Rated
PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Sensuality and Language)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 44 Minutes
Cast-
Christian
Bale-Bruce Wayne/Batman
Tom
Hardy-Bane
Michael
Caine-Alfred Pennyworth
Gary
Oldman-Commissioner James Gordon
Anne
Hathaway-Selina Kyle/Catwoman
Joseph
Gordon-Levitt-John Blake
Marion
Cotillard-Miranda Tate
Morgan
Freeman-Lucius Fox
Liam
Neeson-Ra's Al Ghul
Nestor
Carbonell-Mayor Anthony Garcia
Matthew
Modine-Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley
Alon
Moni Aboutboul-Dr. Leonid Pavel
Juno
Temple-Jen
Ben
Mendelsohn-John Daggett
Burn
Gorman-Stryver
Cillian
Murphy-Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Aaron
Eckhart-Harvey Dent/Two-Face (archive footage only)
Directed
by Christopher Nolan
 |
| Batman (Christian Bale) locked in combat with Bane (Tom Hardy) while all-out war breaks out in Gotham in Christopher Nolan's stunning conclusion to the Batman saga, "The Dark Knight Rises." |
If
Bob Kane were still alive today, I imagine he would be beaming with pride right
about now. The minute the end credits rolled for "The Dark Knight"
during the summer of 2008, rampant speculation on how the trilogy would
conclude spread like wildfire among comic book fans. What would the story be?
Who would be the villain? Christopher Nolan also voiced his reluctance to
return to the director's chair since he feared that a 'on a more superficial
level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise
can people name?' A third film in a series is always a tricky proposition as
many directors have fallen into the common trap that bigger is somehow better.
This happened with both 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" and 2007's
"Spider-Man 3." Nolan is also venturing into new territory by being
allowed to conclude his own story,
which is unheard of given how Hollywood likes to milk franchises until there's
nothing but a husk left behind. Outside of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of
the Rings" trilogy and George Lucas' "Star Wars" saga, such
instances are very rare. Now, "The Dark Knight Rises" finally arrives
into theaters after three long years
of pent-up anticipation but this cinematic event has unfortunately been marred
by tragedy due to the shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Will this keep people away from
seeing the film? I certainly hope not because like Batman, we should not let
fear rule our lives. Concluding the story that began with "Batman
Begins" in 2005, director Christopher Nolan has pulled out all the stops
in order to give the Caped Crusader the ending that he deserves. Ambitious and
emotionally engaging, "The Dark Knight Rises" is an epic blockbuster
spectacle that once again transcends its comic book origins and serves as a
reminder that films can go beyond being
mere entertainment to thought-provoking experiences that touch your very soul.
Masterpiece is not even adequate enough to describe THE best film of 2012 so far, by far.
Eight years have passed since
the death of Harvey Dent and in order to keep him as a symbol of hope for
Gotham City, Batman (Christian Bale) took the fall for his crimes as Two-Face and
subsequently disappeared, his current whereabouts unknown. Mayor Anthony Garcia
(Nestor Carbonell) passes an ultra-tough, anti-crime bill known as the Dent Act
which has resulted in thousands of criminals off the streets and imprisoned in
Blackgate Penitentiary. With Batman no longer needed, Bruce Wayne has become a
bearded recluse, locking himself inside Wayne Manor while tended to by his
faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine). Meanwhile, Commissioner
James Gordon (Gary Oldman) continues to feel guilty about the cover-up and
almost reveals the truth during a dinner party held in Dent's honor but decides
at the last minute that the city is not yet ready. After a thief named Selina
Kyle (Anne Hathaway) steals his deceased mother's necklace from his safe, Bruce
discovers that his fingerprints have been duplicated for unknown reasons. A
confrontation in the sewers with the cunning and brutal terrorist leader Bane
(Tom Hardy) puts Gordon in the hospital, forcing Bruce to don the cape and cowl
once more despite being a wanted fugitive. A former member of the League of
Shadows, Bane has come to Gotham to complete Ra's al Ghul's (Liam Neeson) work
by breaking Batman both physically and mentally. Working with Lucius Fox
(Morgan Freeman), rookie police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt),
Selina Kyle, and Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard),
Batman is locked in a race against time to stop Bane and save his beloved Gotham
from total destruction.
"The Dark Knight Rises"…where to even begin? Honestly, I was left totally
speechless, even emotional, as the end credits rolled. Grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office in
2008 despite the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger, who gave a brilliant
performance as Batman's perennial foe the Joker and was posthumously awarded Best
Supporting Actor at the 81st Academy Awards, the hype for the third film began
the minute "The Dark Knight" ended. Director Christopher Nolan has
never been one to simply entertain as many of his films often deal with complex
and thought-provoking ideas. 2005's "Batman Begins" was a standard
superhero origin story but one that stood out from the rest of the genre with
its emphasis on exploring the psychology of Bruce Wayne and how he confronts
his fears to become Gotham's savior. The sequel dealt with more topical themes
such as terrorism and the increased surveillance that ordinary citizens have to
endure in the name of safety. Batman and his allies also face several moral
quandaries that force them to examine their own ethics while challenging the
conception that people are innately good and will succumb to their chaotic
instincts if there was no law to prevent them from doing so. Taking inspiration
from numerous Batman stories such as Knightfall,
No Man's Land, and even Frank
Miller's seminal 1986 graphic novel The
Dark Knight Returns, Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" once again parallels
current events with a socio-political subtext that includes shades from of Charles
Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities,
which is set before and during the French Revolution in 1789, and the Occupy
Wall Street protest movement that is currently ongoing. Bane leads in
insurrection on Gotham by attacking the wealthy, crashing the stock market and
bankrupting them while the city descends into lawlessness, cut off from the
rest of the country. However, his rationale of social equalization is a
smokescreen to justify murder, as citizens are put on trial without due process
in a kangaroo court and sentenced to death by exile. Even Selina Kyle is used a
symbol of retaliation against the 1% as she menacingly whispers into Bruce's
ear: 'You think this can last? There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your
friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna
wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the
rest of us.' This leads into the film's overarching theme of what Batman
symbolizes to the people of Gotham and why he is needed.
