I hesitated in writing this review, largely because of the
tragic and horrible Colorado
shootings for the opening of this movie. I wanted to see the movie, but have to
admit to wondering if it would not be disrespectful to the victims and their
family and friends to go see this movie, let alone review it. But that said, I
think perhaps the same arguments that were used following the September 11th
attacks should apply here. We should not allow this man, James Eagan Holmes, to
succeed in stopping our lives as we know it, because he chose to succumb to his
darkest temptations and make all the wrong kind of news as a sick and desperate
cry for help. That would be conceding too much to him.
For that matter, it would not be fair to judge to harshly
this Batman movie, or to automatically associate it with the shooting, which it
really had no part of. The movie was long done, and had already been seen by
many critics and the privileged few, before the events in Colorado . It would be unfair to simply tag
it to this tragedy. It is, to be fair, a violent movie. We know that, and that
is what we expect. But it is exactly that, too: a movie. It does not pretend to
be otherwise. This shooter apparently mistook real life for a movie, coming to
identify with Heath Ledger's joker character from the second movie in this
trilogy, and James Holmes shot people indiscriminately of his own accord. It
was not the Batman movies that made him do it, it was his own choice. If it had
not been Batman, it would surely have been something else. This was a sick man,
very unwell. He planned these attacks for a long time, and in the process, lost
all sight of the sanctity and value of human life, including, apparently, his
own. There will be debate about what might have motivated him. Perhaps he
watched too many movies, or played too many video games, or listened to violent
music. People will point the finger of blame at convenient scape goats, and
this movie, most likely, will be blamed, as well. But he is a grown man, an adult,
who made a decision, albeit an unfortunate one. He now will likely rot in a
jail cell for the rest of his life, or perhaps he will even get the death
penalty. The future will decide that.
I decided to go ahead with this preview, after having
written a piece just yesterday on the Colorado
shooting, and sharing some of my own thoughts and concerns about the escalation
of violence in this country – particularly these seemingly random shootings. I
now go ahead with this preview, which I have been working on for some time now
(going on days now), and express my thoughts on this latest Batman by putting
these actions of a madman out of my mind. Hopefully, I do justice to the movie
on it's own merits, and without dodging the issue of Colorado , while also paying every respect to
the victims and their family and friends. In no way do I wish to ignore or
disrespect their suffering by writing this review of the very movie that the
victims were watching on that terrible morning. My thoughts, and my heart, are
with them, and I am sure that I am not alone with that sentiment. Again, much
of this preview was written before these events transpired (and before I ever
saw the movie, for that matter, because I delve into the history of the Batman movies),
and I do try and employ humor to flavor this preview. Please understand, again,
that this was not done with any intention to deliberately ignore the issue of
the shootings, or not to honor the memory of those who were lost or suffered
injuries. That said, here goes:
Okay, so this is the highly anticipated review of the most
recent installation of the Batman trilogy. Some among my legions of fans and
dedicated readers have been clamoring for it, waiting with bated breaths. As
you all well know, I aim to please, always. So, at long last, here it is. There
is a buzz about the streets. Pupils seem to be dilated more than ever, in
anticipation of this momentous event.
Now,
people, you can breathe a bit easier. Yes, the wait is finally over. The most
highly anticipated summer blockbuster review is finally here!
This was a very different Batman movie series than the
different incarnations that we had seen before. Christopher Nolan wanted to
revive the Batman story in movie form, following the versions by Tim Burton and
Joel Schumacher in the late eighties and early nineties. Those movies seemed to
get progressively worse. The first, with Michael Keeton starring as the Batman,
and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, was very entertaining. It introduced the all
black and sleek Batman that has since become a staple in all of the Batman
movies since. I remember how exciting it all seemed. The second Batman was a
decent follow up, with Danny Devito as the Penguin, and Michelle Pfeifer as
Catwoman. The third was Schumacher's first Batman movie, and Keeton was
replaced by Val Kilmer as Batman/Bruce Wayne. I will not here that Keeton chose
to leave the Batman franchise because he did not like the direction it was
going in. He was right on many levels, yet this was not immediately obvious.
The third installment with Kilmer was the highest grossing movie of the series,
and seemed to raise hopes for future movies. But it was the last semi decent
movie of that series, with Jim Carrey as the Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones was
Two Face. It also introducted Chris O'Donnell as Robin, and These two teamed up
against Batman. It was not as good as the first two, but since it was so
successful at the box office, Warner Brothers was excited about the future.
It
should not have been. The fourth movie, this time with George Clooney as
Batman, Alicia Silverstone being introduced as Batgirl, Chris O'Donnell
returning as Robin, Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the villainous Mr. Freeze,
and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, was a disaster. All momentum was lost, and
Warner Brothers shut down this franchise, as they tried to figure out a new
direction for the Batman movies. It was a disaster, and most Batman fans (I
would include myself here) consider this the worst Batman movie of all time.
