The theater is a beautiful place, where magic and characters enchant you; it is deeply saddening to learn of the killings on the premiere showing of one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year in Aurora Colorado. My prayers and sympathy are there for those who have suffered from that massacre and I pray that a disaster such as this shall never take place again. Those of you who are as big of a Batman fan as I am, realize we could have been one of those excited audience members in Aurora that morning if we lived in Colorado. I won’t let the events of this morning affect my review; yet I know I will never forget what happened. The 12 lives that were lost, rest in peace. The 58 injured, I hope with every bone in my body that you will soon be well once more.

“The movie theatre is my home and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me.” – Christopher Nolan

 Box Office Numbers will not be released until Monday in respect for those who were affected by the events that took place this morning and the trailers for the upcoming film “Gangster Squad" starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn have been pulled from theaters, as it included a scene of gangsters shooting at the audience of a full theater from behind the screen.

Check out my expectation I had before I saw the movie in Expectations for the Dark Knight Rises under COMING SOON.
So as I mentioned previously I am a huge comic book fan, I own both the DC and Marvel Encyclopedia’s as well as many comics and pretty much know Batman and Spiderman backwards (but I can’t guarantee everything); so when it comes to the Dark Knight Rises I’m not going to let the movie off easy (AKA similar to Spidey’s review but longer).

It would be an understatement if I called Nolan’s film marvellous. The ambition and action within the movie caused the audience to be at the edge of their seat, anticipating the next sequence of events. I watched The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX and never wavered my focus from the screen, perhaps it was because of the IMAX experience but I have heard from others who saw it in a regular theater say that the movie slowed down in the middle and was therefore less exciting in that time. Whether this is the case or not, Nolan made up for it in the last five minutes of the film.

The continuation of the trilogy is done well. In creating the Dent Act, an act Gotham followed as a result of Harvey’s death that led to the arrest of many criminal; Nolan created the logical consequence foreseen at the end of The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent still being seen as a hero is a perfect order of events for the film, and the constant reference to him as a great man is phenomenal, the entire trilogy is now seen as one big movie; yet there is something missing. It is an absence that cannot be replaced, undoubtedly noticeable throughout the film, the absence of the Joker. There is nothing Nolan could have done and I believe he made the right decision in not replacing Heath Ledger, no one could have done him justice. The nonappearance of such an important criminal tugs on your sleeve throughout the film, and it immediately loses the spark found in the Dark Knight. The comic book character Joker would have been present if such a huge conflict took place in Gotham and we comic fans know that Batman could never stop being Batman if the Joker still existed, still in Arkham asylum, I mean eight years have passed, he would have escaped by now…

We begin eight years after The Dark Knight ended, Gotham is peaceful and Batman (Christian Bale) is known as a murderer; never seen since Dent’s death. Bruce Wayne has become a legend, never leaving Wayne manor for the years of Batman’s absence and his play boy lifestyle far behind him; though there is encouragement from Alfred (Michael Caine), Wayne remains recluse. Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway who received the brunt of my expectations for the movie) almost starts the movie off, and I despised her for the first few minutes… then I adored her. Anny blew me away, she played Catwoman perfectly and the Princess Diaries star was nonexistence. Her characters acting skills and reactions fit DCs vision impeccably and though her costume was a complete opposite to the comics (see my criticism in my expectations) the intelligence in her cat ears, used as goggles, and simplicity in her suit gave the visualization of what a real life “Catwoman” would be. It was almost as if this Selina Kyle was too good for a whip. The encounter of Bruce and Selina, AKA Batman and Catwoman is wonderful and similar to the original story. It is very realistic to the character and the strong romance between the two, with or without the identity, is even more like the comics; especially to Batman Hush, where Batman reveals his identity to Catwoman, hallelujah! Nolan got it right!

The savage, uncivilized criminal Bane is played by Tom Hardy, his muscular body and lack of mercy is a fear to all … but his voice… didn’t it sound odd? I’m not sure if it was just me or the IMAX Theater, but I found something uncomfortable about it. Maybe it was just louder than intended, but it did not suit Tom Hardy’s appearance in my opinion. His voice had this intellectual ring that is perfect for the comic’s intelligent villain; but didn’t really fit in with Nolan’s vicious man; nevertheless this is a minor part of the movie that the audience soon becomes adjusted to. The biggest complaint from the prologue screening of the film was indeed Bane's voice; yet at the time it was because of how difficult it was to understand him. Nolan took this into huge consideration and you can tell that Bane's dialogue in the final movie is now clear and sharp. Listen to the comparison of Bane's voice from the prologu screening to the final product by clicking under the TRAILERS tab and - EXTRAS.

