The Dark Knight Rises Review

    

     Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think it is perfect in almost every way. I know I am not alone in this, which means that "The Dark Knight Rises," the follow-up to "The Dark Knight" and conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, had an impossible set of standards to live up to. So did it live up to them? Well, that depends on what you mean by "live up to."

     "The Dark Knight Rises" is not as good as "The Dark Knight." That doesn't mean that "The Dark Knight Rises" is bad, or even less than great, because it's not. "The Dark Knight" was a virtually flawless film. Some complained that it wasn't enough about Batman, but to me, Batman was merely part of an ensemble in that film, which worked to its benefit. Those who had that issue, though, will be happy to learn that in "The Dark Knight Rises" Bruce Wayne/Batman is back to his position in the front and center of the film. Other characters have large amounts of screen time as well, giving this a continuing ensemble feel, but the story is much more directly related to Bruce Wayne, if not quite to the same level as Batman Begins. 

     This is good because it means that Christian Bale spends more time out of the costume. Christian Bale has always been a better Bruce Wayne than Batman. Maybe it's the voice he uses, but Batman in this series has always felt like a different character entirely. This film changes that. Christian Bale's performance has a more unified feel to it which connects Bruce Wayne and Batman more conclusively.

     The supporting cast is strong as well, if not quite to the level of The Dark Knight. That's not a knock against this film, it just means that the Oscar worthy performances of Aaron Eckhart and Heath Ledger, RIP, are not in this film, and that, in order to give time to Bruce and the new characters, returning characters are given significantly less screen time. The new characters are strong also, especially Joseph Gordon Levitt as John Blake, but they can't quite fill the hole left by Eckhart and Ledger. Anne Hathaway is much better than expected as Selina Kyle, proving to be very entertaining in the role and not without pathos. Tom Hardy's Bane is very intimidating as well, although his voice is strange. There are moments where it works, but it is difficult to understand at best and distracting at worst. 

    Unfortunately, this film also has a few writing flaws. There are some moments that really stretch the suspension of disbelief. I understand that in these instances they are meant to keep the story arc strong, but it's tough to accept at times, including at some very major moments. The general plot is very strong though, if a bit confusing in the first half, and it is satisfying. It feels like a final chapter instead of just another sequel. It also lightens things up a bit and adds some humor, which was largely missing from the last two films. However, the conclusion of the film does feel like a bit of a stretch in the tying up of loose ends, but ultimately most of the script issues are relatively minor once the story comes together at about the halfway point. 

      So enough of where this film fell short, lets focus now on everything it got right. The visuals are as good as they've ever been. Gotham's design is different than in the last two films, cleaner, and that is reflected in the editing. The editing is improved over the last film, especially during the action sequences. Rather than containing many quick cuts that confuse the action, the editing is calmer, allowing us to see the events that are unfolding. This helps the action sequences in this film to be the best of the series before. Though they are still aiming for a realistic style, the fact that, for the first time in Christopher Nolan's films, Batman has an adversary who is a physical challenge for him allows for the action to be more exciting, as there is a level of doubt as to whether or not Batman will win his fight. 

     The tone of this film is also perfect. It is not quite as dark as the previous film, and actually allows itself to have some fun at points. These moments mesh in surprisingly well, even if the represent a slight departure from this deathly serious franchise. That doesn't mean that the film is less serious, though. The stakes are the highest they've been, and the film doesn't forget that, putting the characters in constant danger. The fact that it feels like a conclusion from the beginning also means that there is more of a feel that the filmmakers are willing to take bigger risks. This means that we are now worried about several characters who, otherwise we'd have assumed were completely safe. It is also very rousing at times. The film builds brilliantly to its exciting and, for the most part, satisfyingly epic conclusion. 

     So, in the end, "The Dark Knight Rises" lives up to the hype and provides a satisfying and exciting conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy. It might not have the same flawlessness as "The Dark Knight" did, mostly due to some confusing plot points and stretched believability, but it is still a great film in which the things it gets right are so well done that all of the flaws feel very minor in comparison. It is currently my favorite film of the summer so far, and is a film that I recommend everyone to see.

Grade: A-