The Dark Knight is by far the best of the three. I rate it 9.8
The Dark Knight Trilogy
The Rise of ‘The Caped Crusader’
Kevin Williams
Ever since Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, Batman has captured the public consciousness. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, The Dark Knight is a superhero unlike most of his comic book counterparts, much darker in tone than other DC characters such as Superman or Wonder Woman Batman lives in the shadows and apart from two distinctly camp periods (the Sixties TV show and the Joel Schumacher debacles Batman Forever and Batman & Robin) has stayed very much a darker hero that draws on the reader (and viewers’) need for the cathartic release of vigilantism.
Billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne is a tortured soul, the memory of his parents’ tragic murder at the hands of mugger Joe Chill wears heavily on his mind, inspiring him to take to the streets of Gotham to rid the night of the criminal menace that made him an orphan. Batman is a complex character and far more than just a revenge fuelled vigilante. Batman stands for the same ideals as the Boy Scout in red white and Blue, however is prepared to go much further and much darker than Superman to get results. This in part is due to the nature of his origin story and the loss of his parents but more so due to the fact that unlike Superman has no superhuman powers to speak of.
Probably one of the key reasons why the character of Batman has endured for so long and why the character is easier to identify with than so many others is the fact that the man behind the cowl has no discernible powers. What Batman does have at his disposal is a seemingly infinite amount of resources and the training and intelligence to do what others cannot. Widely regarded as the greatest detective on earth – Batman’s first weapon is his brain and before he puts his athleticism or gadgets to use he is able to piece together the fragmented clues of any crime.
One of the key aspects of Batman’s character is his moral code. Whilst he will happily (and severely) injure criminals as well as use extreme intimidation tactics in the pursuit of justice, Batman does have one rule. He will not take a life. This sets him apart from other vigilantes in other comic books and movies and allows for the character to really explore dark psychological places safe in the knowledge that the moral compass will prevent him from going too far.
Batman has had a rather chequered history in live action terms. The camp Adam West starring television series did much to dilute the power of the character to the point where many ‘non-fans’ believed this to be how the character has always been. It could also be argued that it was in response to this representation of the Dark Knight that the comics of the 80s really started to take the character back in to darker, edgier territory particularly with titles such as Year One, The Killing Joke and the Frank Miller’s seminal The Dark Knight Returns.
This led to a much darker take on the character in Tim Burton’s 1989 Movie Batman and its sequel Batman Returns. Both movies offering a dark, gothic aesthetic which has been seen as archetypal to the world of Gotham city and its inhabitants. Both films played on the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne and ideas of duality, psychosis and of the emotional journey of the tortured outsider – a concept felt only too closely by the director.
Batman’s movie incarnation took a turn for the worse in Joel Schumacher’s Batman forever and Batman & Robin. These films ditched the art deco noir of Tim Burton’s earlier movies for a neon mis-en-scene which recalled the TV show from three decades previous. The departing Michael Keaton left a huge bat shaped hole in the cast, his eccentric, nuanced performance hinting at a psyche far more tortured than the viewer is allowed to see. Both Val Kilmer and George Clooney were woefully miscast as Bruce Wayne, neither ever convincing in the role and Clooney in particular spending most of Batman & Robin looking embarrassed.
Commercially, Schumacher’s films made money. Critically, they were panned and rightly so. Comic fans felt betrayed by the portrayal of their beloved hero and cinema goers were put off by what was essentially an extended lunchbox commercial with the added bonus of rubber nipples.
At this point The Dark Knight’s most faithful adaptation was the popular cartoon – Batman: The Animated Series which featured the voice talent of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill (yes Luke Skywalker of Star Wars) as the Joker, who until Heath Ledger came along was regarded by many as the definitive Joker. A cartoon that appealed to adults as well as children, featured the deco style introduced by Burton’s Batman but freed of the technical constraints of movie making and their budgetary concerns was able to feature some of the more fantastical characters and storylines that readers of the comic had been dying to see.
