The review:
Having given us the Batman movie everyone else loves,* Christopher Nolan gave us the Batman movie that I love with The Dark Knight Rises.** In some ways, it’s an origin story all over again, what with Bruce Wayne having to be coaxed out of retirement. And it’s one last chance for Gary Oldman”s Commissioner Gordon to be the moral center.***
The verdict: Recommended
Cost: $3.99 via Redbox on demand
Where watched: at home
Consider also watching:
Further sentences:
*The Dark Knight
**You know why? This one is fun. And it has two women in it! I know! Plus Tom Hardy, whom everyone loves. And they got the Bane voice just right.
***Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in this. And he’s great!
Questions:
- What would you say is the definitive Nolan stamp on this franchise?
- How did Bane’s mask work, anyway?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Writer, producer, and director Christopher Nolan said that this movie’s theme deals with “pain”. For Batman Begins (2005), it was “fear”, while The Dark Knight (2008) dealt with “chaos”.
(Clearly I’m a “pain” girl.)
Other reviews:
- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
- Michelle Orange, Movieline
This movie had so much potential, in that it tried to address getting old. Maybe we need more of that for our culture.
Here’s a link: Batman could be Batman for max three years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyyUjsrqjDU
I think also it dealt with issues of class and privilege in ways we don’t really see in superhero films.