The Dark Knight Rises
★★★
(2012)
Christopher Nolan’s hulking finale to his benchmark trilogy of superhero films is a massively operatic, pitch black film which makes no excuses when going to the great lengths of making Batman “human after all”. The masterstroke is that in doing so he puts a miraculous full stop on his efforts behind the camera in an extremely clever fashion and although the little bow on top of the series might not be what everyone is looking for it’s a testament to how in control of his career the mainstream auteur is.
Taking place 8 years after the finale of The Dark Knight we are in a Gotham on the road to full recovery. Bruce Wayne’s self imposed imprisonment in his manner house, which reeks a bit of Howard Hughes lets the first part of a lengthy build up take shape. Before long (about 50 minutes in) Batman is convinced to get back on the bike by young idealistic cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt), smashing up the city, in search of jewel thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and an army of men, intent on the dissent of Gotham led by the maniacal Bane (Tom Hardy).
Where The Dark Knight leaned heavily on destruction without purpose and the solid existence and anonymity of the Batman as a symbol of the everyman, The Dark Knight Rises admirably reaches for the purpose and the drive of Wanye himself. It’s sometimes uncomfortably serious in it’s execution but Bale and the stellar cast along with Nolan’s surgeon steady hand make it all much deeper and more exciting than it possibly should be. Even at a bloated 168 minutes, it feels remarkably brisk, an extra special feat given how dark it’s palette is, how long the build up is and how pompously loud and operatic Hans Zimmers score blasts out at you. It all just works; It hooks it’s audience in big ways.
In using Michael Caine’s Alfred to counter John Blake’s wants for Batman to return, it’s surprisingly emotional, making the film resonate with a weight not yet seen in superhero films. In eschewing the gags and explosions world of Marvel and it’s Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises may not get the same return audiences but it beats it hands down in both grit and pure balls.
Yes, there are things that don’t work and in areas in which Nolan should have know better; An unnecessary “log fire scene”, a few too many wise cracks from Hathaway which nearly put her over the edge into the jokey comic book genre which Nolan has tried so valiantly to rise above, not to mention a terrible bit of name dropping in a reveal so already blatantly obvious it borders on insulting. Also, although physically threatening, Tom Hardy’s massive Bane doesn’t quite have the electricity of The Joker (he is often incomprehensible to be honest) and a few of the supporting characters aren’t really given the time of day.
But for all of these niggles there is something about the film which you can’t help but get swept up in. Nolan’s light use of CGI is amazingly refreshing, using it when only necessary, he and brother Jonathan’s script has very little clangers in a film which by rite should be littered with them and each set piece is wonderfully handled.
A fitting ending to a great genre busting mainstream trilogy.
