7 Reasons The Dark Knight Rises is Nolan's Best Batman
Oh, you think darkness is your ally?
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most people, The Dark Knight is their favorite film in Nolan’s Batman trilogy. This is usually followed by Begins, and, in last place, Rises.
I’m here to tell you why I disagree.
The concluding chapter isn’t perfect, but it’s my favorite. Here are 7 reasons why.
1. This is a Batman movie
The Dark Knight might have given Batman significant screen time, but the story focused more on the mob, the Joker, and Dent. Batman was somewhat secondary, and forced to chase his tail as one chaotic scenario emerged after the next.
By contrast, in Rises, Bruce Wayne goes on a journey from broken recluse to triumphant hero, and it’s one of the most fully-formed and compelling arcs in the series.
Bruce begins the story hanging on by a figurative thread. He is merely existing. But once confined to Bane's prison, he knows what he's lost, and what he wants to regain. By acknowledging he fears death, he acknowledges he desires to live.
2. There's a Powerful Message
Bruce’s ability to rise back up is the central focus of the film, and it’s in contrast to Talia and Bane, who are nihilistic and hellbent on their own suicide.
Talia, of course, was the only other person to escape the pit, and she did this as a young girl. As an adult, she has become corrupted by her father’s vision of the wo world and has a damaging need for vengeance. You could interpret the subtext as follows: children are idealistic and filled with hope, and these are virtues we should try preserve into adulthood.
If Batman Begins is about Overcoming Fear, and TDK is about Confronting Chaos then TDKR is about Hope (it’s in the name - "Rise"). It’s the most optimistic, and inspirational story of the series and the mere fact that Bruce saves himself at the end is a fitting reminder that life is worth living.
In the first half, you’re playing as FBI agent Grace Ashcroft. You’re investigating a series of grisly deaths, but before long, you need to escape from the Wrenwood Care Home. The care home is dense, interconnected and stuffed with secrets. Notably, there are zombies you can kill and stalkers you can’t. Well, Kinda. Stalkers are enemies that, literally, stalk you around the map. Think the Bakers in Resident Evil 7, Lady Dimietrescu in Resident Evil 8. A magic trick Capcom has used before, and likely will in the future.
Still, while it’s a crafty trick, it can also feel cheap. There are very few opportunities to properly “hide” in cover. And while you can chuck empty bottles to lure the enemy away, these bottles are in very short supply. Often, it’s a case of crouching and hoping you’re hidden. It's also hard to know what the rules are. The stalkers are scripted, which means they’ll turn up at pre-determined points in the game no matter how quiet you are. Yet other times you can make as much noise as you like and they’re nowhere to be seen.
And yes, Alien Isolation still did it better nearly 15 years ago.
The obligatory vigilante with-a-camera trope is on full display in Citizen Vigilante
his part, Hammer does the best with the script he's been given, playing Sanders with all the warmth and wit of someone who really is battling an Oxycontin addiction. I suppose we have to mention that there's a supporting cast too, but they’re all just props. You have the Interpol agent we know nothing about. You have the wayward youths, the corrupt government officials and, of course, the migrant criminals.
Migrants! Oh, go on then Uwe - get some attention.
I believe in artistic expression and I believe that movies have the right to take a stand on political issues, no matter how unpopular that opinion is. But while there's a good movie to be made about the state of immigration in Europe, this is not that movie. Citizen Vigilante has no real script. It has no real characters. It has no thematic throughline. And all round, it's badly made. If Sanders' own internal logic could at least have stayed on track, the movie might have been watchable. But Sanders is all over the place, and then Citizen Vigilante just... ends.
My conclusion, then, is simple: if a movie this bad is generating interest, audiences are evidently desperate for movies that have something to say. But Hollywood, for its part, seems mostly content to stick to diversity quotas, Marvel movies and rom-com slop. Say nothing, offend no one.
FOR
Despite his reputation as one of the worst directors in film history, Boll has worked with a series of notable actors, including Jason Statham, Christian Slater, Ray Liotta, and now Armie Hammer.
Did You Know?
Despite his reputation as one of the worst directors in film history, Boll has worked with a series of notable actors, including Jason Statham, Christian Slater, Ray Liotta, and now Armie Hammer.
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Which is sad, because art is supposed to be about the telling of stories from subjective -- often controversial -- points of view. It's why we get a window into a protagonist's mind, and it's why we have a director pulling the strings so the whole thing, hopefully, makes sense. All of which is to say: If Uwe Boll is the only person willing to take a risk, we’re in a very artistically bankrupt place indeed.
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