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BATMAN
(CHRISTIAN BALE)
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My latest project is to
share with you a list of my fifty favorite comic book movies. First
and foremost, this is a list based on opinion; specifically, my
opinion. What I like may (and probably does) differ from what you
like, so, more than likely, someone will read this list when it is
finished, and will contact me saying “I can't believe you left
(fill in the blank) off this list!” So, to avoid such debates, I'm
going to post this little statement at the top of each of my fifty
posts. Admittedly, this has been a difficult list to comprise, and in
comprising it, I have limited my selections to live-action films, and
films that are actually based on comic books and comic book
characters. Furthermore, these films will be listed in chronological
order based on the date they were first released in theaters.
Final
Note: These posts do contain spoilers.
The
Dark Knight Rises
Directed by Christopher
Nolan
Released on July 20,
2012, in the United States
In a previous post, I
referred to Marvel's “The Avengers” as the most anticipated comic
book movie of all-time, and while I believe that to be true, it can
probably be argued that “The Dark Knight Rises” was a very close
second.
2008's “The Dark
Knight” was the second installment in director Christopher Nolan's
revolutionary Batman trilogy that began in 2005, and that film made
over $1-billion at the worldwide box office, earned Heath Ledger an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (along with legendary status
within the comic book community for his portrayal of the Joker), and
was hailed by most everyone that saw it as the best comic book movie
of all-time.
In other words, “The
Dark Knight Rises” had an extraordinary amount of hype to live up
to.
Realistically, there is
probably nothing Nolan could have done that would have truly lived up
to the expectations people had for this film. I don't think it was
particularly wrong to hope that “The Dark Knight Rises” would be
better than “The Dark Knight”, but it may have been unrealistic.
I also don't think that it is particularly wrong to feel let-down by
“The Dark Knight Rises” either; your emotions are yours, and no one can
really help how they feel.
Though “The Dark Knight
Rises” sold a few more tickets than “The Dark Knight” did, its
predecessor was, in my opinion, the better film. To me, “The Dark
Knight” offered a little more suspense, a little more psychology, a
better Batman, a better villain, and an overall better story.
Now that I've gotten that
out of the way, let me make it clear that “The Dark Knight Rises”
is still an incredible motion picture, and a fitting third
installment of this amazing trilogy that answers several questions
dating back to “Batman Begins” and ties the story all together.
We can worship the
magnificence of the Joker and praise the excellence of Two-Face all
we want, but at the end of the day, this story is about Bruce
Wayne and his heroic journey, and “The Dark Knight Rises” reminds
us of that.
Drawing inspiration from
memorable "Batman" comic book story arcs such as “The Dark Knight
Returns”, “Knightfall” and “No Man's Land”, this movie
picks up eight years removed from the tragic events that took the
life of Harvey Dent and turned the Batman into a wanted villain.
THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BAT
Bruce Wayne has become a
recluse, tormented by personal pain and mental anguish. Helplessly
tangled in a web of lies, Bruce feels that he lost his future when
Rachel died, and he is unable to emerge from underneath the dark
cloud of personal loss that hovers over him.
He is Batman no more, and
has not been for some eight years.
It ultimately takes a
chance encounter with a mysterious cat burglar named Selina Kyle, a conversation with an ambitious young policeman, the
sudden hospitalization of Commissioner Gordon, and the emergence of a
powerful new threat to Gotham City known as Bane to snap Bruce back
into reality, and find the inspiration to become the “Caped
Crusader” once again.
This new-found zeal for
life concerns his lifelong confidant Alfred to the point that Alfred
tearfully confesses that Rachel had chosen Harvey just before her
death before announcing his resignation as caretaker of Wayne Manor,
pleading with Bruce to cease being Batman and focus on living life
well as Bruce Wayne.
Truly alone for the first
time since leaving Gotham to find himself all of those years ago,
Bruce is lead into a trap by Selina Kyle that leads to his first
physical altercation with the mercenary known as Bane.
BANE
(TOM HARDY)
Bane is portrayed by Tom
Hardy, and within the first few minutes of the film, the memories of
the abomination that Warner Brothers made of the character in 1997's
“Batman and Robin” are quickly forgotten. Tom Hardy presents Bane
as intelligent and almost regal. He speaks clearly (well, as clearly
as one can wearing that contraption called a mask), he speaks
eloquently, and he speaks with conviction.
Bane seems fearless and
focused, and the revelation that this man was once a proud member of
the same “League of Shadows” that trained Bruce Wayne lets the
viewer know that he is as dangerous as he appears.
I really liked that first
fight between Batman and Bane, and it may have in fact been the best
physical altercation of the entire trilogy. I loved that no music was
used to enhance anything Bane did to Batman. Only the echoes of
Bruce's agonizing cries and Bane's crushing blows are heard, as it is
made abundantly clear that the Batman has finally met his match.
Bane captures Bruce and
takes him away to the same violent pit that made him the monster he
is, forcing Bruce to watch the assault on his beloved Gotham City
that Bane has carefully orchestrated via the use of an energy device
he has manipulated into becoming a nuclear weapon.
