First things first, I loved The Dark Knight Rises. Yes, I might be a bit biased, but I honestly believe it to be an incredible movie.
I would also like to say that even though I love Nolan's final Batman film, I still find The Dark Knight to be the absolute best out of the trilogy.
But man, what a way to go out.
Rises takes place 8 years after DK, with Bruce Wayne retired from Batmaning and secluding himself in his rebuilt manor. Also, since he had taken the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes, Gotham has seen crime drop to almost zero in the years since, something that has left a hole not only in Wayne but in Commissioner Gordon as well.
That little bit of plot is just the tip of the iceberg, all of which is covered in the first 10-15 minutes or so, and as such I'm going to try to refrain from giving away too much else in case the 0 people who read this have not already seen it, however unlikely that might be.
For a movie about Batman, there are surprisingly few scenes that actually feature the title character, in full costume at least. Usually that would be a huge red flag, but of course Nolan has a purpose here, and that is to focus on Bruce Wayne. Now, yes Nolan has always put the man behind the Batman first, but here he examines life after the Batman and shows just how broken and lost that man is. Even though him and Gordon won and seemingly brought Gotham back to its former glory, that victory was based on a lie. Not to mention, Wayne lost what he considered to be his only real reason for living in Rachel. And as such, in DKR, Wayne is a shell of his former self, never leaving Wayne manor and actually needing a cane to get around. In short, for him, hope is lost.
Let me stop for a second and reiterate just how weird it is to see Batman needing a cane. That's the point of course. In Nolan's realistic setting, it only makes sense for a man who went out and fought criminals every night for more than a year to basically be physically broken, but still, it's a jarring and effective image.
As Wayne, Bale gives his best performance in the series, and we're finally given the chance to see Bruce throw away the playboy image and just be himself outside of the cowl as he struggles to re-enter the world with the emergence of Bane.
Equally as good are both familiar faces and new comers to the franchise. Anne Hathaway completely owns the role of Selina Kyle. Hathaway has just the right amount of slyness, ass-kicking and sarcastic attitude the role requires. A lot of people are surprised by how good she is in the role actually, as most of the people I've talked to aren't really a fan of hers, which makes no sense to me, since even in her worst movies she is always watchable and completely charming. Anywho, Joseph Gordon-Levitt also does great supporting work in the very important role of John Blake, a young officer hoping the Batman will return and finish the work he started years before. Levitt seriously fits wonderfully in this universe and if Nolan should ever return to this world ( Highly unlikely ) I would most look forward to see where his character had ended up.
Gary Oldman has a great follow up to his crucial part in DK, with a more emotional arc here. Gordon fully understands that only the Batman can stop the evil that rises, and it's his cries for help that finally gets Wayne in the cowl again.
Of course, you can't discuss DKR without mentioning Tom Hardy as Bane. I've seen this movie four times now, and his performance gets better with each viewing. Hardy plays him with a ferocious calmness, using his eyes brilliantly to convey menace.
OK, I kinda lied about no spoilers because I have to talk about something, so avert your eyes for the next paragraph or two.
The Batman and Bane have two fights in DKR, and they are both absolutely brutal. The first is probably the most intense, as Bane just rips through the Batman. Just as Wayne using a cane was jarring, seeing his alter ego get his ass handed to him is equally disturbing. At multiple points during the fight, the Batman screams right before going in for a blow, as opposed to his usual silence he displays in a fight. It's a small touch, but it shows just how much he is struggling against Bane, showing that he has to sike himself up and reach deep down for the strength he desperately needs to beat the masked villain. In fact, Nolan used the one part of the Knightfall storyline that I honestly didn't think he would, and my jaw honestly dropped when the moment happened. Bane picks the Batman up over his head and slams his back over his knee. It's an insanely brutal moment that makes me flinch just thinking about it. The second fight comes towards the end of the film, and its more emotional than the first. It's a moment where the Batman HAS to win, not only for redemption but for every person in Gotham. And like their first meeting, the Batman screams multiple times, still having to reach for strength even with renewed confidence and purpose.
The most emotional element of the film comes in the guise of Alfred, as played by Michael Caine. I would argue that Alfred has suffered more than anyone in the series ( well maybe Rachel had it worse ), if only because he had to watch his closest friend and son he never had suffer and deteriorate over the years, becoming the Howard Hughes like persona we see in the first part of the film. Even as Bruce becomes motivated again, Alfred fears he is past his prime and has more of a death wish than a purpose, and its these scenes when Alfred tells Bruce exactly what he doesn't want to hear that really get to me.
Nolan knows exactly what buttons to push at this point and he pulls no punches here, really giving the feeling that hope is lost as he promised in the trailers. And for me, that's what Batman is all about. Even in the face of certain death and the weight of an entire city on his shoulders, he is the only one who can overcome. Not just because he has to, but because he wants to. He wants the city to have hope, whether it's the Batman or something else, he wants the people to believe in something good.
As I said before, I find The Dark Knight to be the absolute best of the trilogy, but Nolan has finally given us what no other superhero franchise has given us before, an emotional and completely satisfying end. Even better though, he left us wanting more.
Alright dudes, school is about to start, so I'll probably be on here less than I already am. However I have vowed to at least write about everything I see theatrically and I plan on seeing The Campaign, The Bourne Legacy and The Expendables 2 in the coming weeks, so until then, suck it.
