The Dark Knight Rises

Originally, I posted the following:

As I don't feel qualified to review this film yet, I won't be doing so until I see it a second time.  The current plan is to catch it in Imax on Sunday.  A review right now would not be fair to the movie, nor to you.

Well, I have seen the Dark Knight Rises a second time, and I believe I am ready to discuss it.  See, my first viewing of the Dark Knight Rises was as the conclusion of a marathon.  I had worked that day and gone straight to the theater, where I stayed for eleven hours.  Needless to day, I was in the best frame of mind.  I was annoyed with patrons around me and incredibly sleepy.  During my first viewing, I understood the movie just fine; I just didn't like it.  I had tried to keep my expectations low, as I didn't believe it could be as good as the Dark Knight, but even with that knowledge, I was incredibly disappointed with the Dark Knight Rises.

Because I had two distinctly different experiences with the Dark Knight Rises, this review is going to be a bit on the unusual side.  I'm going to give you my opinion of certain aspects of the film after both my first viewing and my second viewing.  I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum.  If I include any, I'll be sure to label them so as to allow you to avoid them.*

Now that I've explained all that, let's begin.

Bain's Voice

The voice was cause for concern based on what I had heard online.  Before the film came out, the initial scene was released to certain Imax theaters.  The criticism regarding said scene revolved around Bain's voice.  Many believed it to be hard to understand.  This led to the voice supposedly being tweaked.  Not too long ago, there was a youtube clip that had the originally released scene next to the one in the final cut.  Some differences were definitely noticeable.

1st Viewing - Early reports were correct.  It was sometimes hard to decipher what Bain was saying.  I questioned whether the voice itself (accent) was really appropriate for the character.  I don't have a large background in Batman comics; most of my knowledge was gleaned from the television cartoon.  I knew there was a definite change in the nationality of the character.  I have been okay with Nolan's other changes, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

2nd Viewing - I love Bain's voice.  It most definitely requires focused attention to catch all of what he is saying.  It's a bit easier when you're awake and already know the gist of most of his dialogue.  His cultured dialogue is so at odds with his violent nature that it merely makes him more interesting.  I really enjoy listening to him speak now.

Plot

1st Viewing - The Dark Knight Rises really needed a better eye for editing.  The plot was all over the place. Anytime you jump eight years forward in a time line, it's going to be a bit jarring.  While that was handled pretty well, the movie still felt all over the place. Time was spent on unimportant side bits.  While each scene in the Dark Knight served to enrich the film, the Dark Knight Rises has scenes that are largely unneeded.  While they aren't able to completely derail the film, they still serve to slow it down.

2nd. Viewing - While the plot remains a bit disjointed, it didn't bother me the second time around.  There are little things to watch for, once you have seen the film.  The second viewing allowed me to look for little indicators of what was to come that I may not have realized were there the first time.  The plot works a lot better when you can take these little touches in.  It makes the excess scenes not so troubling.

Catwoman

Years ago,when I left my second viewing of the Dark Knight, we discussed the possible inclusion of Catwoman in the following film.**  I repeatedly voiced my dislike of that particular idea.  Because of how the first two movies were handled, I was against the idea of including a female villain in Nolan's Batman movies.  I just didn't feel that it fit.  After seeing the pure relationship between Bruce and Rachel***, the idea of an overly sexual villain seemed distasteful.

1st Viewing - While neither Anne Hathaway nor the script did anything to make me dislike the character, I wasn't overly happy at Selina Kyle's inclusion.  She just didn't feel right.

2nd Viewing - Hathaway's character was actually well done and put together.  Nolan and his crew did a good job of making her Catwoman without making her tacky.  For those of you that played Arkham City, take a moment and recall how they portrayed Catwoman.  She was super skanky.  Luckily, Nolan avoids that.  Selina Kyle utilizes a myriad of skills to exist and flourish in Nolan's Batman universe.  She is a scared woman when needed and a cold, calculating femme fatale when it is to her advantage.  I actually enjoyed her inclusion the second time around.  I don't think she steals all the scenes she is in, but she including her is definitely a brave move that pays off.

Costuming

The changes that Nolan makes to the characters is driven by the need to make them more realistic, to bring them into our world.  If we can acknowledge that they exist in our world, it makes the movies better.  Nolan's films are supposed to seem familiar to us while still being unique and unusual.

1st Viewing - I didn't really have much of an impression of the costumes.  I saw them, but I didn't see anything special.

2nd Viewing - I was able to absorb the visuals and recognize what Nolan and his people created for the Dark Knight Rises.  Small touches, like how Kyle's "cat ears"****, make all the difference.  When it came to Bain's costume, I've never cared for luchador masks, so editing that out worked just fine for me.  The way they did his mask for the movie fit with the established aesthetics of this particular universe.  It didn't bother me that I didn't know exactly how it worked, which I know others have complained about.

Casting

1st Viewing - I was okay with the casting.  No one in particular stood out as a weak link.  There were characters that were uninteresting and weak, but it was not the fault of the actors.

2nd Viewing - As always, I'm a huge fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman; that goes without saying.*****  Michael Caine proves once again that he is a master thespian, demanding tears whenever he feels like it.  When you add in Anne Hathaway, who does a great job, you once again have an amazing cast in a good movie.  Nolan knows how to pick them and pull impeccable performances from them.  Watching Tom Hardy emote with part of his face covered just further cements him as a talented actor.

Imax

1st Viewing - N/A

2nd Viewing - I saw both the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises in Imax.  Honestly, I felt the Dark Knight made better use of the format.  I enjoyed the Dark Knight Rises in Imax, but I wasn't as struck by it.  There was less Imax use in Dark Knight which gave the Imax scenes more impact.  Regardless, Nolan makes good use of Imax and makes a good case for more movies using Imax.

The Ending

1st Viewing - I spent the entire car ride home and the next half hour ranting about the ending.  Obviously, I can't tell you what I took issue with specifically.  What I can tell you is that there is some mis-leading editing.  There are some unbelievable conclusions, and there are some reveals that you may or may not buy into.

2nd Viewing - I still have an issue with a particular bit of editing, but I've gotten over my other problems with the ending.  It is what it is.  Do I think it was the best way to go?  I'm not sure...maybe, maybe not.  I accept it for what it is though.

I made a concentrated effort to avoid information that would spoil the Dark Knight Rises for me.  I wanted to go in with very little knowledge about what was going to happen, but I had an important piece of plot spoiled for me way back in the casting stage.  It didn't ruin the movie for me, but it did impact my enjoyment during my first viewing.  I won't get any more into it, as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else.

The Dark Knight Rises is a good movie, not a great one.  It can't live up to the perfection that was the Dark Knight.  Of course, that's okay.  It's a lot like Batman Begins, where it gets better each time I watch it.  Should you see the Dark Knight Rises in theaters?  Of course.  If you can catch it in Imax, it's well worth it.******  I kinda want to see it again in the theater, but I have a bunch of other movies to catch first.

*Although, I expect most of you have already seen the film.  If not, what are you waiting for?  The reviews shouldn't matter.  Nolan has earned this from you.

**They totally hinted at it!  Well, maybe we were reading into it, but we were right.  Therefore, it doesn't matter.

***I'm not saying she was his best match.  I'm merely making my opinion based on how the relationship was presented.

****Seriously, wasn't that cool?  It was so simple yet so genius.

*****I know I said it even though I said it goes without saying.  I wonder if anyone ever says that without actually saying the thing they said didn't need to be said.  I have a headache.

******It was $31 for just Mark and I to see it in Imax on a Saturday night.  It is not cheap.