The Dark Knight Rises

As I started this whole blog business with the first of these three movies (Batman Begins, 2005), and reviewed the second one (The Dark Knight, 2008), with Heath Ledger as the Joker, so I might as well follow up with this one.  My attitude toward the films could be described as “grudging respect” rather than any great enthusiasm.

 After succumbing to public contempt, taking the blame so that Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) could be remembered as an illustrious prosecutor and not Two-Face, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (Christian Bale) remains in seclusion and self-pity, stumbling around on a cane and growing a beatnik type of beard. 

 A new villain, Bane (Thomas Hardy) emerges from the woodwork and manages to not merely take over Wayne Enterprises – through a shadowy series of stock deals assisted by WE’s poor stock performance all these years that Wayne let the company deteriorate without his public efforts to prop it up by appearing at cocktail parties and dancing with the female lead character – but also (wait for it, people!) rigs half of Manhattan (sorry, Gotham City) with explosives AND converts a WE fusion reactor into a nuclear bomb.   He blows the bridges surrounding Manhattan, presumably including the GW Bridge.

 Commisioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is back, just as bad-ass as a man his age can be, assisted by Officer Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who seems to be the next generation in good cops coming online.  Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Alfred (My Cocaine) are back as well.  Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and “Catwoman”/Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) compete for Wayneman’s affections. 

 Since this wraps up a trilogy, let’s make sure Nolan has included ALL his necessary ingredients:

*          Super-bad-ass bad guy who talks trash well – Bane.  He even has his voice mechanically altered.  Of course the bad guy is very smart but also ruthless, carelessly wasting incompetent minions without the slightest hesitation or problem.

*          Lucius Fox and his array of impressive hardware – with something new each time

*          Alfred and his surplus of hoary wisdom and melancholy, anchoring Wayne in morals and tradition, reminding him of his legacy and responsibilities, and giving him much-needed advice and moral support

*          Wayne captured and crushed in pain and pity for much of the movie, trapped in a pit, but of course he works his way out again (spoiler alert!)

*          Lots of explosions in the right places – including the bottom dropping out of “Giants Stadium” – it’s funny that the Gotham City football team looks like the Steelers and not the Giants or Tebows

*          Wildcard character of dubious morals but eye candy – “Catwoman”.  I say she’s about even with Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry.  Hurry up and get Sofia Vergara into the role.

*          Half the good characters remain good, the other half turn out to be bad, and likewise many bad characters (e.g. Bane) remain evil while some of the naughtier ones switch sides as well

 Warning.  The film clocks in a 2 hours and 45 minutes, and is not a non-stop action orgy like “The Avengers”.  In fact, much of the film is talking, talking, talking, etc. made worse by Batman’s confusion that he’s wearing a poncho and smoking a cigar.   I won’t call it boring, but neither will it say that the plot keeps your interest at midnight without resorting to Sour Patch kids or something like that to keep you awake.  Worth seeing?  You bet.  Best movie ever?  Hardly.  I’ll have catch it again on DVD to pick up on all the half-whispered lines I couldn’t hear in the movie theater.  But for the rest of you:  ENJOY.