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| Paper beats rock |
Have you ever had a friend who wanted to set you up with a person? They tell you that he/she is so great and amazing and you'll really like them. Then when you meet them, they're an otherwise nice person, but because of all that hype, you're just not as crazy about them as you should be... That's how I felt about 'The Dark Knight Rises'.
Don't get me wrong, TDKR is a good film, full of intense action and a great story channeling Bruce Wayne's struggles and Batman's difficult task of facing the monster known as Bane, played by Tom Hardy. But since director Christopher Nolan released 'The Dark Knight'in 2008, a film which earned Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his iconic portrayal of The Joker, it seems like the entire world has been anticipating it's follow up, the third and final installment in this interpretation of the Caped Crusader. Frankly it would be tough for any film to follow up on all that hype and the high expectations of the movie going public.
It's just that the second chapter of Nolan's trilogy was such a masterpiece and had so much going for it thanks in large part to Ledger's charismatic Joker and the chaos he created that maybe the bar was set too high. If you're like me and you believe that 'The Empire Strikes Back' was the best of the original 'Star Wars' films, then you'll know what I mean when I say that TDKR suffers from 'Return of the Jedi' syndrome. George Lucas' Episode 5 in the Star Wars franchise was an amazing film with great action, a good story, Boba Fett and spoiler alert: Darth Vader telling Luke Skywalker that he was his father, something which always shocks people the first time they ever watch it. Then Episode 6 came along, and it was a good movie. It had Ewoks, Jabba the Hutt and closed out the then trilogy in a nice, effective way, but it lacked the punching power which The Empire Strikes Back had in spades.
Which brings me back to the final installment in Nolan's Batman trilogy which is a good mix of the more low-key 2005's Batman Begins and it's frenetic follow-up. There are some heart pounding moments in TDKR, several gritty action sequences and soaring visuals that will look amazing on IMAX-sized screens. The film picks up eight years after The Dark Knight and focuses on Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman who has been out of the public eye during that span. Bale's character is tired and damaged physically and emotionally and must come out of retirement to take on the brutal Bane. It is a formidable task for the hero of the film as he has gotten older and goes up against a hulking maniac which proves to be a true test for him. A lot of superhero films have villains that you know will put up a good fight, but you can't see the hero losing to them. That is not the case here in The Dark Knight Rises. Tom Hardy did a great job bulking up for the role of Bane and is such an imposing and terrifying figure who excels at hand-to-hand combat that you really do wonder if Batman is up to the task.
For as dangerous and menacing as Hardy makes Bane come across, the villain is not without his weaknesses. He wears what could be described as a truly sick orthodontist's idea of head gear around his face that distorts his voice and at times you can't understand what he says. All I kept thinking was, 'Hey Bane, would you please try and enunciate a little better?' Of course I would only think that around Bane, and not say it for fear of being beaten to a pulp. And for as brutal as Bane is, he is nowhere near as charistmatic as Heath Ledger was as The Joker or even as intriguing Aaron Eckhart's portrayal of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in the second chapter. And perhaps that's one of the reasons why this film doesn't live up to it's predecessor. With The Joker and then Iron Man and The Avengers, plus the new Spider-Man, maybe we're just so used to having charismatic figures in our superhero movies. And when you combine Bale's muted, gritty portrayal of Batman, mixed with the darker tones of Bane, this film is lacking that.
There is an impressive cast of supporting characters, most notably Anne Hathaway as cat burglar Selina Kyle who moonlights as Catwoman. I liked all of the different tones of Hathaway's turn in the Catwoman role. For a lot of the film you don't know who's side she's on and there's more to her than being a beautiful girl in spandex. It's nice to see such a complex female figure in a superhero action film.
In addition to Tom Hardy, director Christopher Nolan also added fellow Inception stars Marion Cotillard who plays Wayne Enterprises investor Miranda Tate, as well Joseph Gordon-Levitt who takes a turn as Gotham City police office John Blake. Cotillard proves to be a love interest for Bale's Bruce Wayne but again proves to be a layered female character instead of just the eye candy. But perhaps the best supporting character in the film is Gordon-Levitt's officer Blake. In our society today, we praise most the heroes such as athletes, celebrities and those who wear capes. But sometimes we overlook the everyday heroes who are out there day after day making a difference. Nolan does a nice job highlighting that in this film, showing what an impact Gordon-Levitt's young police officer makes in Gotham City.
While TDKR is not the best film in Nolan's Batman trilogy, it is an excellent way to cap things off. The director has given us a satisfying conclusion to an epic trilogy, which will go down as one of the best in the history of film. All three films have been excellent installments in the journey of the caped crusader, and it's has been a fantastic reboot of the Batman franchise. The Dark Knight Rises continues that trend and is a steady, gritty film with layered characters that you should enjoy if you lower your expectations from the four-year wait after the masterful second chapter.
Critic Ken's Grade: B+
