The Dark Knight Rises with a BOOM!

Christopher Nolan promised that The Dark Knight Rises would be the end of his widely successful Batman films, and boy does he ever end on a high note, or, if not on a high note, definitely a loud one. I happened to see Rises in IMAX, where the music and gunfire sent vibrations throughout my entire body. It was an assault on my senses, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

While I have been a fan of Nolan's interpretation since Batman Begins, I was worried that Rises would not be able to top The Dark Knight. It may take a few more viewings, but I think Rises at the very least is a worthy conclusion to a phenomenal series.

When I first started to write this review, I kept thinking that the lack of a "Joker" type character somehow lessened the film's tension. Heath Ledger's performance created so much tension, and his dialogue was so fascinating (terrifying, actually, in that his logic lead down some dark alleys), that it was hard for me to imagine Nolan repeating the feat. However, I feel this approach was all wrong. Rises is a new film, a continuation of what Nolan started in Begins. Comparing Rises directly to Knight based solely on the performance of one actor would be a disservice to the story of the latter film.

Wisely, Nolan sidesteps any mention of the Joker. In fact, any references to him are indirect, most notably in a picture of Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the second film), and of course in any reference to Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart). All of these references are merely flashbacks, mile-markers to aide the audience in understanding the motivations of the characters in the current film.

Rises opens with an impressive, almost Bond-like, capture of an airplane in mid-flight, all for one man, Dr. Pavel (played by Alon Aboutboul). This scene introduces us to Bane (played by Tom Hardy), the central villain of the film. Bane's reasoning behind the kidnapping of Dr. Pavel is later revealed and will have devastating implications for the city of Gotham.

Meanwhile, it has been eight years since the events of The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne is a recluse (leaning on a cane), Batman hasn't been seen in years, and Gotham has enjoyed what I'm guessing is a crime level that is relatively peaceful compared to the Joker's antics eight years prior. It's probably safe to assume that crime occurs, especially since the police are still needed, but organized crime has been virtually wiped off the streets.

Commissioner Gordon (played by Gary Oldman) has lost his family (his wife has taken the children and moved out of their house) and his feeling of self-worth because of the lie he is forced to maintain: that Batman is to blame for the Harvey Dent murders. In addition, it's revealed that Gordon may not be the Commissioner much longer.

Enter Selina Kyle (played by Anne Hathaway), who starts the film in Wayne Manor as a waitress. Quickly, however, she establishes herself as a very accomplished thief. Hathaway is quite an adept actress (I still feel like her best work is in Brokeback Mountain), and she establishes herself as an equal to all the other fantastic actors Nolan has assembled.

There's also the problem of Wayne's finances and his relying on Miranda Tate (played by Marion Cotillard) to save Wayne Enterprises, Bane's successful takeover of Gotham and defeat of Batman, and Wayne's subsequent imprisonment. Going over all of the plot points in the film would take much longer than is necessary for a blog post. Suffice it to say, everything goes to hell.

Nolan's film is well-paced and never once feels like a long movie, and at two hours and forty-five minutes many might consider it a very long movie. For me, the film is as long as it needs to be to tell the story. It's impressive that Nolan is able to juggle all the characters, allowing them space within the film to establish their characters, even the ones you'd think we knew quite well.

Hardy is quite effective in creating menace and terror with just his eyes, and it's even more impressive how large he got for the role. I don't remember that much bulk in Inception. Even though I couldn't understand all of his dialogue, but that doesn't matter; his intentions are clear, and other characters have the responsibility of providing his motivation. He's even allowed a moment of vulnerability near the end of the film.

Hathaway looks impressive as Selina Kyle (she's never once referred to as Catwoman), and I'm not talking about her cat-suit either, which fit her figure quite well. She was able to look convincing in her fight scenes, a regular femme fatale who's motivations are questionable.

Michael Caine also has some wonderful moments. As always, he carries the emotional center of the film, and his relationship with Wayne is definitely put to the test.

Nolan has mentioned before that one word drives each of the three films: "fear" for Batman Begins, "chaos" for The Dark Knight, and "pain" for The Dark Knight Rises. All three represent the arc of Wayne's character development. "Fear" drives Wayne to become Batman. "Chaos" is a reflection on the consequences of his actions, and it also illustrates the very nature of him being Batman, an agent of order who is breaking the rules by being a vigilante. And now, "pain" represents the pain each character must overcome to move on, especially Wayne's own pain, and that if we fail to overcome that pain we can turn into monsters.

The film brings everything full circle. While some critics may feel that the characters are not fully developed and that Nolan's composition style lacks a three dimensional quality, I feel otherwise. The editing style never confused me, nor did the lack of meaningful compositions affect my viewing of the film. I happen to like Nolan's style, so it's probably a matter of taste. Over the last few years, he has created some of the best films I've seen. Each time I've gone to one of Nolan's films I've enjoyed myself immensely, usually smiling at some point, and I usually feel an emotional satisfaction I cannot deny.

My only concern with the film is the complete disregard for Gotham's citizens. Is there never a point when the people of Gotham rise up to help fight for their city? In The Amazing Spider-Man, there's a wonderful moment when the people of New York help Spider-Man, not so in Rises. Everything depends on Batman and his friends.

The Dark Knight Rises may not meet the incredibly high expectations of The Dark Knight, but I might change my mind after a couple of viewings. Either way, it's a wonderful conclusion to an incredible series of films.