Empire's The Dark Knight Rises Movie Review

The Dark Knight Rises
God help the bloke who reboots this

Plot
Eight years after Batman disappeared, blamed for murder, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a wounded recluse, but Gotham is vibrant — until masked maniac Bane (Tom Hardy) decides it’s high time to bring the city down. Facing this new threat and mysterious cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), Wayne decides the Dark Knight must rise, once again.

Review

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As The Dark Knight Rises, so has anticipation. In 2005, when Christopher Nolan rebooted and resuited Batman, the cinematic reputation of the Caped Crusader was at a pitiful low after the gaudy debacle of The Film That Shall Not Be Named. Now, a short seven years later, Nolan could deliver the print of his trilogy topper in a chariot drawn by flame-breathing unicorns with diamond eyes and some people would still shrug and say, “Meh. It’s not as impressive as The Dark Knight.” In this — as within Rises itself — he could be said to be the victim of his own success. He raised the bar so high, no-one could be expected to clear it. Still, whether you believe this betters Begins or eclipses Knight, it is certainly a satisfying conclusion to what is now — we’re calling it — the best superhero series of all time.

Not that Nolan ever really wanted his Batman to be ‘super’ — instead, he posed what proved to be a compelling question: what if this were real? Sure, it’s hardly Ken Loach’s Batman (though we’d pay to see that: about a Hackney bat-wrangler with anger issues), but Nolan bends more rules of physics than he breaks, with his heart focused on the heart of Bruce Wayne: a child traumatised by the murder of his parents and raised with a rage he cannot quench. Rises asks other probing questions: Can you redeem without sacrifice? Can revenge bring peace? What the bloody hell is Tom Hardy saying?

Actually, the preview footage palaver about Bane’s babble is largely irrelevant: he may sound like Sir Ian McKellen gargling meths in a wind tunnel, but the verbal clarity of the masked, muscled monster is never as important as his brute bulk (though he does have some memorable vocal barbs). Hardy looks like he could have played the Hulk — with a CG Bruce Banner — and is more than convincing as the man who could break the Bat. For the first time, perhaps ever, you really worry for Batman, with his armoured suit unable to disguise a relative physical frailty, his body worn down by years of putting it in the literal line of fire for the citizens of Gotham.

Bane is not fuelled simply by whatever pumps through his mask, either, as Alfred (Michael Caine) observes: “I see the power of belief.” The Wayne family butler has acted as his master’s conscience throughout the films and he’s at it again here, challenging the bruised billionaire about what he could achieve if he sought social justice instead of rough. Indeed, there’s a sense that Wayne has regressed back to the boy of Begins, his journey out of the grief of his orphaning reset by the death of his childhood love.

As Gotham prospers in the wake of the criminal crackdown brought about by the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent — and his mythologising by Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) — Wayne feels he can stay hidden in his mansion, a truculent Beast resisting being transformed by Marion Cotillard’s Beauty. Where his parents were active, engaged philanthropists, giving life to the city, Wayne nurses only his own grief. He walks with a stick as symbolic of his psychological frailty as his physical degeneration. Here, the film could be said to be going over old ground, but Wayne’s mental fissure has been mined in the comics for 73 years and it’s testament to Christian Bale’s stalwart, admirably unshowy but soulful performance that we once again feel for a man born to privilege but eternally trapped in a personal prison.

This is aided by a valedictory feel to the first act, with everything freighted with the knowledge of its finality and a sense that this will not end well. Caine is all heart in a beautiful recollection about his hopes for his surrogate son, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt — who looks supremely dashing despite a somewhat glamour-free role as a rozzer — also has a sorrow-fuelled speech, but with a more positive sense of belief to counter Bane’s destructive faith.

Then, when Batman finally returns, you relish the gleeful comment of a copper to a younger colleague: “Boy, you are in for a show tonight, son.” That you are, even if the film doesn’t, until the very end, match the emotional tenor of its blistering beginning. That 45 minutes or so can be called the ‘beginning’ gives a clue that Batman not only rises but lengthens. This is a long film that feels weighed down somewhat in its middle section, struggling to carry the weight of exposition. The desire for scale and belief-beggaring action also means that, curiously, what would be other movies’ budget-blitzing conclusions are reduced, in a way, to the level of mild incident. There is more plot here than there is story and as impressive as certain scenes are — the sporting spectacle seen in the trailer, for example — they can feel a little like a very expensive treadmill when you’re waiting for the emotions to really run.

As ever, Nolan’s Batman is at its best in the more intimate moments — whether it’s a man finally realising a hero’s identity, or the scene- (and jewellery-) stealing introduction of a new character. As slinky burglar Selina Kyle, Anne Hathaway is superb: physically dangerous, emotionally intriguing and sexy without milking it. (It’s a very different take from the Catwoman portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, but no less enjoyable.) As ambiguous as Kyle is, her journey shares with Wayne’s a sense of struggling for a fresh start, for a clean slate, ultimately for redemption.

