The Dark Knight Rises

Opening with a superbly crafted Bond-like airborne action piece that sets the stage for an ambitious two hour 44 minute long adventure, The Dark Kn... read more

Opening with a superbly crafted Bond-like airborne action piece that sets the stage for an ambitious two hour 44 minute long adventure, The Dark Knight Rises is a smart and respectable end to Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Eight years after the Joker was vanquished, Bruce Wayne has hung his cape up and decided that Gotham doesn't need Batman anymore. It takes a masked megalomaniac mercenary Bane to unleash mayhem and take over the city to get Batman out and in action. While Commissioner Gordon, Alfred and Fox retain their roles, new characters of Cat woman and Robin get introduced in this elaborately crafted script.

It is interesting how Nolan weaves in contemporary themes of terrorism, oppressive governments, economic collapse and anarchy into a superhero narrative.

Bane liberates prisoners from jails, sets up courts to decide the fate of the oppressors and promises to help the citizens of Gotham redeem their city from the corrupt. The film plays around with all of these ideologies juggling many story threads at one time effortlessly. What the film does explicitly state is the eternal match of the good vs evil and how the two are interpreted by individuals and societies together.

While one misses the Joker from the second part of the trilogy, Bane as the deadly mercenary is no less menacing. Masked for most part of the film, he is physically and ideologically threatening. He makes for an intimidating metaphor of all that is wrong in these economically unstable times we live in, as well as a portend of what might happen if course correction is not undertaken. His presence, tough incomparable to Heath's legendary Joker, adds to the story immensely.

Anne Hathway as Selina, the vixen like thief, is the other alluringly tantalizing character in this edition of the saga. She is slinky, intelligent and makes for the perfect foil for an otherwise silent Batman. Lewitt as the young cop who seems to know every detail of the puzzle always also impresses with his short role that towards the end hints at him being Robin.

Despite the beautiful moments, TDKR is not without faults. Some parts of the film are just dialogues, heavy and loaded with meaning, these drag the scenes and test ones patience.

The film is immensely gloomy, a sense of all pervading destruction grips the mind from the very first scene, leaving very little room for humor. Romantic track between Tate and Wayne is unrealized and ends up being a farce.

And then there is the deeply felt absence of the Joker.

Yet, TDKR is an intelligent film that not just gives one the thrill of watching a superhero flick, but also makes one think and engages the mind. Watch this one without fail, multiple viewings are guaranteed.
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Christopher Nolan. Every sane filmgoer worships these words today. He has changed Hollywood filmmaking forever. To expect The Dark Knight Rises to ... read more

Christopher Nolan. Every sane filmgoer worships these words today. He has changed Hollywood filmmaking forever. To expect The Dark Knight Rises to go a notch higher is only fair. The pressure on Nolans shoulders is massive and I felt no shame in expecting him to deliver. Why not? If in Nolan we dont trust, whom do we trust in?. But then I told myself, he has already given his best attempt at a Batman film and it's called The Dark Knight (2008). Expecting the same would be boring and expecting more would be unfair.

The opening scene shows the mark of a true fan of the Bond films. We meet Bane (Tom Hardy), the villain who says he is the borrowed time Gotham has been living on. We meet Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) 8 years post the events of the previous film. The first hour of the film is a quiet drama and a great one at that; it slows down to give the entire trilogy some perspective. Truth be told, midway I realized a vague sense of disappointment. Goddamn it! All that pragmatism was going out of the window. The film wasnt challenging enough. (Intellectually or technically). The bag of tricks Nolan had fashioned over the years is missing, be it telling a film backwards or intercutting between four different times and spaces. I never thought about having expectations about that, assumed it would invariably be there. I was definitely surprised to see Nolan deciding to tell it straightforward this time. I wondered if he is dumbing himself down to make a blockbuster.

Then came a fight scene between Bane and Batman in which they talk about the weapons of theatricality and deception that the League of Shadows has taught them. Bane tells him not to use these theatrics. When I look back, this is exactly what Mr. Nolan has done. He ditches all the show off, the ambiguity, stuff that made people sit up and take notice of him. Can we all love him when his storytelling is absolutely naked? Now that he has experimented, made commercial successes, made commercials successes AND experimented at the same time, do we have room for some movie magic? He works with genre conventions not by turning them on their heads like he usually does but by embracing them. Although he achieves this in a way you may not expect.

Bane is a movie monster, not a movie villain. He reminded me of Darth Vader. Im embarrassed to admit that he scared the living daylights out of me. His voice itself made me shudder let alone the things he said. (You have my permission to die). Most villains have been threatening to want to destroy Gotham in this trilogy. Here it has actually been planned out. Anarchy isnt on his mind like the Joker. He isnt conducting social experiments either. He wants terrorism. He wants destruction. He wants a political holocaust. The men in power are the targets of his carnage. There is one jaw-dropping sequence of serial bombings. Joker said to Batman we are quite alike you and I. Bane and Batman, these masked men are polar opposites. Batman is presented with a physical challenge, and hence a test of spirit.

