Christopher Nolan is a victim of his own success. Between Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight, people expect their lives to be changed with each film. Unfortunately for them, this expectation clouds their ability to enjoy a new film based on its own merits. Luckily for me, I don’t have that problem. With that being said, after watching The Dark Knight Rises, I can conclude that the movie was FUCKING AWESOME!
OK, let me start by getting this out of the way: TDKR was not better than TDK. There, are the detractors happy now? What naysayers fail to realize, TDK was one of the greatest movies of all-time. What Heath Ledger accomplished as the Joker was completely unfuckwittable. To be honest, I think his death tainted his performance. Regardless of his fate, he still deserved that Oscar. That’s how incredible his portrayal was. Comparing TDKR to that isn’t fair. Was Michael Jackson‘s Bad a terrible album because it wasn’t Thriller? Fuck no! In actuality, that’s the perfect comparison. Batman Begins is Off The Wall, TDK is Thriller and TDKR is Bad. Each one is great in its own right but overshadowed by the famous “middle child.”
Although Bane isn’t as charismatic as the Joker, he isn’t supposed to be. He’s supposed to be Batman‘s ultimate physical and mental challenge. In that regard, Tom Hardy succeeded. First, he beat the living shit out of Bruce and then forced him to watch his city being destroyed, helplessly. Sidebar, I want Bane’s coat for the winter. That shit was fly as hell. In any case, while I was initially skeptical of Hardy’s ability to embody Bane, he quelled my doubts by being simultaneously calm and insane in his actions. Who else could get away with simply saying “Mr. Wayne” before breaking a man’s back? If the Joker was over the top, Bane was understated yet way more devious.
While I’m sure my words won’t cause a detractor to reconsider, I could care less. I have every intention of seeing that movie again so I can bask in its anarchy. Viva la Batman!