Many of the best characters in the Batman universe offer a mirror to the man himself, whether walking that razor-wire between justice and revenge, or being trapped by the traumas of the past.

Dedicated fans of the comic books are unlikely to feel surprised by many story twists here, but that’s no surprise in itself given the DC icon’s extensive history. Another story strand feels a little familiar and may unconsciously reflect the director’s love of Bond (please, God, let him and Bale one day deliver 007), but it’s ideas, not schematics, that you will be mulling over afterwards. What’s impressive is how Nolan, his fellow story wrangler David S. Goyer and co-screenwriter Jonathan Nolan have found a way to bring their Bat-cycle full circle without coasting — instead touching on our world within a comic-book context.

Where Avengers demolished New York with a glee unrivalled outside of a terrorist training camp, Rises takes turning Gotham into Gomorrah very seriously indeed. Nolan’s has been the Batman of the War On Terror and the credit crunch, made in an age where belief-driven crazies threatened world security (Osama bin Laden, George Bush) and men with nothing more than computers and a sense of entitlement destroyed arguably as many lives as thugs with guns. Rises plants seeds of sedition, questions the position of the financial elite and presents the plight of the 99 per cent. Even as the jeopardy ratchets and our position — as surrogate citizens, the people Batman has sworn to protect — is dire, Rises doesn’t forget to have some fun, with a pyrotechnical act that brings to mind Fight Club’s Project Mayhem. It’s this balance between sobriety and sensation that is Nolan’s most significant achievement throughout these films. Batman can easily play as either glum or camp — it takes a special talent to not just recognise his inherent absurdity and his inspirational power but also embrace them both: a talent with a taste for the theatrical.

Verdict
With spectacle in abundance and sexiness in (supporting) parts, this is superhero filmmaking on an unprecedented scale. Rises may lack the surprise of Begins or the anarchy of Knight, but it makes up for that in pure emotion. A fitting epitaph for the hero Gotham deserves.

Reviewed by Nev Pierce

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Average user rating for The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rses
The Best Ending To One Of The Greatest Trilogies Of All Time ... More


Posted by LukeTheFilmFan at 15:06, 21 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
L: Mr Gittes Well said. Indeed, some of the plot holes people are so happy to dig into do actually have logical or emotional explanations. But, regardless, I've never really had a problem with plot holes as long as I care about the story and characters and the movie is well directed and acted. I think this new internet sensation formed by the likes of the Plinkett reviews have led some to believe that plot holes and minor flaws make movies bad when really it's because the reviewed... More

Posted by chris kilby at 11:42, 08 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
L: Mr Gittes Well said. Indeed, some of the plot holes people are so happy to dig into do actually have logical or emotional explanations. But, regardless, I've never really had a problem with plot holes as long as I care about the story and characters and the movie is well directed and acted. I think this new internet sensation formed by the likes of the Plinkett reviews have led some to believe that plot holes and minor flaws make movies bad when really it's because the reviewed... More

Posted by Lisamoviegeek at 12:41, 07 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
The second best trilogy closer next to The Bourne Ultimatum. ... More


Posted by Cool Breeze at 19:59, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
Besides the Narrows though... it was always basically Chicago. ... More

Posted by rich at 18:49, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Don_a_van L: Dannybohy I thought Nolan managed to create a great Gotham in Batman Begins, the slums, the monorail etc. Then I go to the cinema to watch TDK, first scene in bleached daylight on mundane cityscape, looking more like a scene from HEAT! and I'm like! what the hell!! I enjoyed TDK but it felt like a completely different version of Gotham from Begins. I watched Begins again at the weekend so I know what I say is the truth!.. love the calling in the Bats scene! ..... More

Posted by Dannybohy at 14:42, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Dannybohy I thought Nolan managed to create a great Gotham in Batman Begins, the slums, the monorail etc. Then I go to the cinema to watch TDK, first scene in bleached daylight on mundane cityscape, looking more like a scene from HEAT! and I'm like! what the hell!! I enjoyed TDK but it felt like a completely different version of Gotham from Begins. I watched Begins again at the weekend so I know what I say is the truth!.. love the calling in the Bats scene! ... I've played the... More

Posted by Don_a_van at 14:15, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: AxlReznor L: MonsterCat L: Don_a_van I've yet to watch my perfect Batman movie I'm afraid. or me Adam West's Batman is almost there. lol hipster choice r the choice of someone who likes appallingly cheesy movies. ote] That too. ... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 12:09, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Don_a_van L: Phubbs Cliched maybe but I just wish there was a little more dark goth involved in these films and less cop drama. ot going to get into the plot holes argument as every film has them but this IMO is the most important reason why Nolan's Batman doesn't work for me. If Christain Bale didn't have his mask, I could have been watching an episode of CSI New York (with a similiar effects\stunt budget too). Not saying Burton's films are the best by a long chalk as... More

Posted by Dannybohy at 11:58, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: MonsterCat L: Don_a_van I've yet to watch my perfect Batman movie I'm afraid. or me Adam West's Batman is almost there. lol hipster choice r the choice of someone who likes appallingly cheesy movies. ... More