Gotham is cut-off from the
outside world, and Bruce is cut-off from Gotham. All that is left of
course, is for Bruce to get his physical and mental strength back,
escape the pit, and go save his city.
BRUCE WAYNE
(CHRISTIAN BALE)
While that probably feels
cliched to a lot of people, this is a superhero movie, and
honestly, what else was anyone really expecting? The only reason Nolan
would tear Bruce Wayne down to the point he did would be to build him back
up again, and that is simply good and effective story-telling unless you're
writing some kind of Greek or Shakespearean tragedy or whatever.
We should never forget
that this story was always about that helpless little boy watching
his parents get shot to death in that alley and his constant battle
to beat the house despite playing with a really crappy deck. Bruce's
return to Gotham from the pit is the culmination of that story as he
becomes not only the hero that Gotham needs him to be, but the hero
that Gotham wants!
Appropriately, Batman
reunites with Lucious Fox, enlists the help of Catwoman, and then
gets the upper hand in his second battle against Bane. He is hellbent
on preventing the explosion of Bane's nuclear weapon, and the only
thing standing in his way ends up being … Ra's al Ghul. Well, sort of.
It is in fact the
surviving daughter of Batman's mentor who reveals that she was the
only person to ever escape that dreadful pit before Bruce did it,
reveals that Bane is her beloved protector, and reveals that she
personally wishes to fulfill her late father's legacy by turning
Gotham City to ash.
It takes the combined
forces of Batman, Catwoman, a young detective named John Blake,
Commissioner Gordon, and thousands of previously trapped police
officers to overcome the anarchy that Bane has unleashed on the city.
JOHN BLAKE
(JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT)
In an ultimate act of
sacrifice, it is Batman himself that commandeers the nuclear device
and rushes it away to detonate over the Ocean, saving millions of
lives throughout Gotham and presumably dying a hero.
Now, I was a huge
supporter of Nolan killing off Bruce Wayne to definitively end his
trilogy, as I thought doing such would make the film feel truly epic,
and would add to the finality of it. Nolan chose not to go that route however, and the franchise is probably better for it. While we did get a funeral for
Bruce Wayne, we soon learn that he is indeed alive and well, working
with a clean slate side-by-side with his new lady Selina Kyle.
Happily, Alfred can ease his
conscience. Commissioner Gordon can sleep peacefully. Batman can live
on.
And he will! But in what
incarnation?
Not only do we learn at the end of the film that
the birth name of John Blake is “Robin”, but we also see him
enter the notorious bat-cave, opening all kinds of questions about
where the franchise goes from here.
CATWOMAN
(ANNE HATHAWAY)
And, undoubtedly, the
franchise should continue!
Though Christopher Nolan
and Christian Bale have both stated that they're moving on, there are
still many places this franchise can go, be it in the form of a
Nightwing solo film, or a “Justice League” team-up, and those are
just two possibilities off the top of my head. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
was a pleasant surprise in this movie, and I certainly enjoyed his
work enough to support a story centered around him. DC has enough
supporting characters and notorious villains to draw from for a
script, and a diehard fan-base that is anxious to see the characters
and stories they love come to life on the big-screen to support it; if done right,
of course.
That part is up to Warner
Brothers to find a director that can pick up where Nolan left off and
maintain the serious style of story-telling and superhero
movie-making that Nolan used to reinvent the way comic book movies
are made. One thing I know for certain is that I do not want
to see another reboot. The origin story of Batman has been told
probably as good as it is ever going to be told, and Warner Brothers
should continue moving forward with these stories and characters so
that the audience can continue to expand.
“The Dark Knight Rises”
is the eighth highest-grossing movie in history, and the second
highest-grossing comic book movie ever made, behind only “The
Avengers.” Right behind it on that list is “The Dark Knight”,
so really, I don't see how they don't make a sequel based on
the money these Batman films have generated over the past five years
or so.
“The Dark Knight Rises”
will probably always stand in the shadow of “The Dark Knight.” I
don't know how fair that is or isn't, but let's all take a moment to
reflect upon just how fantastic this trilogy of films really was!
Rarely has a story been so masterfully told over the course of three
movies, and never before has it been done within the confines of the
superhero genre.
Christopher Nolan's
Batman trilogy is the greatest comic book movie trilogy of all-time,
and all three movies individually are among the Top-10 best comic
book movies ever made in my opinion.
It's only human to want
for more I suppose, but even if this does end up being all we get,
what a wonderful series of films these were! I won't ever read Bruce
Wayne quite the same way again, nor the Joker, Bane, or even the
Scarecrow.
Nolan's films gave me a new appreciation for a host of
characters that I already knew and loved so dearly and so
passionately, and perhaps that is the greatest compliment of all that
I could give him and his remarkable trilogy of films.
ANNE HATHAWAY, CHRISTIAN BALE, AND TOM HARDY
Primary
Cast:
Christian Bale … Bruce
Wayne / Batman
Tom Hardy … Bane
Anne Hathaway … Selina
Kyle / Catwoman
Joesph Gordon-Levitt …
John Blake / Robin
Gary Oldman …
Commissioner Gordon
Marion Cottillard …
Miranda Tate / Talia al Ghul
Morgan Freeman …
Lucious Fox
Michael Caine … Alfred
