Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises
Now showing at Majestic City
Chris Nolan is the auteur who reinvented modern mainstream editing (Memento, anyone?), simultaneously enthralled and confused viewers with magic (2006’s dazzling The Prestige) and frightened audiences with a low budget neo-noir (his debut, Following). But sad to say, his recent efforts have been dreadful and there is a feeling that he lost his touch sequels ago.
When baddie Bane (Tom Hardy) bankrupts Wayne Enterprises, Bruce (Christian Bale) ceases to be reclusive, buys more fancy toys from Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and reassumes the caped crusader’s, erm, crusade. But then Bane cripples Wayne, discombobulates us all with his speech impediment (at least I could understand Darth Vader!) and spouts cheese (“I was wondering what part of you would break first. Your spirit OR YOUR BODY!”). Worse, he throws Wayne into a pit that no one has escaped from. (Actually, one person: a child.) Then he threatens to destroy Gotham. Noooooooo!
Nolan is currently Britain’s most powerful director. Scrub that: Hollywood’s most powerful contemporary director. Remember: this man sold Inception to the masses, with its plot-hole ridden storyline, overbearingly corny Hans Zimmer score (refer South Park’s bitingly satiric Insheeption) and its uncanny ability to make stupid audiences feel smart.
The Dark Knight Rises is an improvement on Inception. However, it will always be subordinate to its predecessor, The Dark Knight; Heath Ledger’s skillfully portrayed Joker is second to none. Granted, Bane initially showed promise – his villainously hoarse 5.1 SURROUND SOUND voice was at first chilling. An hour later, the novelty wore off, prompted primarily by Nolan’s inability to write him convincing dialogue. (Moreover, Hans Zimmer is back with yet another grandiloquent score that tries a little too hard to create anticipation….)
No doubt, you’ll still watch this picture (and I don’t blame you – I myself was rather curious), and perhaps enjoy it but I do warn you, Nolan’s lacklustre ending may render those 2 1/2 hours something of a waste of time.
Category: Entertainment, movie
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