Moroni's Review of "The Dark Knight Rises"

Before I write this review, I guess I should admit that I am a fan of Tim Burton's "Batman".  It was surreal and gothic, like a fever dream.  I was even a fan of the old Batman TV show.  It was pastel and campy.  The problem with reboots is this - I am not that interested in a life-like reality where Batman might really exist.  Batman belongs within the confines of the comic book universe.  He does not belong in the real world.

For this reason, I have not really been able to get into Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy.  Lord knows I have tried.  They are too dirty and gritty.  And they don't feel like superhero movies.  I must say that I liked "The Avengers" much better.  I suppose that if you go to see this movie , don't watch it as a Batman movie - but as a crime drama, then it is pretty good.

Ah, expectations!

I took my wife Martha on a date to see the last installment of the franchise - "The Dark Knight Rises".  Christian reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/ Batman - years after the death of Harvey Dent, retired and suffering from debilitating injuries.  (I can relate.)  There's a bunch of Wall Street intrigue and corporate intrigue involving Wayne Industries that goes on that had my head eyes drooping.  The one thing that kept my eyes open was a thief/ spy named Catwoman, played by the delectable Anne Hathaway.  It seems as if the person behind this is a villain named Bane, a luchero from the League of Shadows, the secret society from the first movie.  Bane is played by Tom Hardy, and his performance was superb - except that the voice amplified by his mask was pretty grating and annoying.  Bane and his henchmen concoct a scheme that sends Bruce Wayne into a prison halfway around the world, leaving Ban free to capture the entire city of Gotham and impose martial law.

The only resistance is put up by small bands of rebels led by Commissioner Gordon, played by Gary Oldman, and a young cop named John Blake, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.  Bruce Wayne finally liberates himself and returns to Gotham City to inspire and lead an all-out war against Bane and his allies.

To me, the poignant scenes were about seeing the metropolis in the clutches of evil men, reduced to life under tyranny.  It made me realize that we don't need thugs and criminals to reduce us to such a sordid state. We have the politicians in Washington that are pushing us in that direction anyway.  Where is a Batman when we need him?  The sad reality is that there are no superheroes to rescue us in our moment of dire need.  Something to think about as this sham of an election draws near.

This really is the best of the three movies.  So if you have bothered seeing the other two, then you must see this one - for closure, if anything.  But if you haven's seen any of these, go rent the Tim Burton movie instead.