The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review

The epic conclusion to the brilliant re-envisioning of Batman by Christopher Nolan delivers in terms of scale, story, and action. Heroics, fights, and explosions abound as befits a summer blockbuster, yet social and political commentary add great depth to the proceedings. Ultimately, it is a more emotional film than expected that succeeds in a way no other adaptation of the property has – making you care about Bruce Wayne, the man.

The problem with trilogies is the high expectations placed on the finale by both fans and movie makers. Somehow the conclusion to a series must simultaneously be bigger than the preceding films while delivering a satisfying ending for the characters. Bigger can be done, since all you need is a larger budget to accomplish that task. Satisfying is an altogether different beast that often remains elusive especially due to the ugly fact that you can’t please everyone. Nolan’s task was huge, if not extremely daunting. WARNING: Contains spoilers for the previous movies.

One of the director’s idiosyncrasies has been starting a movie without the title appearing. Once again the closest thing is the formation of the iconic Batman symbol. In the first two films, a swirling cloud of bats and then flames were used. Rather ominously, cracks appearing in ice briefly form the symbol before cracking further. It’s a wonderful metaphorical device that foreshadows the essence of the story, much like the earlier films.

Taking place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the movie starts where it left off by showing Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) eulogizing Harvey Dent. Continuity is very important in this final installment, so don’t expect to be able to go into it without having seen Batman Begins and its sequel. The story makes no apologies for throwing massive amounts of information at you on top of the established continuity which will require you to pay attention at all times.

Events go into full swing rather quickly and even more James Bond in style than before when an extraction of a scientist, Dr. Pavel, goes very wrong for the CIA detail assigned to the mission. Enhanced interrogation techniques prove of no worth when a hooded prisoner turns out to be the mysterious terrorist known for wearing a mask, Bane (Tom Hardy).

Now unmasking a man to reveal he’s wearing another is an old gag, but the way this is handled evokes no laughter. Instead, it instills a feeling of dread and menace. Soon that is fulfilled in a magnificent midair hijacking of of a turboprop by another plane, a much larger C-130A Hercules. It is an utterly thrilling sequence that somehow manages to seem plausible when it shouldn’t be.

Back in Gotham City, more mundane events take place – at least at first. Harvey Dent Day is now an annual celebration where the wealthy and powerful gather to mark the D.A.’s death plus the draconian laws enacted in his memory. Crime is at an all time low, the streets are safe, and Gordon is struggling with his conscience. Being the only one who knew the truth that Dent was an insane murderer and Batman innocent, he nearly tells the truth in a speech, but chickens out at the last possible moment.

His career is on the wane and he’s rather alone since his family left him after Dent’s attempt to kill his son. No longer needed, the mayor plans to replace him with the ambitious and superficial Deputy Commissioner Foley (Matthew Modine) in the near future. Watching over the gala is a dark silhouette on top of the rebuilt Wayne Manor where the it is being held.

With Batman a wanted murderer, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse unseen by the public for years. This frustrates those who would like to see him, including a very pretty business woman, Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard). Rumors abound about the hermit and it is clear that he wants nothing to do with the world of the living.

Someone is about to shake his world, however.

Since “a girl has to eat,” the new maid at the mansion is not what she seems. Selina Kyle (Ann Hathaway) slinks onto the scene fending off a flirty congressman and making her way into Bruce’s private wing. There he startles her, revealing a full beard and mustache, plus a dependence on a cane to get around. Having caught her stealing, their confrontation is half banter before she makes her escape.

But her real motives for being there intrigue Bruce and for the first time in years he shows signs of life. However, they are not the kind that faithful butler Alfred (Michael Caine) had hoped for. His face expresses concern and disapproval when he realizes Master Bruce has gone down into the rebuilt Batcave under the mansion.

A dead boy’s body, a double cross by Selina’s employer, and Gordon’s near death in the sewers of Gotham reveal that the long peace the city has enjoyed is ending. Bane has come to town and Alfred digs up information connecting him to the League of Shadows from the first movie. Still, Bruce is not ready to get involved fully again, preferring to brood over the death of Rachel Dawes and what could have been.

However, police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) will not let things rest as they are. After friction with his superiors, he goes to see Wayne and uses a threat to get past Alfred. Blake knows far more than he should and it turns out he has much in common with Bruce. His goading of the older man is reminiscent of a young gun trying to talk an old gunfighter into strapping on the holster one more time.