Posted by AxlReznor at 11:58, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Don_a_van I've yet to watch my perfect Batman movie I'm afraid. or me Adam West's Batman is almost there. lol hipster choice ... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 11:16, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Phubbs Cliched maybe but I just wish there was a little more dark goth involved in these films and less cop drama. ot going to get into the plot holes argument as every film has them but this IMO is the most important reason why Nolan's Batman doesn't work for me. If Christain Bale didn't have his mask, I could have been watching an episode of CSI New York (with a similiar effects\stunt budget too). Not saying Burton's films are the best by a long chalk as they also have the... More

Posted by Don_a_van at 11:10, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/197/319/batma n-bomb.gif?1320800858 ... More

Posted by Dannybohy at 09:05, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: TDKR
L: Phubbs SPOILER WARNING! The Dark Knight Rises I will admit deep down I have always preferred the Burton Batman's I cannot lie. I think there are two camps for the Batman films and like marmite you either like or dislike them. Lets step into the Nolan universe one last time then shall we...supposedly. So the film continues on from the previous two films and continuity wise its very well done. Everything and everyone is back in the places they should be ready to follow thr... More

Posted by Dannybohy at 08:58, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
Well said. Indeed, some of the plot holes people are so happy to dig into do actually have logical or emotional explanations. But, regardless, I've never really had a problem with plot holes as long as I care about the story and characters and the movie is well directed and acted. I think this new internet sensation formed by the likes of the Plinkett reviews have led some to believe that plot holes and minor flaws make movies bad when really it's because the reviewed movies were just badl... More


Posted by Mr Gittes at 01:39, 06 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The threequel curse is lifted!
Sorry about that. Continued... ...making TDKR the most emotional of the three as well as the most sweepingly epic. That was another element of the movie that just knocked me out. The sheer scope of it was amazing. You see, that was another reservation of mine before going to see it; I didn't think it could possibly get any bigger than The Dark Knight. But, boy, was I wrong. This was not only bigger than the TDK but it was one of the biggest movies I've seen, period. But the epic sweep is p... More


Posted by Mr Gittes at 23:43, 05 February 2013 \| Report This Post



The threequel curse is lifted!
It's not an easy task reviewing a movie that has split so many fans without receiving backlash, so I'll remind those who are reading this that film is a subjective medium and this is just my opinion. I do not fall into the group of people who condemn this movie in every way nor am I one of those fans who consider it flawless. First off, unlike many people, I had low expectations for The Dark Knight Rises. Don't get me wrong, I loved Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Maybe it was the superher... More


Posted by Mr Gittes at 23:01, 05 February 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
L: Porrohman L: chris kilby L: manwihtheplan Anyone notice how Bane and his crew leave the stock exchange in the daylight but a few mins later Batman gives chase through the tunnel and it's night time. ham City dusk lasts about two mins. o, funnily enough. No-one else mentioned it. Care to elaborate...? ope!, never ever been mentioned ever ever ever before ever!! I'd like to know how bruce got from wollaton hall in nottingham to gotham so quick! bloody stupid... More

Posted by jobloffski at 14:33, 19 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
The bottom line... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQJuGeqdbn4 ... More

Posted by Phubbs at 17:59, 18 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
L: chris kilby L: manwihtheplan Anyone notice how Bane and his crew leave the stock exchange in the daylight but a few mins later Batman gives chase through the tunnel and it's night time. ham City dusk lasts about two mins. o, funnily enough. No-one else mentioned it. Care to elaborate...? ope!, never ever been mentioned ever ever ever before ever!! I'd like to know how bruce got from wollaton hall in nottingham to gotham so quick! bloody stupid i tell thee. ... More

Posted by Porrohman at 16:54, 18 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
Saw this last night for the first time on Blu Ray. had its moments. I wasn't bored, put it that way. Just not my kind of film to get absorbed into I guess. Much more of a Fargo chap. Still, Blu Ray... ... More

Posted by Moorish at 13:38, 15 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
You say "twists," I say "plot holes." Let's call the whole thing off! ... More

Posted by chris kilby at 01:06, 07 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
A fantastic ending to the trilogy! I loved the twists. ... More

Posted by Lisamoviegeek at 14:24, 06 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
L: chris kilby Of course I'm still waiting for an explanation of Commissioner Gordon's dry cleaning bills and Bruce Wayne's travel arrangements. Just don't anyone mention cops down the sewers. Not to boyinly... answer to all three is Gotham City Corruption. ... More

Posted by Hood_Man at 03:25, 06 January 2013 \| Report This Post



RE: The Dark Knight Rises
Of course I'm still waiting for an explanation of Commissioner Gordon's dry cleaning bills and Bruce Wayne's travel arrangements. Just don't anyone mention cops down the sewers. Not to boyinly... ... More

Posted by chris kilby at 15:43, 05 January 2013 \| Report This Post



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The Dark Knight RisesGod help the bloke who reboots this

The Dark Knight Rises
God help the bloke who reboots this