The third film in a movie trilogy is the most difficult one to pull off. Few film franchises have perfected the perfect trilogy, mainly because they blow it on the third one. My trilogy of perfect trilogies are the original Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Toy Story. Each of those films are one part of a grand story that left it's audience satisfied and the characters come full circle.
In a film trilogy the first film sets the bar, followed by the second film raising the bar; usually. That's why a lot of trilogies blow it because by the third film you've already "blown it" if you catch my drift. Director Christopher Nolan set himself a huge bar to reach in this third, and final, part of his Dark Knight saga. With expectations that high can anyone ever be satisfied?
When last we left Bruce Wayne/Batman, played by Christian Bale, he was on the run from the law, taking the blame for the murders committed by Harvey "Two-Face" Dent. Dent is remembered as a hero, and only Commissioner Gordon knows the truth. Eight years later, Bruce has become a shut in, until the appearance of Bane, played by Tom Hardy, forces him to put on the cape and cowl once more and protect Gotham from this uber-terrorist. Bane is out to break not only Batman's body but his spirit as well by creating chaos and fear in Gotham, and does a pretty good job of it by the end of the film. In his quest Batman is aided by Commissioner Gordon, played by Gary Oldman, and Detective Blake, played by Joseph-Gordon Levitt. Bruce however is on the outs with his father figure, Alfred, played by Michael Cane, throughout most of the film and he's not quite sure if Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway, is a sinner or a saint.
I don't why Bruce is limping around in the first part of the film, but that plot detail is never explained and is forgotten early. Once Batman get his wings back Alfred realizes the boy he raised is probably going to die trying to save Gotham. Meanwhile, Bruce picks up a new ride with help from Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, even though Wayne Enterprises is in the middle of going bankrupt. And if you think Marion Cotillard is a waste of character as Miranda, just wait, it pays off in the end.
The performances that really stood out to me where not those of the main hero and villain. Bale did his usual creepy voice, which is not a stretch for him, and Tom Hardy's face was covered the whole film so all you really saw was his arms moving and his fists flying. Anne Hathaway acted great as a woman who does a lot of acting. Selina Kyle is a strong woman who has to play dumb while being smart and kicking-ass. I must say she does it quite well. However the best performance I feel goes to Joseph-Gordon Levitt as Detective "every man" Blake. He showed great confidence in his role and made us all feel like we were having the adventure beside Batman. SPOILER: I felt like a lot of this film was not only the end of Christian Bale as Batman, but the start of Blake's costume crime fighting days. Knowing what I know about Batman mythology I hope Warner Bros. doesn't do a reboot but continues the story with Levitt and all the awesome story lines that could possibly follow.
With most of the characters returning, and a whole new batch to take care of, there seemed like there wasn't a lot of character growth outside of Bruce and Selina. But once all the pieces came together this film was a pretty enjoyable, and Nolan's Dark Knight saga had come full circle. Bane said his trademark catch phrase right before he performed his trademark move, so the fan boy in me left satisfied. I figured out most of the twists that kept the film interesting, but with this being the third film I wasn't putting it past Nolan to try and axe our hero in the final Act. Next up Nolan will produce Zach Snyder's Man of Steel, which will be written by David S. Goyer, the same man who wrote all three Dark Knight films. I just hope these guys realize Batman is about darkness and pain, while Superman is about light and hope. Oh, and yes, Anne Hathaway is now my favorite Catwoman. Sorry Michelle, but I like me some curves.
RATING: B
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