The Dark Knight Rises really hammers home
how much the trilogy is, in fact, a trilogy.
It’s not a series that just happens to have three films in it. Viewed together, the story they tell of
Batman is a self-contained one, and the final installment is most definitely an
ending. (Some basic premise spoilers.)
We open
on a Gotham that, in recent years, has been policed by the actual police force
rather than the caped crusader. The
events of the last film have served a twofold purpose: 1) they’ve enabled stronger legislation to
give Gordon and other cops a fighting chance at cleaning up the streets, and 2)
they’ve shaken Bruce to the point that he’s hung up the cowl. But as the saying goes, just when he thinks
he’s out, he’s pulled back by the arrival of Bane, a mysterious figure with
immense power, warped ideals, and tangential connections with Bruce’s old
friends/adversaries the League of Shadows.
As he breaks out the old Batmobile again and starts tentatively getting
back in the game, he tests the waters of a few potential allies – namely, a
passionate young cop, a determined philanthropist, and a clever cat burglar who
may have a greater propensity for good than she realizes.
As
always, the cast is to die for.
Christian Bale does a marvelous job as a rustier, more guarded,
banged-up Batman. As for the newcomers,
Tom Hardy is a great Bane, a sort of hulking comic-book Robespierre (and all
but unrecognizable – I know he’s got the mask and everything, but still.) Anne Hathaway brings a neat mix of
self-interest, calculating misdirection, and cat-and-mouse playfulness to
Catwoman. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion
Cotillard both do well as Blake and Miranda, respectively.
The
plot, while more than a little on-the-nose, is enjoyable. Bane’s vision is greatly influenced by the French
Revolution (the DVD should probably come with a spoiler warning for A Tale of Two Cities,) and it’s really
neat to see how that dynamic is realized in a place like Gotham. Meanwhile, it’s cool to see Bruce rejoining
the fight after being out for so long.
He sort of has to rebuild himself from the ground up in order to take
Bane on, and the side of good is a real team effort here, more so than any
other film in the franchise. I like
watching Batman working with others, as well as watching how the rest of the
good guys get by on their own when he’s not around. In a way, his temporary retirement/refusal of
the call forces those like Gordon, Blake, etc. to step up their own
capabilities, which is good, because in this fight, Batman needs all the help
he can get.
Like
all the films in the trilogy, it’s definitely too long. This one is a whopping 2 hours and 45
minutes, and especially on rewatch, it can feel like a beast of a movie. It could’ve easily stood to lose half an hour. However, it’s an undeniably fine film that
brings the series to an excellent close.
It reminds me a tiny bit of the Breaking
Bad finale in that, before I saw it, I couldn’t have told you what I was
hoping for, but afterwards, I was decidedly satisfied.
Warnings
Heavy
comic-book violence, a little sexual content, drinking, swearing, and thematic
elements.
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