– Written by D. Noble
So, I just came back from the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises and I’m really buggin’ for writing this so late but I have to get my thoughts out or I won’t be able to concentrate at work tomorrow lol.
First impression….Freakin Awesome!! That was an excellent ending to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy and the most successful I might add.It’s very rare to be able to pretty much tie up all your loose ends and leave the crowd STILL wanting more. I think Nolan has even more so solidified his place as one of the most talented and visionary directors of our time. He deserves Hollywood’s utmost respect. After this movie I have no doubt DC is going to be driving boatloads of money to his house to get him to Godfather the shared DC Universe. Even from the Man of Steel trailer, a movie Nolan produced, its evident that his vision for this DC Universe would probably be the best way to go.
I’m not going to bore you with what the movies about, because if you are actually reading this then you’ve probably already read a synopsis somewhere..lol..also, I don’t want to spoil anything as usual. I really hate people who do that. But I will point out some of my many likes and few dislikes about the movie.
What I liked…Bane..Bane..Bane..Tom Hardy definitely killed this role and played him very close to the comic book. Gone is the mindless, steroid junkie from Batman & Robin and enter the very ruthless, smart and menacing Bane. Hardy brought not only the physical presence, but also some depth to the character. This wasn’t just a thug, he had motivations, plans, an agenda. He was calculated, calm and a physical juggernaut the likes Batman had yet to encounter and he definitely made Batman pay for it. My only issue with Bane in this movie was that I wanted to see more of him in action. I felt there were once too many scenes of his observing or supervising the mayhem where I wanted him to get involved. Especially during the final showdown with Batman. I felt there first meeting was done so cleverly and the second felt shortened, even though it was obviously for the purpose of pushing the movie along. I guess to some this is a nitpick, but oh well..lol
Another small criticism I had with the movie was that it felt jumbled at times. Nolan knew this was his last installment and it felt like he was trying to tell too many stories at once at times. We would get a scene, then quick cut to another character, then cut to another character. I understood what he was trying to do and by the end it all made sense, but the quick cuts to me came at moments when I felt I was just getting into the story I was watching, or connecting with the character and then..cut..But like I said, another minor complaint.
Catwoman was done well, Anne Hathaway didn’t destroy her so you can breathe now..lol..But she definitely didn’t have the same presence as Michelle Pfeiffer did in Batman Returns. Also gone was the sexual, temptress we’ve come to know from the Comics. At times Hathaway felt a little wooden and you never truly bought into her as this master thief they were portraying her out to be, but she played her part decently. You also never really felt the sexual tension or mutual attraction between Bale and Hathaway. I guess maybe they saved that for Bale and Cotillard. Towards the end I think she got a little better as some of her backstory was revealed and her role in the final massive set pieces. Still, she was just okay for me.
Overall, this is an epic movie that takes the watcher on a roller coaster of emotions. Nolan made the movie more personal for the audience by tying a lot of the issues and angst that we feel in America today with the weakened economy and pitting the rich against the poor. He also deals with issues of true heroism and sacrifice. I can’t say enough good about this movie and why you should check it out.
I gave it a 9 outta 10. I might switch this rating after a second watch, but this was def my first reaction.
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