After Batman Begins reinvented the Caped Crusader and The Dark Knight ended up snatching the crown of being the finest superhero movie of all time, to say that The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to is the mother of all understatements. Whether you were one of those that loved it or were ever so slightly underwhelmed by Nolan’s third crack at Batman, The Dark Knight Rises remains the biggest and best comic-book movie of the year – not an easy feat considering The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-man were both incredible outings for Marvel characters.
As incredible a feat as Rises undoubtedly is, like its titular hero it’s taken its fair share of lumps – and the negativity isn’t totally unjustified. The Dark Knight Rises isn’t a perfect film by any means, but its flaws are in no way big enough to bust it to being a mere four-star flick – especially when sized up against the grandiose scope of the film. Sure it’s not as good as its predecessor, but then again no superhero movie is – but this one’s really not far off. The Dark Knight Rises is a brash, ballsy, bombastic slice of excellence that shows a far different Batman to the one we’re used to. It’s hypnotically brilliant stuff and, whether you adore it or not, it stands as the most talked about film of the year – and for good reason.
Eight years after Harvey Dent plunged to his death, Gotham is in a state of fabricated peace as the police have made a martyr out of Two-Face and passed an act that has allowed them to put a stranglehold on the city’s criminal underworld. When mercenary-cum-terrorist Bane shows up threatening to expose the truth about Dent and liberate the city by turning it into a war zone, an aged and battered Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement and dons the cowl one last time.
Straight off the bat, we come to one of the things that was always going to polarise audiences – Bruce Wayne being left a physical and emotional wreck after the events of The Dark Knight. After serving up Batman as a scapegoat for Dent’s crimes, we pick up the story to find Bruce reduced to a feeble hermit for much of the film’s first half – limping around Wayne Manor, jadedly living out his days in a city that neither needs nor wants the Dark Knight around. If you prefer your superheroics with a bit more bang then it’s understandable why some fans of the previous two flicks would find this first act an unwelcome slowing of pace. However, slow and cerebral as it is, it’s all necessary, rivetting stuff that needs addressing due to its tackling of issues left over from the last film and laying groundwork for the second half of this one. It’s brilliantly realistic and well thought out – sure Bane is wreaking a fresh flavour of havoc upon Wayne’s hometown and needs a good slap on the wrist, but just how the hell does a crippled man set aside the quiet life to get back into the cowl for yet another scrap? It’s a lot to ask of a broken man and so by the time he rocks the cape again, you know it’s been no simple feat – especially when he’s got to take on a hulking high-functioning sociopath with an aptitude for mentally and physically dismantling his opponents.
Bane is no Joker, that’s for sure, but with Batman’s arch-nemesis dealt with (and never mentioned out of respect for the late, great Heath Ledger), he’s a great villain to ensure Bats isn’t sitting back and resting on his laurels, and has to deal with a far different kettle of fish to rest of the series’ villains. Yes, Joker was great in The Dark Knight but you knew full well that as soon as Batman got his mitts on the clown, he could beat the snot out of him.
That’s not the case here. Bane is a one-man army and he seems more than a little preoccupied with trying to twist Batman’s head off. He’s not a better villain than Heath Ledger’s Joker, just different – in a brilliantly spectacular way. Tom Hardy gives ballsy, brutal gravitas to the role – stealing almost every scene in which he shows his mask-clad mug. It takes a bit of ear tuning to understand his dialogue (hampered by the breathing apparatus), but it’s never enough to be an issue.
As for other newcomers, Anne Hathaway surprises in churning out an awesomely sexy turn as slinky burglar Selina ‘Catwoman’ Kyle. A far cry from Michelle Pfeiffer’s stint as Batman Return’s feline seductress, Hathaway is a focused, cool customer and ably dismisses concerns from those doubters. In fact, the film actually suffers slightly from not having her in it quite enough. Although proving essential in the grand scheme of things, at times she feels a little tacked on as a character when they could have spent a little more time fleshing out the romance between her and Bruce.
Still, the most noteworthy addition to the ensemble is Joseph Gordon Levitt. Playing squeaky clean rookie cop John Blake, Levitt is the undoubted star of The Dark Knight Rises. As everything falls to pieces around him and his moral barometer gets tested, he remains steadfast in tackling the terrorist threat while taking care of the people of Gotham. In doing so, he pretty much takes on the role of being audience’s guide throughout this complex and story-dense instalment. If any player deserves a golden bloke from all this, it’s him.
There’s a hell of a lot going on in The Dark Knight Rises and despite its slow start being in stark contrast to the breakneck pace of the second half, it’s expertly handled by Christopher Nolan’s direction and framed exquisitely by Wally Pfister’s lens work. It’s a truly beautiful looking film. From breathtaking landscapes of Pittsburgh to the bone-crunching close-quarter fisticuffs, everything looks absolutely superb in high definition – but it’s those IMAX shots that make the Blu-ray an essential purchase over the DVD.
Opening up the screen for the action and establishing shots (it switches from a 2.35:1 aspect ratio to 16:9 for the bits originally shot on IMAX cameras), it’s a fantastic way to make sure the film has your undivided attention while simultaneously showing off the format. Going back to the visuals in general though, the many dark shades, the fast action scenes – all are handled stunningly with this incredibly crisp transfer, as was the case with its predecessors. Similarly, the audio is rendered exquisitely. The score thunders along bassily in the background while the action and dialogue ring clearly – bolstering the film’s realistic approach to Gotham and the tale in general. It’s a superb visual and aural experience.
As with Begins and TDK, Rises doesn’t skimp on the extras either. Featuring a bonus disc rammed to the gills with bat-goodies, you won’t be left bored after the credits have rolled. Unsurprisingly, the highlight of the disc is ‘The Batmobile’ – an hour long documentary outlining the history of Batman’s sweet ride. Offering up a ton of fresh trivia, it even sheds light on where Joel Schumacher was going with the car’s redesign for the tragic Batman Forever. It’s insightful stuff that’s essential viewing for any fan of the character.
Also featured is a heap of ‘Behind the Scenes’ featurettes. Offering you the scoop on such subjects as the new Batcave and The Bat (Batman’s brand spanking new chopper/plane thingy), as well as a look at Bane, Catwoman and the film’s special effects. All incredibly insightful stuff, even if it does peek behind the curtain and ruin the magic a little.
Finally, this disc features a load of marketing materials including a trailer archive and a print gallery that shows off some posters you may not have seen before, as well as many iterations of that awesome Bat-symbol/Gotham skyscrapers concept.
Back on the first disc though, you’ve also got a ‘Second Screen’ feature allowing you to use the film’s FX app to unlock more content on your tablet or smartphone as you watch the film. Sure it’s gimmicky, but then if you don’t like that sort of thing, you’re probably watching the wrong superhero in action.
As with the other two films, it’d be nice if there was an audio commentary from Nolan and the gang. Still, when all the production trivia is present elsewhere, it’s hardly much of a grumble. All in all, it’s a jam-packed disc for an equally dense and brilliant film.
The Dark Knight Rises demands attention on Blu-ray – it’s a great showcase title and a superb last chapter in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. Much more than the epilogue of its incredible predecessor, Rises is its own beast, and a brutally engaging one at that, closing the book on one of cinema’s finest trilogies with aplomb.
Overall Verdict: Flawed? Yes. But Nolan’s series swansong ends his superheroic opus on a dazzling high. It’s also a fantastic Blu-ray for the year’s best movie so far.
Special Features:
‘The Batmobile’ documentary
‘Ending the Knight’ featurettes
Trailer archive
Art Galleries
‘Second Screen’ feature
UltraViolet digital version
Reviewer: Jordan Brown