Anything Goes : The Dark Knight Rises (2012) by Ryan Dennison

The Dark Knight Rises (2012): 3 out of 4 stars Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language Runtime: 164 minutes Starring: Christian Bale - Bruce Wayne/Batman Michael Caine - Alfred Pennyworth Gary Oldman - Commissioner James Gordon Anne Hathaway - Selina Kyle/Catwoman Tom Hardy - Bane Directed by: Christopher Nolan Written by: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (based on a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, and characters created by Bob Kane) All good stories come to an end, and every trilogy has to end somehow. Though I can never say that any trilogy has a third part that excels over the first or second parts. I kept in mind that “The Dark Knight” (2008) is absolutely one of the best superhero movies, if not, one of the best movies I’ve seen. So I thought that nothing could top that one. After seeing “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), I wasn’t at all surprised. I only say this because of the strength of the predecessor, but I was still mostly satisfied with the finale. The story involves Bruce Wayne (Bale), who after taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes as Batman, to protect Dent’s reputation, decides that it’s probably time to put the cape and cowl back on. There’s a process in itself, since Wayne has lost most of the cartilage in his legs. I guess that’s what happens due to eight years of inactivity as Batman. Wayne’s resources are almost abolished and his wealth is also in question. This is almost the perfect arc from near-zero to hero. But he still has his strong relationships with his loyal butler Alfred (Caine) and Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeeman). Wayne learns of the arrival of terrorist Bane (Hardy), who aims to completely wipe out Gotham of all possible resources. From the opening scene, where Bane wipes out an aircraft, we know that he means business. We do understand the catalyst behind Bane’s actions and goals, but I’m not going to spoil anything. In addition, Bane is a brute in size, who could definitely win a UFC championship on his own, so that emphasizes the differences in his size and Wayne’s frailty. Hardy’s performance as Bane, though not quite as effective as Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight”, still gets our attention. However, the dubbing of his voice is sort of a bummer. I imagine during the original taping, that Hardy could hardly be heard behind his mask, since Bane has to wear it for good reasons throughout the film. Plus I head to remind myself that IMAX cameras generate lots of noise. I remember the first teaser, with Bane telling a broken Wayne that “when Gotham is ashes…you have my permission to die.” That line sent chills down my spine, but there was a difference in delivery in the final cut, which didn’t completely work for me. But moving on, Bane isn’t the only worry for Batman, Selina Kyle (Hathaway) is also in the picture. She is a clever “cat” burglar, who not only uses her agility, but also her beauty to take advantage of the wealthy men of Gotham. She makes a fool of Wayne in the beginning, but didn’t count on Wayne tracking her down. There is great sport between the two and I found that the scenes with Wayne and Kyle were more moving than anything. All of the aforementioned scenes take place in about the first half of the film, which moved too slow. So many new characters were introduced, such as headstrong rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley (Matthew Modine), just to name a few. A few play important roles in the plot, but most were not very significant. Blake does play the most important role, as someone who believes in the example brought out by Gordon: the safety and democracy in Gotham City. He acts as good connective tissue between the old and weary Gordon, and the isolated and lost Wayne. When the plot finally gets going, and Batman becoming as strong as he once was, the thrills and excitement in the series come back. The good and evil finally square off, with an unforgettable rematch between Bane and Batman. Despite the well-shot sequences of menace and action, I still found the events to be too predictable. But I won’t dock the film down too much for that. So overall, the film offers what every Batman fan expects. Good action and yet another outstanding performance from Bale as the caped crusader. Hardy, Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt standout in their roles as the newcomers. The thrills are still there, but were placed so close together in the second half, with only a few in the first. Going back to what I said earlier about the endings to trilogies, none really stand out or outdo the previous chapters. Examples are “Star Wars”, “Back to the Future” and “The Godfather” trilogies, all have significant beginning chapters, but not so much in the third chapters. The only exception I can think of is “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007), which had more thrills and exciting story events than the first two in the trilogy. But I can’t say that I was disappointed, “The Dark Knight Rises” still is a noteworthy conclusion to a trilogy of a reboot that I was glad to have seen in my time.