Seeing as the epic finale to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was my most anticipated movie of 2012, it is an understatement to say that I was very excited for "The Dark Knight Rises". I have always greatly admired the Batman series for its style, unique colors, and oddly poetic writing. The question then becomes " can Nolan continue his winning streak?". "Batman Begins" was an incredible new take on a superhero whose previous visits to the screen have not quite done him justice. "The Dark Knight" was a revolution, and not merely for the wondrous fleeting spectacles that make up most comic book films, but for film in general.Where then does the story have left to go when it appears that it has reached the summit?
"The Dark Knight Rises" starts off slow, gradually weaning the audience back into Nolan's universe after its four year excursion, or in the film's timeline, returning from Bruce Wayne's(Christian Bale) eight year excursion from the Batman. He has been in hiding for this period of time ever since the Harvey Dent incident at the end of the previous film. Bruce has become a hermit, living with a broken body in his dwindling riches, he has long hair, and walks around with a cane and bathrobe on. He has been able to live in luxury with his internal feelings of pain and loss knowing that Gotham has been at peace, and that he can give up his days of masked crime-fighting. However, a new terrorist leader who is known only by the name "Bane"(Tom Hardy), has different plans for Gotham, and threatens innocent lives. Bruce must then resurface with the cape and cowl, or as police commissioner Jim Gordon(Gary Oldman) pleads, "the Batman must come back."
Now I must admit that the first hour or so of the film was not quite as riveting as I hoped. However, the second and third acts completely pick up the pace and throw you into a mindset that the film has really been preparing you for all along. When applied to reality, these acts are the most frightening. One of the big concepts explored in the film is the scenario of terrorist rule.The picture is made even clearer in the mind of the viewer with the fact that Gotham resembles New York City, which of course is not surprising because the scenes that take place there were filmed in New York City, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles. The terrorists intimidate the government out of saving Gotham with the threat of nuclear annihilation, and introduce a new government. Now I have no intention of spoiling anything, so therefore I cannot reveal in complete detail the context in which these are used, but the film includes lines like "this is everyone's house now" and "We are not here as conquerors, but as liberators, and we only want to give Gotham back to the people", that really drive the idea of terrorist government home.
The action sequences and visual effects are stunning, and all combine for a sensational climax during the last half-hour. Many of the familiar toys and gadgets that Batman has used before return, all though I can't help but feel empty at the absence of the Batmobile, which makes no appearances during the whole movie. However, the film makes up for this by introducing a new flying vehicle, "the Bat".
There are several new characters in the film, who all have surprising roles in the story, and create new situations. Every performance from the actors is fantastic, bringing the characters to life, but the performance that stands out is Tom Hardy as Bane. Out of all of the Batman villains Nolan has used in his trilogy, Bane is the most menacing, ever more so than the Joker. Bane is an incredibly brutal, hulking, and monstrous man. The fact that Bane wears a very unique mask, and it's horrifying enough that it could work if it was used in a horror film, adds to this effect. The mask covers his mouth, nose, and the middle of his face(between the eyes). Because of this, Tom Hardy essentially ends up playing the character entirely with his eyes, conveying a various array of expressions. It is hard to imagine how difficult it is to do such a thing, but Hardy gets the job done is a terrifying manner.
In the end, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a suspenseful, stunning, and visionary epic with a captivating story and massive amounts of action. It combines elements from both "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight", and ultimately gives a satisfying conclusion not only for all of the characters that have grown on us over the past seven years as well as the new characters just introduced to us, but for the Batman story as a whole. I am happy to say that the film is a great experience, and is the strongest pillar of Nolan's Batman trilogy.