In the beginning of the film, after Bane attacks Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman); Officer Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who did an amazing job throughout the whole film) knocks on the door of Wayne Manor revealing that he knows Bruce was Batman, stating how he believes Batman did not murder Dent and how Gotham needs the caped crusader. Blake explains how Bruce had once visited the orphanage when Blake was a boy in the home, how as a boy living there, like all the others Blake looked up to the billionaire orphan and stated that he saw through Bruce’s false smile; the same he wears because of his parents death. He explains that when he saw Bruce’s face he “knew” Bruce Wayne was the dark knight… pretty lose, huh? Translation: I saw you smile like I do and knew you were Batman. The phrasing of it in the film gave a warm believable air, but in truth that is highly unlikely. I would have preferred maybe a flashback of young Timothy Drake Blake encountering the Batman, seeing the same face on Bruce and then saying how odd it is that the sudden disappearance of Batman and the “hiding” of Bruce Wayne happened at the same time.

WARNING Very minor Spoilers Straight Ahead

Another event that was only mentioned but caused me to cringe was the fact that Gordon’s wife apparently takes the kids with her and moves to Cleveland. I suppose Nolan just didn’t want to have to deal with Gordon’s family but what about Barbra Gordon? His daughter? The Batgirl!? I wouldn’t have minded if his wife took their son but left their daughter, how she wishes to help fight but her father tells her not to, something minor, but maybe that would have caused too many events to take place. Either way, I still wonder why his daughter just couldn’t have been around. At this rate Batman wouldn’t have even made it to the first ten pages of the comic Batman Hush, there would be no Oracle (Batgirl’s position to help the bat after the Joker handicaps her in a wheelchair) so no one to save him.

Nolan creates this build up; it feels as if eight years actually have passed since the caped crusader patrolled the night and when Batman returns to the streets of Gotham after so long, a feeling escalates through your body. Pride, energy, excitement all at once and I could not help but smile as the Dark Knight rode on his motorcycle chased by the police. Nolan generates such a feeling in a magnificent way that I must admit was a moment that demonstrates the true art of film. The music was phenomenal; no slow unfitting soundtrack that we heard in the Amazing Spiderman; no, this was true Hans Zimmer genius. But what I noticed about that chase was how it began in daylight and ended at night without a sunset in-between; not that I was looking for one, but last time I checked there is something in between the sun in the sky and the moon taking its place.

Throughout the film it was evident that Bane had very loyal workers, so much so that they were constantly willing to die for him. In the movie they even ask “Where does he get these men?” but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and say that it’s out of fear, I mean look at him, Bane could easily rip someone in half; but maybe it was to emphasize how corrupt Gotham is. Speaking of Bane’s labours, something that bothers me is the appearance of Cillian Murphy (acting as his judge)… was he supposed to be Dr. Jonathan Crane AKA The Scarecrow? He never acted like the criminal from Batman Begins, but his presence in the same trilogy made me question his character. If he was the scarecrow (which is said to be so according to the IMDB cast list), I wish they had made it clearer.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD, COME BACK AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE TO TAKE A LOOK AT PLOT HOLES AND COMPARISONS TO THE ORIGINAL COMIC. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENT!

The famous muscular Bane, known for growing up in a prison, known for his incredible strength, known for breaking the bat… does just that. An act so awful, so ruining to the hero is exactly what happens to the comic… I guess Nolan isn’t so bad with his Batman facts after all. Yes, in the Batman comic: Knightfall Bane lifts the weak Dark Knight in the air, only to perform one of the most famous events in Batman history, he throws Batman’s body on his knee breaking our heroes spine.   

Alfred leaves. Alfred, Bruce’s companion, trusted friend and a father figure abandons him because of the bat. That is the exact opposite of the comic. Had I not praised their relationship in the Dark Knight Rises? Alfred Pennyworth has always been there for Bruce and Batman; always by his side no matter what; and of all the people Bruce knows, Alfred should be the most understanding about the Dark Knight. Never in a million years did think I would even see this happen; it is in an indefinite time that Alfred will be by Bruce’s side and I am glad that Nolan portrays his abandonment after a failed effort to keep Bruce safe and settled down. Alfred, should know by now that Bruce would never give up the Batman, not when Gotham needs him… right? Well we’ll see.

I want to make an apology, I recently discovered by reading the comics that in Batman Knightfall Alfred does leave Bruce's side when the billionaire playboy insists on solving a case while he is still in critical condition from Bane's wrath.

Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman) has an impeccable secret hideaway for the tumblers. In the beginning of the film, Fox takes Bruce down there for the first time, describing how each vehicle and the aircraft “come in black”. Bruce didn’t even know their location. With such a secure area for these vehicles, how did Bane come across it? How was he aware of the location underground that is completely beneath this basement? Did he snoop around Fox’s office to discover the secret doorway?... I don’t think so.

