If ‘The Wonder’ doesn’t quite live up its title, it remains something to behold. At times, it feels as if writer-director Jason Bateman is simply riffing on the film noir genre. Other than the story’s obvious similarities to that of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Batman isn’t a character Bateman has ever played before. What follows is a comic book adaptation that’s funny, poignant, and a ton of fun to watch.
The plot is basically three stories all mashed together, though the first is where everything really begins. In the opening hour, Batman’s girlfriend, Robin (Zoey Deutch), attempts to keep her relationship with him from getting any crazier than it already is, and the police arrive to keep the situation under control. The two end up going on a date, which quickly becomes a dinner date, and when Batman shows up, Robin is not only suspicious of his motives, but also his ability to take the time to get out of there. (It takes awhile before Robin has the courage to admit his real problem: that his inability to take a hint means he’s going to end up being alone forever.)
Bateman’s characterizations are spot-on and his casting is flawless. I’m not alone in noting that all of these key actors turned down or passed on parts, which is something I’ve only seen with two (and it should be noted that he didn’t offer any) on the same project. This allows Bateman to flesh out his roles and offer a unique take on the lead characters in all three of these stories. And though this is the first film he’s made under his own company (Fox 21) and with a cast of only three, Bateman has been able to build a full film out of these three stories that will carry on his promise of creating a universe for the characters.
The pacing of the story is superb, as it builds from one to the other. It begins in a very dark way, with Robin leaving with Batman to a party after only a week of dating, the police taking care of the situation before she arrives, and then having to call upon her when things don’t quite go as planned. However,
