Skip to main content

The Dark Knight Rises

Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

     Let me begin by saying simply that this is absolutely one of the best endings to a trilogy ever!
     It's been eight years since the death of Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent.  But it's also been eight years since anyone's seen Batman or Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).  Gotham City has essentially been rid of organized crime and has returned to a more peaceful place.  Until now.
     There's a new player this time.  Bane (Tom Hardy) is the most powerful and most feared villain that the city has seen since the Joker.  Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) isn't sure that Gotham will survive much longer without the return of Batman.  Slowly, the city is falling apart and lawlessness is taking over everywhere.  The police won't be enough to stop Bane and his conquest of the city.  Will Bruce Wayne/Batman return as the hero that Gotham needs before Bane brings Gotham its day of reckoning?
     Throughout the whole trilogy, Bruce Wayne is challenged with the question of being a hero that saves Gotham from all of its villains.  However, this time, the stakes are higher, making Wayne's struggle even greater.  The story involves a villain who has more physical strength and power than Batman.
     Many new characters are introduced in this film that weren't in either Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.  The best new edition to the film is Selina Kyle, better known as Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).  Just when the action is getting a bit boring (which does happen a few times), she shows up to spice things up.
     The action sequences are a bit more violent in this film than in the previous two films.  They look like they could almost be taken straight out of a Michael Bay movie and made more awesome, if you like explosions.
      Much of the movie seems relatable to today's world.  There's a sense of class warfare between the rich and the poor.  Although much of the trilogy shows a Gotham City that is teetering on the edge of complete chaos, this film shows Gotham unleashing all of its chaos.  While today's world isn't chaotic in the same sense, one could argue that it has the potential not to look so different.
      Christopher Nolan is one of the best and most innovative filmmakers and storytellers of our time.  His films never fail to completely blow my mind.  All of his films include a little bit of mind bending in order to draw us back to watch the film again in order to discover something new about it every time.  The Dark Knight Rises is no different.  There are things in this film that can easily be missed and require a second viewing.  But since this film is so awesome, who wouldn't want to do that?  
      This was my number one most anticipated film of 2012.  I expected a lot from it and was not let down in any way.  This movie simply cannot be skipped.
      The Dark Knight will rise to the grade of A+.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Hunger Games

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth Directed by: Gary Ross Screenplay by: Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins      If reality television hasn't gone too far yet, then this show should definitely make it go too far.      In a futuristic nation called Panem, one boy and one girl are selected from each of the nation's twelve districts to represent them in an annual television event called the Hunger Games.  Of the 24 contestants, only one will survive in this televised fight to the death.      I like the concept of the story.  While this futuristic society seems somewhat simple, it does not seem all that well developed.  It is unknown how this society came into being, even though it is known how the Hunger Games began.      If this film were released last year, I would have hoped it would be nominated for best make-up.  Many of the characters look absolutely ridiculous and are way too flashy, but the make-up is v
2 comments
Read more

First Man

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, and Corey Stoll Directed by: Damien Chazelle Screenplay by: Josh Singer Based on the book by James R. Hansen      Yes, this is the same director who did La La Land from a few years ago.  But this is a true story this time, and not necessarily a feel good one.      Many of us know about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.  First Man is not simply the story of the moon landing, but the story about Armstrong and what led him to be the first man in history to walk on the moon.  It's a story about making huge sacrifices for himself, and his family, in order to accomplish such a goal, as well as overcoming a great deal of grief.       The film focuses almost entirely on Neil (Ryan Gosling).  The film opens up on him as one of the premiere pilots in the military, piloting the X-15; a plane that was capable of flying over 100,000 feet altitude.  He is portrayed as
Post a Comment
Read more

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Starring Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter, and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil: Afterlife is a somewhat scary action thriller about a zombie dominated planet during present times. It's the fourth movie in the franchise. Alice (Jovovich) is the former head of security at the Umbrella Corporation, the company that created the T-Virus that accidentally escaped and turned everybody into zombies. She travels to Alaska to what she thinks is a small town called Arcadia, where there is supposedly a colony of survivors that are infection free. She is drawn by transmissions saying that they offer safety and security, food and shelter. When she arrives, nothing is there, but she picks up Claire Redfield (Larter) and travels to what once was Los Angeles where there is another colony of four survivors living atop a prison rooftop and surrounded by zombies. They find that the Arcadia is actually a ship just offshore. Can they make it to the ship? Milla Jovovich plays a very act
2 comments
Read more