The Dark Knight Rises - A non-fan's review

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of Batman. Let me also say that this review will be full of spoilers so use your judgement.

My review in one sentence: I wasn't as bored as I had expected to be.

It's true. I really wasn't as bored as I had expected to be during this movie. With a runtime approaching 3 hours I had expected to feel every one of those 165 minutes but I didn't. I was entertained. The Dark Knight Rises is the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy however you don't need an encyclopedic knowledge of the previous two films to understand the twists and turns. Nolan does an excellent job of reminding those in the audience who might not remember what exactly happened in Batman Begins or The Dark Knight (like me). It suggests that Nolan (or his editor Lee Smith) understands not everyone who is seeing the film is a fanatic, or even a fan, and is making a small attempt to include them in the experience.


First things first - The Voice.

Bale reprises his role of "I'm serious Batman" by employing the scratchy voice. This has bothered me, and plenty of others, from the start. I just don't understand why Bruce Wayne, the billionaire, and Lucius Fox, the genius, can't come together and make a voice-changer to put inside Batman's mask. I think it's something that the movies could have addressed, especially since they have so many other technological toys for Batman to use. Either that, or have Batman use the same voice as Bruce and we'll all suspend belief that no one can tell it's the same guy (which we're already doing to some degree anyway).

I really enjoyed Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. She wasn't called Catwoman once. There is a passing shot of a newspaper heading lamenting the continued thefts this cat burglar that makes the connection for us (in case the name Selina Kyle wasn't enough). Hathaway was brilliant and not nearly as campy as the previous Catwomans have been. She didn't have a tail. She didn't wear claws. And she didn't meow or purr. Only the cat ears were barely hinted at with her flipped-up goggles providing the merest suggestion of the traditional Catwoman costume. That is why this is my favourite version of Selina Kyle.

If you don't want The Dark Knight Rises to be spoiled, I'll leave you with this spoiler-free summary. More discussion and **SPOILERS** after the break.

Overall, I wouldn't say I enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises. It was a little too monochomatic and it took itself too seriously. I don't like the Batman voice. This movie isn't something I'd be likely to watch again and that's okay. I'm not the target audience. I can say that I didn't mind watching almost 3 hours of Batman with my husband. I was entertained, which is all you can ask.

Spoilers (and more!) after the jump. Seriously. Spoilers.

I don't like movies that don't give their audience any credit. The Dark Knight Rises was such a literal title: The Dark Knight literally rises from the pit of the prison! And in case we didn't remember, it is just like how young Bruce was pulled from the well after falling in and treading water for hours to stay afloat. Both are round holes in the ground with walls that are nearly impossible to climb. As Bruce makes the climb from the prison, in case we still didn't see the connection, there are bats that fly out of a crack in the wall and startle him! Talk about beating us over the head. Even I understood the reference so surely the fans must have felt doubly annoyed at how bluntly the scene connected Bruce and Batman's rise from a moment of fear to a moment of strength.

I also knew that Miranda was working with Bane once she showed up at Bruce's house and they spend the night together. There was a moment where Bruce notices a scar on her back, and there is a huge close up of Bruce running his fingers over this scar, so I figured it was important. Some people have suggested that the scar is the symbol of the League of Shadows but I never would have known that. I just noticed that she was far too convenient as a replacement for Bruce on the Wayne Enterprises board of directors. I will admit that I had no idea that Bane was in fact the protector of Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Bruce Wayne's League of Shadows mentor Ra's Al Ghul. Had I known, I imagine it would have been hard to believe that Bane would be so focused on destroying Gotham that he'd forgotten about protecting her. Therefore, she must be nearby.

Overall, I wouldn't say I enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises. It was a little too monochomatic and it took itself too seriously. I don't like the Batman voice. This movie isn't something I'd be likely to watch again and that's okay. I'm not the target audience. I can say that I didn't mind watching almost 3 hours of Batman with my husband. I was entertained, which is all you can ask.

Oh, just one more thing, did anyone else notice this reprise from a certain other Batman movie?