Ok so this is my review of the Dark Knight Rises and the Dark Knight trilogy as a whole. I will say it is very spoiler heavy so please please please do not read on if you haven't seen the movie yet. As for those of you who have seen it please stick around and let me know what you think in the comments section.Thanks Fellow viners :)
I’m writing this to get my thoughts out and remember all of the points I wanted to make that are in my head right now. I’ve just seen The Dark Knight Rises and I love it, even though it did take a lot of liberties especially with the ending. I loved the small moments in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight that Nolan added and that blossomed into the 3 movie. One of which was a minor detail from Batman Begins, that I always thought was nice, was that Gordon was the cop that talked to Bruce and made sure he was ok after his parents death, now seeing that become the reason Gordon discovers that Bruce is Batman was really nice.
Speaking of Batman I will say that I’m very happy about how Bruce’s story as Batman ended, it’s funny as I was writing that sentence I wasn’t sure what I’d say honestly but I really believe it now. The ending wasn’t supposed to be seen as a passing of the torch moment to “Robin” John Blake, which is how I first saw it, but a way to give Bruce an actual ending since this is the final movie and also a way for Nolan to say that even if Batman isn’t a physical being anymore the idea, or legend, will continue to live on as long as people like Blake believe in him. Batman will always live even if Bruce Wayne no longer dons the cape and cowl.
As for John Blake, I have to say he was a pretty good character and more intriguing than I thought he’d be. Finding out he knew who Batman really was due to his own personal experiences was very nice and showed just how relatable Bruce/Batman is to the everyday person. Also the major reveal in his character being that his real name was Robin was also really cool even though by the time it was revealed we’d figured there was some connection with the boy wonder we all know. I say it was nice because even though he wasn’t the boy wonder we all know he embodied the top 3 Robins in a great way, he was as charismatic as Dick, as smart as Tim, and even as hot headed as Jason at times, it was all really cool. I especially loved his love and belief in Batman after those 8 years had gone by and other people had forgotten about him.
I will admit seeing Bane literally break Batman’s back was completely difficult for me to watch being as HUGE of a Batman fan as I am it was almost as painful for me as it was for Bruce but to see Batman return stronger than ever helped. As for Catwoman, SHE KICKED ASS and I cannot stress that enough! I loved every second I saw her on camera. She was never weak or vulnerable, unless she wanted to appear as such, and Nolan never let her be just a sex object and she has officially become my favorite on screen Catwoman.
While it may not have been the comics I love Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the way he continued to up the stakes with each movie and used Gotham’s villains to reflect what was going on. Scarecrow showed us that Gotham is a scary place, Joker showed us that even though the city isn’t as scary as it once was there’s still a lot of crazy in it and he was going to bring it out, and Two-face showed us that even our best intentions can lead to our inevitable downfall. Enter Bane, who showed us that the good people of Gotham’s well intentions, while noble, have consequences because they are based on a lie and in its simplest form is the lession we take from the movie, lying is bad, and that a simple spark can lead to a raging inferno. Catwoman herself, who’s not really a villain, represented a struggling lower class who has been pushed into the belief that if you want something in life, you have to take it and that you can’t rely on anyone else because no one’s going to JUST give you anything. As for the villains I didn’t mention, Ra’s and Talia al Ghul, they helped tie the 3 films together, and with the help of Bruce once again trapped in a hole having to face his fears was a great way to show how it all comes together.
Nolan may be a director but he had to have double majored or minored in philosophy. Bringing in things like what makes something right or wrong, what gives the rich and privileged the right to say what is best for the middle and lower class when they’ve never known what it is to want for something, how just because someone has power whether it be physical, monetary, or some other form doesn’t mean they are invincible, and even how just because somebody can do something doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for them.
In conclusion, I know people complained that Two-face’s death in The Dark Knight was premature and unfair to a character that had such potential but his potential could only be achieved through his death, it forced people, good people, to cover up what happened and lie in order to protect others and see true justice served. Christopher Nolan was able to make us feel hopeless, made us think, and made us smile all within two hours and forty-five minutes. He gave us an amazing ride with this series and with the help of Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Cain, and a laundry list of so many other great and talented actors and writers this series will live on forever, just as the legend of Batman does.
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