That would include the Adam West movie of the sixties, which is comically bad
when you watch it now (I'm thinking of the shark attack scene here in
particular, with the ridiculous looking shark finally being repulsed by the
conveniently handy shark repellant). But at least that was clearly meant for
young children. That last movie did not seem to have any clear direction, and
it was just a hodgepodge of nonsense, for the most part. Also, the close ups of
Batman and Robin's asses really did not enhance the Batman movie experience for
most fans (one would think, anyway). The whole thing was just really over the
top and ridiculous. Warner Brothers did not know where to go at that point.
It was decided that reviving Batman would be desirable, and
they gave a chance to then largely unknown Christopher Nolan, and this newer,
darker Batman was set for release in 2005. It was called Batman Begins, and the
movie really does start from the beginning. It explains everything, from what
Wayne's motivation was to become Batman, to the murder of his parents (which he
witnessed), to his episode as a child falling into a cave, or old well, and
upon recovering his senses, suddenly having the horrifying experience of being
completely surrounded by bats, and developing a fear of them.
It follows him to the remotest corner of Asia, to the Himalaya Mountains, where
he learns to fight, and receives instruction in the art of rather severe discipline,
both on a personal level and in a group level, as he joins an elite and
secretive fighting ninja organization determined not only to conduct themselves
with a warrior's honor, but overall, to do whatever they had to do to make the
world a better place.
We watch as Wayne learns the skills and receives the
discipline, and it is much easier to see where he got all the fighting
expertise that he uses later on, as the masked crusader.
For that matter, we see upon his return that he plays different, and
contradictory, roles. He takes a very strong interest in the weapons and other
such goods (such as the body armor that becomes Batman's uniform, as well as
the vehicle that becomes the Batmobile). The question posed by Jack Nicholson's
Joker of 1989 ("Where does he get those wonderful toys?") is actually
answered, and rather brilliantly, at that.
Also, I think the decision that
Bruce Wayne takes of playing an obnoxious, conceited, self-obsessed young
multi-millionaire or billionaire in order to deflect attention from any
possibility of his being the Batman was a stroke of genius. It really enhanced
the movie, and truly made it the work of those who wrote this in the script. It
was a very different Bruce Wayne than what I remember growing up as a kid. But
it works, and works well. They made it make sense.
This was a dark movie, for the most part. It was more
modern, and yet also retained a kind of older feel, on some level. It was not
as exaggerated and in your face as the 1989 movie was, but yes, there were
elements of that in there in the landscape and layout of the city. Of course,
maybe this was just done for dramatic effect. One way or the other, it works.
In fact, all of these movies are
darker. The villains in these latest movies, Scarecrow in the first movie, and
then Joker and Two-Face in the second one, and finally Bane in this one, really
are not quite as over the top or comic book standard villains as some of the
ones that we have seen with the Batman series before. While the whole premise
of the movie is not exactly believable or based on a true story, it is not
quite as over the top as the movies directed by Tim Burton (and the later ones,
particularly the one with George Clooney, just got to such a ridiculous level),
let alone the television series of Adam West, which was almost comical and
ridiculous, and clearly aimed for a very young audience.
Pardon the pun, but this is not
your dad's Batman. This is a much more modern, sleek, Batman, and all of the
explanations, all of the back story, is there. It was enhanced even more with
the second movie, as the story of the Joker (and of his insanity) was
infinitely more believable than the one offered for the Joker in the Burton movie of 1989.
These movies just go much farther in answering any leftover questions. They are
darker and more extensive as a whole.
But Batman was supposed to be dark.
He is known as the Dark Knight for a reason, after all. And it is not just
these newer movies are darker, either. They are far more detailed and complex,
and go much further in explaining the reasons for what happens on the screen.
We know where Bruce Wayne/Batman got his fighting abilities from. We know where
he got all those "wonderful toys", including his uniform and the
Batmobile, from. We might not know the full story behind the bad guys,
particularly Scarecrow and the Joker, but we nonetheless can understand their
rationale for what they do, instead of being asked to just go along with the
cartoonish bad guy rubbing his hands together while laughing that evil laugh,
and wanting to take over the world, or perhaps just a desire to cause mischief
for the sake of the pain it will cause others. These recent movies are far more
complex. Far more adult. For that, they are a bit better, too, because
they do explain things that are never explained in any of the previous
television or movie incarnations of Batman.
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises is
the finale of a trilogy. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, as usual, and Gary
Oldman as Commissioner Gordon. Morgan Freeman returns as Fox, and Michael Caine
returns as Alfred, both of them lending acting experience and class to the
movie. Tom Hardy is excellent as the villain, Bane. Anna Hathway is stunning
and sexy as Catwoman.