It works, but not quite at first. Haunted by information that his charitable donations have ceased, Bruce finds out that he is nearly broke due to a bad investment in nuclear fusion technology. Realizing things have slipped out of his control, he makes a covert visit to see the badly wounded Gordon in the hospital only to find out that Batman is needed again.

Still, the emotional scars hold him back and he finds out from his doctor that his body is also mostly scar tissue. Reluctant and tempted at the same time, the billionaire heads to a charity ball where interactions with two women begin to move his life forward again. The host, Miranda, is everything he should be looking for in a woman: smart, altruistic, wealthy, beautiful, and very interested in him.

Then there is the cat burglar, Selina. Trouble in a black dress that he can’t keep away from and with whom the chemistry is undeniable – though they both do their best to. In particular, Kyle hates the wealthy and is very bitter about the lifestyle they live. Her desire to see them all suffer breaks through her facade, as does her growing attraction to Bruce. I do so love banter and this scene is a throwback to an earlier time, which fits the 1940’s origins of the characters perfectly.

A reunion with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) provides more temptations for Bruce to to take the cape out of the closet. There’s nothing quite like an arsenal of weapon prototypes for the military lying around begging to be used. Soon he gets his chance to test the toys when Bane stages a takeover of the local stock exchange for nefarious purposes.

Once again we get a stellar chase scene from Nolan and company, but this time it is mostly on motorcycle. While exciting as usual, what made it stand out was not the stunts, but the various reactions of the police officers to Batman’s return. An older cop’s comments to a younger one and Foley’s rants to Blake add a human dimension to what could have been very formulaic. They also reflect the very mixed view that Gotham City has of their would be protector.

We also finally get to see Selina in her Catwoman outfit and it is quite impressive while remaining very utilitarian. She’s in over her head again, which is the kind of thing that can get a cat skinned. Fortunately for the thief, she has a knight in ebon armor to ride to her rescue – even if she doesn’t want the help. Watching them fight side by side while still managing to banter brought a smile to my face. It felt just like the comic books I used to read.

Character development never takes second place to the action in this trilogy. One of the most compelling scenes occurs when Alfred confronts Bruce over his dangerous escapades the night before. The argument slowly ratchets up in emotional intensity without ever becoming shouting. In my opinion, that and the subsequent falling out shows an adult depth to the script, not to mention performances.

It is also the beginning of Bruce losing everything dear to him. Personal illusions, wealth, friends, and even his family’s company slip through his fingers in rapid succession. Left with no options, he approaches Miranda Tate with an offer she can’t refuse so that she’ll take over the chair at Wayne Enterprises.

That offer involves a fully functioning prototype nuclear fusion reactor. Why didn’t Wayne reveal the technology earlier? Fears of it becoming weaponized drove him to keep it under wraps. Shortly after getting it to work, a certain scientist wrote a paper on how to do so which spooked Bruce. But Miranda is the kind of gal out to change the world so Bruce decides to trust her.

While this drama is going on, Bane hasn’t been taking it easy. His mysterious plans are moving forward under the streets of Gotham. Blake (lots of guys with names starting with ‘B’ in this one) is also busy, being promoted to detective by Gordon to ferret out what the muscular villain is up to. An intricate game of chess is unfolding on screen, though it is closer to a wargame in its complexity.

Showing poor judgment, Wayne allows himself to be seduced by Tate in a lead up that feels very shallow. Within hours, he allows another woman to lead him astray when he trusts Selina to lead him to Bane’s hideout in exchange for assistance disappearing from the world. This proves to be a very big mistake when he finds the new leader of the League of Shadows.

Having proven his thinking is impaired, Batman now demonstrates how much he has deteriorated physically. Brutal is a word used far too often to describe fights in movies, but this is the only word to properly describe the beating given to the vigilante by the terrorist. There is nothing pretty about the fighting, which is very well choreographed and staged. It is simply a systematic dismantling of one man by another.

The seriousness of the battle is amplified by the lack of music. No swelling of heroic chords or rising notes of tension are to be found. What is left is the grunting, the blows, and the audible pain of defeat.

