THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Reviewed by Paul Gibbs
GRADE: A +
Starring Christian Bale, Michael
Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy,
Marion Cottilard and Morgan Freeman
Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and
Christopher Nolan
Directed by Christopher Nolan
SPOILER:
No, Heath Ledger doesn't miraculously
return frorm the dead.
That's the only spoiler. In fact, I
feel so strongly that The Dark Knight Rises should
be approached with as blank a slate as possible, that I'll even keep
my story synopsis to a minimum. Many who know me know how huge a fan
of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy I am. I saw Batman
Begins 10 times in its original
theatrical run, and had actually adopted the online persona of “The
Dark Knight” within portions of Utah's live theater community
before that had even been chosen as the title of Nolan's follow up.
And repeated viewings of The Dark Knight were
the only thing that got me through grueling sessions of kidney
dialysis in the summer of 2009. To say the least my expectations and
hopes were high for the finale to what had the potential to be one of
cinemas greatest trilogies . Of course, we could also have ended up
with Spider-Man 3. I
was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen. Nolan has been a
remarkably consistent filmmaker (the only one of his major films that
I didn't love was The Prestige,
and I still liked that one aside from being asked to swallow one too
many improbable plot twists. And I still think Insomnia may
be the most under appreciated great film of the 2000s). But to say
that I was not disappointed is, to say the least, an understatement.
On the comment card I had to turn in to the studio reps at the press
screening, I called The Dark Knight Rises one
of the ten best films ever made. Two days later I realize that's an
absurdly presumptuous and hyperbolic statement to make about a brand
new film I've just seen for the first time. But such was the soaring
emotion and excitement of Nolan's film that I was utterly swept up.
The Dark Knight rises
picks up 8 years after The Dark Knight ended,
with Batman left in the past, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) now
having transitioned from millionaire playboy to reclusive Howard
Hughes type eccentric. The emergence of Cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne
Hathaway) catches his interest, but he doesn't become alarmed until
the arrival of the mysterious Bane (Tom Hardy), a gigantic brute who
breathes through a mask which causes whiny fanboys to freak out
because they can't understand what he's saying in early trailers.
Meanwhile, police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is poking
around, seemingly obsessed with memories of the Batman.
From
here, Nolan spins a tale that takes as far a step up in intensity
from The Dark Knight as
The Dark Knight did
from Batman Begins.
Which is not to say it's a better film. There will be legitimate
debate for years to come as to which of the three films is best (I
could make cases for all three, but I suspect that Heath Ledger's
Joker will be enough to keep the second film reigning supreme in
popular and critical consciousness), just that it's even more
harrowing. Nolan has packed quite a bit more action and effects in
this time around, but not at the expense of the story, characters and
themes that have made his version of Batman so special. This is still
a story about the inner pain and personal journey of Bruce Wayne,
coming to terms with the demons of his troubled life. I can't even
see where the detractors of Bale's performance in the earlier films
are coming from, and his work here may be his best in the trilogy
(and I though he should have been a serious Oscar contender for
Batman Begins). The
supporting cast this time around may not include one standout on
Ledger's level, but Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are
as touching and nuanced as ever, and Anne Hathaway steals nearly
every scene she's in with her portrayal of Catwoman. Tom Hardy is
terrifying as Bane (whose name has nothing to do with Mitt Romney, so
everybody just leave that one alone), and Marion Cotillard and
Matthew Modine add nicely to the proceedings. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
continues to emerge as a major Hollywood presence, and I found him
to be one of the most engaging characters in the film.
While
part of me is very sad to see this series end, a bigger part is
supremely happy that Nolan has done what so many other filmmakers
have failed to do: create a masterful trilogy that is excellent from
beginning to end. The Dark Knight trilogy
will belong alongside The Lord of the Rings and
the original Star Wars saga
in discussions of the greatest trilogies of all time. One of the
great achievements is that all three films, while part of a cohesive
thematic whole, are so distinct. Batman Begins was
a grand epic adventure in the mold of Raider of the Lost
Ark or Gladiator. The
Dark Knight was an operatic
crime drama in the best Godfather tradition.
To define the genre and feel of The Dark Knight Rises would
be to give away too much, but it's quite a bit different from what I
expected.
The
Dark Knight Rises is a soaring,
triumphant achievement that trills, terrifies, amuses, and moves its
audience. It's a waste of time judging its place among comic
book-inspired films. It's place in the pantheon of cinema goes far
beyond that. Whoever Warner Bros. Chooses to be the next silent
guardian and watchful protector of the Batman franchise has an
impossibly large cowl to fill.
NOTE:
As
if you still need to be told as this point, The
Dark Knight Rises is
not for young children. This could easily induce long streaks of
nightmares. My niece and nephew will still be getting Adam West,
Batman Forever or
one of the animated incarnations when they want their Batman fix.