Where this movie perhaps comes
dangerously close to going over the top is in the introduction of too many
superhero or supervillian characters. Yet, a balance is kept, and the movie
works. It is very well crafted, and adds the fitting final touch for this
trilogy, if indeed these movies end here.
Bane is truly terrifying in this movie. I will admit to not
being all that familiar with the character during the days when I followed
Batman back as a child, but that is more a statement on my…ahem….age. I am dating
myself here, but being a kid that followed comic books back in the eighties,
and relying even more heavily on Batman back issues dating from the sixties and
seventies, as well as focusing on the old Adam West version of Batman on
television, and the newer version of Batman of the late eighties and through
the nineties, Bane seemed largely a mystery to me. After doing some research on
the character, however, I can see why they would make him Batman's main nemesis
for this last installment of this latest Batman trilogy.
Tom Hardy plays a very muscular Bane, who really is almost
the perfect villain. He is incredibly strong and intimidating, yet also has an
incredible, piercing intellect. For the first time, we see Batman in this
series completely overpowered, and seemingly outsmarted, to boot. Bane holds
every advantage. He reminded me of a few other villains, and seemed to me a
curious mixture of characters in this movie. Part Hannibal Lecter, part Destro,
and part Darth Vader (the whole breathing apparatus thing), he simply had a
strong, truly imposing presence throughout the film. Hardy overwhelms the
scenes that we find him in, and I would rate him as perhaps the most memorable
villain in a movie in a very long time. Not sure how long, but he just seems perfect
in this movie. Perhaps the last time there was a villain that was so
frightening and believable was Dr. Octopus in the second Spiderman movie during
the Toby Maguire movies. Again, I was not all that familiar with Bane prior to
this movie, but after seeing it, I wanted to make a point of exploring this
strange new (to me) character.
Anne Hathaway, meanwhile, looks incredibly sexy as the
Catwoman. She is very different in this role than Michelle Pfeifer was in the
same role, but she does an excellent job. What makes these movies perhaps truly
great is that the characters seem a bit more toned down, if you will, than we
find them either in the comic books, or in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher
movies.
After the masterful and now legendary performance of the
late Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face in The
Dark Knight, the second of these Batman movies, one might think that Nolan
would have a difficult time successfully following that up. He made it so good,
that it was a tough act to follow, and a challenge to himself.
Yet, in large measure, this movie is arguable even better,
taking to the logical conclusion the increasing power and sway of the villains
with each subsequent movie. Ra's al Ghul's mastermind scheme in the first movie
was followed up by the destructive chaos of the Joker in the second. Now, the
brilliant and brutal Bane proves to be Batman's most capable and dangerous foe
yet, going farther than the other villains ever did before.
The movie is supposed to take place a full eight years
after the last movie with the Joker, which ended with Batman as the villain,
and the presumed murderer of Harvey Dent, who's turn for the worse as Two Face
remains unknown to the general public. Bruce Wayne is in hiding, having become
a recluse, and there are whispers that he has been seriously injured, or is
sick. In any case, he seems locked away in a corner of the Wayne Mansion
In the meanwhile, Bane has made his appearance in a
spectacular aerial heist, and has gotten his hands on a prominent scientist.
Bane has made his residence in the underground of Gotham ,
literally, within the tunnels of the sewers and subway systems. He grows more
and more powerful, and continues in this way, being largely unchecked. All of Gotham is in fear of this mysterious and rising
powerhouse.
That is when Bruce Wayne decides that something must be
done, and suddenly, the desire to raise Batman from the dead begins. Of course,
we know that he will have his turn as Batman.
What is most unique in this movie is that every advantage
belongs to Bane, from physical strength to intelligence, and even to modern
technology. He holds all the cards, every advantage, and even Batman suddenly
seems overwhelmed. With Batman out of the way, Gotham
essentially belongs to Bane.
Of course, this is a Batman movie, and so, as the title
suggests, the Dark Knight rises, and tries to thwart Bane's stranglehold on the
city. The twists and turns along the way are well thought out, and there are
plenty of surprises. Nothing comes too easily for Batman in this movie, but we
see his perseverance, this time, as he seems hopelessly outmatched, yet
continues to fight, once again trying to save Gotham
from an evil fate.
If you like these most recent Batman movies, you are going
to love this one. I think it ranks as the best movie, and that is saying
something. It is daring on a level that seemed unthinkable, even drawing on
history (there are elements that a historian of the French Revolution might
appreciate here) in a strong way, and it very much enhances the movie. It is
not a shy movie, and Nolan goes all out in this conclusion to this Batman
trilogy.
But don't take my word for it! Get tickets and go see it
for yourself. If you are a fan of Batman, I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.
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