Hans Zimmer gives us lessons in how to create music for the third part of a trilogy. He re-imagines the themes from the first two films mixes them with some original beauty (Gothams Reckoning sends a wave of goosebumps throughout my existence).

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman is an absolute knockout. This character has been re-envisioned to dazzling results. Femme fatales have been a favorite of Nolans since he started making films. The characters of John Blake and Miranda Tate played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard may seem superfluous but have a lot to do with the triumph of the final act. The film that was on its way to become a war movie makes you reconsider the actions of a few characters (Including Bane) and suddenly it becomes a human drama. Michael Caine who can now be permanently called Alfred, made me shed a couple of tears. The emotional surprise is the best magic trick Nolan unleashes.

This isnt a film. Its a time bomb. It ticks and it ticks until it explodes. It is this explosion that is worth all those years of anticipation. I was glad to be proven right about my presumption that The Dark Knight Rises will change Hollywood filmmaking forever. Just not in the way I thought it would be. It may not leave you asking existential questions or warrant a dissection of each scene to unravel a mind-bending plot, but it is a film that rings true. It will remind Hollywood that you dont need 3D to make a blockbuster which some recent films might have presented a case for. You can make the worlds biggest blockbuster in 2D. No show offs. Just a great story told exactly the way it should be. There is movie magic here in its most pure form in a film that can truly be called an epic. Christopher Nolan has not made the film we wanted. But the one we deserve. He rises. He rises to the status of a modern filmmaking god. view less

After his last Batman film premiered worldwide in July 2008, Christopher Nolan became the beneficiary of being one of modern cinemas rarest treasur... read more

After his last Batman film premiered worldwide in July 2008, Christopher Nolan became the beneficiary of being one of modern cinemas rarest treasures - the blonde-haired Dark Knight who reveled in a disarmingly delicious cocktail of high octane intellect and refreshingly sleek mainstream fare, the kind which awards the bespectacled executives at Warner Bros. with an orgasmic feast.

Simultaneously and knowingly, Nolan became the recipient to one of the worst challenges that the cinephiles can administer their beloved maestro with -- to outshine self-created greatness by outrunning mammoth expectations which The Dark Knight, a movie of frightening perfection promised. So although Rises is a fitting finale, a definitive end to the three-part series, it further magnifies the enormity of The Dark Knight.

In this final chapter, Nolans unsure nervousness in sweeping away his audience is unmistakably evident, despite the most spectacular of set pieces, primarily involving the opening aerial hijack, a land mine infested football stadium and a heinous street warfare sequence, that clock your standard three-act structure.

For eight years now, Gotham has been what it never could be, at least without the dependable aid of Batman - a relatively crimeless town bordering a Utopian environment, in contrast to what it eventually becomes in later course.

The stringent Dent Act effectively prevents the mob from flourishing; allowing the Man with the cowl to remain a recluse. But the peacefulness remains deceptive, just like the symbolic Harvey Dent whitewashes the public eye and terror looms large over the Gotham-sky hinting on an apparent carnage.

A menacing man clad in a comical gas-mask that covers his entire face (and oddly makes him less intimidating) is the new entrant whose priority remains to conclude Ras Al Ghul's incomplete legacy. He begins by crippling the citys economy, hitting the stock exchange in a daring financial assault, killing the stock of Wayne Enterprises and triggering Batman to force himself out of self-inflicted exile of manor-comfort melancholia.

To bail Mr. Wayne out of his newly acquired misery is Marion Cotillard's philanthropist-billionaire Miranda Tate - an environmentalist with confused intentions that disappointingly translate into a noticeably failed romantic chemistry between the two. Also on the grid is Selina Kyle, or popularly referred as Catwoman, a gorgeous sly burglar and the more exciting character of the movie, who intertwines with Batman and his alter-ego, making for a professional team as well as an intimate liaison.

Bane is out to destroy Gotham but he is not the maniacal terrorist that The Joker epitomized. He isn't half as compelling a villain, probably the weakest of all of them, equaling or overpowering Batman only in physical capacity. His idea is to inspire a deluding consciousness in the minds of the people and turn them villainously against the system.

His intention plainly seems to overthrow governance, his methodologies screaming of a fascist regime with a Taliban-like court of law. Contradicting these unprovoked ideologies is his interest to guzzle the city with nuclear weaponry. So one assumes that the socioeconomic themes of class conflict that the film strongly reflects on, or which make Bane the Bad Boy Messiah of social warfare (there's even an Occupy Wall Street-moment), is only his misguided mechanism to anarchize the State which will eventually crumble nightmarishly in apocalyptic doom, much like in Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities".

In this sense, The Dark Knight Rises is more political than your regular actioner, plenty much uncommitted to humor, involved staunchly and grimly in exploring the darkest shades of the human race, especially for a comic-book driven franchise. It entirely renovates the rule-book, both for sole-action films as well as the comic-inspired.

