So, what did you make of the Dark Knight Rises? In the words of Bane - "Let the games begin." But, just before they begin, a reminder that if you haven't seen Dark Knight Rises yet, the following discussion will include spoilers.
So, first things first, I thought Dark Knight Rises was a blast. A fast-moving, slick and action-packed blast. The best description I have heard of the film is "a big clunky awesome thing'' in this video review.
That's pretty spot on. It clunks and heaves at times, but moves with such slick confidence, purpose and vigour that you get swept along. I was reminded of a line from one of Christopher Nolan's earlier films, The Prestige, a cool little film about duelling magicians from 2006. It is the third best film to feature David Bowie after The Man who Fell to Earth and, naturally, Labyrinth.
But, anyway, here's the line:
"Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because, of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled."
Dark Knight and its sequel both remind me of this line. Both films are like conjuring tricks - enchanting and thrilling at the time, but they start to unravel slightly if you think about them too much or subject them to a second viewing.
The conjuring trick is pulled off with great acting, superb cinematography, multi-stranded narratives, slick direction and a driving plot. It is all delivered with such precision, polish and finesse that you don't have time to think too much.
These are like the magician's flourishes to keep your eyes away from the hand that is secretly palming your chosen card or frantically bundling a rabbit into a top hat.
Dark Knight Rises may nod to zeitgeisty issues like Occupy Wall Street and societal collapse, but these just provide the backdrop for a superhero action movie that is slightly more thoughtful than normal, but not as thoughtful as it appears.
But I don't care, I want to be fooled. If I hadn't fallen for the illusion, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the thrills.
And what thrills. Bane was a mesmerising standout for me. He hummed with menace and was genuinely creepy. What a fantastic voice. He sounded like an Eton-educated Darth Vader. And what physicality.
But, however badass, Bane eventually fell prey to "Boba Fett Syndrome". This is a syndrome where a really cool baddie is dispensed with in an undignified and jokey way.
Here is the original instance of Boba Fett Syndrome in action:
Bane and Boba deserved more than that.
But, overall I couldn't help but be rigorously entertained by Dark Knight Rises. I was happy not to let light in on magic and just go along for the ride.
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Good review. And agreed that Bane did not deserve such an undignified demise. A little bit too cheesy as well, probably the low point of the movie for me. But overall, great. Would like very much to see again.
Hah, do you remember when Boba's Dad, Jango, got his head sliced off by ol' Mace Window? And then, hehe, and then Boba comes along and picks up his Dad's helmet which *still has his Dad's head in it* (but the head doesn't fall out because of the laws of narrative and because this is a family film).
I guess it's a struggle to kill off the villian (or his kick-ass henchman) and make it good. Think of all the Bond films where the bad guy gets sliced, or burned to a crisp, or, in one case, inflated and exploded like a balloon. During which Bond quips a one-liner and makes out with the girl.
I haven't seen DKR yet (I don't want to spend 2hrs45min at a theatre), but it's no spoiler to know that Bane gets killed. That was obvious from the first teaser. It's just a matter of how.
And SUCH thrills! :D I was at a midnight screening, and the place was packed - as soon as the film began, the entire theatre was silent. Utterly silent for the entire time. SILENT. The willingness to be swept along, the dread of missing Bane's spoken words, the chill in the twist...
I'm going again this weekend :P
*NERD ALERT*
you are aware that Boba Fett escaped from the Sarlacc Pit?
The entire movie I kept thinking "sean Connery got pretty built" everytime Bane talked. He sounds like a Sean crossed with Darth Vader, it's very entertaining.
I liked it but I don't know if I liked the ending.
This movie has done something that no other comic book movie has done so far, It is given a definitive ending. This is a difficult thing as the Batman comic books themselves are continuous.
***SPOILER ALERT***
I must admit I was hoping for a more heroic ending with Batman basically making the statement that 'this is my city and I'm here to protect it to the end' rather than him just disapearing when the job was done. If anything, the previous movie highlighted the fact that the Batman is needed with Jim Gordon saying "He's the hero that Gotham needs but not the one we deserve right now" or something like that. In this one he just kinda shows up after a long self imposed exile, quickly does his thing and then takes off again. It should've been called The Dark Knight Rises Briefly :-)
#7 I think you missed the point, Batman is a symbol not just one person as said many times in the film and shown at the very end with Blake.
I thought Bane was brilliant. Tom Hardy should be a bigger star than he is. He can play any character going. In a way he's the opposite of Bale when it come the physically changing for roles. Bale is known for the huge weight loss, Hardy for Packing on the muscle e.g The Warrior. I loved the voice too btw.
If you can find a copy, check him out in 'Branson'. He play a notorious real life UK prisoner. If that was realised now, he'd be a shoe in for an Oscar nom at least.
Hathaway was a surprise too. I think they got the comic character right for the first time. Hollywood's supernatural origins? Pfft whatever. Stick to the source material and you can never go wrong.
Marion Cotillard - what a beautiful WOMAN. I could hardly take my eyes off her when she was on screen.
And am I wrong to have some symapathy for the 'bad guys'?
I really enjoyed the Dark Knight Rises, I found it much easier to watch than the other 2 movies in the trilogy. Bane was a a great villian
Didn't really talk much about the movie here. How can something clunk and heave but be slick, it makes no sense. I wouldn't really call this a sequel to the Dark Knight its the final of the trilogy which includes Batman Begins. Why cant stuff get some decent movie reviewers on this site.