Rises Above The Rest!

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2012)

Trilogies can be a dangerous area to play with, especially with a series that is already hailed for its direction. But Christopher Nolan enters this zone with "The Dark Knight Rises" after the phenomenal success of his previous adaptation of the Batman figure, "The Dark Knight". With such hype and public following backing up this production is it worth the risk? To jeopardize you're recognition for re-inventing the superhero movie just for a few extra dollars? A series that has pushed the limits of this universe to the brink? In this case of Nolan's direction with this film, the answer is yes and he does the impossible with ease.
The events of this story take place 8 years after "The Dark Knight" where the mysterious, yet ruthless Bane enters Gotham City setting off a chain of events that forces Bruce Wayne to don the bat suit again and protect the city for the injustice that is being served. Along side this is an array of new characters that propel the plot while also creating an emotional resonance within. Joseph-Gordon Levitt plays the rookie, idealistic cop John Blake with such enthusiasm and depth that makes for an instantly relatable bond between the audience and the screen. Adding to the already stellar cast is two strong, independent female leads. Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a recent addition to the Wayne Enterprise who creates a connection with Bruce Wayne, and the slick, yet sexy Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a Robin Hood esque vigilante that lives away from the rich and luxurious world that most of our characters live amongst.
Showing the way Selina Kyle lives opens up to some of the themes that are a large concept in this essentially extravagant, epic summer blockbuster. Class crisis plays a large part as the rich have become powerful and the poor are becoming desperate. It's a contrast to our economic climate making this film more relevant than it initially appears. Metaphorically showing how people stand up to oppression and create anarchy is achieved through visually stunning set pieces, intertwining ideas and action into a competent mix. These ideas are there if you're looking for some contextual backbone, but not necessary for you to fully dissect.
By grounding the series to reality Nolan has essentially created art house films with his Batman realizations, mixing ideas with spectacle against a visually independent backdrop. The colour tones that filter the screen play against the mood of the characters and Wally Pfister's cinematography turns the epic scale all the way up to 11, while still making the low key and character filled scenes visually exciting. The direction is superb, managing to juggle the variety of characters on display giving them all the depth and development they all deserve. Managing to create this level of emotional engagement against a numerous amount of set pieces is a hard feat but the film is paced as the roller-coaster ride it is, taking the necessary twists and turns the plot decides to venture towards.
The series has built up to this epic conclusion in a film that feels entirely relevant and a director's work, instead of a studios decision. The level of spectacle on display is phenomenal giving the modern day film going the price of his admission plus more. The film takes the best parts of the previous installments and throws them into a circumstance that makes the last Harry Potter film look like child's play. The places the film goes are so unexpected and breathtaking that it's hard not to be amazed and fall in love with superhero films all over again. "The Avengers" may have created a visually exciting and enjoyable romp of a film, but "The Dark Knight Rises" manages to take those positives and attach a real sense of weight and peril to the situation. Though the story is primarily Bruce Wayne's and how he must rise to protect everything he holds close, it's just as much as the city of Gotham's film. You feel the danger; you feel the stakes, which is something that we haven't felt within a film of this caliber for a long time. With Hanz Zimmer score adding to the levels the film is escalating towards branded together with a phenomenal sound design making sure you feel every explosion, punch and gunshot it's hard not to feel the inner child within yourself trying to break free.
We've come along way over the last decade with superhero films. The idea of a comic book playing out as a motion picture has traveled so far and ventured to every corner of the spectrum that it's lacking the one thing that made them so special in the first place spectacle. We've been treated to awe of seeing our beloved characters jump to the big screen but how it all plays out rarely changes. Christopher Nolan is the game changer though, in his 164 minute epic "The Dark Knight Rises" we journey to those points and clichés we've grown up with merely to push past them, break them, entering a film that we are unlikely to see the likes of again or at least for a very long time. There may be the odd contrived moment but for a film on this scale they are easy to let go and are overshadowed. This is a dark; emotionally draining experience expertly crafted alongside beautifully staged action set pieces but it's a ride and it's certainly one that deserves to be taken.