As the plot continues, the core of Wayne’s energy project is, with instructions from Bane, turned into a bomb. Explosives are planted throughout the city and as the entire police force head underground to capture Bane they go off, trapping them… The ENTIRE police force… How did Bane know that Gotham would send all their men underground, how could he bank on such a plan; and how could he have possibly planted all those explosives around the city without being caught? It would have taken a very long time to do so and it is very surprising to learn that Gotham’s security would miss such a big project.

Gotham is now isolated, the police force trapped underground, the will to escape only lost by the threat to set off the bomb, the rich and powerful given a choice of exile or death (sentenced by Jonathan Crane), the Blackgate Prison inmates set free and Batman left to die in a foreign prison. It is almost as if a doomsday, a literal time bomb waiting to go off… and the Government really does nothing? I am glad they did mention the president though, making the issue appear even more realistic, but one question runs through my mind. This is a question that is unnecessary in the comic Batman Hush, redundant in the Justice League, but almost crucial here. During all of this, WHERE IS SUPERMAN? Oh right, filming his new movie. Check out the COMING SOON tab to see how I believe this will tie in for (I’m hoping) Justice League Movie.

Superman would have been in Gotham by now; he would have helped Batman save the city from destruction; no matter how much the caped crusader would dislike it. The Dark Knight owns these streets and Superman would have had to follow his instruction, the two are friends and even if this friendship has not been established in the trilogy, nothing would stop Superman from coming to the rescue. I mean, he comes in Batman Hush…

When all confidence is lost and despair takes over the citizens of Gotham there is one thing that restores their hope once more; one thing that drives the people of Gotham to continue; one thing that Nolan wonderfully makes evident; the Batman. After he escapes from the prison and arrives to save his city from crumbling, he lights a beacon of the bat, a symbol that lights up the night and even in the audience you feel the confidence and hope within Gotham strengthen. It demonstrates the significance Batman has become to the city and how his symbol can simply make it seem as if it’s not over yet. I smiled in the audience as it was lit and Batman’s power has engulfed the audience.

I noticed throughout the movie, or perhaps the entire trilogy, Batman is more violent than intellectual. After he learned of Bane’s weakness in the mask, he made no attempt to create a glove or weapon that could specifically injure it. At the end of the movie Batman returns to fight Bane; yet, that entire battle is physical. It might as well have been the Hulk fighting him! There are no gadgets used, no weapon he created to fight him, it is simply a fist fight, and that is not Batman. The essence of the Dark Knight is not his strength and combat abilities, but his use in technology and sophisticated tools; I would expect him to have created something specifically for Bane, that’s something the comic book Batman would do; yet let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he did not have enough time after he escaped from the foreign prison to create such a weapon… But he did have enough time to meet up with Anny Catwoman. Nevertheless he could have used something from his utility belt, I’m sure the batarang could have been helpful.

MAJOR SPOILER COMING NEXT

So the major twist: Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) is Talia al Ghul, Ra al Ghul’s daughter. A revelation so shocking yet absolutely perfect, again a detail that made me smile in the theater as it made the movie even more like the comics. Bane grew up in a jail, but he was definitely not Ra al Ghul’s child, of course the child must be Talia. Talia is not as big of a criminal in the comics compared to the Nolan’s villain, she is a master at combat; yet only performs minor tasks for her father. Though she does assist her father in crimes, she has helped Batman bring down Lex Luthor (now Superman definitely should have been involved) and she has saved the Dark Knights life on many occasions. Talia is aware of Batman’s secret identity and she is often torn between her loyalty to her father and love for the Caped Crusader; of course she would want to do such a horrible crime on behalf of her father, but stabbing him? In an animated novel it is revealed that Talia bears Bruce’s child, who is born to be Damian Wayne, a completely different tale but demonstrating the relationship the two have. The fact that there was a romance between her (at the time known as Miranda) and Bruce is completely accurate and a wonderful touch done by Nolan… but she would never want to hurt or kill Batman, far from stabbing him with a knife.

Including Christopher Nolan, Marion Cotillard is the fourth Inception star in this film (Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt being the two others).

Here’s a comic strip of a conversation between Talia and Batman in Batman Hush regarding Catwoman, demonstrating how he chooses Selina Kyle over Ra al Ghul’s daughter, similar to the movie.

TALIA: "I told you recently there was something different about you, Now I know why, you care for her maybe even love her. Your mysterious opponent  knows this and will uses that against you. Is she worth it?"           BATMAN: "Yes."

