The Dark Knight Rises again

            Hello folks who read stuff online, my name is TheCinemaChick.  I’m here to review the newest films in theaters, but first…I have to discuss something that’s been stressing me out.  I’ve highly upset and depressed because of this.  Last night, in Aurora, Colorado, two men went to a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” and open fired on the crowd.  Last I read, fourteen people have died and fifty were wounded.  Some of the victims were in the military.

            I was at a midnight showing as well, but in Grapevine, Texas.  The shooting could have happened at my theater or one close by.  I enjoyed the movie, but now, it is forever going to be associated with death, carnage and fear.  While those are prominent in the film, I know Batman is a fictional movie where everyone went home safe afterwards.  Knowing that someone wanted to see a film with friends of family and lost their life…I’m fairly certain I have just attended my next to last midnight showing.  I would say my final, but I have already committed to a “Breaking Dawn” marathon with Fry, Kit Kat, Terra and Unown.  I cannot pull out of that because Kit Kat is flying down just for that and you know, to spend time with me.  She is my long lost, freakishly alike sister.

            With that said, if you are in Colorado, I send my condolences, my thoughts, and my wishes that everyone hurt recovers fully.  Random acts of senseless violence like that leave me dumbfounded. 

            Aurora, Colorado,  TheCinemaChick loves you.

            With that out of the way, let’s get into the heart of the matter.  I did go to a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” last night and I really enjoyed it.  Yes, it’s a very long film so wear your comfy clothes and get in a comfy chair because you’ll be in it for the long haul.  My seat, however, was painfully uncomfortable.  Plus, by the time the midnight showing had rolled around, I’d been in it for about eight hours.  

            I went to a triple feature at my local Cinemark, which showed “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”.  It was a fun experience and I definitely enjoyed it.  Fry had never seen the films before so I was happy to show her the brilliance that is Christian Bale.  And to make things even better, a friend of mine from college joined us.  Keep in mind, it was fun until we heard about the shooting.

            I like the Batman films.  I grew up watching them starting with the old school Adam West version that is laughably over the top now.  I remember sitting in the living room with my family, curled up on this old blanket my brother and I used to fight over and watching Batman Returns.  To date, I have seen every live action film released into theaters.  Sadly, that also includes Batman and Robin which…let’s be honest, Joel Schumaker killed it.  He ruined that film so much.  It’s an embarrassment to superhero movies everywhere.

            Surprisingly, I did not see “Batman Begins” until this past Christmas.  I rented it and watched it with my dad, who’s not big on the comic book adaptation.  At the time, I didn’t get it, but since I have seen it a few more times since then, I understand the film and see why it is so important.  I would like to add one thing, I want more Cillian Murphy.  He pulls off Dr. Crane/Scarecrow so well.  He’s got that innocent, boyish face that makes him so trustworthy, but he’s actually a very devious man.

            “The Dark Knight” I saw on opening night, with Butterfly.  I had no intention of seeing it, but he insisted.  In all honesty, I think it’s one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen.  It had a solid plot, great action and the actors really got into their roles.  I won’t mention Heath Ledger’s intensity, but I fully agree that it was one of his best performances.  He is one of the greatest actors I’ve ever seen whose life was cut way too short.  Granted, I didn’t care for the plot as much in this one because it got a little muddled.  I understand how Lao fits in with everything, but he became such a minor character that he was forgettable.

            Then finally, “The Dark Knight Rises” came out and once again, I was blown away.  I have to admit, one thing I absolutely love about Christopher Nolan is that he has an amazing sense of continuity.  He reminds the audience of what happened to Harvey Dent and why Batman became an outlaw.  We are shown that Bruce still loves Rachel.  Perhaps what made me happiest is that the same actors appear in all three films.  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman have been in all of them, which really helps.  

            I admit, the movie was incredibly long, but I was never bored.  It’s also horribly flawed, which I’ll get to into a bit.  Bale was perfect as Batman.  Before this trilogy, I really only cared for Michael Keaton, but Bale was an excellent choice.  Tom Hardy, oh my goodness, let’s talk about him.  He is quite possibly the best casting choice made for this film.  He’s unrecognizable in both appearance and speech when he’s in full Bane gear.  I knew he would be good, but he was phenomenal.  This is quite possibly one of the best performances he’s ever given.  Personally, I think he looks quite sexy as a demented, scarred, masked anarchist.  But what can I say, I have a thing for villains.

            The ending is by far the best part of the film.  It has a huge twist that you will never see coming and is actually quite shocking.  Seriously, you’ll watch this thinking Bane is the one who’s the bad guy, but…there’s someone else.  Trust me, it’s a huge surprise.  The fight scenes were breathtaking so I was sucked in.  Then, there’s the fate of Batman, which had me bawling.  I won’t tell you what happens because honestly, you need to see this film.  Trust me, it’s more than worth it.

            I want to see this movie again, possibly in IMAX.  However, I have problems with this film.  Other than the running time, which I wish was shorter, there are things in the film I don’t like.  For example, this is a Batman movie but there is a surprising lack of Batman.  I know, it’s supposed to be about how Bruce Wayne has walked away from being Batman at the beginning, but he comes back.  But he’s really not in the movie much.  Same thing with Catwoman.  She rarely shows up.  If anything, this is Bane’s movie because he is the most prominent figure.  

            While I’m talking about Catwoman, I didn’t like Anne Hathaway.  When I think of her, I think upbeat, bubbly, not jewel thief.  She just didn’t cut it for me in this role.  I’ll admit, she was decent, but not incredible.  Then, her character was never really explored.  She was a cat burglar, but she was a good guy in the end.  She just switched teams so often it got annoying.  The movie could have left her out completely and the plot wouldn’t have suffered much.  She’s necessary in the first forty five minutes, but after that, she’s really irrelevant.

            Again, this is Bane’s movie.  He is seen the most, given one of the most descriptive background stories ever (which is put together in pieces that only come together during the huge twist at the end) and he’s just dominating.  Tom Hardy’s actual face is shown once, for a brief moment.  Even then, he’s still incredibly gorgeous.  In this movie, the man has the body of a god.  He is cut and I would not mind getting a nice tight hug from him.

            This is being billed as an “epic conclusion” and believe me, it is epic.  It’s a cinematic experience.  It does leave the ending wide open, which I hope they don’t do as a tease.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a major component in this film and for good reason.  His importance is shown in the final moments of the film.  To that I say, “Please, please, PLEASE, let another director pick up the franchise with Levitt!  Anyone but Joel Schumaker, Michael Bay and Tim Burton!  SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A NIGHTWING MOVIE!!” (spoiler alert there).

           

            I know a lot of people are going to be apprehensive about seeing this movie because of the Colorado incident, but here’s what I think.  Don’t let one man strike fear into your heart.  Batman is exactly what we need right now.  We need a symbol of hope, a sign that bad people can and will be stopped.  He may be the dark knight of Gotham, but he stands for what is right.  Don’t see Batman as someone to fear because of the tragedy.  Look at him and see a man who wants to protect the innocent.  

            Believe in Batman.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and I will not let fear rule me.