The Dark Knight Rises Revisited

Eleven years ago I reviewed The Dark Knight Rises. With two opening day BFI IMAX screenings under my belt I was keen to get my review up onto both Flickering Myth and a nascent Super Duper Stuff. My third written piece came together between the eleven showings of “TDKR” I’d eventually attend.

I’ve watched The Dark Knight trilogy again this year, so with thirteen years and eighteen viewings in the bank, I thought I’d tackle the final entry in my first Revisited Review!

But first, a couple of thoughts having read back my initial review and reading up on the film in general.

It’s clear that I was trying so hard to fit the mould of what I thought a film review should be. It all feels so prim and proper, which just isn’t me at all! But I was learning. Eleven years on my own platform has given me room to be whatever I want to be. It’s nice to see such a contrast between then and now.

So I’m mildly critical of how I wrote my review, but that’s cool. What’s weirder is just how caught up in the hype me and many others were. It all got a bit silly really, with five-star reviews all over the shop. I can forgive some excitement, but with this film as it is, a lot of heads need a wobble. I put an awful lot of stock in how a film makes you feel, and the memories of an initial viewing on a big screen are important. But it seems as though everyone was so excited to see Nolan and Bale return that they cut the final product a bit too much slack.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are both amazing films, full of memorable performances and strong themes. They both contain plot points and continuity pieces which also irk me, but the overall stories, characters, and themes are more than strong enough to help me overlook them.

The Dark Knight Rises contains more of these inconsistencies, but it’s story and focus isn’t strong enough to distract this time. It’s not a failure, but it doesn’t meet the same high bar as its predecessors.

“Batman could be anybody. That was the point.”

Emotionally, it’s a complete success, which you could argue is enough. Batman’s roar as he struggles against a physically superior opponent and the realisation that he’s in way over his head. Bats exploding out of a cave wall as fear finds Bruce again. Then there’s the bold decision to complete Bruce’s story and find peace. The emotional core of the story resonates strongly, which rings truer as I get older and occasionally get reminded that I might be smarter but my body isn’t twenty anymore. Add in a beautiful performance from Michael Caine (again), plus Hathaway being the first woman in these films to have actual chemistry with Bale. Rises has many positives.

Looking back to the above quote, Rises does hit the mark. Like Blake or not, Batman ultimately imparts the lesson across these films that everybody has to stand up and fight. It’s a collective responsibility, even when things don’t go well.

But Rises also has a number of fundamental issues, which make me think the script needed at least a couple more passes and some thorough revision.

As brave as the story is in ending Bruce’s journey, him being Batman for maybe eighteen months jars with the fundamental commitment most expect Batman to have to his crusade. Completely vanishing feels at odds with saving Gotham, plus it’s a complete ignorance of Alfred’s advice. Losing Rachel is obviously a huge blow, and a change in outlook is natural. But dereliction of the mission, and of the company his parents built? Hmmm.

Blake completely sussing out Bruce’s identity years before from a look? Come on.

Bruce being cleared out financially, leading to his electricity being cut off with no notice? Illegal?

Gordon losing all sense, leading to all the Police charging awkwardly into the sewers? Dumb.

Bane’s plan, from the initial plane hijacking, to the seeming randomness of the “mysterious triggerman” through to going on a cross-continental jaunt just to chat to Bruce in a prison. I get that Talia and Bane want to fulfil the League’s aim. But it’s all such a faff. Talia herself is used terribly, reflected perfectly in her awful death scene. Bane should have been the only main villain of this, rather than relegated near the end to a friend-zoned bitch.

You could pilot Batman’s new vehicle through the plot holes, which by the way is an awesome creation. The Bat moves in the same animalistic fashion as the Tumbler. If you’re going to move into Batwing territory, this helicopter hybrid thing is a strong move.

How passages of time are dealt with is a BIG problem, with the narrative skipping through five months across the back half of the film. There’s a lot of talk about the people of Gotham, yet we get to see very little of them. It also makes it seem as though Bruce magically fixed himself, which I guess between disappearing knee braces and punches to the spine, is pretty much what happened!

Nolan did not create a real world in his Batman trilogy, but it’s real enough for me to be surprised by weirdness and inconsistencies. Watching Bane kick Batman up a flight of stairs with his left leg, only for a cut to show him landing the kick with his right is just jarring. Hyper-realistic ninja or not, continuity would be nice.

Batman precedes an excellent comeback regarding permission to die with one of the lamest lines in history. “No, I came back to stop you”. What the hell man. The line is as weak as the choreography of the fight. The Keysi Fighting Method is unique looking, but it should have been left to Tom Cruise.

I love that Nolan looked to various Batman runs for inspiration, but Knightfall and No Man’s Land are huge stories. Either is big enough to form the basis of a film, or even a trilogy! Both in one makes for a convoluted and unfocused experience. Bringing the trilogy full circle by leaning into Begins is a great idea too. I just wish the film had focused more. Remove Talia and simplify the overall plan of Bane. Staying in Chicago would have kept the visual identity of the trilogy intact too. A final battle across the multiple levels of Wacker Drive could have been amazing.

The Dark Knight Rises is by far the weakest entry in the trilogy, but it hits the big emotions. It may be clumsy in its storytelling and choreography, but it’s brave enough to take on something most don’t; concluding Bruce Wayne’s story and allowing him happiness. Whatever gripes I have, I’m not thinking about them when I see Alfred and Bruce acknowledge each other. In that moment I’m genuinely pleased for them. My head may pick at it all, but in my heart the fire still rises.