As if it was going to be something else.
Sorry I’m late! But hey, my excuse- I was out doing research. I am fresh out of the theater after having seen “The Dark Knight Rises,” a film I could hardly wait to see since “The Dark Knight” ended in 2008. Here’s the scoop…and I’ll try my best not to throw in any spoilers!
The Skinny (Meaning PLOT, keep up with the lingo): Batman is back! Well…sort of. “The Dark Knight Rises” takes place eight years after Batman defeated the Joker. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is older and injured as he is seen walking with a cane and clearly in no mood or position to fight crime anymore. On top of all that, he has become a recluse. The audience soon comes to find out that Gotham City is cleaned up of most of its crime and there is no need for The Batman. Of course something has to happen, and it does. Cue the new villain, Bane, a domestic terrorist and fighting machine, living beneath Gotham and ready to strike and take over the city with his army of followers as they prepare to blow it up. Batman, already once annihilated by Bane in a previous battle, is dropped off at a mysterious prison with a broken back as he tries to recover both physically and mentally and hopefully in time to save Gotham City.
My Take: If you’re a fan of the series, you will see this film. If you’re not, now is the time to catch up and become a fan. This was the more epic of the three films and while you could argue “The Dark Knight” being the better of them, it may have been. “Rises” started slow but built up along the way. I wanted to know what happened to Bruce Wayne in eight years and I wanted to know why the city was safer. The writers revealed all that.
The new characters brought something to the table in this film. First, I have to say sorry to Anne Hathaway, I doubted she’d be any good at all but she rocked as Catwoman/Selina Kyle. She was just as bad as she was good and had that sexy/sly thing down pat.
Bane was not the Joker. But…
He was Batman’s greatest test. Bane was something different, a combo of brute strength and the brains to match. His plan was to take over Gotham and he did that. He knew the identity of Batman, and then he beat the hell out him and threw him in a prison. We find out a lot about Bane and his origins and that is great for the audience. My one issue with Bane was you can barely understand what he’s trying to say! I’m sure that is on purpose since he wears a mask that provides him with a serum that make him physically imposing and allowing him to heal faster and feel little pain. While Tom Hardy’s Bane was nowhere near Heath Ledger’s Joker, and we shouldn’t compare the two since nothing will come close to that, Bane gave Batman the bigger battle.
Final Take: See it! This was my favorite of the trilogy and even though some remarked about the film’s two hour and 45 minute run time, I could have sat there all day, but that’s just the fanboy in me. While I did miss the personality of the Joker and I’m going against my own advice in telling you all not to compare the two baddies, I wanted a bit more from Bane, but still loved all his destruction. The scenes of explosions and terrorism are as chilling as they are beautiful, and that’s a credit to everyone behind the scenes and director Christopher Nolan. If there was ever a perfect sendoff of three films, “The Dark Knight Rises” got it right.
Grade: A
As a matter of fact, I liked it so much I’m seeing it again tomorrow! This time on an IMAX screen!