Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film was filled with incredible dialogue, great acting and will leave moviegoers on the edge of their seats. (Poster property of Warner Bros, DC Entertainment and Synocopy Films)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Warning! Spoilers to follow…
Christopher Nolan ends his Batman franchise on a high note with the Dark Knight Rises.
Taken place eight years after the events of the Dark Knight, moviegoers will find that Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse after his traumatic life-changing battles with the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) and Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart).
However, when a mysterious thief named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) warns that the international terrorist known as Bane (Tom Hardy) is coming to unearth chaos and terror into Gotham, Wayne returns to the cape and cowl despite the objections of Alfred (Michael Caine) and his closest ally, Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) missing in action. Unfortunately, after a disastrous first battle with the terrorist, he must regain his health and escape from Bane’s prison to save his city from the forces of evil.
The Dark Knight Rises has two strong elements that make it one of the year’s best films. First, the film’s ensemble brings together an incredible combination of Academy Award winners and nominees that will impress both hardcore Batman fans and movie aficionados. Several standouts include Bat veterans Oldman and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) plus newbies Joseph Gordon-Levitt (John Blake) and Marion Cotillard (Miranda Tate). One of the film’s best surprises was Anne Hathaway, whose take on Catwoman was very impressive and will entice the male members of the audience.
Anne Hathaway will surprise both Batman fans and movie watchers with her portrayal of Catwoman. (Photo property of Warner Bros and DC Comics)
Another component that lead to the success of the film was the screenplay. Both Christopher and Jonathan Nolan brought several elements and characters from the Dark Knight’s past to close out this chapter in Batman cinema. From the inclusion of Batman: the Animated Series villain Roland “John” Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn) and the welcomed return of Liam Neeson as the ghost of Ra’s al Ghul to adding plot points from classic comic book stories including Knightfall, the Dark Knight Returns and No Man’s Land, the Nolan brothers’ screenplay could be nominated for multiple prizes when award season starts in the winter.
While there were multiple items that made this film a terrific film, there were only one problem that moviegoers would find frustrating. I commend Tom Hardy’s commitment to playing Bane and making him a craftier criminal mastermind than Robert Swenson’s mindless take on the villain in 1997’s Batman and Robin. However, the only problem moviegoers might have Bane is his voice. The editors in charge of Bane’s voice should have made it more menacing like Ledger or Mark Hamill’s take on the Joker than sounding like a whiny puss.
Final Thoughts and Grade: Despite that one singular problem, the Dark Knight Rises is an impressive superhero film that will have a place in the best films of this year and leads room for potential spin-offs for several of the film’s characters. A-
