The Dark Knight Rises: The Honest Truth

During this article, I will go through the good and the bad.

Review Opinion
By Ashes2Phoenix - Aug 05, 2012 05:08 AM EST
Filed Under: The Dark Knight Rises

After two fantastic films, The Dark Knight Rises had a great deal of weight on it's shoulders. Especially following a film with one of the best villains of this century. During this article, I will go through the good and the bad. I will start off by getting the bad out of the way first, so the article ends on a positive note.


The Bad :

As I am sure most of you are aware by now, this is the third and final act to Nolan's Bat trilogy. The story of this film all in all is about Bruce Wayne and learning to let go of the past and this was one of my gripes with the film.

In Batman Begins, Rachel states that Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is his real identity. This was the main theme of the first two Bat films and it felt forced to seem them undo everything. The moment his parents die, is the moment Bruce Wayne ceases to exist. He becomes Batman from that moment on and I found it hard to believe that he could give up Batman just like that. In essence, he is giving up himself and it was difficult to swallow. It also felt forced because through the first 20 minutes of the film we see that Bruce is depressed because he can no longer be Batman and he is obviously craving to put the cowl back on again. We follow his journey to become Batman and then he drops it all in the final act. It just didn't add up to me. It is these kind of contradictions that makes the film drop down a couple of points, in my opinion.

Another problem I had was the fact that he didn't die at the end. I thought it killed the emotional impact of the film by keeping him alive. I was very choked up when we see the Bat explode in the nuclear inferno. That moment gave me chills because he was sacrificing himself for what he believed in and I had smile on my face during this bittersweet sequence. Now what they could have done and should have done, in my opinion, with the Cafe scene, is just have Alfred look up with a reassuring smile and then cut to John Blake in the Bat Cave. It would have left the ending ambiguous and far more interesting. I felt it cheapened everything, by literally showing the audience that Bruce was alive. We had already been given enough information that he might have survived, during the scene where Lucius Fox finds out the auto pilot was fixed by Bruce. So this again felt forced.

My final gripe and then I will move onto the positives. I promise !

The reveal of Talia, I found to be disappointing and not because of the twist but the fact that Bane basically became her b***h at the end. I really didn't like this because I felt that Bane was a scary opponent who was suddenly cheapened. It upsets me because until that point Bane was neck and neck with The Joker for me. The moment he became Talia's dog I lost all interest in the character. Bane deserved more than this.


The Good :

There were certain areas in the film that made up for it's miss givings. The chemistry between Batman and Catwoman was electrifying and Bane brought great screen presence, though I did feel there was not enough of him. He was not utilised quite as well as The Joker was in The Dark Knight, but when he was on screen you could feel the character's intensity. Kudos to Tom Hardy because it was a difficult role, considering most of his facial features were covered.

Anne Hathaway nailed the role as Catwoman. Whenever she was in costume, I found her very sexy and seductive. If you were not in love with her after this film, then you never will be. Many people were unsure as to whether Hathaway could pull it off and fortunately she did, for me at least.

JGL was also a fantastic addition. I have been following this actor for the past few years and he is going from strength to strength. The thing I really loved about this film is the fact he was Robin the whole time. I thought it was a great way to introduce the character and it felt fresh. I know many people who were not too impressed with this reveal but I really liked it and felt that it was the best way they could have handled "Robin" in the Nolan universe.

Also, seeing Bane break Batman was an extremely, exciting and absorbing sequence. The dialogue in this scene is spectacular and you can really feel a sense of urgency and suspense. Watching Bane practically toy with Batman physically was enthralling because we had not seen something like this in the previous films.

The Bruce Wayne and Alfred scenes were very touching, showing us, the audience, how much of a father figure Alfred was to Bruce. You could sense that he really cared for his well being and only wanted the best for him, like most parents would. Seeing Alfred crying at Bruce's grave at the end was emotional and impactive.


Conclusion :

Look I am going to be brutally honest here. This was a good film but was not great. It is definitely the weakest of the trilogy but in no way is it a bad film. It could have been much better and I feel that if certain things had been avoided that were in my complaints, it may have received a better reaction from me. The problem with a conclusive chapter of any story, is the audience normally have made up their own ending before seeing it. They then leave disappointed because it was not the ending they were expecting. Lost and Sopranos are great examples of this. This was Nolan's ending and even though I don't agree with it, I respect it. What the film handled well, it did so fantastically and this is still a great addition to the trilogy. I think what is important to note, is that, it is not a failure like most third films are. It just could have been slightly better and I think if most of us are honest with ourselves, it should have been. This will still go down as the best CBM trilogy so far, for me but it definitely slipped up on the final stretch.

