Listen up, Bat-fans: It’s time to once again dust off your makeshift cape and cowl, because following the recent re-releases of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the final entry in Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy is heading back to UK cinemas. Yes, I’m talking about The Dark Knight Rises, which is getting a short theatrical re-release 11 years after it made its debut.
As with its predecessors, The Dark Knight Rises is back on the big screen for a LIMITED time, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and sees Batman brought out of retirement to tackle a new threat to Gotham City.
I’m the movie, it has been eight years since the events of The Dark Knight, and within this time Batman has vanished and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse. In the absence of the Caped Crusader, Gotham City is largely free of organised crime, however a new villain has emerged in the shape of muscle-bound brute, Bane.
Revealing himself to Commissioner Gordon, Bane leaves the police chief in hospital, before he attacks the Gotham Stock Exchange. These events draw out Bruce Wayne, who resumes his role as Batman, but when the two clash, Bane leaves the Dark Knight in a battered state, breaking his back in the process.
With Batman incapacitated, Bane traps the Gotham City Police Department under ground. He then cuts the city off from the outside world, and forces a captured nuclear scientist to convert a fusion reactor into a neutron bomb.
In order to overthrow Bane, the city is going to need its Dark Knight to return. But with Batman facing a darkness far greater than he has ever faced before, is this the end of the road for Gotham?
With Batman Begins being a bombastic crowd pleaser, which reinvigorated the Batman movie franchise, and The Dark Knight going one better by becoming a billion dollar success story, there was always going to be a great deal of pressure on the shoulders of The Dark Knight Rises. Not only did this third instalment need to live up to the achievements of its predecessors, it also needed to entertain audiences while at the same time bring Bruce Wayne’s story to an end.
As such, loose ends needed to be tied up, ongoing story arcs required some resolution, and Bat-fans wanted the whole thing to go out with a bang. Did The Dark Knight Rises achieve all that? I’d say yes.
Sure, back in 2012 it didn’t seem quite as slick as Begins, and it lacked the ace up its sleeve that was Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, but Rises still delivered. It delivered on story, and on spectacle, and it proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable way to cap off the trilogy.
And do you know what? More than a decade on since its debut, The Dark Knight Rises still packs a punch – perhaps even more than it did the first time around.
Without insurmountable pressure and expectations hanging over its head, The Dark Knight Rises is now free to flourish and stand tall on its own merits. And apart from the film being a little too long, it really does serve up some cracking entertainment.
Tom Hardy’s Bane is truly excellent in the movie, and another superb villain to join the pantheon of great Bat-foes (Ledger’s Joker, Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, Colin Farrell’s Penguin, etc). He’s menacing, a tad scary, and with biceps on his biceps, Hardy makes Bane a force to be reckoned with.
Some of his dialogue might be a trifle hard to decipher at times, but this only adds to the creepy design and presentation of the character. Bane is ruthless, uncompromising, and terrifying, and boy, Hardy is great at pulling all this off.
Backing up Hardy are all the usual suspects, including franchise stalwarts Bale, Caine, Oldman, Freeman, and Murphy. All five of these actors have remained consistently strong across the trilogy, and they certainly don’t fumble things in Rises.
It is clear from the very beginning of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight saga that he picked some top-notch actors to help him tell his story, but here these actors cement their talents. Caine in particular is excellent in Rises, with the actor given the opportunity to show a new side to his role as Bruce Wayne’s trusty butler, Alfred.
Joining the existing ensemble are a collection of newcomers, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s police officer, John Blake; Marion Cotillard’s duplicitous Miranda Tate; and Anne Hathaway’s cat burglar, Selina Kyle. The latter is better known to Bat-fans as Catwoman, who appears in this film as both a friend and foe, with Hathaway offering up a more grounded take on the iconic character.
And then to add to this exquisite cast, Rises boasts lots of action, plenty of pizzazz, and a satisfying conclusion, which is more than enough to delight and thrill audiences. Rises also benefits from the return of cinematographer Wally Pfister, who makes every frame a work of art; composer Hans Zimmer, who ensures the movie is scored just right; and yet more expert direction from Nolan, who proves once again he is the right director for this particular take on Batman.
From its Bond-style opening sequence, involving a mid-air plane stunt, through to THAT football stadium scene, this movie is simply breathtaking. If you’ve not watched The Dark Knight Rises in a while, then now is the time to revisit it.
It doesn’t receive the same praise as the two films that came before it, but it’s no less of a movie. The Dark Knight Rises is an excellent slice of cinema and a great Batman story.
Should you wish to catch The Dark Knight Rises while it is back on the big screen, the movie will be arriving in select UK cinemas starting with Odeon on May 16th (Vue will be screening the film from June 2nd). As with screenings of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises will only be around for a few days, so be sure to check your local listings for availability.
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a Reply