The Dark Knight Rises Review

It must be hard to make a sequel to one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of all time, a film that set the bar for not only superhero movies, but for cinema in general. Such is the challenge faced by writer/director Christopher Nolan in the follow up to The Dark Knight.

Nolan approaches The Dark Knight Rises in much the same manner as he addressed his previous two Batman films – by turning audience expectations on its head.

The payoff is a film that has an unexpected story, provides intriguing characters, showcases intense action, and, ultimately, pays off the Batman trilogy with a satisfying conclusion.

The film picks up eight years after The Dark Knight with Batman (Christian Bale) in self-imposed exile following the death of Harvey Dent. Bruce Wayne himself is a recluse, a man physically and mentally broken down by the sacrifices he made as Batman who now wants nothing to do with his past as the Caped Crusader. It’s a unique starting point for the film, one of many bold choices that Nolan and company make with the narrative.

Soon though, the introduction of the sultry and compelling burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway), an attack on his friend Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), and the emergence of the intense and menacing Bane (Tom Hardy) force Wayne to don the cape again. Wayne must relearn his old skills and prepare himself to make even greater sacrifices if he is to have a chance of thwarting Bane’s plan to destroy Gotham. Weave in weighty story lines involving Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and physicist/philanthropist Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and there are a lot of moving pieces to The Dark Knight Rises. The story ties in nicely with the previous films paying off Ra’s al Ghul and Two-Face from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Nolan balances each of these characters and story elements with deftness and surety that keeps everything moving at a quick pace. It’s an exciting film that, despite its 2 hour, 44 minute, 27 second runtime, feels brisk.

Each of the cast put in standout performances, but Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy really shine. Hathaway plays the Catwoman role with the playfulness and ferocity that the character deserves, and she lights up the screen every time she’s in the frame. Heath Ledger was legendary as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but Bane is equally impressive, despite the weird mechanical voice effects. Whereas The Joker was an intellectual and cunning villain, who, while not afraid to get his hands dirty, was content to play a chess match with Batman, Bane is a down-and-dirty beast reared in the fighting pits of a distant land come to Gotham to beat down anyone and everyone who stands in his way. You will not forget his first encounter with Batman. 

The growth of Nolan as a filmmaker from Batman Begins to The Dark Knight Rises is readily apparent. The way he frames action, the pacing and intricacy of the story, and the way in which he allows each character a moment to shine all show a highly skilled and confident filmmaker working at the top of his game. This is a well-done film and would be the highlight of many other film makers filmography.

Batman logos through the years

It’s not perfect though. The story, while rich and detailed, doesn’t hold up well under the microscope. It’s not fundamentally flawed as, say, Prometheus, but there are a few elements that don’t hold water. For instance, I’m pretty sure that Bane’s plan to isolate Gotham would have come undone by a well-timed invasion by SEAL Team Six. The fact that the U.S. government just abandons the city in the face of Bane’s terrorism doesn’t sit well. There's no way the city would have just sat there for months while Bane had his way. Ultimately, the few nitpicky points of the story can easily be overlooked. It is a comic book movie after all; a little disregard for reality is expected.

What Nolan and company have pulled off with The Dark Knight Rises is nothing less than astonishing. It culminates the eight-hour Dark Knight saga of Batman with an intense and satisfying conclusion. It showcases a phenomenal director and cast in a grand finale that maintains the high bar set by the previous two films and ends with an epic conclusion. While some may not like all of the choices in the narrative or be put off by the mechanical speech of Bane, I guarantee that Bane vs. Batman fights will get your blood pumping and make the experience worth your theaters dollars.

4 out of 5 Stars

Did you like what you saw with The Dark Knight Rises? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!