Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises Closes Book On Cape, Cowl, And Gotham City0

by Damon Martin

When director Christopher Nolan took over the ailing Batman franchise with 2005’s Batman Begins, expectations were exceptionally low after the one-time powerful film series had been reduced to a less than Adam West-worthy version in the final two ‘90s movies.

Nolan resurrected the bat with Batman Begins and raised the stakes even higher with 2008’s The Dark Knight, which is now seen as one of, if not the greatest, single comic book movie ever made. It was with baited breath then that comic book and movie fans alike anticipated the release of Nolan’s final film in the Batman trilogy, aptly titled The Dark Knight Rises.

The film was a guaranteed hit even before it was released in theaters today. The real question therefore was how much quality would be in Nolan’s film to go along with the quantity of tickets that would assuredly be sold.

A the point where the story picks up, our hero Bruce Wayne (played brilliantly by Christian Bale, who was the best Batman this side of Michael Keaton) has been retired for 8 years. Meanwhile Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) has managed to clean up Gotham City to a pristine level, and organized crime has been wiped off the map. Enter big, bad mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy), whose sole purpose in life is seemingly to create anarchy in a world ruled by an iron fist. Without giving away any kind of spoilers, the depths of this plot go much deeper than a madman hell bent on chaos (see The Joker in The Dark Knight for a lesson in that).

The dialogue and story in The Dark Knight Rises are once again superb. Nolan and his brother Jonathan have woven a tale that pays homage to both great cinema and the comic books the characters were based on. There are more than a few twists and turns, and while most take place in the final 30-minutes of the film, the set up that leads up to the final few scenes is brilliant.

Bale is a stalwart in his role as Bruce Wayne, the billionaire philanthropist, who has become a bit of a hermit since his caped alter-ego became vilified instead of celebrated. Anne Hathaway gives a strong performance as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman, although her purr isn’t nearly as powerful as Michelle Pfeiffer’s as seen in1992’s Batman Returns. Still, Hathaway plays a coy and younger version of the classic cat burglar, and a much more modern Selina Kyle for those that read any modern Batman comic books.

The brutish and powerful Bane played by Tom Hardy is a far, far cry from the outstanding and commanding performance given by the late Heath Ledger in his portrayal as The Joker in the last Batman film, but these are two completely different characters. Bane is a hulking thug who uses his fists and fighting style to get his point across, rendering the muffled words that come out of his mask covered mouth almost irrelevant. Hardy should still be commended however for being the element that makes Batman look mortal, as he casts a rather large, muscular shadow over the Dark Knight. The real star in this film however is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays beat cop John Blake. Levitt shines in a cast full of stars with his quiet and calm demeanor. He unleashes a masterful performance when the buttons get pushed and the bombs start exploding.

If there is one complaint to be made in The Dark Knight Rises, it’s some classic comic book mistakes and plot holes that open up during some of the film’s lesser moments, but those are quickly cast aside thanks to a determined screenplay interlaced with quick, slashing dialogue and plotlines.

The Dark Knight Rises is the final cape and cowl movie from director Christopher Nolan, and while rumors have already begun to swirl that another filmmaker will soon take over the reigns of the powerful DC franchise, it really seems like a shame. Much like when Superman 2 ended and you felt a real sense of closure, the final moments of The Dark Knight Rises makes you believe this is just the way the Batman story was meant to end.

With this film, Nolan’s showed everybody once again that comic books aren’t just for kids and great filmmaking can also involve a superhero wearing a cape and a cowl. The Dark Knight Rises may not be on par with its predecessor, but in the pantheon of great film trilogies, this Batman story can be seen as one complete masterpiece with no failing parts tearing at the seems of a perfectly woven story.