This now brings us to the topic of this feature – The new Nolan/Bale Batman franchise, a realistic take on a man who dresses as a rodent to fight organised crime. Nolan’s jumping off point being, what if this were to really happen? What would motivate the character? How could he become the bat?
Below are my reviews of each of the three Dark Knight movies. BEWARE – SPOILERS, I have done my best to limit the amount of spoilers so as not to ruin the movies for the uninitiated, however due to the nature of reviewing an entire trilogy, there will be some key plot points given away (particularly of the first two films)
Batman Begins (2005)
Dir: Christopher Nolan, Writing Credits: David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan (Screenplay) David S. Goyer (Story) based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkinson and Ken Watanabe
Plot Summary
Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after a self imposed exile learning how to defeat the criminal element that made him an orphan. Donning the guise of Batman, Wayne takes on organised crime, but must now protect the citizens of a corrupt city from a purging fire as the mysterious League of Shadows descends on Gotham.
Review
After the debacle that was Batman & Robin, a movie so bad it almost killed Batman as a film franchise, Batman Begins had a lot riding on it. Christopher Nolan at this time was still a relatively unknown quantity in terms of action movies having only directed thrillers (albeit highly intelligent and visually stunning) Following, Memento and Insomnia which meant that Warner Bros were taking a big risk with a property that has the cash making potential to rival Bond, Bourne or Spiderman.
Nolan’s take on Batman has proven to be a masterstroke, by grounding the character in a ‘heightened reality’ there is a greater degree of believability in the world in which he inhabits and as such the viewer cares far more as the stakes are raised. This is a Batman who bleeds, and carries the scars of the many fights he has had to face.
We are introduced to Bruce Wayne in prison in the Far East as he is set upon by a gang of fellow prisoners. What ensues is an exhilarating action set piece that sees our hero demolish seven would be assailants. Wayne is stopped by the gun fire of the guards who are there ‘for protection’ Wayne argues that he does not need their protection and is quickly rebuked with the response, ‘not for you, for them’
This exchange does far more to set up the character of Bruce Wayne than previous incarnations. It immediately signals to the viewer that this Bruce Wayne is dangerous, aggressive and is more than a little arrogant in his abilities. It also gives a clear understanding as to where and how Bruce Wayne received his training without labouring the point home.
Throughout the prison scenes and later during Wayne’s induction to the league of shadows the flashbacks give a narrative drive to the film that helps develop the character of Bruce Wayne and really help to get the viewer invested in this character long before he dons the cowl and takes to the streets as Batman. It was really important that this was handled well as the Bat does not appear for the first half of the movie and in less capable hands such a risky gambit could have spectacularly backfired.
As an origin story (and one based in a far more realistic setting) the reason for Bruce Wayne to become a vigilante needed to be particularly strong and is something which had previously been alluded to in other Batman films, but had never been fully explored. As Thomas Wayne, Linus Roache (in a relatively small role) brings a tender dignity to the Bruce Wayne’s father. He is believable as an inspiration for a young boy and one who instils the strong moral code that Batman will come to live by.
In a touching scene early on Wayne consoles his son after falling in to a well by asking ‘Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up’ This is a dramatic beat that is later recalled in an exchange between surrogate father Alfred and the now grown-up Bruce which hints at the fact that for all his strength, skill and intelligence, emotionally he is still the young boy who lost his parents.
The cast list for Batman Begins reads like a who’s who of quality actors. Christian Bale as you would expect brings an intensity to the role that adds layers to a character that has gone through many incarnations in the past 73 years. Michael Caine gives us a different take on Alfred Pennyworth. Channelling the cheeky cockney persona of his early movies, Caine brings a much needed warmth and provides the majority of the comedic moments in the film.