My only question is how “Miranda Tata” acquired such a high status; she is a board member and also very successful, so much so that Bruce invests in her clean energy project. It seems very unlikely that Talia would dedicate her entire life for her plan; it must take a very long time to become such a business woman, her father only died eight years ago. She would have to study and learn for so long, only to become a board member so that one day she may have the opportunity to destroy Gotham. Is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra al Ghul, able to have such a prosperous occupation while planning out such a crime and training in combat? Her father died eight years ago, is that enough time to get to where she is?

I’ve noticed that throughout the trilogy and the comic generation the whole “secret identity” concept is becoming less and less vital. For example in the Amazing Spiderman I don’t see why Peter Parker didn’t just have a press conference and tell the world who he is …and don’t get me started on Iron Man (though that is according to the comics). Nevertheless, Batman keeps true to keeping his identity a secret; yet it doesn’t mean he can’t give obvious hints (yet I would have much preferred if Rachel never new… or never existed for that matter), for example:

“It is not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me,” first stated by Rachel to Bruce in Batman Begins, and then said back to Rachel by Batman in the same film; telling her who he is.

Then there is the phrase in the Dark Knight Rises that I actually really liked. Before Batman risks his life to save the city, it is nice for Jim Gordon to finally know who his partner has been the whole time: Bruce Wayne.

 “A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hasn't ended,” said by Batman to Gordon before taking off with the fusion bomb, a flash back capturing the moment and Gordon replying “Bruce Wayne?”

So for a few seconds I feeling of panic goes through you, did Nolan actually do this? Did he kill the Batman? Batman shouldn’t die, Batman can’t die! But he’s doing such a heroic deed … I guess this means there won’t be a justice league movie after all. This would have been the best possible way Nolan could have ever imagined killing Batman and as he flew over the ocean to let the bomb go off, the theater went into complete silence, us all in suspense.

The bomb goes off and we see as Blake watches in comprehension, respect and sadness as Batman’s aircraft flies towards the waters. We saw his reaction as it exploded, but we also saw the explosion and the bright light, a light that would have been blinding, but Blake continued looking with no reaction to it at all… I mean at the very least he could have been wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Then there is the cheesiest line in the entire film, I could feel the number of eyes rolling in the theater with mine. Detective Blake is retrieving his items at a desk, and as the woman behind the desk hands him his bag, she says “You should use your real name, Robin” …I mean seriously? If your name is Robin, why on EARTH would you make your superhero name Robin? Should Batman be called Bruce then? I know, I know, Nolan wanted to make it clear to the audience who his character’s intended to be, but why not something closer to the comics and something that makes way more sense: Timothy Drake. We comic fans would get it and people who care enough about the movie to Google the name would get it. Tim Drake is the third robin, unlike Dick Grayson or Jason Todd (the past Robins) Tim Drake mastered the puzzle himself and determined that Bruce Wayne is Batman; exactly what Blake does in the film; plus, don’t the names Blake and Drake seem awfully similar to you? In Batman Hush, Batman even states himself that he believes Tim Drake will be the next Batman after Bruce. Timothy Drake would have been ideal! And for those who wouldn’t Google it, at the end of the movie Blake finding the Bat cave says enough on its own.

We reach the final, beautiful scene of the movie; following the tears shed by the Wayne’s trusted butler when at their graves. Alfred Pennyworth is in Florence, Italy enjoying a coffee. He looks across the café and we see’s none other than Bruce Wayne himself with Selina Kyle. This immediately causes the audience to realize that Batman must have engaged the auto pilot of the aircraft; yet Lucious Fox mentioned earlier how that needed to be fixed on the machine. Then one may recall how Alfred had said he had many fantasies when in Florence of seeing Bruce across the café, how he often dreamed of it and then you start to wonder… is it real? Does Alfred actually see Bruce? Or is it simply his imagination. At first I believed it was real, I didn’t even consider any other possibility. Who knows? Either way I’m glad he was with Selina Kyle because many Batman fans agree, she seems to be Bruce’s deepest love; and either way, Batman dying or leaving for Florence is not like the comics. What I didn’t like about that scene that may push it towards being a fantasy of Alfred’s, is his reaction to seeing Bruce there. Alfred just smiles, acknowledges Bruce and then gets up and walks away. Let’s put it in perspective, if you saw a deceased loved one, would you simply nod and smile thinking “Glad you’re here” then turn your back on them or, would you most likely cry and have a completely different reaction. Perhaps cry, like he did when he thought Bruce was dead, most definitely approach him, makes sure it is him and then stay for a while. Well, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was leaving to cry of happiness, as Bruce is fine and safe and he finally made it.