Before I begin, again, I'd like to send a moment to honor those that were senselessly murdered in last night's showing in Aurora, Colorado. If you have anger, despair, or some other emotion that inspires you to even toe that line where you would do something, Stephen King said it best: do something constructive. Don't be an asshole.
And now, the review.
Synopsis (as spoiler free as I can make it, using the elements from the trailers): Eight years have past since the end of the events of The Dark Knight. Gotham has settled down into a relative peace. Thanks to the decision to sacrifice The Batman in order to protect the work of Harvey Dent, Commissioner Gordon has virtually wiped out crime in Gotham, although the decision to do so weighs heavily on his soul. As for the Batman himself, he has mostly become a memory, and urban legend.
All that changes with the arrival of Bane, a former member of the League of Shadows, who arrives to Gotham to essentially perform the same task that Ras Al Ghul desired to accomplish: Gotham's downfall. Bane strikes at the fragile foundation that this peaceful Gotham has been built upon, and as the entire structure falls, and chaos reigns over the city, the city must once again turn to the protector that they once shunned, to try and save Gotham City, one last time.
Thoughts: The Dark Knight Rises (DKR for the rest of the review), already was behind the eight ball with the expectations heaped upon it from the raging success of The Dark Knight (DK). However, the film didn't shrink in the face of such stress, and rather than produce something that was merely average (Batman Forever, Terminator 3), or something that was absolutely steaming crap (Spider-Man 3, The Matrix Revolutions), DKR instead elevated itself to the rare platform of being a third film that successfully concluded the narrative with all the style and substance of it's predecessors, while leaving the audience feeling satisfied and saddened that the series is over, and wanting more.
The film draws upon several different Batman story arcs, mainly Knightfall and The Dark Knight Returns, with some elements worked in from No Man's Land and A Lonely Place of Dying worked into the mix. However, these are only the most notable of the story arcs, as Nolan gathers elements from all of the Batman universe to create this movie that feels familiar, and yet is uniquely original. There are even a few elements that are quite sneaky, but once you see them, you wonder how you missed them in the first place.
There are a great many themes at play in this film, but the two main ones being the importance of truth and loyalty. In the case of the former, the decision to hide the actions of both Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes continue to be felt, and both still have a looming presence over the beginning of the movie. The consequences of the creation of their near sainthood weigh heavily on the two caretakers of the lie, Jim Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth. In both cases, the law of unintended consequences takes effect, as a very different outcome surrounds the original good intention of the action, and in both cases, the caretakers wonder if it was really worth it. As for loyalty, that also plays a large role in the film, as the relationships surrounding much of the early characters of DKR are ambiguous, and often come off as relationships of convenience rather than true loyalties. Only when times truly get dire do we see the intricate web of personal connections among the two different factions, including some that we never really do see coming.
Christopher Nolan does another dynamite job in this film. The visuals are stunning, maintaining that dark, gritty feel that has come to be identifiable with Chris Nolan, while also showing various other sequences meant to portray the depth of despair, the opulence of wealth, and the dark shroud in which the Batman operates all help contribute to the rich tapestry of the film. The music is fantastic, as can only be expected from Hans Zimmer, who hands down is probably one of a handful of movie composers that can legitimately tap into the soul of a film to draw out its inner melody.
Christian Bale reprises his role as Batman, making him the only member of what I believe George Clooney has dubbed “The Brotherhood” (I’m assuming from this interview on Grantland, linked here), to have portrayed the role for three films. And he certainly delivers, giving a solid performance in both halves of his role. And it also brings to mind a question explored somewhat in the comics, but never in the movies until the Nolan franchise, the physical and mental cost of being Batman. In his zeal to assume his ideal, Wayne has sacrificed and been drained of so much of himself, that at some point, there is a breaking point where he will turn up empty.
Anne Hathaway, who received a lot of scrutiny over her casting as Catwoman, delivers in her part of the film, being a sassy, morally ambiguous, that hides the shards of her humanity deep within herself in order to be able to do her job. Her action sequences are also well done, and while the outfit itself isn’t quite what one would have expected when the announcement of the role was released, it’s quite appropriate for what it’s original intended role was. Overall, she did a good job, and while I’m not quite ready to crown her as the greatest Catwoman ever, she just might be (especially considering the competition.)
Bane is excellently portrayed by Tom Hardy, and is an upgrade to the abomination that was placed onscreen in Batman And Robin. He is close to what he was in the comic source material, that of a brute, but highly intelligent criminal, cut from the same cloth as Batman, but rather than sewn into the shroud of justice, he instead was sewn into the standard of evil. He also symbolizes another theme in the film: class warfare. Without giving away too much, Bane shows little empathy for those that are in power or wealthy, and has no problems deposing and possibly disposing of them. That said, I will admit, that it is in this department that there is some weakness in the film, but only from the standpoint that it was nearly going to be impossible to top Heath Ledger as the Joker, and almost any villain, despite how well he is implemented and created, would see slightly dimmer in the wake of that performance.
The supporting cast delivers as well, which is one of the strengths of the series that cannot be overstressed. I loved Michael Caine in this movie, who shows again all the fatherly love that Alfred in the modern comics feels for Bruce. In a way, you feel for him, as he knows that he cannot stop Bruce from donning the cowl again at some point, and likely wonders just how much longer he can continue to indulge Bruce's urge to place himself in danger, knowing that each night, there is a chance that the son that he never had will never return. Likewise, Morgan Freeman returns, and again, serves as not just a trusted armorer, but also a capable operative of the Batman when necessary. There are even a few characters that you may recognize from previous films, which solicit a variety of reactions, including one that will make you laugh your ass off once you recognize him.
Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also are solid in this film, and form a solid tandem. Oldman is solid as always, and while I can't elaborate too much on his actions or role, let's just say that he continues to amaze as a man who is just as devoted and shackled to his city as the Batman himself. Levitt is a welcome addition to the series, showing the melding of the two philosophies of both his mentors. He's rapidly developing into one of the better rising stars of Hollywood, and I look forward to seeing his work that will be coming in the near future (I'm already making plans to see Looper.)
It was also neat to see the different technologies from the prior two films worked in. While I'm not all that enthused about the design of the newest addition, the Bat, it does fit in with the function over style motif of the series, and, I will admit, it was an incredibly useful addition. I loved seeing the return of both the Tumbler and The Batpod, and even what appeared to be the return of the Batman Begins batsuit, although due to sleep deprivation and a caffeine binge, I'm not certain if it was.
All in all, it was a worthy conclusion to the Dark Knight series, making it the rare trilogy in which all three of the films are legitimately solid movies in their own right. It is the final stanza of Nolan's grand opus, and in the end, we are left pleasurably in awe and probably better for the experience. All in all, if more movies were made with the intent of telling a fantastic story, with all the quality writing and style that is available, maybe people wouldn't be so jaded with Hollywood. It'll never happen, though, which makes these cinematic treasures all the more valuable.
Okay, Minor Spoiler: There is no post credit scene, so go ahead and leave.
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