4.5/5 Stars
Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy reaches
its finale with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Eight years after the events of ‘The
Dark Knight’, a masked nemesis Bane arrives with a plan to destroy Gotham city.
The Dark Knight re-emerges from his exile to protect it from the looming
danger.
Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) is in
exile, still accused for the crimes committed by District Attorney Harvey Dent,
at the Wayne Manor. Having been looked after by his faithful butler Alfred
Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Wayne is confined to the four walls of his room at
the sprawling mansion.
The mysterious Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne
Hathaway) paves the way for the arrival of Bane (Tom Hardy), a horrific extremist,
who sets out to destroy Gotham City. Batman emerges from his exile in order to
bring an end to the terror inflicted by Bane.
Along the way, Batman is assisted by
Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) of Wayne Enterprises
and the young cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in eliminating the
antagonists. Marion Cotillard, who plays Miranda Tate, is a member of the
executive board of the Wayne Enterprises and goes on to play a pivotal role in
the film.
Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine
and Morgan Freeman go on to play an extension of their characters from the
previous two films, ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. Christian Bale is
flawless as Bruce Wayne/Batman. His character goes through a whirlwind of
troubles in this film, and Bale depicts the pained superhero to perfection.
Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan
Freeman are terrific, ably supporting the principal characters. However, it is
the new entrants Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway, who deliver superlative
performances. Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman is electrifying in the film,
almost running away with the show in the first half. Such audacity, exuberance
and intensity, has seldom been inculcated in a female character in the
franchise. Hathaway, who keeps getting better with every performance, now
appears almost indispensable to the film. Tom Hardy, who plays the masked
antagonist Bane, is absolutely brilliant. His terrorizing demeanour gives
Batman a nemesis to reckon with.
The film should not be compared to its
predecessor ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), as this one is a starkly different
set-up. Treat it on its own merit and you will immensely enjoy it. The writers Christopher
Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer, have reinstated the uniqueness of a
Nolan film. The film, albeit dark in parts, is a visual treat. The cinematography
(Wally Pfister) is astounding. The aerial shots are one of the best seen in
recent times. The difference between the Batman films of yore and Nolan’s trilogy
has been the visual appeal and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ truly lives up to its
billing. The computer-generated imagery (CGI), already on display in the theatrical
trailers, is spectacular.
There is not a single lull moment in the 2 hour
44 minute screenplay. The immaculate editing by Lee Smith ought to be applauded
as it is incredibly difficult to make such a long film engaging enough,
notwithstanding the credibility of the makers.
The score by the maestro Hans Zimmer lends
an almost ethereal touch to the magnificent visuals. We often talk about Nolan’s
brilliance in the script and the execution in his iconic films, but Hans Zimmer
has played a monumental role in making them memorable. His contribution should
not be ignored. The chant that plays during Bane’s exploits is so haunting and
mesmerizing at the same time. Like always, Zimmer gives us the best of both
worlds.
That Christopher Nolan is a director par
excellence is not a startling revelation. With films such as ‘Memento’, ‘The
Prestige’, ‘Inception’ and The Batman trilogy, to his credit, the man has set a
bar so high that it would be difficult for any other filmmaker to be able to
give us a superhero flick that is as impactful. Nolan does not disappoint this
time around as well. Often, any film succeeding a superlative film fails to
live up to the expectations. However, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has generated so
much anticipation in the last one year that it would be difficult even for the
hardest critics to point out a blemish. The film will astonish you the moment,
you think it is veering towards predictability. Hats off to filmmakers for not sticking to the
norms and adapting comic books with such unmistakable clarity and conviction!
It’s been a wonderful year for comic book superheroes with ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The
Amazing Spider-Man’ hitting jackpot at the box-office. Needless to say, ‘The
Dark Knight Rises’ will meet a similar fate.
The film totally lives up to the
expectations. It strikes the perfect balance between the technology and the
human touch. Must, must watch! (First Posted in MSN)
Shivom
Oza
Everything about this movie is just so darn epic, that I honestly couldn’t wait to just stand up, cheer my head off, and show my love for the epic trilogy that Christopher Nolan has made for me, and made for me with total love and care. Great way to say bye-bye to everybody’s favorite Bat. Nice review Shivom.
ReplyDeleteI finally had a chance to watch this. I agree, that this film should be treated very differently from the previous film. Physiological drama was the highlight in the last one, fear and anxiety is the highlight in this one.
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