The Dark Knight Rises
To summarize The Dark Knight Rises with “Epic” would be a disservice to Christopher Nolan and the rest of the crew responsible for the latest installment of the Dark Knight saga. Possibly an attempt at a phrase using the word Epic? Epic Conclusion? Epic Thrill Ride?
The Dark Knight Rises
Warner Bros. Pictures
In 2005, Nolan painted a portrait of heroism and intrigue. He created a unique look into a Gotham not so dissimilar to what I pictured when I was a young boy reading comic books under the blankets with my flashlight long after bed time had come and gone. Nolan introduced us to a Bruce Wayne haunted by ghosts from a childhood lost, struggling to find a place in a world in which he no longer belonged. Only to see him overcome his fears and save Gotham from a horrific fate.
Then again in 2008, Nolan carried us deeper into his handwoven tapestry of desperation and despair. Coloring Gotham with a grim palette. We watched in dread as Batman seemingly met his match. While Heath Ledger’s Joker set the world on fire and watched it burn, Bruce Wayne struggled with his duel personalities and ultimately became the villain so as to make room for Harvey Dent to be the hero he thought Gotham deserved.
Now in 2012, with exquisite control Nolan applied what may be the final brush strokes and the legend becomes the masterpiece. Bruce Wayne is trapped in a world where he is a recluse and Batman a fugitive. Only to be thrown into a life he stopped living to once again save the people of Gotham from almost certain doom. The story takes twists and turns; at times I going myself asking aloud where the story was headed, only to be surprised again and again.
The cast thrived on the stellar performances of Michael Caine and Tom Hardy. Christian Bale brought a refined sorrow to the once playboy Wayne and delivered with seeming easy. Other notable performances go to Joseph Gordon Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway and the always wonderful Gary Oldman.
This film is a dark tale filled with suffering and pain, but even through the shadow the film maker allowed hope to shine as the brightest of themes. This film is appropriately rated PG 13; containing violence and intense situations, with more adult themes and some crude language.
I grade this film 4 1/2 batmobiles out of 5. A must see for even a novice Batman viewer.