Continued in Part 2 : http://www.desimartini.com/reviews/ankur-pathak-the-dark-knight-rises/rd16296md1418.htm view less

A lot has been written about the last of the Batman movies so I will keep this short. The Dark Knight is an entertaining movie with lots of great e... read more

A lot has been written about the last of the Batman movies so I will keep this short.

The Dark Knight is an entertaining movie with lots of great effects. It is action, sentimentality and philosophy thrown into a witchs cauldron and brewed till it overflows into one long gripping, dark mass. It is maybe a tad too long if I may say so. A few bits like when Batman fight Bane hand-to-hand in a huge free for all fight was too Bollywoodish and silly for my taste. You want to see a superhero do superhero like things and not get beaten up by a character with a gas mask who could have come straight out of Agneepath. There were quite a few other scenes like that which were a bit OTT but the audience seemed to lap it all up eagerly so I guess its wiser for me to not play the carping critic.

The other thing I found strange was that everyone seemed to know by the end that Bruce Wayne is Batman. So much for his fancy costume.

Ok, I think I may get beaten up if I go on much longer so will sign off on a positive note. I enjoyed the movie, the thrills and the little jokes. The hero is suave, the heroine svelte, the villain ugly and the audience wildly enthusiastic. What more can you ask for sitting in the corner seat on the first row? Go forth and enjoy!
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One man who deserves to be accredited for having given the Batman series a grand facelift is Christopher Nolan. Its not easy to keep a franchise go... read more

One man who deserves to be accredited for having given the Batman series a grand facelift is Christopher Nolan. Its not easy to keep a franchise going and making every film better than its predecessor. Undoubtedly, Nolans been a champion in this department and has been successfully giving us films that well cherish for a lifetime. His latest film The Dark Knight Rise is not a masterpiece but a great film thatll make his fans go gaga.

Eight years have gone by since the demise of Harvey Dent, a crime-fighting, loyal cop who lost his life for the people of Gotham. People are celebrating Harvey Dent day in his memory however rumor has it Batman is pinned for the murder of Dent and thats why hes been in hiding for a while. Meanwhile, a new Terrorist leader, Bane, has risen from the dead to conquer the city of Gotham and turn all its citizens to ash. The only one who could save the city from turning in to a graveyard is Batman, and nobodys seen him in eight years. Batman should join hands with the cunning jewel thief aka Catwoman and an honest cop, John Blake aka Robin along with Commissioner James Gordon to save Gotham.

The film is yet again carried by few of its characters; the key ones who are some way or the other connected to each other and therefore make the proceedings interesting. For example; Bane was also trained by Ras Al Ghul, who also trained Bruce back in the days however Bane was excommunicated from the league and now hes out seeking vengeance. The story is intelligently carried forward by the Nolan brothers, connecting every possible dot together to make sense. However one might feel the story was little too long but thankfully the film keeps you hooked throughout.

The first half of the film is nicely spent developing the character of Batman. His comeback from long absence not only delights the city residents but the audience likewise. The second half gets even more exciting; it completely supersedes the first in every possible way. Bane makes Batman go through the similar kind of pain he went through and therefore puts him in a place that gave him strength and hope. When the world around him is been torn in to pieces by Bane, Bruce spends time stirring up confidence by building hope and resistance and when all is about to end, The Dark Knight Rises. Brilliant! The twist in the climax is what you never expected from Nolan, and it explains everything and makes your every penny worth it.

Bane aka Tom Hardy is maniacal and devastating. At one point, you feel as though Bane has taken over Gotham and Batman but thats where TDKR exactly becomes one of the best films of the recent past. I was under the impression that after having seen the trailers of TDKR, I might actually like Bane more than the Joker but undoubtedly thats not the case. Bane was strong and powerful but the Joker was the nastiest of all and thats thats what made one of the most likable characters in the franchise. Bale as the Batman spends quality time trying to put himself together while the world around is convinced that he was responsible for the death of Harvey Dent. Bales character required lot of perseverance and you see it all in his performance.

Anne as the Catwoman adds style and wit to the film. Shes exactly opposite to the Batman and shes swift and extremely funny. Blake aka Joseph Gordon, the righteous cop whose only mission is to save Gotham with or without Batman shines in his role. One might feel his role may be sidetracked due to the presence of many others but its just a feeling and it passes when you reach the climax. Michael Caine aka Alfred, the Bats loyal servant plays his part as quietly as expected but hes the strongest of all because had it not been for him, Bruce wouldve never returned as the Batman.

Marion aka Miranda packs a powerful performance which youll only realize after you finish the movie. Her role is driven by its purpose and merely by acting. Morgan Freeman aka Lucius Fox gives what hes best at yet another mean machine this time one that takes off. Not to forget Gary aka Commissoner Gordon in his hapless role whose strength is his belief in Batman.

The Dark Knight Rises is spearheaded by one man Christopher Nolan who undoubtedly steals all limelight and makes youre watching experience a memorable one. Nolan keeps everything intact and doesnt leave any loose ends. All characters get their due time to explain who they are thus leaving no room for any criticism.
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