Anyways. What did you think ? Could this have been better or were you satisfied ?

Also, as a little present for reading. I recently put together a Dark Knight Trilogy Tribute, to honour the films. Enjoy !

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BizarroGrif
BizarroGrif - 8/5/2012, 5:44 AM
With enough preperation time, Batman can beat a nuclear bomb in a fight.
BizarroGrif
BizarroGrif - 8/5/2012, 5:46 AM
Slightly off topic but Sopranos (in my opinion) solved the problem of a preconceived ending by allowing you to decide what happened afterward. We saw a glimpse into Tony's life, a period when he was in therapy. As soon as that was over, the show ended but who's to say what happened next.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 5:49 AM
I was more referring to the fact they left it pretty much ambiguous. I personally liked the ending to The Sopranos but I know some who didn't.
BarnaclePete
BarnaclePete - 8/5/2012, 5:55 AM
@Bizarro . . The problem is that people have no imagination. A lot of people were pissed with that ending. Asking the audience to think about what might of happened and have them come up with their own interpretation often makes people mad because they want to be told everything. This movie didn't need an ambiguous ending. I thought it ended perfectly.

Still don't get these complaints about Bane being reduced once Talia was revealed. Like a lot of the complaints about this movie, nobody is actually explaining and giving a good reason for thinking it.

Also, at the end Batman is a changed man. That's why he acts differently. The emotionally and physical journey he went through int he prison allowed him to drop those feelings he was having that was holding him back at the beginning. This was quite obvious.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 5:59 AM
@BarnaclePete :

The reason why I feel Talia's revel cheapened Bane was because all of his motivations throughout the film, were fundamentally hers. In my view, it suddenly made the character very hollow and less intimidating. He was not his own man.
BarnaclePete
BarnaclePete - 8/5/2012, 6:12 AM
He's not his own man yet immediately as soon as she walks away, he disobeys what she wanted and tried to kill Batman? How do you know all his motivations were her's? They obviously were working together. I seen it as though they were partners. Them working together, though different, came straight out of the comics. The great scenes when he killed Daggett and when he fought Batman . . . That was Bane, not Talia.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 6:18 AM
No of course but the way the portrayed it. Bane was merely her dog on a leash. I didn't like this and felt could have been handled better. They did not make it clear that they were partners, which made the motivations of Bane's character a mess.
Because we didn't know which characters motivations were theirs, it made things rather untidy.
Redhood88
Redhood88 - 8/5/2012, 6:22 AM
At least he was revealed as her bitch completely. I did like the fact that once she left he still went for Batman. He had a grudge, it's only reasonable that he would want to get the gratification of killing him himself.

If he had stood there and waited to be blown up alongside him like she had asked I would have lost all respect for Bane.
Redhood88
Redhood88 - 8/5/2012, 6:23 AM
wasn't revealed*

jesus that's the second time today. Ether bring back the edit button or send me money for literacy lessons...
Mr226
Mr226 - 8/5/2012, 8:10 AM
Just like Darth Vader is the Emperor's b!tch
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 11:15 AM
I don't think the author has a clear enough understanding of themes in Nolan's films to fully validate his "The Bad".

Batman Begins is about manipulating fear and Bruce becoming Batman. He didn't instantly become Batman the second his parents were murdered, though it was a catalyst.

The Dark Knight was about escalation and the consequences and limits of being the Batman.

The Dark Knight Rises is about redemption and Bruce making Batman a symbol for good as he originally intended. Bruce is not moping around at the beginning because he's dying to be Batman again. He's bitter because Rachel became a consequence of his actions much like he blamed himself for the murder of his parents. The ending was cheapened by your own misunderstandings of the films.
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 11:23 AM
Additionally, Bane was not Talia's bitch. He believed in what the LOS stood for and would go to any lengths to help his friend who he felt a kinship with and responsible for.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 11:56 AM
Necro1 :

I couldn't disagree more. Bruce became Batman the second his parents were murdered in front of him. Yes he was just a kid but Bruce Wayne died that night. He was already Batman he just needed to find the right path to exploit his true persona.

