Review of The Dark Knight Rises (2012) by Jacob B — 15 Jun 2017

Since anything that isn't a review aggregator calls this film bad, with many finding a scene where Batman asks Bane where the trigger is unintentionally hilarious, I had my doubts about this film. But it turns out I was wrong.

True, it's no Dark Knight but Heath Ledger's dead and resurrection still isn't physically possible. Besides, even if we did find the technology to bring him back to life, playing God can be consequential.

Had Heath Ledger remained alive, the film would probably be different. But it still succeeds, not as a superhero film but as a doomsday-type movie. The funny thing about it is Batman appears to have a lack of screen time but I think it's because of the film's long runtime of 165 minutes including credits.

This is also because the film takes place 8 years after The Dark Knight with Bruce Wayne having hung up the cape and cowl and living a reclusive life. Tom Hardy is oddly compelling as Bane and Anne Hathaway's performance as Catwoman is pretty good.

Hey, she can be a badass chick when she wants to. I'd probably choose Anne over Michelle Pfeiffer...remember that Halle Berry never happened. Batman's lack of screen time also helps viewers care more for Bruce.

I felt sympathetic with the character since he's mostly a broken man who's exiled himself from the rest of Gotham. There's this scene where Bane leaves him stuck in a prison where escape is believed to be virtually impossible.

Yet I wanted him to escape and not simply because of restlessness in regards to Batman. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a good job of playing John Blake whose legal name is a slight nod for a certain ally of the Caped Crusader.

All in all, Christopher Nolan helps deliver a film that serves a satisfying conclusion to an epic trilogy.