The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review

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Synopsis:

A fire will rise.

The epic conclusion to the Batman trilogy.

Review

The Dark Knight. I still remember my first venture with Batman when I was just 8 years old. I wasn’t feeling very well, so my Mom hired a video for me to watch while I got better. That particular VHS tape was the original 1989 Batman. As a young chap I was absolutely enthralled by it! Not only by Batman, but by the villain (Joker) as well. With that memory in thought, I was most excited to watch the finale in the Batman trilogy from Christopher Nolan (Writer and Director), thoroughly enjoying the first two that he produced, with the sequel being my favourite (Naturally). I had been ducking the trailer for months so I had no clue what to expect when I flew into the cinema last night. I did wonder if it would hit its mark or fly around…as blind as a bat.

The film begins with a brief intro into what is happening or happened since the last film. You will notice a few familiar characters and some new additions. We learn who they are as the movie progresses and what their roles personify. As usual the acting is second to none, and every character is brought to life in their unique way. There is a lot of dialogue so don’t dawdle or daydream during the movie, or you may find yourself asking what’s going on…

The story is nothing too original, but it’s got more to do with the way it is portrayed to us. If you are a fan of the “Cape Crusader”, I am sure you will notice a few similarities that give a nod towards the comics, which should make you smile. However, if you know nothing of the comics, it shan’t confuse you at all.

Gotham is a ficticious city, but in this motion picture it definitely comes to life. Traversing all over the concrete jungle, it does feel as if we have moved in, albeit just for a few hours. It helps bring the picture to life- that, in conjunction with the wardrobe, set a great tone and an ever so slight “comic book” flavour to the cinematography.

If it’s one thing you can be sure a “Batman” flick will have, it’s some great special effects, and in this edition, it doesn’t disappoint. There is a host of different sequences that occur, from gun fights, chases and fighting scenes, though the finesse at how they are pulled off is what makes this movie stand out from your usual forte.

Onto the bad! I enjoyed the film, I really did, however it isn’t without some folly. The first thing I noticed was the choppy editing. If you look closely, some of the action scenes aren’t entirely believable and could have been done a whole lot better. It is a pity, as I found that drawing me out of the film somewhat. Something else I noticed is that a certain character (I’m not going to say who) feels rather flimsy and to be honest, didn’t really need to be in the film, even though the cast member is used for certain story points. I didn’t feel that they needed to be a part of the film, or could have been better integrated to make the cast member more…memorable. Lastly, and most importantly is the length of the movie. It’s looooong, and you feel it (Well I sure did), I could even sense other viewer’s restlessness. The film should have been tighter and could have cut down on the overall runtime. You may not see it as a problem, but when you begin to find the film is running quite long and it isn’t grasping your full attention, you are kind of hitting off the mark in my opinion

At the end of the day, “TDKR” is a great end to the trilogy. It has everything any Batman fan should want and need, albeit shoddy editing and length (Personal nit-picks if you like). My favourite will still be the sequel, although this addition does add some nice flavour/depth to the franchise and who knows…perhaps a fourth Batman film? Only time will tell. At the moment of publishing the film is smashing box offices with a total of $337million.

Worth the watch if, you are a fan of Batman, looking for character driven action movie or are fans of the cast.

Trailer

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