2012.64 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
Quote: You merely adopted the darkness, I was born in it.
The legend ends.
The Dark Knight Rises – Warner Brothers
Christopher Nolan succeeds one last time to bring The Dark Knight to life on the silver screen. Many have donned the cape throughout past decades, but none have accomplished the darkness and duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne the way Christian Bale has over the seven-year stint of this near-perfect comic trilogy.
Eight years have passed since Batman has shown his face in Gotham City. The city has grown to honor Harvey Dent, year in and year out, as a hero who brought peace and justice to the city. A hero who was murdered by Batman in cold blood (or so they believe). He has taken the blame for the crimes of Dent, in order to allow Gotham to have peace, and a face to hold high as a symbol of justice.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has disappeared. Not really though, he has become a recluse who stays on the grounds of Wayne Manor. At a time when Wayne Enterprises is faced with the end of it’s wealth and power, a new evil is surfacing underground, and the rise of a new darkness engulfs Gotham with the promise of death and destruction not seen in nearly a decade. Bruce Wayne is faced with a decision to return, in each reality that exists for him.
With help from Alfred (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Wayne and Batman return, in their respective outfits, to aid Gotham one more time. A new group of actors are on board in roles that help to define this film. Notably, Nolan brings in two young men who wowed us in his 2010 smash success Inception: Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as John Blake, a rising member of the Gotham Police force, and Tom Hardy as pure evil incarnate, Bane.
Bane is a character known for his brute power of evil. Nolan gives him a face lift and tones down the bulkiness from the comics, but his perfection as a comic villain is undeniable. No one could have brought him to life better, or with a better image than we see from Hardy. He is a version of his comic self, and one that makes sense for the screen. A disciple of darkness and exiled member of The League of Shadows, Bane takes hold of the city and gives free reign to chaos and anarchy. Nothing will stop his wrath of power and no one can stand in the way of Gotham’s fate. Well… almost nobody.
The List
- The Good (the bad part of the movie)
Now I really hate to say it, but I left the movie with a few gripes. Let’s be clear though, this was a great movie and immediately shoots itself to the upper echelon of movies based on comics. It might land somewhere around fourth on the list for me, and there are definite reasons why. Some of the good guys weren’t given the proper amount of attention, while others were given too much. I haven’t mentioned Christian Bale enough, have I? It’s the best acting Christian Bale has put out in any of the three Batman films, he was just ON.
Bale has had the opportunity to take this character from from troubled youth, to man with no name. We’ve seen Bruce Wayne go through every emotion possible and most of the time without a smile on his face. He’s not a bright and shiny character. He’s not Iron Man, He isn’t experiencing any new powers for the first time, not ever in fact. He’s a man, full of darkness, and shadows. It’s what he does that sets him apart. He uses it all for good. You’ll see. He’s great.
Alfred, Lucius, and Gordon were all given a tad less attention than we saw in the previous films. Big mistake, they were all important beloved characters, and all play integral parts in the developing of Batman’s successes. They help him overcome his personal limitations, be they mental, physical, or matters of the heart. These guys matter and I would have liked to see them more.
On the other hand, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) gets lots of screen time and is a fairly large part of this film, I walked out of the theater asking myself, why though? Sorry folks, she isn’t anything worth writing home about. She has really never blown me away with her acting chops, and I honestly would have preferred her not be in my Batman movie (it’s mine now). I understand you need to get ladies into the theater, and while I can appreciate that… she just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t much like her acting, and we didn’t need this character.
- The Bad (the good part of the movie)
This is the part I really feel that Nolan nailed. AGAIN. Tom Hardy is an actor who has never disappointed me. He’s got a long career ahead of him, hopefully, and is someone I just can’t wait to keep watching. My favorite film in 2011 was Warrior and it was because of the breathtaking performance from Tom Hardy. I could go on and on, but I’ll stay on point. Bane was ferocious, evil, unrelenting, and unwavering in his brutality. He wasn’t after money, power, greed; he knows Batman’s identity from the get-go and couldn’t care less.
The Dark Knight Rises – Warner Brothers
He wants the end of Gotham City and a new era of darkness in the hearts of the citizens before they all meet an untimely end at his hands. Men, women, children… and Batman. None shall be spared. He is almost super-human or Terminator-like in his methods. He shows virtually no weakness and speaks with the elegance of Hannibal Lector or Bill the Butcher. I could talk and talk about this character and how much I liked him, but I don’t want to give away any of the seriously great scenes that you will enjoy more without my commentary.
- The Ugly (the best part of the movie)
The inherent evil of the villains in these movies are what make the heroes stand that much taller. These films succeeded in a way that lots of other films fail. Liam Neeson–and even more so, Heath Ledger–brought characters to Gotham City who were after a certain kind of terror. They wanted to bring Gotham City down in a scream of panic and chaos. They wanted to burn it down to the ground, and erase it from history.
Releasing toxins to destroy the public, tempting citizens to take the power to blow each other up… these were the truest forms of evil that could exist in a villain. They really just wanted everyone in Gotham to suffer, because they had decided it was a good idea. Bane excels in these kinds of matters, and will not let you down with the ways he wants Gotham to shatter into oblivion. The most successful villains in the history of film are the ones who thought they were doing the right thing: Ra’s al Ghul, The Joker, and Bane.
It’s this kind of evil that requires heroism at it’s most basic form. Bruce Wayne never wanted attention, never gives interviews. He isn’t Clark Kent or Tony Stark. He has no reality or existence outside of protecting those who have no one to protect them. Everything has been taken from him and he is darker in some ways then those who oppose him. His only refuge is to take that hate, that anger, and turn it inward, taking the product and turning it into a symbol who stands tall for the people of his city, whether they know it, or not.
(end of The List)
I’ll say it once, and I won’t dwell on it: The Dark Knight is my favorite of the trilogy. It wasn’t because anyone was lacking in this film, though. Batman and Bane couldn’t have been better characters. It’s because I think Heath Ledger showed me one of the greatest villains I’ve ever seen. This ensemble will be remembered for their efforts. It had a stellar cast and amazing direction. When all is said and done… the product is epic, enough to make The Dark Knight rise once more.
