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Rating: 4 out of 5
All good things must come to an end. Christopher Nolan finishes his epic Batman trilogy with “The Dark Knight Rises.” In the first movie, “Batman Begins,” Nolan sets his chessboard trilogy by introducing his characters. Giving life to a character. He sets up a realistic world while providing the main character, Bruce Wayne, a background that he truly deserves. Nolan takes his time building the world of Batman. Crafting every detail to make it last in your mind. Nolan moves forward with his pieces with the next movie in the trilogy, “The Dark Knight.” Nolan presents the Bruce Wayne/Batman as the symbol that he wanted to be with the citizens of Gotham. During this time, Bruce Wayne/Batman comes face to face with an adversary unlike any they have ever witnessed. One that rocks the city and Bruce Wayne to their core. How does one finally end a trilogy? Is it one with a happy ending or one where you want for more? Nolan picks up the pieces and gives one final but dark, apocalyptic future for the Cape Crusader. Bruce Wayne will come face to face with the past that he thought he left behind for good. The past always has a way of returning when you least expect it.
Eight years have passed since the events of The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne, older and broken, has retired from the life of crime fighting and the world altogether. He has retreated into Wayne Manor, becoming a recluse, deciding to exile himself from the world entirely. His body is broken as he needs a cane to get around from all the injuries he has sustained as Batman. The last known sighting of Batman was the night Harvey Dent passed away. In the eight years, Gotham has prospered with the Dent Act. The Dent act has almost completely wiped out all crime in the city. Little does Bruce and Gotham know that the city will need Batman more than ever. In a far-off land, a masked terrorist named Bane, plans of destroying the very society of Gotham has become by fulfilling the wishes of his former mentor. Bruce is brought back into the world of crime-fighting when a beautiful cat burglar named Selina Kyle steals his mother’s pearls and the appearance of Bane.
A film that is almost three-hours longs, Nolan presents a film that moves at a steady pace with high octane action but falls short of its predecessor. Even though it is not as thrilling at The Dark Knight, the film holds it’s own, giving many dramatic moments and having a suitable ending.
Nolan presents a story where the hero has fallen on hard times. It is the first movie where the hero has given up on his life of crime-fighting. We forget that Batman is only a man, and he will get older and sustain injuries. Nolan presents the hero just like that. He is a broken man from heartache, tragedy, and his body isn’t what it used to be. Bruce has escaped from the world, those around him want to be happy and move on from his pain. This is brought forth by Alfred as Bruce decides to get back in the swing of things. Alfred pretty much begs him not to fight. That the world doesn’t need Batman. That it requires the mind of Bruce Wayne. Yet we see Bruce as a child thinking Batman is the only meaningful symbol Gotham needs. As the title suggests, Bruce/Batman must find their way again to rise back to being what they once were. One of the ways Nolan does this is putting Bruce in a hell-like anything he has ever been in. Where he is thrown in a prison where the only thing he can do is hope and find a way out.
Where the story strives is presenting Bruce/Batman with an adversary that could’ve been just like him, Bane. Nolan, while keeping the realism factor, takes away the whole venom tank and all that nonsense that was presented in Batman & Robin and gets to the very core of Bane. Bane is a force to be reckoned with. He is a menacing figure that is remorseless yet an equal opponent to Batman in terms of strength, mind, and passion for his cause. He is colder, more calculating, and a strategist. He knows how to manipulate people that have been done wrong.
As mentioned before, the past comes back to haunt Bruce Wayne. One example is when Bruce is locked in a prison with no escape, and his back is broken. After doctors fix his back, he is visited by none other than his former mentor Ducard. Bruce questions how Ducard is alive. Ducard goes on to tell him that there are many forms of immortality. The scene has a slight feel to Star Wars and Obi-Wan coming back as a ghost.
Nolan perfectly uses foreshadowing that brings everything full circle. Several examples of this are during a conversation with Bruce, Alfred explains how every year, he took a trip to a small city in France while he was away for seven years in Batman Begins. He stated he wished he would look up and see Bruce and know that he was happy and simply nod to him. Another example is when Batman tells Gordon who he really is. He doesn’t say, “I’m Bruce Wayne,” but instead says that Gordon helped him by placing a coat around a child when he needed someone the most.
Yet with all these benefits, The Dark Knight Rises falls short with being too cartoony. The three main characters wear masks. The realism factor starts to wain in this movie. Several examples are during the final battle. First, the police have been trapped in a tunnel for over 5 months. Then all of a sudden, they can fight to full strength. Really? How did they survive? Did people bring them food?
Another example is the whole nuclear bomb situation and the time factor. There is no way that bomb didn’t explode being dragged on the ground or Batman having enough time to get it out of the city. Finally, Batman is known for his gadgets, but the one that went WAY over the top was his aircraft called “The Bat.” The Tumbler, I could handle. The Batpod, okay, something new, but the Bat is straight-up out there.
Bale gives his best performance from all three films. The progression he made to this role is simply amazing. He has brought the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman to new heights. The pain he displayed while talking about Rachel and telling Alfred to leave is one of his strong points. He shows that Bruce is always in pain and will never get over it. That he wallowed in self-pity until something catches his eye and rejuvenates him. Bale will now be the new standard of Batman.
Tom Hardy, as Bane, was an excellent choice for a villain. Let’s give Hardy credit with putting on 30 pounds of muscle for the role. Even though you couldn’t see Hardy’s mouth movie, he provided an essence to Bane. Hardy presents Bane as the opposite of the Joker by being more tactical and calm. He is nothing compared to Heath Ledger and the Joker, but Hardy goes back to the beginning with Bane. Hardy presents Bane as a physically imposing presence that tests Batman on a physical level but also a mental level. Hardy makes Bane more menacing as being a revolutionary. He sees Gotham as corrupt and must cleanse it to make the world right. He sees the social injustice and must burn it to the ground so it can be rebuilt. Bane presents his views in three ways. He attacks the Stock Exchange that represents money in society. He attacks pro sports as society loves their sports. Finally, he strikes a prison where people are incarcerated by a joke of a law.
Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle is captivating. Hathaway presents Selina as a woman who tries to get everything she wants to escape the life he has not. She is cold towards upper society, seeing them as people born with spoons in their mouths and not understanding people less fortunate than them. Hathaway presence is one that can’t be missed. One minute she is sitting in a bar, almost getting played until she starts kicking ass and then as the police come in cries and yells like a terrified person before moving on. Even though this is a more realistic version of Selina Kyle, Hathaway manages and excels by keeping the humor, sex appeal, and woman’s strength about the character. He is a survivor and sympathetic when need be.
Oldman continues his mastery of Jim Gordon. Oldman shows that Gordon is at the end of his rope. The stress and weight of holding the truth about Harvey Dent and Batman have weighed heavily on his conscious. Oldman will always take a back seat to the main characters but should be noticed. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake, was a great choice for a young cop who wants to be helpful, but instincts seem to get him in trouble. Gordon-Levitt plays Blake as a smart kid that is optimistic and wants to only help the orphans because he was one.
The Dark Knight Rises is a dark and heavy film. Even though it falls short of The Dark Knight, it still keeps in line with what Nolan wanted to achieve. Nolan is perfect at combining real-world aspects with mass destruction, terror, anarchy, and a story fitting for the Cape Crusader. With it becoming too cartoony and a somewhat moderate pace, the film continues to give you jaw-dropping action. Overall, Nolan gives you an ending that you are sure to love but wanting more. Nolan has taken the superhero genre and shown that a hero can be real and not fantasy with the right story. Like with some Nolan movies, Nolan leaves you wanting for more with the last scene. A standing ovation for a job well done.
