It's been four years since The Dark Knight came and taken both Batman and the idea of superheroes in general to a whole new level. Now they have finally made the third movie for the Dark Knight franchise. Did they give us the movie we've been waiting for? Let's find out in my 300th review: The Dark Knight Rises.
Plot: Eight years after The Joker was defeated and Harvey Dent was killed, Gotham has been living in peace under the Dent act which helped Commissioner Gordon nearly destroy organized crime completely. Bruce Wayne has locked himself up in his mansion feeling like he has nothing left to live for after stopping The Joker and losing Rachel. But then while Gordon and the police follow a lead to an investigation, Gordon discovers that a group of terrorists lead by Bane where he manages to escape, but is shot in the process. Shortly after that, Bane and his followers attack the stock exchange in Gotham where he begins to start creating chaos in Gotham leaving Bruce Wayne to come back as Batman and try to stop him.
Now I will say that as a movie, The Dark Knight Rises did not best The Dark Knight, but it's likely going to be just as memorable. The story despite a couple of issues is very deep and complex. The characters where very loyal to the comics, some of them where loyal at some unexpected points and altogether were an extreme lot of fun to watch throughout the movie. The action was much, much better then they were in the first two films, mostly in the extent that the fights were shot in much wider camera shots then they were in Batman Begins and Dark Knight which to me, made it easier and more fun to watch. But there are a couple of issues that I had with the film. For example, *WARNING SPOILERS* I thought it was really dumb how they first showed Selina Kyle as Catwoman. I mean she's just being Selina Kyle in a couple of scenes, and then in the middle of a chase scene she all of the sudden is Catwoman for the first time in the movie for 15 seconds and then it's back to the chase scene. I think it would've been better if we first saw her as Catwoman in the film during the scene where she attacks Daggett over the matter of getting the program she's after. Because while that wouldn't have have been perfect, I thought it would've given us a more dramatic entrance for Catwoman then just put her in for 15 seconds in the middle of a totally different scene as a way to introduce her as Catwoman. The same would be the way they introduced Crane in the movie. He wasn't shown until he started sentencing that one guy, and I thought it would've worked better to first show him when they first showed the courtroom during Bane's speech. Then there's a bunch of really cheesy parts in the film like Bane going "impossible" when Batman returns to Gotham, the whole thing about a bomb and that Batman has to supposedly sacrifice himself to keep it from blowing up Gotham, and then there's the part when Bruce Wayne escapses the prison, which was cheesy in itself that it would be set as a really dramatic moment, but it's just that he escapsed just by succeeding in making that ledge which I think would've only been good if he did like a certain clever thing where he would make it or something like that. Then, the final battle was not what I was hoping for. I mean whenever I was thinking about what the final battle was going to be like, I kept thinking it was going to be a battle where it's Bane and his mercenaries verses, not only Batman and the police, but practically every man, woman and child in Gotham. (Not really children mind you, but you get the idea.) Cause considering the times in the Batman comics where Batman will rely on even gangs to help him whenever there's a war in Gotham like in The Dark Knight Returns, I thought that even the civilians would be wanting some action against Bane and his men as part of the final battle for Gotham,. But not only did that not happen, but strategically, the battle for the sake of the police sucked. Finally, there's the ending. Obviously, there's the stuff that's really confusing and all that, but I really have trouble accepting it. I mean the idea to it is wonderful. I mean we're talking about ANY superhero let alone Batman getting to live happily ever after with their city or other place being permenantly evil/crime free forever. I mean that's a grand idea to me because when it comes to superheroes, the best ending you'll get is one ultimate catastrophy averted and the hero gets the love interest. So it's pretty big of the idea of any superhero let alone Batman hang up the cape for good knowing that everything's going to go wonderfully from here on out. But the problem is that they really rushed it. It just ended too quickly and while I kind of like it, quite frankley can't except it because it's so rushed that it really doesn't feel right. *END OF SPOILERS* But other then that the only real issues I had with the movie as a whole was there there were tiny bits of dialogue and certain parts of the plot that I did find a little cheesy. But regardless, it's very dark, complex, with some very good action, better acting from some of the particular actors from the trilogy, and like the other films, packed with some very well done story/character development that brought the story of Batman to a dramatic and memorable conclusion.
