The Dark Knight Rises was a perfect movie. There wasn't a single mistake. I put some spoilers cause I was so excited about how great this perfect movie was!
Chris Nolan used his signature subtlety to a whole new level, going as far as to put in flashbacks to the previous movies every time something is mentioned. I also love how natural the dialogue is. Never does anyone sink to our level by sounding like someone you'd meet in the streets. That just wouldn't be Gotham. Instead we get dialogue with forced subtext at all times. This really works for the movie because it adds to the realistic tone.
I've heard Chris Nolan described as the smartest kid in the class who is no fun to be around. I don't know what they're talking about. Based on the dialogue in this movie, I imagine he'd be really entertaining to be around. I assume that he would squeeze in contextual yet unfunny jokes in every 5 or so minutes to make sure that all of the normal people (like you and me) don't get bored. He would say things that sound smart, yet are really easy to understand, over and over again in an effort to make really challenged people understand and everyone else feel really smart for having figured it out a while before.
I'm really happy with the direction Nolan opted to take this series. In the first one he only made a few changes to Batman's persona and mythos, but by the time the Dark Knight came around, he decided to show us that Batman is a lame character and made him into something really awesome. I especially loved how Batman tackled Two Face to death before falling the same distance, stretching for a minute and riding off on a motorcycle while Gordon talked to his son in a completely believable way. In the Dark Knight Rises, we finally get to see the end of Batman.... NOLAN STYLE!
At the beginning of the movie, Batman quit for the past 8 years and hasn't been seen in action since he killed Two Face and overheard Gordon's speech about him being the cities dark knight because he can take it. I think Batman overheard Gordon's speech because it's realistic to theorize that Batman couldn't handle the pressure of all of that responsibility. Others say that Batman quit because of Rachel Dawes' death, and that makes total sense too, because she was such a beloved character who always talked with great charm and knew how to make Bruce Wayne smile. Seriously, whenever either actress playing Rachel Dawes was on the screen in the first two, I'd see the whole audience smiling and cheering for her great dialogue about justice and injustice...and justice. She even had that hilarious line about how Gotham's DA is always being shot at. I sure was sad that she wasn't in this movie...but I digress, I've gotten off topic. Anyway, Batman quit...cause that makes sense.
Now he's a smelly old guy who walks with a cane, locked up in his new mansion with a bunch of pictures and things (including his mothers pearl necklace, which he must have put in his pocket before leaving the burning Wayne Manor in Batman Begins...after repairing it...and putting a tracking device in it). For a while he has a real fun accent but soon enough he just goes back to the same voice he had in the other movies.
Bane is really cool in this movie. Having barely seen him in comic books such as Knightfall and Vengeance of Bane...and Secret Six...and Suicide Squad, it was really nice to learn what Bane's character is like. First off he has telepathic powers that send his voice directly to your ears. This is really useful for him if he's hiding in the dark, because you can't follow the voice to find him. I really like the way Sean Connery played him in this film, with an excellent physique that is truly intimidating. This totally makes up for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I also really like the way they stuck to his origin in the comics, where he was born and raised in a South American prison. I love the subtle nod to his comic book origin, with him being in a prison and meeting someone who was born and raised in a prison.... in India... while he is a white british guy (or whatever accent he's going for here). They also do a great job of showing how much of a badass leader Bane is. He's smart and calculating and can't be told what to do by anyone... until someone makes him cry and tells him what to do. I'm not gonna spoil who tells him what to do, but I'll give you a hint. Look for the worst acting you've ever seen on film and it's that person...
Anyway, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, this movie is perfect. Forget what I said about that bad acting character. They did a great job. There was even a part within 5 minutes of that character revealing that they were actually the big villain all along where they instantly die. The performance of this scene was so realistic it made several people in the theatre start laughing. Some people have interesting ways to deal with their sadness. You think that's the only big shocking twist ending? Hell no. Nolan is no slouch! He vowed with this movie he would put in more endings than Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
I especially love the big twist with the character of John Blake where he finds out his real name. It's great because this gesture just shows me that Nolan knows about the comic books existence, but it still reminds me that comic books are stupid and Nolan is better than that. It's weird I didn't mention John Blake until now. It's almost like his character didn't really do anything in the movie but fill in a spot that was needed, but never fleshed out. I probably feel that way because it's been a few days since I've seen this masterpiece. We do at one point see him barely beat up one guy. Maybe he could be the next Batman (I know the answer, but I don't want to spoil it for you). Still, if that did happen, it'd be awesomely realistic, because he has no training, no money and a bat costume that was made for a guy who is half a foot taller than him. Did I mention I love Nolan's realistic approach?
There are a lot more Batman gadgets this time around, which is good, because I keep running out of toys to buy. This time Lucious Fox early on says something about hey I need to show you our crazy technology that I've hidden away in this room. After they showed it, and talked about a new object called The Bat and it's lack of autopilot, I never thought they'd mention these things again, but Nolan is a wild sorcerer of genius and totally blew my mind by subtly using them a great deal for the rest of the movie.
Batman gets his back wrecked by something that happens. *SPOILER*: Bane breaks his back (or pops out a vertebrae) and locks him in an underground prison with a guy who fixes it in minutes. After Bruce finally manages to escape by only being able to make a long jump when not wearing a rope to show that he believed in himself (Chris Nolan avoids cliches at all turns). He voyages back to Gotham with a vengeance on his mind. He finally gets to Bane and has his awesome fight scene, and Catwoman shoots and kills Bane... What an awesome twist. I love that Batman doesn't accomplish anything in this movie except for flying away with a bomb at the end (with the fixed autopilot...that's why they mentioned it... HO HO HO.. GENIUS!).
Another great example of subtlety was a scene early on where Alfred basically tells Bruce to quit being Batman and eat lunch at this place in Paris. I almost fell out of my seat, when it turned out that was important. It's things like this where Nolan proves that he is the symbol for great filming like Gandhi is for peace (Ignore the fact that Gandhi was a wife beater...LOL).
Overall, this movie was perfect, except Batman was in it too much. It really should have focused on everyone else more and had Batman in it for no more than 20 minutes. The Dark Knight was the better movie because of this (and that awesome part with the two boats with bombs that plays out in Nolan's signature realistic way!). It's nice to have a movie finally show Batman off as the quitter I've always felt he should be (by always I mean since Chris Nolan invented the character of Batman properly...LOL).
I can't wait to see what shocking twists he puts into a movie next...seeing as I never see them coming from 2 hours earlier in the movie.
Masterpiece.
As an aside, I wanted to say that this theatre shooting thing is among the worst possible things I can imagine. The theatre is one of those places where you shouldn't ever have to be afraid to go. It's supposed to be safe, comfortable and fun. It seems to me, at least as of this moment, that this was a nearly unprovoked attack, but I still am hearing people talk about how they aren't going to see this movie or others any time soon because they are scared. I request that people don't let the actions of one lunatic ruin something you love. He will find his justice, and I hope in time that we all can find our way back to the safe feeling of the theatre. I also want to send respect and goodwill to the families of the victims, as well as the victims themselves, whom some of which are reported to have shielded and protected their loved ones. That's amazing and it's always sad when someone loses their life for doing the right thing.
