The Dark Knight Rises: Is Perfection Possible?

 Capping off the Nolan/Bale Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises opened this weekend. When compared to standard comic book movie fare, this series is quite unconventional. For it has opted for a, pardon the pun, much “darker” approach. Viewers wont find much slapstick in the Nolan series, but they will find a deeply enriching dramatic story told well. This final installment was perhaps the best of the three—a feat which can’t be said for most third films in a trilogy.

Before I continue, fear not reader, this review will contain no “spoilers.”

The dense story of The Dark Knight Rises opens with an emotionally beaten-down and physically-disabled Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) post Batman retirement. With Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) “out of commission” (Ha-Ha!) soon Batman is forced back into service. The eerily calm terrorist, Bane (Tom Hardy), hatches a plan to hold the city hostage with a hydrogen bomb manufactured by Wayne Enterprises. The showdown to save Gotham City results in several twists and turns, action packed emotional battles, and a fulfilling ending worthy of the franchise.

From a screenplay point of view, scribes Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, and David S. Goyer have packed a lot of story into a whopping 164 minutes. Each character had their moments to shine and, amidst the chaos of Gotham City under siege, managed to find some screen time for emotional sit down scenes that betrayed each of their flaws as well. The villains have justifications for their actions, and the good guys aren’t always as “good” as they’ve made themselves out to be. Batman is hampered by his pride, Commissioner Gordon by his past decisions, Alfred by his dedication to Bruce Wayne, and so on and so forth. Allegiances shift, and the film dares to argue that comic book movies don’t have to be popcorn munching “Wham” and “Pow” fests. They can go just as deep as any other drama to show us a grisly look at our own humanity.

There were many great performances to rave about, but perhaps none as breathtaking as Tom Hardy’s unrecognizable turn as villain Bane. After Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance as Joker, it was a tall order for any actor to tackle a trilogy-closing villain. Hardy’s Bane is not the intelligent and calculating Ra’s Al Ghul of Liam Neeson, nor the psychotic desensitized Joker of Heath Ledger. Hardy delivers Bane with a calm, quiet, visceral violence. The cadence of his voice was slow and calm as he spoke of horrors beyond normal human comprehension. With this role Hardy has smashed past the title of actor, and planted himself firmly in the title of legitimate movie star. (Although some insiders would probably argue that his role of Tommy Conlon in Warrior was the true catalyst for his movie stardom—and if you haven’t seen Warrior yet, go out and rent it NOW.)

Bale once again delivers as Batman, really turning in three performances: Batman, Public Bruce Wayne, and Private Bruce Wayne. Fans of the series will be delighted to hear that Bale’s throat-lozenge-needing Batman is mostly gone. In fact, a majority of his scenes did not have Bale in the Cape and Cowl, and those that did were mostly filled with action. Perhaps Nolan heard the cry’s of the “fan boys” and toned down the throaty warbling Batman of the past two films.

And newcomers to the series Joseph Gordon Levitt and Anne Hathaway definitely held their own acting chops-wise as young cop Blake and thief Selina Kyle (Catwoman) respectively. And what movie would be complete without stellar performances turned in by the always dependably awesome Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine.

Complaints: it wouldn’t be a review if I couldn’t think of any, so I guess it’s not a review. From top to bottom the film resonates and is a wonderful movie going experience. I could really stretch and say the love story between Wayne and Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) was a little “quick.” Additionally, (without giving anything away) there is a scene where Batman manages to make it back to Gotham from overseas and that left me thinking, “How did he get back so quickly?” These complaints are so minor that they barely warrant even reading, so just forget you read them and enjoy.

While Ledger’s performance as “The Joker” will always resonate, as a whole The Dark Knight Rises is the masterpiece of the series. It is not often that this reviewer finds himself pumping his fists like a giddy school boy, but what else do you expect? Batman lead a wave of police officers charging into Bane’s army like some grittily modern “Charge of the Light Brigade.” It was epic. Very few third films are better than the first or second. It seems with the Dark Knight series Nolan has tried to do something not often accomplished, with each film getting better than the last. The Dark Knight Rises is an action-packed, emotional, work of art that will not soon be forgotten (Though probably replaced by a studio re-boot in 2-4 years).