KOOL TV REVIEW: 'THE DARK KNIGHT RISES'

Warzone. Batman returns to fight for Gotham in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Images: WARNER BROTHERS.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy

Written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Released in cinemas worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS

Reviewed by Scott Weller


WARNING! This feature contains mild spoilers...

“Oh boy, are you in for a show tonight, son!”

The dreaded Hollywood curse/stigma of the weak third film of modern blockbuster trilogy’s has for the most part been erased by the ever talented Christopher Nolan with his final magnum opus of explosive drama and action that is his re-imagined BATMAN saga, starring Christian Bale as the tragic hero Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, up against his most revenge fuelled, brutal and destructive foes yet in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, now playing in cinemas and glorious IMAX worldwide, released by WARNER BROTHERS.

To Nolan’s credit, he doesn’t try to top what was previously presented with his incredible, world iconic THE DARK KNIGHT, now remembered in cinema history for the triumph and tragedy that was Heath Ledger’s vital contribution to it as the Joker. Instead, the writer/director carves out a deservedly fine and powerfully satisfying epic conclusion that, for the most part, is a direct sequel to Nolan’s first BATMAN BEGINS.

comes with further malevolent violence on an even bigger and more destructive scale as anew threat emerges from Gotham’s sewers

Eight years on from the aftermath of the colourful agent of chaos that was the Joker’s campaign of random anarchistic terror, both he and his crime lord paymasters are gone, but the price for peace would prove high for the lawmakers that bravely fought them, what with the self-perpetuating lie that is the myth of the late Harvey Dent and his crime busting ways which helped make Gotham a safer environment, whose eventual fate and demise would be intrinsically linked to the now pariah Batman (taking the blame for the District Attorney’s death, of which he had become the deformed and twisted Two-Face creature, on himself, so as to hide the world from a nightmare truth), who disappeared into the night, seemingly never to return.

Decision time for Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).

But evil never stays gone forever, and that power vaccum will soon be filled. Gotham City has prospered and flourished, but in newer levels of corruption and greed than before, of which their the rotten cracks are starting to appear in the city’s visage: the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. With the arrival of a mysterious female cat burglar and a powerful masked presence with a mercenary army at his command causing hitherto unheard of chaos and destruction, the time for the return of the caped crusader is soon laced with pain and cataclysm. The night is definitely at its darkest here, but a new dawn will soon arise…

With no mention of the Joker (a deliberate move by the film-makers), but continuing the saga’s all-important continuation/expansion of characters/plot points and iconic symbolism, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES proves an interesting allegory of our life and times, mixed with events of the classic novel A TALE OF TWO CITIES, but with added explosions and massive action set pieces! Themes of loyalty, of individualism, of courage and humanity under extreme circumstances continue to powerfully resonate amongst important, sometimes lengthy, exposition and set-up for the film’s ground thumping final act, of which the multi-layered script from Nolan, co-written with his brother Jonathan, once more dwells on the notions and limitations of good and evil, developing our main and enduring hero even further, and giving Bruce Wayne’s character much more interesting life and credibility. The film’s dark streaks echo our modern times, what with its Wall Street Banking villains and the tyrant/ terrorist Bane’s takeover of the city, literally turning it into dictator-like state not unlike Iraq in several chilling and visceral images which immediately evoke the current war on terror in our world society. This is obviously not going to be the popcorn fun of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. Instead, it remains the seminal superhero saga of the last ten years.

Additionally, Nolan brings out the best of other genres in this adventure, too, from disaster films to war movies, as well as nice little nods to previous all-round superhero adventures, that makes for a potent mix. The latter following many of the traditional aspects of seventies comic book storytelling. They also continue to have fun referencing the occasional James Bond movie action sequences, with their own amazing set pieces then taking old ideas to the nth degree, and making them even more exhiliarating. Always steal from the best!

Working hard for his director, lead star Christian Bale is now the only movie actor to truly capture the essence of the dual identity hero, and cements his incredible work here, terrific in his final movie inhabiting the supercharged crime fighter costume/combat armour, and as damaged alter-ego millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. Deliberately plotted, the timeframe story gap between films has not been kind to our crime fighter, and injuries fom his pervious years of street war against villains like the Joker and Scarecrow have now caught up with him big time.

Anne Hathaway, terrific as Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

Bruce/Batman’s first on-screen opponent in the new film, in and out of her slinky leathers, Catwoman, makes an impressive lasting first impression, played by her new screen incarnation of actress Anne Hathaway. I must admit I had trouble with the first announcement of her casting, but on-screen, Hathaway soon blew me away in the role of grifter Selina Kyle and Catwoman-think Audrey Hepburn gone haywire!-in probably the closest realization yet on screen to the complex DC COMICS character I enjoyed reading in the seventies, which she plays with a fine blending of spunk, attitude, and a lively out for herself quality, backed up with some equally strong scripting from the Nolans. Hathaway takes hold of the ball and never lets go, luckily for us, with her anti-hero spirit and agility, alongside some fun and pithily biting verbal comebacks to her new “friend” Batman and Bruce Wayne. Overall she’s sensational in a role previously made great in the past by the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer, and in the sixties by leggy Julie Newmar, but giving it the realistic edge so prevalent and so necessary within Nolan’s successful hyper-reality of Gotham City.

In danger: Lucius (Morgan Freeman) and Miranda (Marion Cotillard).