Caine’s exchanges with Bale form the dynamic which is at the heart of this film (and the films to follow) that the only person who really sees the true Bruce Wayne is Alfred. Many commentators suggest that Batman is the true persona and the Wayne is the mask he adopts to fit in to society, this is not the reality of this world. Alfred is the only person who really sees Bruce Wayne smile, not the plastic smile of a pretend playboy, but a genuine smile that a son might make in the presence of his father.
Another father figure within the film is Liam Neeson’s Ducard a general in the League of Shadows. Whereas Alfred is a nurturing figure who gives Bruce Wayne the unconditional love of a parent, Ducard represents a father who wants an heir, a carbon copy of himself to inherit his cause. This represents a key battle and idea with in the film, the notion of purging out the bad versus inspiring the good to rise. Neeson imbues Ducard with dignity and a coolness that despite being off screen for much of the film maintains an ever present menace.
The cast is rounded it with a abundance of talent, Morgan Freeman is charisma personified as Lucius Fox, the applied sciences exec who becomes the gadget master for Wayne’s transformation in to Batman. Katie Holmes is surprisingly strong as Rachel Dawes, Wayne’s childhood friend and now the assistant DA. Cillian Murphy (who originally auditioned for the role of Bruce Wayne) impresses as Dr. Jonathan Crane (The Scarecrow) although I would have liked to have seen more of the fear element that his character brings to the comics particularly given that fear is a massively recurring theme in this film. Tom Wilkinson is suitably slimy as Carmine Falcone, Gotham’s crime boss and prime target for Batman’s crusade on organised crime.
One of the key roles is that of Detective Jim Gordon played by Gary Oldman. This is a really important role in the making of the batman legend as the support Gordon gives to the Dark Knight as ‘the one good cop’ in the city proves to be invaluable. This incarnation of Gordon is heavily influenced by the comic book, Batman: Year One and sees a younger Gordon before he becomes commissioner who in many respects grows as a police officer as Batman starts to make a difference.
There are a number of exhilarating action scenes in this movie. The Tumbler (Batmobile) car chase which takes us from roof tops to the highway leaving a wake of carnage behind it is truly thrilling, more so knowing that the stunts were filmed for real using practical effects as opposed to a reliance on CGI.
Other stand out set pieces include Bruce Wayne’s escape from the lair of Ra’s Al Ghul which makes fantastic use of the stunning location and intricate production design and the finale where Batman must chase down a runaway train. One of the most memorable images from the film is of Batman interrogating The Scarecrow, incapacitated by his own fear toxin. The sight of Bale made up a grotesque ‘Man-Bat’ is truly disturbing and Bale commits to this seen incredibly.
There are a few slight issues with the film, firstly Batman is known as the world’s greatest detective however there is very little detecting for him to actually do, beyond scaring information from thugs et al and putting a few pieces together the majority of Batman’s work in this film is physical. This brings us neatly to the other major issue with the action, the editing. Once Batman is officially ‘born’ onscreen, the style of editing for the fight scenes becomes incredibly staccato making much of the action hard to make out. The close framing of the fight scenes and the rapid cutting would appear to be aiming to make Batman’s actions appear as ferocious as possible, unfortunately due the martial arts style being used utilising predominantly elbow and knee smashes a lot of this is lost.
However considering what Nolan has actually achieved with this interpretation of Batman these are minor quibbles, there is far more to love about this movie than there is to complain about. As a lifelong Batman geek, I for one am incredibly pleased that we have a Batman that lives up to fanboy expectations but can also deliver on its own terms as a thoughtful action movie.
I highly recommend this movie as it has so much to enjoy from wonderful performances from a fantastic cast to thrilling set pieces and more humour than you would expect. Add to this a final shot reveal of a new villain in town, I really looked forward to the sequel.
My Rating: 8.6 out of 10 Kevin Williams
The Dark Knight (2008)
Dir: Christopher Nolan, Writing Credits: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan (Screenplay) Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer (Story) based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Jai White and Eric Roberts.
