The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight was the second film in the re-booted Batman saga kicked off in 2005 by director Christopher Nolan’s genre levelling Batman Begins. Both of those films have received praise for various reasons, possibly none more so than their influence upon the modern comic book based or more specifically, "superhero" film.  The seriousness and intelligence Nolan as director and his co-writer David S. Goyer approached the initial material practically reinvented not only the genre, but an iconic figure. Batman, whom had seen no less than four films in the two decades before Begins arrived, was reborn as a brooding wall of justice, inhabiting a real-world looking Gotham City. A decided change that had already occurred many times over in comic book and graphic novel form, though in the pre-reboot movies, was brought to life in a much more garish and campy sense (though Tim Burton’s original film retains a respectable comic book flair). Established British thespian Christian Bale was given the task of taking on the mask, cape and alter ego of Bruce Wayne. Bale, not really known to mainstream audiences at the time, later appeared in Nolan’s film, The Prestige. The combined involvement of all three men meant the tone was set and anticipation was high for a new, darker take on one of DC Comic’s marquee franchises.

The X-Men movie franchise, which already had two films released by the time Begins began production, had laid the ground work for serious tone in comic book films and thanks to the work of director Bryan Singer (particularly in X2), audiences were ready for more of the same with their big screen superheroes. It is a simple fact that without the first two X-Men films, Begins could possibly not have been made the way it was and probably not have been a commercial success even if it had been. But Nolan’s film was truly unique and the combination of such a renowned character as Batman now being anchored in a more believable reality (in this case, Gotham is merely a parallel New York), including his villains, combined with a fresh, strong performance by Bale meant artistic and box office gold. Film fans and fan boys alike gushed at this new vision and apart from a few complaints (mainly Batman’s scowl and action direction); Begins was an origin story near perfectly realised. A sequel was inevitably green-lit.

When talking about The Dark Knight, it is best at this stage to keep it simple. A lot has already been said about it and the film is now forever etched into movie history, its legacy secured. But how did this hugely anticipated sequel become one of the highest grossing films of all time and set box office receipt records for a superhero movie? It was a combination of reasons, but in all fairness, the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the film’s central villain, a revamped take on the iconic Joker, mainly defined its commercial success. Though the actor’s appointment to take on the role met with some curiosity (Ledger died months before the film was released), his colossal performance was the kind not quickly forgotten. Audiences were mesmerised by his manic essay and soon people who did not normally care for superheroes were lining up for a screening. To say that was the only reason for its success is wrong however. TDK changed what constituted a blockbuster. It was a thick stew of action, intricate narratives and themes that were being explored like no other of its ilk. The problem is, that once Nolan agreed to do a third film and say it would be the closing of his saga, the second film become just that; a second film in a trilogy. TDK serves this role well, and in hindsight when the dust settled and people had fully absorbed what Ledger had achieved (culminating in a posthumous Oscar), the film itself has flaws. It was overlong with a bloated final act that was possibly one set piece too many. It’s plot too brazen for its own good. Flaws Nolan could certainly try and avoid with The Dark Knight Rises.

It's not perfect, but for the most part it does avoid them and ultimately, I believe it is as entertaining as TDK on a good day and serves its place as the final instalment of a trilogy almost perfectly. Bold statements like that need explanations no doubt, but if you take away Ledger’s performance, you take away a lot of what made TDK so entertaining. What remains is still an excellent movie, but Rises does not rely on a singular manifest in the same way. Yes, we have another strong villain (Bane) that dominates when on-screen, but the story and narrative are kept simple, straight forward and firmly set around the character of Bruce Wayne which it should do. This is a major action film with plenty of emotion. While the pace in TDK dogged the final product, here it is pitch perfect for a film of almost the same length. It doesn’t feel long, have unnecessary scenes and most certainly doesn’t bore with the final act serving over an edge-of-the-seat race against time backdrop. As if to go out with a bang, Nolan scripting with his brother Jonathan with only input from Goyer this time around, streamlines the plot, keeps his number of characters at just the right amount and leaves us to let the inevitable wash over. The film is certainly not without its surprises, however.

The many action scenes come broad (ooh big explosions), thrilling (the opening mid-air kidnapping) and on ground level (Bane vs. Batman). Combine this with Hans Zimmer’s dominating – but not overbearing – score that again echoes the original theme from Begins, Rises borders on sensory overload. To go with the eye candy, the script is also fairly impressive. It helps us perhaps too conveniently at times; not shy on spelling out an outcome or plot piece some may miss, but luckily this doesn’t come off as patronising. Given that the film does cover a lot of history within its own universe, it is almost welcome on one level. Dialogue is taut and meaningful; some highly emotional, though it all works mainly because the impressive ensemble delivers it all well.

Virtually all of the Nolan’s assembled players, including old and new faces for the trilogy know their roles well and keep it grounded effectively, as if knowing not bringing you’re best game to a film this big will stick out like a sore thumb. Bale proves yet again that he is truly the best Wayne and Caped Crusader in another stoic outing. Given the film is about his character so intensely he’s given more range to explore and does more than just go through the motions. New addition Anne Hathaway as a cat burglar/ eventual love interest, Selina Kane (aka Catwoman), brings a strong female character to the fray and is a welcoming fill of the Rachael Dawes void. She is sexy, tough and sassy. Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman return and are as solid as they were previously. Appearances by Mathew Modine and the stunning Marion Cotillard are also good and it’s great to see Ben Mendelsohn in a key role. There are two other roles that stand out more than most for me. One was Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police officer John Blake whose significance expands and becomes more relevant almost to the final reel. Certainly expectedly, Tom Hardy as main bad guy, Bane is the other. Though Hardy doesn’t electrify the screen like Ledger did as the Joker, his presence seeps through the film like a toxin. Already proven physically large in films such as Bronson and Warrior, here he bulks up even more for the role and is gigantic, has the majority of his face covered the whole time, leaving only his eyes and mammoth frame to impress. Whatever affect Nolan and Hardy had in mind for Bane, it is safe to say it has been achieved as the villain comes off more monster than man in several scenes. A colossus of strength with vocal articulation equally polite as it is booming and disturbing. Perhaps at times what he says seems muffled, but not enough to misunderstand.

Nolan has learned that after TDK and its own brand of overload, simple is sometimes best. A lot has been made about how Rises will be the end of the (his) Batman saga and thankfully he delivered a finale aimed more at crowd pleasing than intellectualising the opportunity away. Some may claim it is too simple and after Knight, perhaps a disappointment. This will depend on what you’re looking for. Nolan envisioned a trilogy and the films watched in succession will prove Rises to be exactly what the doctor ordered to finish it. On a pure technical level, it has out blockbuster-ed its own previous blockbuster with an addictive quality fans of big entertainment won’t be able to resist. Within context, it is played out with integrity and heart and The Dark Knight Rises achieves exactly what you expect, want and promised.

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