With Nolan tackling so
many big ideas and making the saga come full circle with "Batman Begins,"
the film had a strong chance of derailing due to being overly ambitious but he
always keeps an intimate focus on his characters. This is as much a drama as it
is an action film and there were several moments where I was literally moved to tears. One scene that
stood out is when Alfred tells Bruce that he cannot bear to see him die and
throw his life away. The ending is quite emotional as well and while
bittersweet, there's still a sense of optimism. It's certainly Nolan's least ambiguous ending compared to
2010's "Inception" and 2000's "Memento." Of course, nothing
is perfect but the film's flaws are ultimately very minor. The first act can get bogged down by too much
exposition as it introduces all the new characters, leaving audiences
scratching their heads at how all the seemingly disparate subplots are
connected. Narrative transitions between acts also come off as somewhat clumsy
with time jumps feeling rushed. Finally, this is less a fault of the film and
more a victim of hype as an important plot twist was spoiled due to people
snapping pictures while Nolan was shooting in Pittsburgh. Still, if you're a
diehard Batman fan like I am, it shouldn't come as a real surprise.
Rich themes
and characterization are not enough as this is still a comic book film.
Thankfully, it does not disappoint in the action department and the final
forty-five minutes are so gripping
that I could feel my heart pounding. Nolan shot over an hour of the film in
glorious IMAX and I urge everyone to
pay the extra surcharge as the experience is simply not the same if you see it
in a regular theater. There are elaborate shootouts (including an ingenious
plane hijacking during the prologue) that wouldn't feel out of place in a crime
film like 1995's "Heat" but it is the massive set-pieces (several
involving the Batwing) that leave an impression because it's all so incredibly
well-done and tightly edited. Batman and Bane's one-on-one brawl in Gotham's
sewers is suitably brutal and ferocious as expected. I know you're wondering if
Bane does indeed 'break' Batman like in Knightfall
but you'll have to find out for yourselves by seeing it in theaters. I dare say
that the action in this film rivals that of "The Avengers!" Hans
Zimmer's bombastic score gets the blood pumping but outside of new themes for
Bane and Catwoman, much of the music is recycled from the previous films.
Nolan
has always brought out the best performances with every cast he's worked with
and it's no different here. Christian Bale delivers his most nuanced portrayal of
Bruce Wayne yet while Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman hit all
the right emotional notes in their respective roles despite their reduced
screen-time. A reminder of the excess that plagued comic books during the
1990's, Bane was never all that interesting but Tom Hardy turns the villain
into an animalistic force of nature even though the actor has to rely on only
his eyes and body language due to wearing a mask that covers most of his face.
The volume for his dialogue has definitely been increased in post-production
but some of his monologues unfortunately still come off as muffled. He's not as
charismatic as Heath Ledger's Joker yet his imposing physicality and intellect
make him more than a match for Batman. Given her penchant for romantic
comedies, there were doubts among fans when Anne Hathaway was cast as Selina
Kyle and I admit that I was skeptical as well. Thankfully, she absolutely nails
the role and embodies all of the character's traits perfectly, displaying a sexy,
sardonic wit while she grapples with her feelings of serving her own selfish needs
and taking the moral high ground. Kyle is by far Nolan's best written female
character. However, Hathaway still pales in comparison to Michelle Pfeiffer's
Catwoman from Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" in 1992. Joseph
Gordon-Levitt lends the film a human touch as the idealistic rookie police
officer John Blake while Marion Cotillard is fine but Miranda Tate is largely a
one-note romance interest for Bruce with very little to do, though this is more
a fault of the script rather than the actress.
Released on July 20, 2012,
"The Dark Knight Rises" has received largely positive reviews with
87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as 'an ambitious, thoughtful, and
potent action film that concludes Christopher Nolan's franchise in spectacular
fashion, even if it doesn't quite meet the high standard set by its
predecessor.' The anticipation for this film was at an all-time high but what
should have been an exciting experience for audiences has now turned into a
morbid affair due to the tragic shooting at a midnight screening in Aurora,
Colorado. Now Warner Brothers is pulling
the trailers for "Gangster Squad," whose release is set for
September, and there are rumors that the theater shooting scene might be cut
entirely. I certainly hope not because films are a work of art and directors
shouldn't be forced to censor themselves due to an isolated incident like the
one in Colorado. Will the shooting hurt the box office prospects for "The
Dark Knight Rises"? I do not believe so, not in any significant way as the
film is still on track to earn at least $180 to $190 million over the weekend
after grossing $30.6 million at midnight screenings, which is second best
behind last year's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2."
People came out in droves and there were numerous lines at the AMC Theater in
Lincoln Square, with some arriving close to six
hours before their designated showing. Audience reaction was enthusiastic and
many applauded once the end credits began rolling. The conclusion to the Batman
saga does not disappoint as Christopher Nolan has crafted an action-packed
spectacle that is both deeply moving and thematically engaging. "The Dark
Knight Rises" is the kind of summer blockbuster that is all too rare in
Hollywood. Joshua Starnes of ComingSoon.net concludes in his review that 'this
should be the blueprint for summer spectacle. You can keep your Transformers; I'll take The Dark Knight Rises.' I couldn't have
said it better myself!
Final
Rating: 5 out of 5
"When
Gotham is in ashes, you have my permission to die."
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