The Dark Knight Rises

Originally published Nov 28, 2023

When I started my reviews, I was told the only reason I enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies was because I hadn’t seen its final installment, The Dark Knight Rises. Having finally seen it, my enjoyment of the trilogy remains intact, but I definitely had more nitpicks about this finale in comparison to its predecessors…

My biggest issue with The Dark Knight Rises is how little it utilizes the majority of its returning cast. Aside from Christian Bale, who once again delivers a top-notch performance (sans Batman voice), everyone else, especially Michael Caine, feels like an afterthought in favor of newer characters. Speaking of which, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are fine additions to the cast, though I feel they would’ve benefited from an earlier introduction in the trilogy. Conversely, there’s two other newcomers who felt well integrated…

Aside from Batman, the characters I’m always most fascinated by in this trilogy are the villains. While the Joker won’t be topped in terms of presentation, Bane and Talia ‘al Ghul are captivating in that they bring back the League of Shadows from the first movie while also giving a fascinating and tragic backstory that feels organically woven into the overarching narrative. While Tom Hardy’s awkwardly distorted voice made for some unintentional laughs, he did deliver, in my objective opinion, the most intense scene in the entire trilogy: the stadium explosion. I don’t know if it was the editing or that eerie performance of “Star-Spangled Banner,” but that was the first time in a while a movie has made me feel genuine fear.

While there’s more to be said, The Dark Knight Rises is perhaps the weakest of the trilogy, but it was still a wonderful movie nonetheless.

Rating: 8.9/10