"The Dark Knight Rises" is a massive film; an epic saga on a scale not seen in an American film since "Avatar." (Note that I'm purely talking scale here. I detest "Avatar" but there's no denying that it's a massive film). Ever since Batman rode into the night at the end of the masterpiece that is "The Dark Knight" I'd been eagerly awaiting director/co-writer/co-producer Christopher Nolan's followup, and when it was revealed that this film would be the definitive conclusion to his "The Dark Knight Trilogy" that made my anticipation even greater. And while there's no doubt that Nolan and company have delivered a film that is much bigger and with much more at stake than the previous two entries, unfortunately the film gets bogged down in a few too many characters, which along with some plot holes (albeit relatively minor ones) and just plain lazy filmmaking decisions place this film a few steps down from the mastery that was its predecessor.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is by far the biggest, most brash superhero movie to ever come along. Yes "The Avengers" was big in terms of its scope, but its lighthearted tone made it feel as if nothing was really at stake. That is far from the case here; not only is this by far the most violent of Nolan's Batman films, but a palpable sense of gloom hangs over much of the film. Despair and tragedy beget more of the same, eventually leading to imagery reminiscent of World War II Nazi ghettos. This is a dark film, but it's because of that darkness that I felt more invested in this film than I ever did during "The Avengers," as the Gotham City of this film is a truly violent, anarchic world.
The performances are generally solid, though there's nothing approaching Heath Ledger's revelatory, Oscar-winning turn as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." I don't think Christian Bale has been given due credit for his performance as Bruce Wayne / Batman in these films. This is a brooding character whose life has been shattered by tragedy numerous times, a man whose commitment to his version of justice has led him to darker and darker places, culminating in his climactic decision at the conclusion of "The Dark Knight." And Bale simply captures every nuance of this character. I will say that he's given more range in this film than he was in the previous film, and his performance both with and without the cape and cowl is fantastic. Michael Caine gives his most emotional performance as Alfred; he is simply a master actor and it shows. Gary Oldman is also reliably solid as the dutiful but world-weary Commissioner Gordon, who now has to carry the weight of his decision to go along with the cover-up of Harvey Dent's crimes at the end of "The Dark Knight." Morgan Freeman is his reliable self, though his Lucius Fox gets fewer playful moments than in the previous two outings.
There are several new additions to the cast, and most fare reasonably well. Tom Hardy has the unenviable task of having to follow up Ledger's maniacal performance as the film's lead villain. I think Nolan and his brother Jonathan (who co-wrote the script with the director) were wise to take the villain in a completely different direction than Ledger's Joker. Bane is a hulking, masked presence, and while the vocal decisions for the character are at least peculiar, Hardy definitely gives the character his all. His eyes are extremely powerful in key scenes, but I would say he doesn't rise to the level of all time great masked performances (Hugo Weaving in "V for Vendetta" comes to mind for me in that realm). Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard also join the cast in roles that may or may not come from the comic source material. Someone with better knowledge of the comics will know whether they are original characters or not, but they both do well. Cotillard is her generally lovely self, though this role demands less of her than her performance in Nolan's previous film, "Inception" (an Oscar-worthy performance from her in my opinion). Gordon-Levitt is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most talented young actors, and his performance as idealistic cop John Blake is simply excellent. The best new arrival, however, is Anne Hathaway as burglar / femme fatale Selina Kyle. I think Hathaway is seriously underrated as an actress (though she does have an Oscar nomination), and she absolutely owns this role. She's brash, confident, and utterly sexy on the surface, but she clearly hides a shady past and that shines through in some of the film's darker moments. Hathaway has some of the most expressive eyes in Hollywood, and the sorrow and doubt in her face in key scenes is palpable. But she also perfectly captures the playfulness of the character, and in many ways is a breath of fresh air in this dark film.
In terms of the direction, Nolan is simply a master craftsman and probably the best working in mainstream Hollywood today. "The Dark Knight Rises" will likely serve as a textbook example of modern epic filmmaking (yes it's epic by today's standards, but "Ben-Hur" or "Lawrence of Arabia" it is not). Nolan takes the time to introduce all the plotlines and characters (both of which are probably a few too many), and truly invests in the story as he builds to the inevitable climax. The film certainly is visually spectacular; Nolan's decision to continue shooting on film (a mix of wide angle 35 mm and 70mm IMAX, which is cropped to widescreen for traditional presentations) gives the film a warmth and lifelikeness that digital cinematography simply can't match. The production values are immaculate, and Hans Zimmer once again provides a thunderous score, complete with a few new themes (Zimmer goes solo on his final Batman outing after collaborating with James Newton Howard on the first two installments).
Now, with all this said, the film does have some flaws. I mentioned the excess of supporting characters and plotlines; these become hard to follow in the film's opening act, though repeat viewings could amend this. However, the film does suffer from a few plot holes and things that just plain don't make sense. I'm willing to overlook small plotholes if the overall film is great (such was the case with "The Dark Knight" which, while I do consider it a masterpiece, is not a perfect film). But the plot holes and unexplained instances here are much more obvious, even to the point that I was getting close to checking out of the film during its first act. There are also some pacing and editing issues that could have used some tightening up in the first act as well. But thankfully, things settle down for the most part as the film progresses.
One other criticism I have concerns the film's tone, and while it may not be completely fair, it's just how I feel. "Batman Begins" was the first comic book-inspired film to truly try and ground things in reality, and Nolan followed it up with "The Dark Knight," which, in terms of tone, I do not consider a comic book film at all. It is simply an epic crime saga populated by a couple of eccentric costumed characters, and its tone is completely, utterly realistic. "The Dark Knight Rises" definitely has an apocalyptic feel, but it also has that sci-fi, comic book sensibility in some instances (not least from the script, which is not nearly as crisp as "The Dark Knight"). Maybe Nolan just wanted each film to have its own tone, and like I said it may not be fair to fault him for that, but after the completely serious tone of "The Dark Knight" I was expecting something similar.
So overall, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a satisfying conclusion to "The Dark Knight Trilogy." Nolan and his team have pulled out all the stops to deliver a truly massive, epic event film. It has more flaws than its predecessor, and is certainly no masterpiece, but it's a solid conclusion to one of film's finest trilogies.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality, and language.
Running time: 164 minutes.
Released domestically on July 20, 2012, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
3.5 stars out of 4.
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