I agree about your points that the first were about manipulating fear and escalation but that is not what I was getting at.

Bruce was moping about because he was no longer his true persona. After the night where the cops are chasing him, you can tell how thrilled he was to finally be the Batman again. He IS Batman, not Bruce Wayne and to let go of Batman is letting go of himself. Yes he was upset about what happened to Rachel but you could tell that was just one of the many underlying issues. Someone that usually has an alias can usually get lost in it. Look at Donnie Brasco for example. These things can be very hard to undo and I didn't feel that they did Batman's change back to Bruce very well at all. A split personality or dual identity becomes imbedded in an individual. It's not just s simple as just deciding to stop.

I am all for your opinions and everything but I don't appreciate you questioning my intelligence because you feel I didn't see the same way as you did. Saying things such as I didn't understand the films. That is very fanboyish. I am not the only one who was disappointed by the ending of this film.
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 2:45 PM
My response based on your perceptions which you present as facts ultimately leads to the non-insult, "fanboy"?
Comprehension is not your only problem.

You contradict yourself by stating it's hard to believe Bruce giving up Batman at the end just like that - but he'd already done just that after the events of TDK. That didn't bother you? There was no indication Bruce was dying to be Batman again. In fact Alfred feared Bruce becoming Batman again was a deathwish. BTW, the ending not living up to your wishes or expectations is not a real negative of the film's outside of personal ones for you.

You want to know The Honest Truth? I think you need to see RISES again, if not all three.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 2:57 PM
Yeah but at the beginning of this film we see how depressed he is not being Batman. Bruce is merely the shell, he is not complete. At the end of the film we see he is complete without Batman and we are given no indication why this was so. Yeah he saved the city short-term but not long-term. In the Dark Knight he has a go at people who are mimicking him but then allows someone to go and do that anyway. It doesn't add up either way you look at it.
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 6:00 PM
There is nothing in Rises that points to your interpretation of Bruce depressed he can't be Batman. That's just ludicris. There was no need for Batman after TDK. He chose not to be. How are you missing this point?
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/5/2012, 6:49 PM
So you are telling me that, there were no crimes after TDK? Okay. This makes things even worse. So he basically is a vigilante, which contradicts everything Alfred says to him in Batman Begins. "It can't be personal or you are just a vigilante". I would also like to point out to you buddy that each and every ilm is subjective. It is interpreted differently by eac individual viewer. The way you view the films is not the way everyone else does.
Mr226
Mr226 - 8/5/2012, 7:16 PM
It's all good if you don't like a movie, but it's laughable to use flawed logic to criticize it.

Batman is NOT Bruce Wayne's true persona. The true persona is the private Bruce Wayne, the one shown to Alfred and a select few (ie Lucius, Rachel). Batman was Bruce's means to fight injustice and it was NEVER meant to be forever. He was looking forward to a life after Batman, as referenced throughout the trilogy. Did you not notice how in The Dark Knight, he was trying to get Harvey Dent to take over as Gotham's hero so he could quit to have a normal life with Rachel?

At the end of the movie, we see Bruce is complete because it was mission accomplished. He gave Gotham a true hero (as opposed to Harvey Dent at the end of The Dark Knight) and symbol for good (as indicated by the Batman statue), left the city in good hands (John Blake, who is now assumed to be the new Batman), and now has a reason to move on: Selina Kyle. I don't see how that's so hard to understand.
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 9:32 PM
Mr226, im beginning to doubt ashesphoenix even saw Rises. Ashes, when Alfred used that line in BB about not making things personal it was so Bruce wouldn't become reckless, not get lost in the monster he created. In Rises it's established that Gotham has been free of organized crime after the events of TDK, and there's been a period of prosperity even giving way to a new young class of good cops like Blake. The cops have a handle of crime in Gotham. No one says it was crime-free. The problem became the lie two men kept was eating away at both of them and soon it was going to be discovered. No good deed goes unpunished, if you will.