The other main lady of the film, lovely French actress Marion Cotillard, who was so vital to the dramatic success of Nolan’s prior movie, INCEPTION, impresses once more in the last half of the film as Wayne’s other love interest, business woman and scientist, Miranda, whilst another INCEPTION’er, rising talent Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives an equally commendable performance as the non-cynical and heroic cop/ protégé to Commissioner Gordon (the always fantastic Gary Oldman) in this time of new dangers, John Blake.  A young man whose orphan background vitally resonates with Bruce Wayne/Batman early on in the film…

Fear him! The terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy).

His character may not be as well known to general audiences as someone like the Joker previously was, but Tom Hardy’s Bane, so muscled it aches just to look at him, and whose origins, inextricably linked to Bruce Wayne and Batman from the aforementioned BATMAN BEGINS, is an equally formidable screen-presence and a highly dangerous foe, without doubt a frightening and fierce opponent for our hero to take on, especially in the latter’s early on, less than prime physical condition. It’s great to see our hero take on an opponent in a proper physical fight this time, and their two major conflicts are savagely exciting and breathless-at one point in their first smackdown, as part of the press screening audience, you could genuinely feel a sense of palpable excitement and dread in the air with their first clash-as if it was almost being almost being sucked out of the room by what occurs.

Bane’s wearing of a Darth Vader’ish facemask, though necessary to the character, could have been an acting handicap, but the talented Hardy overcomes this obstacle in presenting an intelligent and cunning baddie, beginning has dark plans for Gotham and its people, alongside his scenery smashing brawn. The early footage controversy over the ability of audiences to clearly hear Bane’s voice in the film has, within the majority of the final film, been rectified.

The terrific supporting cast of the previous two films return, including Michael Caine as Wayne’s dependable man servant Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Wayne Enterprise’s equally trusty board leader and weapons showman, Lucius Fox, and the aforementioned commendable and human face of Gary Oldman as the guilt ridden Commissioner James Gordon, who feels he can no longer keep the secret of Harvey Dent away from the people of Gotham for much longer…

Praise to other worthy new background casters including acting veterans like Tom Conti, Oliver Cotton, and TORCHWOOD’s skeletal faced Burn Gorman, who makes a lot from a small part. There’s also Matthew Modine as an incompetent but ultimately brave cop and LOST’s Brett Cullen as a corruptible politician. Other old favourites return in several great cameos that I will not spoil…

Explosive action on the streets of Gotham with "The Bat"

On the action front, Batman’s eventual re-appearance in the unfolding drama, part of a huge police chase, is exciting enough, but its when “The Bat” plane make its appearance that the audiences jaws will surely drop in excitement with its impressive grandeur for several equally impressive destructive scenes in and out of Gotham’s streets and air lanes. The Batpod also returns after its spectacular debut in THE DARK KNIGHT and happily for us male audiences sees Miss Hathaway’s fine derriere riding it through several high adrenaline sequences. The Batmobile may have been destroyed on the streets of Gotham in THE DARK KNIGHT, but that doesn’t mean that other military versions of it aren’t still around, either…

Even with all this excitement, certain critics have accused the films first act as being a slow burner, but I found it very interesting in the way it brought Bruce Wayne out of his injured, purpose-less shell, emerging from retirement and into his first catastrophic battle against the oxygen masked Bane. It’s actually in the middle of the film that I think the Nolans script slightly loses some of its dramatic focus and also a little of its inventiveness. It could have been tightened up a little bit. Reminding me of the 1980 SUPERMAN II and of the destructive fun the Kryptonian villains have when Metropolis’s protector is seemingly no longer around, Bane’s uprising is interesting but never feels quite so believable to me-intriguingly he has his army of mercenaries and prisoners, but truly fails to capitalize on the downtrodden and embittered of Gotham to swell his his ranks further -their inclusion in the on-screen French Revolution style payback on Gotham’s rich elite would have added even more visceral threat and believability.

The final battle.

However, such niggles are minor when looking at the bigger picture, as the film delivers a spectacular pay-off more that more than compensates for any problems. So lets bid adieu and thank you to the rest of Nolan’s marvelous, dedicated and inventive behind the scenes team from the trilogy, including Cinematographer Wally Pfister, Costume Designer Lindy Hemming, and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. No longer in partnership with James Newton Howard on the scores for the Batman Trilogy, Han Zimmer also delivers one of his finest compositions yet for the finale, with some intriguing moments of subtlety and raw aggressive power, as well as the return of key themes from BATMAN BEGINS.

What amazingly started off life as part of a gathering ideas in Nolan’s home basement, amongst the everyday normal washing machines and soap powder conditioners, this new era of dark and dramatic Batman, originally co-written with BLADE’s David S. Goyer, has become a well deserved and audience adored phenomenon. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES truly delivers the dramatic and emotional payoff that will leave audiences absolutely satisfied with both the film and the overall Trilogy. A tremendous wrap up to the eight year period in which Batman has dominated the world box office and continued to make it’s creator Bob Kane’s original hero of the night more than justify his worthy and enduring existence in our hearts and minds.

Intriguingly, Nolan cleverly lays all his cards on the table but leaves a couple of further aces up his sleeve for DC/WARNER BROTHERS should they want to take the franchise in new directions now that he and Christian Bale have made their departure. But, whatever happens next-and whoever takes the mantles of the cape and the directorial reins behind his adventures- quite how anyone is even going to top or topple their incredible work and achievements is beyond me…

KOOL TV RATING: 9 out of 10