The Dark Knight Rises - Review

Each character's prominence in the shot accurately indicates his amount of screen time.

The Dark Knight Rises completes one of the epic trilogies of modern cinema.  Without reading any further, you will have probably already seen the movie or know if you want to.  So my writing, as always, is meant to be a reflection on the film, not a way to convince you whether or not to see it.

My initial reaction to the film was posted as a Facebook status: "The Dark Knight Rises is a flawed but spectacular film."  Having now seen it a second time, I stand by this reaction.  But... the scale tipped in favor of spectacular for the second go around.  The flaws I mention didn't go away, but I guess I chose not to care about them as much.  They mainly include the influx of a slew of new characters whose main purpose is plot filler/to be killed off, a slightly bloated runtime (cut out 20 minutes and some of the aforementioned new characters), it gets a little too "talky" at times, and some scenes that weren't properly underscored as they could've been.  The film sometimes struggles to slow down from its lightning pace to let some of its key moments set in (i.e. a sad parting of ways for two main characters at the film's halfway point, a major character's departure towards the end of the film, silent shots of a Gotham in disarray, etc).  These are moments which Nolan should drive home to pack a bigger punch, but they sometimes get bulldozed over by the next scene in the queue.  TDKR is immensely ambitious, perhaps to a fault.

However, there's just so much that's great in TDKR.  And it's pretty hard to complain when that Hans Zimmer score kicks in with the action, especially in the third act.  The imagery is stunning, and I loved the scenes in the pit.  Michael Caine turns in another outstanding performance as Alfred - both witty and emotional.  Anne Hathaway makes for a brilliant femme fatale and was the most fun to watch.  Tom Hardy (whose mask forces you to read his eyes) plays an intelligent, but still brutal Bane.  Christian Bale plays a quieter, reclusive Bruce Wayne.  His Batman is broken and must rise up to become the symbol for the city that he set out to be.  TDKR doesn't feel like "the third Batman film", but rather a fitting exit for Gotham's watchful protector.

Selina Kyle is a classic femme fatale... on a Bat Pod.

Nolan's Batman films are particularly effective because they speak to themes Americans hear about constantly in the news: terrorism (TDKR opens with a hijacking), privacy issues ("clean slate" software, cell phone tracking in TDK), and their setting in what is clearly NYC.  The films are set in post-9/11 America and call for a hero to rise up from the masses to combat the terror at her doorstep.  "Batman can be anybody," we're told.  These are compelling examples of modern filmmaking that hit home with audiences and critics alike.  Hollywood can turn on the bat signal Nolan has left for us.  He'll be sure to answer with another fantastic blockbuster for years to come.  Job well done.

4.5 out of 5