Now broken in every possible way, Bruce is left in a deep, dark hole to despair in. A prison pit in a forsaken Middle Eastern country is his cage where he will be subjected to more torture. Not the physical kind; Bane is far too cruel fro something so simplistic. Instead, the last of the Wayne’s will be forced to watch the destruction of his beloved city.

The prison itself is like something from a lost time or world. Filled with prisoners, it is a dank hole in the ground where men are left to rot. There is a way out other than death, but only one in the past has succeeded in climbing up the walls. That child was raised in this hell on earth and Bruce deduces that it was Bane.

Speaking of that masked man, he has been rather busy. In a lightning strike, Bane blows up a football field, every bridge out of Gotham City except one, and entombs most of the police force in the sewers. This isn’t your normal terrorism for he has forced Tate and Fox into turning over the fusion reactor so the scientist he hijacked in the beginning can turn into a neutron bomb.

An entire city the size of New York City is hostage, but with no demands other than having the U.S. government kill anyone who tries to escape Gotham. No, this is something very different indeed, for he claims to be handing control of the corrupt town to its poor.

Scenes very much inspired by the French Revolution and its mad excesses follow while a crippled Bruce watches via satellite from his cell bed. Bane’s using Tumbler prototypes to enforce his will adds to the misery of Wayne and soon to the people of the city. It all is masked to look like anarchy giving power to the people, but the real intention is to finish what Ra’s al Ghul started: the complete destruction of Gotham City.

Now the battle really begins.

The movie is just over the half way point, so if you think that was a lot going on, you haven’t seen anything yet. I do believe that alone qualifies The Dark Knight Rises as a true epic.

Shadows of the past conflict with the rise of heroes as Gotham becomes a warzone with the fate of millions at stake.

Thoughts

Making a worthy finale to a great series of movies usually doesn’t turn out too well. Return of the Jedi or Revenge of the Sith anyone? Thankfully I am able to report that this is an excellent film that ends the story of Bruce Wayne and Batman very well. It is also my favorite in the series…

…But not the best movie of the trilogy. The Dark Knight is still the superior film due to its tighter story and phenomenal performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker. Still, this is the one that I enjoyed the most due to its political themes and deeply emotional ending.

There are so many themes running through Rises that it could keep an English major or film student up all night just documenting them. I’ll touch on a few, but by no means will there be a complete list of them. The most obvious is the use of darkness and light to reflect Bruce’s emotional state, not to mention the story itself. Rising is another theme that is shouted out and if you miss that one you have to be asleep!

The story is an ominous warning about the dangers of mobs, class warfare, and how those rallying “the people” have secret agendas that don’t match their words. In many ways, the movie plays out like a libertarian screed that coincidently was filmed while the Occupy Wall Street movement was at its brief lived height. Protecting the masses is always a thankless job and how quickly they can turn on you is truly horrific as the film depicts.

Acting performances are sterling throughout, with Michael Caine giving possibly the greatest of his long career. Ann Hathaway is the best Catwoman yet, which is a surprise to me since I can’t say I’m a huge fan of hers. Bale manages to make Bruce likeable despite his self destructive behavior and once again proves he is an excellent actor.

It is said character matters and I’ll add that character studies matter in entertainment. Gordon, Alfred, Blake, Selina, Bruce, and even Bane get quite a bit of development, or reveals as the case may be.

Selina Kyle’s journey through the radically changed Gotham City is one of regrets as she learns the reason behind the saying, “Be careful what you ask for – you might get it.” Redistribution of wealth is the focus of her career, but seeing it play out on a wide scale does not make Catwoman a happy feline. Under her many faces, there is someone looking for a second chance -- if not redemption.

Bruce’s journey is one of plunging into ever deepening darkness before seeking the light. He’s a pitiful wreck of a man when the movie begins and has a clear death wish that makes him reckless as well. It is the entry of two women into his life that offers the first flickers of light in his lonely life, but he has to hit rock bottom before he can rise to the occasion.

Bane, his opposite number, is equally driven by pain and tragedy. There is a hunted and hopeless look to his eyes, which is a testament to Tom Hardy’s acting skills. The terrorist is the embodiment of despair bringing it to his foes while radiating a fanatic cynicism personally. In his own way he is even more broken than Bruce.