I understand films can be interpreted in different ways but this one is pretty cut and dry and you're way off the mark. On top of that you haventpresented
Necro1
Necro1 - 8/5/2012, 9:32 PM
...any good clear evidence to support your interpretations.
Mr226
Mr226 - 8/6/2012, 3:22 AM
Dellamorte, it's a good thing you're not a professional movie reviewer because I have no idea what you just said.

Necro1, yeah, I think we exposed him, lol
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/6/2012, 3:26 AM
@mr226 and necro. First of all I would like to add I loved the first two Nolan Batman films. I like this one but there are no doubt flaws with this movie. John Blake knowing Bruce is Batman by practically guessing ? Bane is apparently a member of the league of shadows yet waits five months to trigger a bomb, when if it were Ras it would have been detonated in the first five minutes. Talia and Bruce's love scene was forced and practically came out of the blue. When I wrote this article there were more flaws that I could have gone over. I am not a hater but I would be in denial if there were not flaws with this movie. Why even bother becoming Batman again if the police have a handle on things ? Why would you pass the mantle on to someone who is clearly not as trained as Bruce ? That kindo reckless behaviour will get someone killed. All in all this film is a solid 8.5. It was good but was not excellent. Simples.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/6/2012, 3:34 AM
What flaws did you two see in the movie ?
blabberingblatherskite
blabberingblatherskite - 8/6/2012, 10:35 AM
Agree with most of what you said Ashes2Phoenix except for Bruce being giddy about putting on the cape again. He seemed more broken by the deaths of Racheal and Harvey as well as his decent into madness. I wouldn't worry too much about the other fellas. From what I've read they seem like nolanites ready to hang those who have the slightest qualms with this Batman trilogy.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/6/2012, 4:54 PM
Thanks Snizz. I can't believe how childish some fans can be. Ganging up because I disagreed with them.
MarsivNayr
MarsivNayr - 8/7/2012, 7:37 AM
I thought Spider-man was good.............. :)

Ok, ok; in all seriousness, Ashes2Phoenix, I'm with you in that you are just defending your opinion of the film. Although I don't agree with the "Bruce misses being batman" notion, I agree with the obvious flaws of the film.

Of course, the first rule of reviews is that they are ALWAYS opinion. So I (nor Necro1 or Mr226) have no reason to bash you on how YOU saw the film. You are not stating that your interpretation is FACT or CORRECT or anything, just that it is YOUR view.
MarsivNayr
MarsivNayr - 8/7/2012, 7:43 AM
That being said, and as I said before (though this is NOT adding fuel to the fire), I also don't agree with the "Bruce misses Batman" thing. That's all on that though. Necro1 and Mr226 are getting a little too worked up over this.

The film was good. It should get a standing ovation for even BEING good in the first place; but some odd decisions WERE made.

We DID still get three of the BEST CBM's this summer, imo, so there is THAT (Man I like to capitalize a lot).
Caveboy0
Caveboy0 - 8/7/2012, 7:55 PM
"I thought it killed the emotional impact of the film by keeping him alive. I was very choked up when we see the Bat explode in the nuclear inferno. That moment gave me chills because he was sacrificing himself for what he believed in"

sorry i just have to laugh when you say this. i get the emotional impact thing, but "sacrificing himself for what he believed in"? what belief is he representing? that millions of people shouldn't die? oh wow what a personal belief! i may disagree with him, but man he's doing so much for that belief.

> he has the only vehicle that can take it out of range of the city
>its the only choice no sacrificing needed
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 8/8/2012, 5:07 AM
@Caveboy0

Sacrificing himself in the belief of a hero. Yes he was the only one with the vehicle that could have taken that bomb but to actually do it and have the balls to die and save thousands is heroic. He lived by the sword and he should have died by the sword. To show people of Gotham the sacrifice and commitment one an can make to help others.

This is all undone in the last five minutes. When we realise Bruce survived and that he is settling down happily with a woman that nearly got him killed.
SAT
SAT - 8/8/2012, 9:30 PM
I agree with all your points but the Talia & Bane gripe, I totaly disagree, of course I'm a girl so I have a bit of a soft spot for stuff like that, I don't think it was meant to be scene that way, I think it was more about how incredible devoted he was to her & that he would destroy a whole city for her. I partially agree with you about the Batman ending, I like "Happy endings" but I was torn on this one, you were right that it took away from the heroicness of it. And yes, the Alfred & Bruce scenes were very touching.
Overall nice review!
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