The Dark Knight Rises: Film Review

I am not a fan of superhero movies and I have never followed comic books. Sure, I’ve watched Spiderman, Thor, X-Men or The Avengers and I’ve even glimpsed at a few pages of one comic book or another, but superheroes are usually not my thing. I find the movies entertaining, but beyond that, they don’t do much for me. However, Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies are something different. 

I’ve watched all three films in the cinema and have always left my seat dwelling on them. The Dark Knight Rises, which I watched last night, was no different. If only, I believe that this final installment in Nolan’s Batman trilogy has been the superhero film that has most affected me.

It’s been almost 24 hours since I watched the film and I find it impossible to forget. Snippets of the movie keep popping into my brain. I have analyzed and reanalyzed the story, the scenes, the character’s movements and words and have concluded that perhaps what makes this flick so fantastic is its actors.

There is no doubt that Nolan has worked with some of the best: Gary Oldman (which I adore), Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (interesting that he should also be participating in a Batman film like his Ten Things I Hate About You deceased co-star, Heath Ledger), Anne Hathaway or Marion Cotillard. The characters were brought to life with the tears of Michael Caine, the pain of Christian Bale, the innocence of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the desperation of Anne Hathaway and the brutality of Tom Hardy, to mention a few.  The characters were no longer caricatures swept off a few colored pages, but real, living, breathing human beings with emotions.

Then again, the cinematographic quality of the film was also excellent. Nolan is capable of showing the true dark nature of Gotham city: the decadent atmosphere, the tragedy, and the blinding storm that strikes with no mercy.

I sat through 165 minutes of film on the edge of my seat, engrossed one hundred percent with the story and its characters. The Dark Knight Rises went from being just another entertaining superhero movie, to an amazing film.

I’m not a comic book fan, I’m not a super hero fan, maybe it could have been done better, maybe the previous movies were better, but I still think that The Dark Knight Rises is well worth watching, even if only to create your  own impressions.