Raptorific

I go to Temple and enjoy soda. I also like dinosaurs and Batman. I promise, I am not a child.

• Spoilerific review of “The Dark Knight Rises.” With extra spoilers.

  Posted 10 months ago

  I promise there will be spoilers in the paragraphs to come. While my previous post was about my own development, this is just my response to this particular movie and the things that happened in it. Once again, should you choose to read ahead, the experience of viewing the movie may be spoiled for you due to the fact that this post contains things that are best learned by watching the movie. If you have not seen the movie, do not pretend I did not warn you and do not read past the jump unless you are eager to be majorly spoiled.

  First off, I was in love with Bane’s character from the moment the dude asked him what happens if he took off the mask, and Bane said “That would be very painful—” and the dude starts saying “well, you’re a pretty big dude.” and Bane finishes “—for you.” Tom Hardy’s performance as Bane was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from an actor. He was genuinely terrifying and he acted the hell out of the role even though we could only see his eyes. Also, the fact that if I were in Gotham, I’d totally have been fooled by his false revolution. Then there was the moment when they showed his face unmasked and unscarred tore at my heartstrings. I even loved his muffly voice that was half Sean Connery and half Darth Vader, and his Che Guevara look.

  Then there was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. I’d say there was an implication that she and Bruce had married at the end, but that isn’t fooling anyone. Those two were married from the second they shared screen time. I have never seen such chemistry as I’ve seen between Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway. Every time they bantered I was just so full of joy. And the way she fought, by using her feet like a cat’s back claws, that was just perfect. I don’t think any actress has every played Selina better, and it’s kind of brilliant that they never called her “Catwoman” in dialogue. I nearly peed myself when she disappeared and Batman said “so that’s what that feels like.”

  Both Fox and Alfred really dialed up the sass for this film, and Alfred quitting made me cry.

  Speaking of things that made me cry, Batman cryptically thanking Gordon for comforting him the night his parents died? Waterworks.

  Speaking of waterworks, when Talia revealed she flooded the reactor so the bomb couldn’t be diffused, myself and most of the rest of the theater audibly gasped.

  Speaking of Talia, TALIA!! I went into that movie certain that she was going to be revealed as Talia and they still fooled me. They drove me just to the point of believing Miranda Tate was a legitimate character and then twisted it and told me she was really Talia. And of course, she was played by Marion Cotillard, the angelic vision, the muse of millions, I burn, I pine, I perish! Marion Cotillard is my favorite actress and she gave a better performance as Talia than I possibly could have hoped for. And the emotion showed by both her and Tom Hardy when they were talking about their past… I just lost it.

  I also found myself rooting for Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character, Detective Robin John Blake, from the beginning. I even liked that his name was Robin, because it isn’t making him a different version of Dick Grayson, it just says to the audience that he is this series’ representation of everyone who’s ever been inspired by Batman to carry on his legacy of justice. Every time he did anything I felt like cheering.

  Then, of course, there were all the connections to the comics. My heart beat out of my chest when Bane broke Batman over his knee, and when Batman said “You brought me an Army,” And the fact that the ending is pretty much the same trick Batman pulled in “The Dark Knight Returns” was perfect.

  Oh, and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending than Alfred seeing Bruce and Selina, together, in the café because I know Bruce was like “We’ll just go to that café every day until Alfred shows up” and Selina just played along because they love clever plans.

  Stray observations:

  • The statue of Batman at the end was brilliant and I hope that statue is still standing somewhere I can visit it sometime.
  • Robin John Blake finding the Batcave and the implication that he’ll be taking up the mantle if it’s ever needed again was amazing
  • Could not have asked for a more perfect ending to the series than Bruce donating Wayne Manor to be used as a home for orphaned children and liquidating his remaining assets to pay for it.
  • The moment where Batman had Gordon light a flare that would activate a giant flaming bat-signal and LITERALLY “The Fire Rises” had me grabbing at my sister’s arm
  • Scarecrow’s cameo as the judge… It’s like even though he’s been beaten, he just likes to be helpful to the other villains! Also, the quad-desk thing he has going looks like it’s straight out of the pages of a graphic novel. The entire movie, though, looks like a graphic novel come to life.
  • “Do you have me followed on his day off?” “I might, if you ever took one.” The series ends with Bruce following Alfred on his holiday.

  I will post more thoughts when I think of them, and preferably when more people have seen it.

  • The Dark Knight Rises
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  5. meganannedear said: thank you for the warning, i will come back and read this later!
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