Commissioner Gordon isn’t far behind on that count. The burden of lying about Harvey Dent to make the madman a hero has eaten away at his self respect, his confidence, and family life. His only flicker of hope resides in Batman’s return, but he finds his place as leader of the resistance on his own and becomes a hero in his own right.

Alfred’s story is one of loss as well. Everything he has fought to protect crumbles and in the end he is abandoned by the man he raised like his own child. His desperate desire for a happy ending for Bruce is poignant and powerful.

Then there is Blake. A kindred spirit to Bruce, he’s an orphan and filled with rage hidden under a false smile. Filling the role of the everyman to represent the audience at first, he evolves into a compelling character with the tenacity of a bulldog. Bruce’s attempts to explain his actions turns into something more like mentoring, lending a strange sweetness to their encounters. It could be argued this movie is as much Blake’s as Bruce Wayne’s.

Providing a fascinating backdrop to these characters is the occupied Gotham City which has become an Orwellian state. Set during winter, the internally besieged city turns into lifeless gray streets reminiscent of Eastern Bloc countries under the sway of the Soviet Union. “Freed” by the absence of the police and authorities, the metropolis is far more miserable under mob rule and the predations of criminals. The law of the jungle is no panacea as Bane fully understands.

After all, this is also a revenge flick. It manages to be a war, mystery, heist, crime procedural, prison, romance, and comic book movie as well. What’s amazing is not how well it works, but that it works at all. I blame Christopher Nolan for that and he has become my favorite director of the time due to pulling off stunts like this.

The movie is PG-13 for good reason, that being the copious amount of deaths in it. Like the previous films in the series, you rarely get to see anyone at the actual moment of death. This actually is more horrifying in my opinion, since the human imagination seems boundless when it come to bad things. Intense scenes abound, so little kids are not the audience for this. Once they hit double digits, they should be fine viewing the movie.

I recommend The Dark Knight Rises to lovers of good movies, action fans, comic book aficionados, and anyone who likes an intricate character driven story – with explosions, of course.

Technical

The edition of The Dark Knight Rises I purchased is the Best Buy exclusive steelcase Blu-ray and DVD set. The packaging was irresistible when I looked at all the preorders and is a work of art using the metal for the color of the water spraying Batman’s shattered cowl. Inside the nice metal case are three discs: the Blu-ray, the DVD, and a Blu-ray of extras. The latter is fantastic since most extras discs tend to be in low definition DVD format.

Video of the movie is presented in 2.41:1 and 1.78:1 ratios. 1.78:1 works out to 16:9 which is HDTV and IMAX, so you will give your modern television a good workout playing it. In fact, it would be a good test BD for contrast levels given how dark most of it is. Picture quality is superb on BD, I did not check out the DVD but I would be shocked if it wasn’t as good as they get.

Audio options are DTS-HD for English, plus Dolby Digital 2.0 for English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Subtitles are available for the same languages. Like the video quality, the sound is superb and needs a good surround sound setup to do it justice. Yes, Bane is perfectly understandable for those wondering.

An extraordinary amount of extras are included on the second BD, all in glorious 1080p:

The Batmobile – An hour long documentary on every incarnation of the Dark Knight’s main steed since the early comic books to the movies. Interviews with the designers and fabricators make this fascinating as does an outing with every real life Batmobile to a California drive-in. Yet the highlight of this wonderful show is the visit to a children’s cancer hospital in Vancouver with the Tumbler. If it doesn’t get to you, you have no heart.

Ending the Dark Knight – Another documentary, this time focused on making the movie and broken up into multiple subsections. Stunt work and practical effects get a lot of attention, which warms my heart since this has always fascinated me since I was a kid.

Character design and acting motivations are not neglected either. Expect to be entertained nearly as much by the interviews as by the feature film. Kudos need to go to the writers and editors of these shorts.

Then there is the set design and construction. It is astounding how much was built on large soundstages for filming rather than using computer generated graphics like most film makers do today. Back in the day, Hollywood used to do this on a regular basis and now it is a novelty. I think the end result proves that newer is not always better.

Of course Batman’s new ride, the Bat, gets a short dedicated to it. Once again, practical effects were used as much as possible to bring this impressive looking vehicle on to the silver screen. I remember seeing the first images of it hit the Net and being disappointed, but it really worked well in the actual movie.

Trailer Archive – All four trailers are included and it is interesting to see how they marketed the movie over time.

