While this summer’s theatrical selection was generally mundane, going to the movies is always a pleasurable experience. The buttery overpriced popcorn, the thrilling previews and a genuine sense of wonder that comes with the theater experience. While there wasn’t much to see this summer, when a movie as big as “The Dark Knight Rises” is released, the world stops for a few days.
The conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Saga, TDKR is truly an epic undertaking. Coming in with a running time just under three hours long, it’s almost as ambitious as a Lord of the Rings marathon. Even today, nearly two months since the release, it’s still in the top ten box office movies this week.
But, all this aside…is it any good?
Well, yeah, yeah it is.
The movie begins with the brooding villain Bane (played brilliantly by Tom Hardy) hijacking an airplane by using another airplane. It’s exactly the semi-trippy/ingenious concept that you’d only see in a Christopher Nolan movie. The movie escalates from here, easing us back into the city of Gotham, refreshing our memories, and introducing a reclusive Bruce Wayne, and the sly Selena Kyle/Catwoman. Every minute this story evolves is another truly electrifying experience. Eventually Bane takes over all of Gotham by “giving it to the people.” The viewer sees Batman as they’ve always seen him, a true hero.
However, the movie isn’t entirely full of highflying, mind-blowing greatness. This movie does fall short of expectations on several levels. One may complain that the movie is just too long. There are many unnecessary parts that could have been trimmed down after a quick and simple editing job. The biggest concern that I had however, were the several holes in the plot that plagued the movie. Sending every cop in the entire city to the underground was one such flaw in addition to everyone knowing Batman’s secret identity.
All my complaints are merely in retrospect, however. This is a solid and deeply emotional film that is immensely satisfying at the end.
Four and a half stars (out of five)