Plot Summary
Following Batman’s mission to take out the organised crime of Gotham a white knight emerges in the guise of Harvey Dent, Gotham’s cowboy DA. Naturally the criminal element is unimpressed and let The Joker out of the box. Before long terror and chaos reign on the streets of Gotham and Batman must fight his arch nemesis for the soul of the city.
Review
Where to begin? This is a very difficult film to review as in many respects it is almost too good. There is so much to enjoy about this movie it is almost impossible to find a place to begin, however begin I must so I will choose the opening prologue as my jumping off point.
This is a very different Gotham to the one we were introduced to in Nolan’s Batman Begins. The lines are crisper, the vista is wider and scale has increased exponentially. In a scene worthy of Michael Mann’s Heat we are thrown in to middle of a bank heist by ‘The Joker Gang’ with each member killing the last after their role in the robbery is complete, leaving The Joker to enjoy the spoils alone.
The point at which Heath Ledger removes his mask to reveal the scarred and painted face beneath really announces the arrival of the character and his response to the bank manager’s taunts – ‘whatever doesn’t kill you makes you......stranger’ clarifies that this take on the Joker will eschew the campiness of Cesar Romero or the scenery chewing grandstanding of Jack Nicholson in favour of a far more disturbed and terrifying portrayal.
Ledger’s Joker is the star of the film, stealing not only the money of the criminal elite but every scene he is in. Ledger’s is the definitive Joker a force of nature unconcerned with rules or consequence, living only for the moment and the chaos that he can create. The scenes in which we see videos sent by the Joker to the media in which he torments and kills innocent victims are truly terrifying and recall video footage sent to the media by other terrorist such as Al-Qaeda and really hammer home the point that no-one is safe.
However, as excellent as Ledger is, there is more to this film than just one performance. Christian Bale as ever puts in a fantastic performance as the tortured Bruce Wayne, desperately seeking a way out of being the monster he has created, desiring a life beyond the cape but bound by his crusade for justice and the responsibility he takes on his shoulders as Gotham’s protector.
Aaron Eckhart, playing Harvey Dent cuts a fine line between cocksure cowboy and the beacon of hope Batman can never be. When tragedy strikes, Eckhart gives Dent’s descent in to darkness a self-righteousness that whilst bordering on self pity always feels true to the character and the world he inhabits. The hospital scene he shares with Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon is filled with anger and spite and prepares the audience for the fate that we know awaits the character.
Caine has a more prominent role in this film, with his military roots hinted at and inspiring Batman’s plan to locate an impossible to find Joker. It would be accurate to say that Alfred is the emotional core throughout this franchise and the love he shows Bruce anchors Batman to reality. As ever Caine provides much needed comic relief, however these moments are in far shorter supply than The Dark Knight’s predecessor Batman Begins, however given the subject matter involved and the events that unfold in this film that is a wise decision although it makes for a film much darker in tone.
The film visually is heavily influenced by Michael Mann’s Heat and thematically the notion of two opposing forces coming together in conflict is reflected throughout. Indeed the concept of duality runs deep through the film’s heart whether it be the dual sides to Bruce Wayne/Batman, his twisted relationship with The Joker or the wreckage that is Harvey Two-Face. The scene in which Batman interrogates the Joker recalls the cafe scene in Heat where Pacino and De Niro first share the screen such is the intensity on display. The film is influenced by two some iconic comic series, most notably The Killing Joke in its portrayal of the Joker and The Long Halloween in terms of the plot line and a highly iconic image of a cash mountain burning could have been taken straight from the page.
Where the Dark Knight is really successful is in raising the stakes and elevating the scale to a whole new level. The cinematography on display brings a beauty to Gotham and the IMAX sequences add level of spectacle that is rarely glimpsed in a film of this type. The journey to Hong Kong serves several purposes. Firstly it prominently displays the playboy persona of the public Bruce Wayne and signifies that Batman has no jurisdiction but further more adds to the spectacle. Hong Kong looks stunning and this set piece is particularly satisfying, combining clever (but not unrealistic) gadgetry with jaw-dropping stunts and brutal fight choreography.
