The Legend Ends

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2012)

To this day, the only Batman films I've ever enjoyed are the ones made by Christopher Nolan. In fact, the original quadrilogy bores me. What makes Nolan's films so special is that he is able to expand the concept of what a superhero film can be without making it unbelievable. Whether or not you like Nolan's Batman films, they have already become sources of huge inspiration for many filmmakers. BATMAN BEGINS is fantastic and THE DARK KNIGHT is even better. Therefore, the main question people will ask during this film is "How can this top TDK?," and the answer is apparent: It can't. I don't even think that it's better than BATMAN BEGINS, but that doesn't make TDKR bad. No doubt, TDKR is a fantastic end to a lovely trilogy that will be cherished by many people in the coming future, but it isn't without its faults.
As with most sequels, TDKR tries to top its last two predecessors. For Hollywood, this usually means making everything bigger and grander, and this applies to Nolan. Yes, everything is much more epic in TDKR, from the bombastic score by Hans Zimmer to the even darker tone to the new collection of characters and to the many story lines that come with them. This brings several problems to the film: It makes TDKR unnecessarily convoluted, and there's a lack of narrative cohesion. It would be better had the film dropped some subplots. In particular, there is a romance between Bruce Wayne and Miranda Tate that really comes out of nowhere with no development leading up to it at all. Tate could have been a friend of Wayne, and the story would still work. The first half is also pretty choppy and a bit uninteresting as it essentially sets everything up.
It isn't until the second half that TDKR really shines. The story slowly starts to pick up momentum, and everything starts to work like clockwork, all leading up to a stunning climax. Despite a questionable plot twist, the third act is noticeably more exciting than the ones from BATMAN BEGINS and TDK. Likewise, the last 10 minutes is one of the most emotionally satisfying conclusions ever put on film. It shook me, and had there been no audience members in the theater with me, I would have bawled like a baby. On top of that, Nolan seems to have a firmer grip on the action scenes, which are shot and cut more skillfully than his previous attempts.
Christian Bale has already owned the role as Batman, as with Gary Oldman as the lovable Commissioner Gordon, but let's talk about Michael Caine. He is such a great actor, and the few key scenes he appears in TDKR remain to be some of the highlights of the film. Additionally, there are many new actors aboard the film, including Tom Hardy as Bane. Hardy looks unrecognizable and he pulls off a menacing performance, although some of his dialogue is unfortunately lost through his mask. It's clear, though, that the late Heath Ledger as The Joker was a much better villain, elevating TDK to a considerable level. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great as a young cop, but it's Anne Hathaway who manages to surprise, playing Catwoman. She is appropriately cunning and sexy at the same time, and there is little camp in her performance which is a plus.
As you can see, TDKR has a lot of flaws. At times, the film can be a little too bleak, murky, and slow. However, all these flaws add up to very little when compared to the film as a whole. It's a summer film that probes the mind. To say the film isn't perfect is obvious, but TDKR is a masterful, harrowing, and epic conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy, filled with symbolism, themes, and allegory. Because of that, the film is great, flaws and all.