Review: 'The Dark Knight Rises'

Warner Bros. Pictures

Before production even began, The Dark Night Rises was set up to fail. It is not easy being the third film of a trilogy. Not only does it have to work as a film, it has to successfully wrap the trilogy as a whole. If this was not enough already, The Dark Knight Rises has to follow The Dark Knight, a film you may have heard of. It all doesn’t seem fair but if any current film maker can pull it all off and create a film that is worthy of being part of this batman trilogy it is Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight has several similarities but also have just as many differences, if not more, so it is hard to say if The Dark Knight Rises fully lives up to its predecessor but Nolan has still managed to construct a satisfying film that offers a  redemption story with heart.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after the events that transpired in The Dark Knight. Criminal activity in Gotham City appears to be in check without Batman as Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has stayed tucked away in his mansion but in the words of Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) “There’s a storm coming”. The emergence of Bane (Tom Hardy) brings chaos back to the streets of Gotham, therefore forcing Bruce Wayne to become Batman again. Where The Dark Knight’s Joker had detailed, well thought out plans of chaos and was more of a psychological threat than a physical one Bane uses brute force to bring about chaos and physically, he is the strongest man in the room, giving him his credentials as a villain to fear.

The only complaint I have with this villain is the mask he wears and the sound of his voice. The nose and mouth of Bane is covered which is a shame because Tom Hardy can act; take his performance in Bronson for example. Facial expression help to get across what someone is saying and is an important element to a character. Bane suffers slightly from this not being a part of him. The voice that is given to Bane is digitally altered to the point that it is hard to make out what exactly he is saying throughout the film. It is also seems to be out of place as it is much louder than any other voice. Maybe it will sound better on Blu-ray and DVD.

The Christopher and Jonathan Nolan penned script is by no means weak and in no way hurts the film but lacks the impact their past scripts have had. The dialogue doesn’t seem to carry as much weight as it seems to be simple and too much is explained which is something you do not expect from this writing duo. The weakest dialogue seems to be given to Selina Kyle as it is at times extremely cheesy and sticks out as if it were written by Sylvester Stallone. I will say however that there is a monologue given by Alfred (Michael Caine) about his and Bruce Wayne’s future that is one of the best in Nolan’s entire filmography.

While on the subject of Michael Caine, it is important to note that this film is his most substantial turn as Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth, both in screen time and importance. Caine is solid in a role that, from an emotional standpoint, shows the importance of not just Batman but Bruce Wayne. Alfred is not just saying that they are important to Gotham City but also saying that they are also very important to him personally. Given their history together, Bruce Wayne and Alfred have a special relationship and through the emotions of Alfred, this is put on display. Caine is able to convey these emotions in a heartfelt manor that gives the audience more to connect to.

In roles new to the trilogy, Anne Hathaway as the thief, Selina Kyle and Joseph Gordon Levitt as police officer John Blake hold their own and both play very important roles but the new comer that has the most impact is Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Cotillard is an actor that can effectively show so many emotions in her performance. Like he did in Inception with Mal, Nolan uses the attributes of Cotillard to enhance a character like Miranda Tate. Miranda is seen having emotions such as anger, control and fear and because of the talents of Cotillard the character really stands out and makes it hard not to find her interesting.

In a Nolan film, there is always something to support the action or intensity that is present and that something in The Dark Knight Rises is a story of redemption. I understand that this is nothing ground breaking but it is a relatable element in basically a fantasy film. This human touch is something that Nolan always manages to incorporate into his films and by doing so in a comic book adaption, he has made something that has been done over and over again new.

Grade: B+