One of the few weaknesses of Batman Begins was the framing of the action. The Dark Knight does not suffer in this respect. The action set pieces are huge, well cut and benefit from a powerful score by Hans Zimmer. Not a traditional theme like Danny Elfman’s, the Batman strings in the Dark Knight utterly and powerfully announce themselves, an aural assault that takes hold of the viewer, not letting go until the credits have rolled.
The theme of terror permeates The Dark Knight and is as relentless as the Joker himself. As a film very much about the war on terror the use of the Joker as a terrorist works so well, because fundamentally we know nothing about him. He is the terror in the night, he is unpredictable and he attacks the values that we hold so dear, money, logic, system, infrastructure and power. He is indiscriminate attacking weak and strong alike breaking down everyone in to what he believes they should be.
What makes this terrorist so much more terrifying is that the phrase ‘we do not negotiate with terrorists’ means nothing in this context – you cannot negotiate with someone when you have nothing they want, you can’t intimidate someone who has no fear and The Joker only wants to see the world burn, a truly terrifying villain.
The Joker’s plan culminates in two very difficult choices that must be made. Firstly a very personal choice for Batman to make that will have deep running ramifications not only for him but for Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. The second choice is made by that of Gotham’s citizens and the criminals that Dent and Wayne have put behind bars – it is this pivotal moment that defines what Batman has come to stand for, that one man can become a symbol and that symbol can inspire ordinary people to do good.
The Dark Knight whilst a truly amazing piece of film making is not without its flaws. Firstly Maggie Gyllenhaal suffers in comparison with Katie Holmes who inexplicably disappeared from the cast list. The central love triangle is not as convincing as it could have been and Gyllenhaal often appears distant from the men she professes to love.
As previously mentioned this is very much The Joker and Heath Ledger’s film, and as such occasionally drags when he is away from the screen for too long. Where the Joker does have a positive impact however is on the detective work of Batman. Due to the highly organised and carefully constructed chain of events that the Joker puts in to place (slightly at odds with his assertion that he is a servant of chaos railing against the schemers) really pushes Batman to use all the tools available to him to find the Joker, from recombined shattered shell casings to find a finger print or an ingenious use of sonar.
Ultimately this film was always going to rest on the performance of Ledger. As the nemesis to Batman and the most famous of the rogues ‘ gallery, The Joker needed to be a match for our hero and Ledger proved to be this in every way. Heath Ledger’s tragic and untimely death cast a long shadow over the film and understandably leads the viewer to watch with a sense of sorrow. What is evident is that he loved what he was doing and took a genuine delight in his work few images are as indelible as The Joker hanging his head from a car window like an excitable puppy, caught up in the rush of his own adventure.
The Dark Knight stands shoulder to shoulder with the best that crime movies have to offer and in the superhero stakes provides the definitive take on what this genre can do. Both adrenalin pumping and touch by turn this is what cinema should be, thought provoking, exciting and emotionally charged. A film that will be spoken about in years to come as a cornerstone not only for comic book movies but in the careers of Nolan, Bale et al The Dark Knight will rightly be revered as the best of its kind and will take a masterpiece to eclipse it.
My Rating 9.5 out of 10 Kevin Williams
The Dark Knight Rises
Dir: Christopher Nolan, Writing Credits: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan (Screenplay) Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer (Story) Based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Modine
Plot Summary
Eight years have passed since Batman took the blame for Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent’s crimes and Gotham has become a better place with crime at an all time low. Bruce Wayne lives as a recluse and Batman has retired, that is until the terrorist Bane threatens the city and Batman must once again put his body and his spirit on the line to protect his city.
