A Perfect Finale for Nolan's Batman Saga

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2013)

And Christopher Nolan's genre-changing series of Batman films finally comes to a close with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. No matter what your opinions are of Nolan's Batman movies, you have to admit that they've had an effect on latest generation of superhero movies to arrive in theaters. With his trilogy finally complete and the all those involved moving on to other projects, I'll be curious to see where the comic book movie genre goes next. When I first saw THE DARK KNIGHT RISES in theaters (a midnight showing, of course, and one of the few I've attended), I admit I was initially disappointed but additional viewings have helped me appreciate it a lot more. The movie is set eight years following the events of THE DARK KNIGHT with Batman going on the run and the true details of Harvey Dent's death buried in hopes of using him as Gotham's shining hero. The city has enjoyed a time of peace as crime is at an all-time low, but this is all about to change. A terrorist named Bane has his sights set on Gotham. He arises under the guise as a freedom fighter with the goal of bringing the upper class to their knees while the lower class are allowed to rise to power, but Bane is no hero. Bruce Wayne returns to don the costume and investigate Bane but his time away from crime fighting has left him weakened. His initial confrontation with Bane leaves him broken, and Wayne must find the strength to return and, with help from a professional cat burglar, save Gotham from total destruction.
To put my views in perspective, I am a Nolan fan and I love his Batman movies. THE DARK KNIGHT is one of my favorite movies and I loved BATMAN BEGINS so much that it was one of the few movies I shelled out cash to see in theaters multiple times. So yes, my views are a little skewed toward the positive side. But my initial impressions of the final movie weren't as generous. It was a fine movie, sure, but it failed to live up to the immense hype I'd built in my own mind prior to seeing the movie. I knew Nolan would have a hard time topping THE DARK KNIGHT and I accepted this. I also reminded myself that Nolan's Batman universe isn't exactly the same as that of the comics and details were going to be fudged to make them fit in the overarching story he was attempting to tell. With a near 3 hour runtime, I was in no mood to humor these factors when I saw it in theaters and I walked away befuddled with my issues with the movie. It was slower paced, Wayne doesn't don the costume enough in the movie, and the finale was anticlimactic. But, over time and two more viewings on my own, I realize that this movie was a lot better than I was giving it credit for. Sure, there are still some plot issues I'm not a fan of but I remind myself that this is Nolan's Batman and any problems I have will probably be retcon'd in the next Batman reboot anyway. Just enjoy the Nolan series for what it is. And I do.
At a second glance, there is a lot about this movie I really like. Tom Hardy as Bane is just awesome. His bizarre voice took a minute to become acclimated with; it reminded me of Sean Connery talking through a tin can. Once I got used to his voice, Bane rose to become one of the best Batman villains that have been put to film yet, though not as remarkable as Heath Ledger's Joker (but, seriously, I don't see anyone topping that anytime soon). He is massive, intimidating presence and a perfect challenge for a Batman who's fallen into disrepair. What better motivation to rise than a madman with an insidious plan and the muscle to pound our hero into dust? On a related note, Anne Hathaway was an excellent choice for Catwoman/Selina Kyle. I was concerned at his casting at the beginning, but then I was just as concerned when Ledger was announced as Joker and my fears were proved unjustified when I saw his final performance. Hathaway does just as well; a cool manipulatorshe's beautiful but her sexiness isn't flaunted as it was in Burton's BATMAN RETURNS. I've also come to appreciate the overall plot of the film as an excellent finish to the series. It touches back on elements introduced in the first two movies and ties everything together nicely; you might almost assume Nolan had this planned from the start. I'm pretty sure he didn't, but it worked out great. The end has been caused for endless debate and complaints but, as long as I view it as an isolated Batman tale set in Nolan's own universe with no long-standing effect on the future Batman movies, I'm cool with it. I actually think it's a perfect end for the story Nolan has been building since 2005.