So, at last, like scores of people here in the US and around the world, I was finally able to see the final installment of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, and it is with great pleasure that I can tell you that I loved the movie entirely. Altho there were some minor problems, I’d say that Nolan and his cast of actors did a fine job bringing to a close this series of Batman films. I will do my best to review the film without providing any spoilers that might ruin the movie-going experience for any of you. Click below to see what I think about The Dark Knight Rises.
The first thing you should know about The Dark Knight Rises is that it is a very BIG story … massive, actually. The themes and action that take place are colossal, the plot takes place over a series of months and the film itself has a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes. It’s big. The second thing that I must make clear is my opinion of Anne Hathaway‘s performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. I am a big enough person to confess that my fears that she would not be a good enough actress in the role were completely unfounded. While I, personally, do not find her a better Catwoman than, say, Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, I will say that she is a great Selina Kyle/Catwoman for this film. Where Pfeiffer‘s Catwoman was a bit more camp (and fun), Hathaway‘s Catwoman is a bit more realistic (and dark). Hathaway manages to successfully project the nuances that make Catwoman a complex character and she manages to do so in a very believable manner. Again, I must make clear, my worries that she would not do well in the part were unnecessary. As the months and weeks led up to the release of TDKR, we were told things by some of the actors about the film’s characters that are flat out lies. I don’t want to reveal exactly what I’m referring to (so as not to spoil the “twist”) but if you go back and read some of the coverage that was written up about TDKR after you see the film, you may understand what I’m referring to (in particular, I am referring to the characters played by Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I loved the usage of flashback scenes peppered thruout the film … we see images from both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight in the film (tho, not a single mention of the Joker was ever made). The flashback scenes helped tie together all 3 films into one cohesive story. I was very happy to see that the Bane character as he is known in the comics is, for the most part, kept intact. There is an excellent homage to a pivotal scene in the Knightfall comic book series in this film … those of you who have read the books will know what I’m talking about when you see TDKR. Altho I figured out the plot twist early on, I still enjoyed watching the development play out. Other reviewers have remarked on how much they loved the ending of the film … I am not so sure about how much I loved it. Everything does get wrapped up nicely, I guess, but the end is also left wide open … which is odd since Christopher Nolan has said he is done making Batman films.
I don’t know that The Dark Knight Rises will be good enough to garner a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards but it’s a very good film, one definitely worth seeing. It remains to be seen how the Colorado shooting will effect the film’s performance at the box office but I suspect it will still do very well. I liked the film a lot … I will likely see it again. I’m really curious to hear what others think about the film … so hopefully we can continue this discussion in the comments below without spoiling the film for those of you who haven’t yet seen the film. IMHO, The Dark Knight Rises is an excellent bookend to the Batman saga. I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up.
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Mike Newell Mike Nichols Mike van Diem Mikhail Romm Miki Sawaguchi
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