Review
Reviewing The Dark Knight Rises is somewhat bittersweet. The fanboy in me has been waiting impatiently to find out how the story would end and now that it has I’m saddened that this is the last outing for The Caped Crusader (at least the last involving Nolan and Bale)
One of the most striking things about this movie is the level of sentiment that has been injected in to the characters. I do not mean that Batman has suddenly become a saccharine tear-fest, only that this is a far more emotional journey for the characters and the viewer. Michael Caine reduced the cinema audience to tears on two occasions on the screening I saw, this is in part down to the fine work of an Oscar winning actor. It is also the result of 3 films worth of character development that has resulted in the audience genuinely caring about these individuals.
After The Dark Knight which despite being a masterpiece of the genre was very grim it would have been very easy to just continue this path in The Dark Knight Rises and some reviewers have felt this was the case. I have viewed the film as being full of hope. The central themes of this film are about grief, loss, and holding on to negative emotion but equally this film is about letting go of pain, overcoming it (both mental and physical) and finding (or rediscovering) something to believe in.
Of the trilogy, TDKR is probably the film that is most heavily influenced by iconic moments form Batman’s history in comic form. The most obvious influence being the Knightfall series which introduced the character of Bane and provided one of the most indelible images – The moment when Bane ‘broke the bat’
Another influence thematically is that of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, which deals with an aging Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement because Gotham needs him to. Like TDKR this gives us a Batman who is no longer at his physical peak, which makes Bane all the more of a threat.
In Bane we really do have a physical match for Batman, in fact he goes beyond a match and is bona fide threat to Batman’s life in a way that Ra’s Al Ghul and The Joker never really could be. A mass of hulking muscle, Hardy’s Bane is a monster and truly a beast of man, one who seems more at home snapping necks than in doing anything else.
In the film’s centre piece clash between Bane and Batman, Hardy gives us a truly terrifying performance, literally plucking Batman from the darkness, before subjecting him to a crushing and humiliating defeat that is ripped straight from the comic’s page. It is an almost uncomfortable scene to watch, to see your hero being decimated to such an extent makes for harrowing viewing.
Hardy’s performance as ‘Gotham’s reckoning’ is all the more impressive as he must rely on gesture, movement and his eyes to convey a lot of what Bane is thinking or feeling. The mask (whilst a clever way of dealing with the characters iconic look) does hamper Hardy’s speech with it being slightly muffled at times. With his voice reminiscent of Brian Blessed mingled with Darth Vader and the theatrical nature of his performance, Hardy’s incarnation of Bane recalls his role as Charles Bronson.
Again Terrorism is the key agenda of our antagonist and whilst this is a suitably powerful motivation for our hero to get back in to action, there is an element of déjà vu when looking back at the previous movies. The Harvey Dent act put in place following the events of The Dark Knight removes organised crime from the equation and this is the first time in Nolan’s trilogy that this series feels about Batman versus a super-villain which oddly is somewhat less satisfying than the backdrop of the previous two films.
Where TDKR does really shine is in its action, from the adrenaline fuelled mid air escape in the IMAX shot prologue to Batman’s awesome reintroduction and newly suped-up Batpod’s physics defying show the set pieces in this film really impress. The action is not limited to Batman and Bane, new boy John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Surprising convincing in the action stakes) more than holds his own as does Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman) the roof top fight and prison sequence show Hathaway is more than just a pretty face and can more than handle the physical side of this role.
As ‘Catwoman’ Hathaway threatens to steal the show. A grifter, petty thief and con artist this version of Selina Kyle owes a debt both to the Year One comic book as much as Michelle Pfeiffer’s iconic take on the role. Both sexy and smart this Anne Hathaway proves there is more to her than Disney movies and rom-coms. Hathaway brings an easy charisma to the role which makes her a sympathetic character even when we are unsure of her allegiances.