Acting/Characters:
Christian Bale/Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman: First thing to say is that Bale actually did a rather excellent job as Bruce Wayne. I mean I thought he was fine before with being focused on the mission while secretly being a playboy billionaire, but he improved in this movie to the point where even if he's in the batcave with Alfred or something like that, he speaks so much louder and clearer which made him so more more believable as a character. As Batman I enjoyed him more when it came to the action because again, they gave us much wider shots, and just how they gave us more gadgets for him to use. He may still have the voice, but so what? He's still Batman and he's still awesome. And Bale does display every bit dramatic thing that Batman goes through extremely well.
Tom Hardy/Bane: Well the first thing is that I was really skeptical at first when it came to Bane's voice. I mean sure, part of it is that I can't always understand him as people have mentioned already, but I imagined that his voice was going to be lower and deeper then it turned out to be. But I got over it after a while and still really enjoyed how he really was menacing, powerful, dangerous and while wasn't as psychotic as The Joker, really gave us an even wider scale of chaos in Gotham. An being an improvement from the Bane in Batman & Robin? Biggest understatement of the fricking millennium.
Anne Hathaway/Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman: When Anne Hathaway was announced to be Catwoman in this film, naturally, we all were skeptical about the whole idea that the woman who was once that cute teenage girl from Princess Diaries and has since been in between nice to less then good films like Devil Wears Prada, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Valentine's Day and so on would all of the sudden be Catwoman. But at the end of the day, she actually turned out to be the best Catwoman there is to date. She was pretty much exactly who Catwoman is; smart, manipulative, cunning, hot (like that even needs to be said) a skilled thief, a bad-a fighter, yet has he conflict between good and evil and with her relationship with Batman. I mean the bummer thing is that they never even mention her name, but oh well.) Michelle Pfeiffer still did an awesome job as Catwoman and she still will still be remembered well for it, but it's Hathaway who gave us that ever so popular burglar that has tricked Batman and stolen his heart time and time again ever since she stepped foot into the comic.
Music: Now there was not a lot of new music to listen to since most of it was some of the same tracks that we have with both Batman Begins and Dark Knight. But there some new tracks here and there that while I currently don't find them excellent were still pretty good.
Editing: Aside from my issues that I mentioned during the spoiler alert section, I enjoyed the editing a lot especially since, again, the camera shots for the action were wider which made the action and the editing for it much more enjoyable.
And that's my review for The Dark Knight Rises. It may not exceed The Dark Knight, and it has a few stuff that didn't work out the way I for one wanted it too, but it's still an excellent, very well done movie with great characters, very complex story, and just an awesome film to bring the Dark Knight trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. And thus that brings me to a total of 300 reviews so I'd like to say thank you for reading my reviews, and here's to maybe reaching 400 eventually.
Also, here's my video review of The Dark Knight Rises and a new thing I decided to do for my reviews called a spoiler video.
Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rBXCuqTqjc&feature=plcp
Spoiler Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrBK7zO3z78&feature=plcp
But as I finish this review, let us never forget the shooting that took place in Aurora, Colorado, which is only less then an hour or so by car from where I live. That said, I ask that you let your prayers be very well with everyone that was in that theater whether they were shot or not. This was a horrible thing for anyone in there to experience even if nothing happened to them. And prayers for the shooter that justice is done to him, but at the process of that, that somehow he'll realize and be truly ashamed for what he's done. It's not likely that he will but that's where we must bear in mind that all things are possible in The Lord and pray to him that it may one day happen. And that as long as we are willing and are truly sorry, he'll forgive even the most horrible of our sins and help us over come them as Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will never let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way where you can stand up under it." I know that it looks like things will never go that way for the shooter, and it feels like we should treat him like he's Hitler or Bin Laden, but we must also remember to love our neighbor; a commandment that so many of us will forget. I know I do and probably still will in the future, which proves all the more that we are only human because only God is God. But though I do not have answers as to way someone would do this, as one woman named Marie who was there at the shootings pointed out in verse; "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4. In other words as she has also put it, God is always good, but man is not.
If you want to see the rest of Maire's post, here's a link to it: http://aminiatureclaypot.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/so-you-still-think-god-is-a-merciful-god/
Who knows what's in store for everyone after what happened, but until then, let us rely on The Lord to help us through it as we continue to remember what happened.
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