Print Campaign Art Gallery – A simple slide show of the North American theater posters, banners, and standees.

The Dark Knight Reborn – This is a Best Buy exclusive. At thirty-eight minutes it is a nice overview of the creation of Nolan’s Batman trilogy from beginning to end. Much of the material is culled from extras from the previous movies, yet it is well edited enough to not matter.

BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

Probably the worst kept secret was the return of Liam Neeson as Ra’s al Ghul. It was the execution of his appearance that made it rather good. Bruce’s hallucination allows him to piece part of the puzzle of Bane’s history together, but not accurately enough…

When Bruce finally embraces his fear and makes it out of the prison, there was one moment that made it powerful beyond the symbolism of embracing life. The reaction of the blinded former prison doctor (Uri Gavriel) to Wayne succeeding was a moment of cinema magic for me. Hope can be a painful thing and Bane used it to torment others, so hearing the shouts of the prisoners was when the doctor found his again.

It seemed fitting to have a psycho like Jonathon Crane (Cillian Murphy) be the presiding judge at the French Revolution style public court. His attire may be shabby, but he did have style while pronouncing unfair sentences of death or death.

I loved Selina’s reaction to seeing Bruce alive and returned to Gotham City. She’s shocked, wary, and happy to see him. His willingness to forgive her and his gift put her off stride in a vulnerable way. Also interesting is how genuinely pleased he is to see her. He may think Miranda is his future, but it is clear where his heart really wants to be.

The lighting of the Batsymbol by Gordon was an iconic moment. It felt very Frank Miller like.

After the Stargate program shut down, Teal’c (Christopher Judge) was forced to hire out as a mercenary to make ends meet. Sadly, he chose the wrong employer in Bane. With William Devane playing the President again, I had to wonder if the Goa’uld were far behind.

Catwoman and Batman together preparing for battle. They looked so right for each other in this scene that it made me nostalgic for the old All-Star Squadron comic books of the 1970’s. In that continuity, the two married and had a daughter, Helena Wayne who took up the mantles of both parents as the Huntress.

Nothing says “epic” like a cast of thousands of extras. No CG additions here, folks. It is amazing that the real Wall Street was used for shooting this kind of scene. What a great old school brawl.

The betrayal by Miranda Tate, aka Talia al Ghul, was well executed if a tad predictable. Her being the child who escaped added to the twist as did her relationship with Bane. It is also the only scene where Bane comes off as having any feelings other than anger. He would be pitiable if he weren’t so homicidal.

The bridge scene with Blake was paced perfectly to extract the maximum amount of outrage possible. Having the state troopers on the other side blow it rather than allow him and a bus load of orphans across was not your usual blockbuster resolution.

Catwoman looked way too good on the Batpod and her return to rescue Bruce with it was nicely shocking in execution. As in blowing Bane away, since she doesn’t have the hang up with guns that Batman does.

The final chase of Miranda and the bomb was thrilling in my opinion. The best part was crashing a real Oshkosh heavy transporter into an underpass. It and the semi flip in The Dark Knight are two of the most impressive stunts I’ve ever seen.

The kiss before Batman’s suicide flight was a nice touch capturing the strange relationship from the comics. At this point I’d say he’d gotten over Miranda pretty quickly, but Bruce really didn’t have his heart in that relationship.

There were almost as many endings as Return of the King. I did like the look of joy when Gordon found the restored Batsignal on the roof. It was particularly gratifying after his somber reading from A Tale of Two Cities at Bruce’s funeral and looking depressed at the unveiling of the statue of Batman. The theme of hope shows up here again.

My favorite scene of the movie. Alfred seeing Bruce and Selina together in France was the fulfillment of all the butler’s hopes for his young master. The short nod and leaving the café indicated his life’s work was finally completed and he exit now.

It also pleased me to see a happy ending for the couple. Redemption was yet another theme in the movie and here we get to see Selina’s.

Ever the planner, Bruce leaving the Batcave to Blake, legal name Robin, at the end delivered the promise of the movie title. A new dark knight begins to rise just before the title finally flashes on screen. Gotham City will still have its protector, an orphan driven by the deaths of his parents dispensing vigilante justice.

I particularly liked the manner in which Blake threw his badge away earlier. The contempt and disgust showed in the way it was tossed.