What was one of the biggest summer blockbusters of 2012? The
Dark Knight Rises surprised Batman fans everywhere as they thought the
franchise had ended with the last installment, The Dark Knight. Fans were sure that Christopher Nolan hung up
the Bat cape after the tragic death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker in
the previous film, but four years later, he surprised everyone with a movie
that officially ended The Dark Knight Trilogy.
This movie did exceptionally well in my opinion because of the costumes,
atmosphere, and its casting.
In
previous Batman films, I don’t think that costume designers did the bat suit
justice. Their bat suits literally looked
like a Halloween costume, but when Christian Bale dons the bat suit in The Dark
Knight Rises, he intimidates even us fans.
Many costars even mention that you don’t mess with Christian Bale when
he has the bat suit on. The impenetrable
material makes him invincible, and other improvements in the suit from the
previous films make him more agile. They
really do well with making him less silly with the cape. Instead of just running around in a suit and
cape, he wears special gloves that connect with the material of the cape to
form a gliding tool which he uses to maneuver from building to building or
building to ground. Another daunting
costume of The Dark Knight Rises is Bane’s costume. His costume is so parallel with the comics,
that it’s a little scary. Complete with
his mask and bulky vest, Bane is Tom Hardy.
Hardy’s bulging muscles also complete this look, but the designers did
well with creating Bane’s look. Standing
side by side, who would you root for? I’d be scared to choose one and have the
other come after me wearing their suits.
Christopher
Nolan’s trademark for his Batman films is the dark and gritty atmosphere. His film settings are very true to real life
rather than when other films try to make places like New York a better and brighter
place. The atmosphere of the film suits
well to the underlying tone of the story because over the years, thugs and
gangsters have basically taken over the city of Gotham. The setting of Gotham, which really
represents New York, shows a true imitation of what it would be like if thugs took
over. Even after Bane takes over Gotham,
it’s amazing how Christopher Nolan can capture a desolate city so well. People afraid to roam the streets and only
the brave will come out. Snow piles up
along the streets making it look like a ghost town. Christopher Nolan never ceases to amaze his
fans with any films he makes just by the setting and the tone of the film.
What I believe
truly makes this movie is the all-star cast.
When I think of the stars in this movie, I don’t think of their real
name; I think of their character’s name.
For example, whenever I see Christian Bale’s face, I automatically think
Bruce Wayne. In my opinion, Christian
Bale is the perfect Batman. While others
may disagree, I think he has the perfect qualities to capture the broken but
heroic Bruce Wayne. He fits right in
along with his other distinguished costars, Michael Caine and Morgan
Freeman. They fit their roles perfectly,
and who would’ve ever thought you would see those two legendary actors in the
same movie? New characters are also
introduced into the trilogy as well who are also well acquainted with Hollywood
like Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The casting choice for Bane was also right on
the mark. I will say though that I was a
little skeptical of Tom Hardy playing the masked villain. I couldn’t imagine him playing such a role in
one of Nolan’s films especially after playing the light-hearted, comical Eames
from Nolan’s other world renowned film, Inception. However, all doubts drifted away once I saw
Tom Hardy as the bald, masked man with the bulging muscles. It also amazes me how Hardy toyed around with
Bane’s voice and completely got rid of his British accent. Christian Bale also does this which I think
makes him an even better Batman than the others. He sounds like a true American and the perfect
fit for Bruce Wayne. Christopher Nolan
never fails to disappoint fans with his choices in casting. He’s able to bring people in from all over
the world and mesh them together perfectly like they are truly their
characters.
The
Dark Knight Rises is a fantastically made film by Christopher Nolan that
satisfies all Batman fans. It’s the
ultimate end to an ultimate trilogy. I
won’t even discuss the actually ending to the movie; Nolan always leaves his
fans hanging with many questions that will never be answered. And to me, I think that is the true mark of a
good director and a good movie.