An early scene that has Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne dance together recalls a similar scene in Batman Returns. This version is a catalyst (please excuse the pun) for many of the key events that unfold in the film and is the impetus that Bruce Wayne needs to ‘get back in the game’ and this dynamic between Wayne and Kyle provides a lot of the film’s most memorable moments.
So after eight year away, can Batman still cut it? Well yes, but not without the aid of some seriously painful looking knee braces – informed by his doctor that his cartilage is completely gone, presumably the result of leaping off too many buildings and crushing vans under his feet. The scene where Batman is reintroduced to the world is breathtaking and the viewer feels an almost childlike sense of wonder, one can only agree with the cop who informs his rookie partner ‘boy, you’re in for a show tonight!’
Unusually for a film about Batman, the titular Dark, Batman has far less on screen time than you would expect. However that is not to say that Batman is marginalised, it is completely and totally a film about him whether its young children whispering of the Batman’s return or the machinations of the villain hoping to lure Batman back in to action. Batman also weighs heavily on the mind of Jim Gordon who wrestles with the guilt for allowing Batman take the blame for a crime he didn’t commit, even if it was for the greater good.
This is also Christian Bale’s strongest and warmest performance in the role and the first time that we get to see a more humourous side to the character. One joke involving Batman experiencing what it is like to talk to thin air after Selina Kyle disappears had the theatre in hysterics. Bale characterises the emotion associated with loss and grief particularly well in this movie and it can’t be ignored that the tragic death of Heath Ledger will almost certainly have inspired the writers to want to tackle the theme of losing a loved one, before time and that one must go on always remembering what you have lost but ultimately letting go of the bad emotion and rising up.
After The Dark Knight, expectations and hype for TDKR were at almost unachievable levels. Does TDKR equal The Dark Knight? Well not quite. Taken in isolation the Dark Knight is easily the best film in the trilogy able to stand alone as an amazing piece of cinema and go toe to toe with any crime movie. TDKR is another fantastic piece of film making from Christopher Nolan but relies heavily on the films that have come before to gain its emotional weight.
After initially watching TDKR, I was convinced that it was the best of the three films, however on reflection I feel that was down to the emotion of seeing the trilogy come to a climax and being swept up by the satisfaction in seeing a character that I have been a fan of since childhood attain something that comic character’s so rarely get – an ending. Not only that, but an ending truthful to the trilogy and one that the character had earned.
I do have a few issues with TDKR, firstly Alfred goes missing for much of the film and I struggle to believe he would not have been in the thick of the action once Bane took the city. The amount of time that Gotham is occupied is alluded to but more could have been done to sell this other than give Bruce Wayne a beard. When Wayne recovers from his Bane inflicted injury it seems he has to do little more than a few push ups to get back in to peak condition which is one of the few times the ‘grounded in realism’ approach has slipped in this trilogy. My last quibble relates to Bane’s intellect, in the comic book he is written as more than a match for Bruce Wayne and his discovery of Batman’s secret identity is evidence of such – however when so many characters end up working out who Batman is it somewhat dilutes the power of Bane’s announcement.
These minor issues aside, this is still an amazing movie and one which wraps up certainly the best superhero trilogy of all time and possibly the best trilogy period. A series of movies where the quality never dips below excellent and contains a masterpiece in The Dark Knight is a wonder of modern film making, both commercially conscious and critically aware this is cinema at its best and most invigorating.
In all aspects of the production from the bravura football stadium set piece to Hans Zimmer’s enthralling score, the level of spectacle on display never lets up and whilst fanboys may be disappointed at the lack of screen time dedicated to the Caped Crusader the references and reverence to the source material is more than apparent.
I am sad to say goodbye to this character and series of films, and I genuinely felt a lump in my throat as the end credits began to roll. I will welcome the next attempt to bring Batman to the big screen, but whoever does, they will have some mighty big shoes to fill.
My Rating 8.9 out of 10 Kevin Williams
