The Batman films have always been special to me. I still remember going to see “Batman” '89 at the age of 6. When “Batman Returns” was released in 1992, I was a bonafide Batman fanatic. And like any other sensible Bat-fan, I was shocked and appalled by the campy “Batman & Robin”.
By the time “Batman Begins” was released in 2005, I'll admit my Bat-madness had faded a little bit. I was somewhat familiar with Christopher Nolan's work — I saw “Memento” and “Insomnia” in the theater, and I enjoyed his disjointed writing style. “Batman Begins” is heralded by some as the best comic book origin story on film, and I have to agree. When “The Dark Knight” was released in 2008 I was back in full on Bat-Fan mode.
This summer I've been all about “The Dark Knight Rises”. I bought all the toys and magazines, I even chased down a Greyhound Bus that had Batman and Bane on it. And I'm happy to say that “The Dark Knight Rises” lives up to that hype.
Tom Hardy's performance as Bane is very physical, much like his portrayal of “Bronson”. For the first time in the trilogy, Batman is unable to overpower an enemy. I was awe-struck when Nolan re-created the famous image of Bane breaking Batman's back from the comics. However, in the end, Bane is no Joker. I truly believe that had Heath Ledger lived, this would have been a very different film.
Anne Hathaway is sexy and witty as Selina Kyle. You can't take your eyes off Hathaway in this film. With Marion Cotillard also here as Miranda Tate/Talia Al Ghul, we have the first bonafide babes of the Nolan trilogy.
You could argue that the real anchor of this film is John Blake, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Many people suspected he would turn out to be Robin, and they are partially right. I enjoyed how Nolan implemented the Robin character — he never becomes the Robin we know from comics, but Blake's heroics and his relationship with Bruce Wayne very much reminded me of our favourite side-kick.
The whole film is so epic in scope that I feel like I could watch it ten times over and not be bored. Instantly after “Rises” finished it joined my list of favourite trilogies — up there with the original Star Wars and Back To The Future trilogies. It has joined that pantheon, which is something that has never been done before with the Batman films.
I know Warner Bros. will eventually re-boot the Batman franchise, but after “Rises”, I hope they give it a good ten years. Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy has left us enough to ponder for a lifetime.