SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!
Now, shall we?
Christopher Nolan definitely saved the best of his directing skills for last. This honestly goes without saying, but you have to give the man credit. The Dark Knight Rises along with Marvel's The Avengers lead the charge to include comic book movies for the Academy Awards. While most critics will thoroughly dissect the film trying to find every possible downside, it's their job to act as these pretentious douchebags in search of a quick buck. Other reviewers, such as the chaps over at IGN, understand the interior of comic book films and deliver a much detailed version of the review fans don't need, but deserve.
I've been a loyal follower of Bob Kane's brainchild since I first heard Kevin Conroy's voice during the run of the animated Batman. No Batman film has passed through time without my knowing. And then......Christopher Nolan comes along and forever changes the way fans look at the Caped Crusader. While it's a disappointment to know Nolan's Batman won't be showing up in the Justice League of America movie, fans can rest assured knowing the Bats finally had a damn good run on the silver screen.
Focus on this film was clearly centered around suspense. Those who dug a little deeper than most already knew the basic outline of events to transpire. Those who went further found leaked footage of certain fight scenes. Those who paid close attention at Bat School pretty much figured Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character was that wonder boy of sorts and Marion Cotillard's femme fatale was an old love interest of the Dark Knight. My jaw dropped when these were revealed on-screen. In one of those rare "Ho-ly shit" moments, Nolan delivered more than I expected. I pride myself on figuring out early the correlation between John Blake and Tim Drake. Moving back on point, the suspense leading up to Bats vs Bane led me to the confirmation of my one wish: Bane breaks the Bat. And.........hell yes. I, for one, was shocked at the level of enthusiasm my theatre shared at this moment: none. This was the rising action of the entire film and people were understandably shocked, but come on. This scene deserves an uproar of applause. This leads into my next point: Bane.
Die-hard fans of Heath Ledger's Joker (me) might find Tom Hardy's villainous portrayal of Bane rough around the edges at first, but I found myself getting used to the non-luchador, Venom-enhanced, South American master criminal. Bane's voice was particularly interesting as a study on villains. He spoke in what I call the traditional British villain accent. Refined, proper, intelligent, and sinister. Hearing this voice meant that you knew beyond a reasonable doubt this guy was a harbinger of "I'm f*cked". While Hardy wasn't Ledger-level performance, I abso-bloody-lutely loved his acting and Nolan's idea for a realistic Bane. Even if that idea failed, it would've still been better than the last on-screen Bane we saw. Talk about laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.
Christian Bale has never once made me doubt his clout for Batman. His last ride soared past his performance in The Dark Knight. Here's a man, eight years after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's death, looking for nothing except a way out from his internal torment. Now equipped with a cane and grey streaks, Bruce Wayne falls into hermitage while Gotham finally enjoys peace-time. However, you can't spell Gotham with the B-A-T-M-A-N. Bale really injected the rise and fall feel for the character across the span of three films. When the Batman does fall, Bale uses that idea to re-invigorate the sense of purpose into a fallen icon. As always, Bale meshes with his supporting cast perfectly. With Alfred, we see this father-son relation at the breaking point. Michael Caine could not have been more convincing especially at the end. Alfred's wish to see Bruce married and with children provided Caine with the perfect level of emotion to give the relationship meaning. This is a man who's seen the birth, upbringing, rise, and fall of an orphaned boy. Nolan made this bond akin to a father worrying about losing a son on a battlefield.
Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman shine in their respective roles again as Commissioner Gordon and Lucius Fox even though screen-time for the characters was a little lax in the beginning. I found it interesting to see Gordon bed-ridden while recovering from his injuries. Had he been younger, there might've been the escape attempt to jump back into the fray. One supporting role that surprised me was Matthew Modine as deputy commissioner Peter Foley. The last film I saw with this guy in it was Memphis Belle, so needless to say, I didn't recognize him. His mirror opposite of Gordon was refreshing to see after the Dent and Gordon team-up where both were on the same side until the Two-Face bit.
Now, of all the supporting roles, I've saved my favorite for last: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. Move over, Michelle Pfeiffer. You and Halle Berry can keep on walking. Of course, Hathaway's not the carbon copy of the comic book Catwoman, but damn does she convince me otherwise. She's smart, sexy, agile, and not afraid to lay to the hurt on apple-stealing thugs. I had my doubts months ago. Thanks to her performance and Nolan's directing/writing ability, I forgot the meaning of 'doubt' once I saw her in the Catwoman persona. It was nice not to hear the name 'Catwoman', but rather 'cat burglar' instead. Some things just need not be said to make a point.
I won't go hellishly deep into the plot because that would be terrible manners. What I will say is this film racks up to my top tier in the "Get the f*ck off the couch and see this damn movie right now" rating. Nolan's departure from the Batman legacy may be over, but will never go forgotten. His contributions to a well-established lore now shine in the kingdom of Nerd-dom forever. A series seven years in the making has successfully ended in a fashion thoroughly pleasing to any fan of the Bats.
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me"
Remember that when thinking what DO you do with a BA in English. There's always #3- inject Batman into any Sherlock Holmes story and conduct a battle of the detectives.
Jonesy signing off
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