For possibly (though definitely arguably) the first time in the Nolan trilogy, we have on our hands a film that felt like Batman. At least for the first 45(ish) minutes. And it's actually really simple why; Catwoman + Wayne Manor. Anne Hathaway was great, and the first time she switched up personas I knew that her performance would be something special. Especially because it was during a distinctly Catwomanish burglary scene. This paired with some expertly understated musical choices (I'll be back for this later) by Hans Zimmer gave this film two things working for it very quickly and, again, made it finally feel like this series was harking back to the Batman films of the 90s or even the more stylistic cartoon iterations. The opening scenes were Dark Knight closure meets distinctly over-the-top Dark Knight action, but it was exciting and disorienting enough to put the viewer on edge. It set the pace for the story to come which made the immediate jump back to Gotham surprisingly rewarding because you could see that with the absence of Batman/Bruce and the deep seeded unrest amid this calm, all was not right and something very sinister was brewing. And then, Wayne Manor. If only for the setting, it finally felt like the series was home. From Bruce perched like a shadowy sentinel to the Bat Cave, it was undeniably Batman. And this continued on to the expansive use of the sewer system of Gotham. Really showing the underbelly of Gotham for the first time. Pure Batman.
There is absolutely nothing I can say to criticize the style of this film. As usual, Mr. Nolan has crafted a piece of cinematic magic. The acting was equally great. As earlier indicated, Anne Hathaway was surprisingly strong, Christian Bale's performance was intense, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine give great emotional performances, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt definitely added a lot of character to the film.
The music of this film was a toss up for me. Hans Zimmer is fantastic as usual but this score didn't feel as exotic or inventive as the previous two. Most of the big themes were recycled from the previous scores but even in the instances where that music was tied into this new score, it just wasn't as exciting (maybe there's just no going back after James Newton Howard). But, unlike the other films it didn't just present themes and story, it worked through a cadence. Which was really brilliant. This idea of "Rise" was built into the very structure of much of the score, relying on this driving beat mimicking the chants of "deh-shay deh-shay bah-sah-rah bah-sah-rah" throughout the different musical ideas. It provides an undertone to all of the themes, making sure it's all kept together and above all making sure everything this movie does has this driving force that's pushing the entire thing over the edge. As I mentioned earlier, Zimmer also did some fantastic work at understating certain concepts. The violin meets piano themes of "Can I Cut In?" (Basically Catwoman's theme) still enlisting the help of that driving beat (only softly in the bells) is in my opinion the greatest musical achievement of this entire score. It's the very idea of musical foreshadowing and undertone.
The plot of the film was decent. Highly entertaining to follow while managing to take the viewer to some really surprising places, but, disappointingly, nowhere near as intelligent as the plot of The Dark Knight. I credit this mainly to the weakness of Bane's character. The film introduced his character in much the same way as the Joker was introduced in the previous film. Quickly, without much back-story, and above all overwhelmingly in control. Both these characters knew what they were doing. But because the Joker was almost this mythic figure of super-human (or perhaps sub-human) origin, Bane would need to be something completely different or risk feeling like a knock-off. Sadly, the film did little to distinguish Bane as a different breed. His most unique attribute being his imprisonment and cult-like following were barely acknowledged by the character, making all of his actions in the film feel way too easy. You never saw the plan or what went into his plots, you only saw the results, which is exactly as the Joker would have operated. So Bane felt like a stand-in for a much better character. And beyond that, his chaos didn't even serve a deeper purpose. It was like there was action with no deeper thought behind it. Sure this film brought back the themes of chaos and fear explored in Batman Begins, but there was no social commentary behind Bane's greater purpose and as a result little commentary behind Batman's actions. Even Bruce's imprisonment sequence felt a little shallow because of it, it was like in writing it, they were grasping for some greater reason for the "Rise" but never quite nailed it. I'm not saying all of this was a bad thing (it did still make for a good movie), it's just hard to accept the lack of substantial concept when the previous film was so full of it. (Note: I'm gonna choose not to get into the thoughts I have about Heath Ledger's death and that impact. I'll just leave this for what it is. Though I will say that the words Arkham City come to mind when contemplating the possibilities.)
In closing out the trilogy this film did several little things to tie in past elements or cater to the fans that were all spectacular in their own ways, but, that I have mixed feelings about. Here's a list. If you don't like spoilers, you might want to skip this section. Then again, if you haven't seen it yet, shame on you.
Good
- Scarecrow - Really glad to see this character back even in his minor capacity if only because he's so entertaining
- Harvey Dent's Death - Recognizing and using the splitting of morality involved with the circumstances surrounding Two Face's death is probably the best thing this film did. It gives a face to the deep seeded unrest I mentioned earlier on and gave rise to perhaps the most subtle element of the entire film (one which lacked it wholesale), the discussion of morality and purpose.
- The Bat - In the tradition of expanding Batman's arsenal of hi-tech weapons, it's to be expected that new technology is created. The toys presented in this film are probably the most fun.
- Wayne Manor - Already talked about this. Great location.
- The Bat Cave - See above.
Bad
- *SPOILER* (Highlight to see) John Blake = Robin - Anybody who I talked to about this film before it came out will know how much of a squealing fanboy I was in the hopes that Dick Grayson might make an appearance in the film. Well, I got my Robin, but to make a character (even one who just might be my favorite character in the movie) with the middle name Robin, Robin, just feels like an un-canon cop-out.
- *SPOILER* (Highlight to see) Batman Dies?! - As much of a "sort of" that yields, and even as effectively as it puts an end to a saga, it's really disappointing because heroes aren't supposed to die, they're supposed to respawn and leave room for more heroism. While the film did give some hint at Robin continuing the legacy, I think I've already made clear that I feel that's a complete cop-out.
- Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows - As with other elements, it was a nice tie-in, so this one is less a bad thing as it was an ineffective element. It just didn't add very much to the story.
Overall, an excellently made production. A fitting end to the trilogy. It lacked in substance and reason, but made up for most of that by just being really entertaining. A rating is particularly hard for this one. 7.5/10.
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