The Dark Knight Rises

That was a pretty darn good movie. Even better, though, as the close to a trilogy. I think I enjoyed the chemistry and fun in Avengers more, and the first half or so of the movie felt a little on the long side, but it's still solid. It comes full circle with the threats and themes. It acknowledges how physically demanding the life of Batman is. And it manages to tie things up in a way that fits the two previous movies, while leaving some threads open regarding the future of that incarnation of Gotham City. Well done, overall.

I had been thinking there was more I wanted to say, but I didn't want to risk spoiling anything (as some brief comments are big spoilers), but... well, I suppose that's why we have these tags, right?


I felt sorry for everything Gordon went through. Capture, escape, blame of a fellow (even though Blake does come to understand later), and getting tossed around in the back of a truck with an unstable nuclear device all after his family left him. Rough, man. I feel the same for Alfred, actually. As much as he's agonized over Bruce's well-being for years, he is forced to do the one thing he says he won't. Even if it's okay in the end.

It's pretty obvious that Blake is being set up as Batman's successor even prior to the "Robin" namedropping. Though given his dislike of the name, I can't imagine we'd have a Robin spinoff. Nightwing maybe - a look that honors and evokes Batman without claiming to be the same person.

I didn't foresee all the details immediately, but I recognized Talia for who she was. I think that's less because of the pre-release rumors and more just some familiarity with the mythos. Middle Eastern-ish woman going after/getting involved with Bruce Wayne? Yeah.

I remember reading there was some change in Bane's voice after initial screenings. I wonder what it was originally like. The end result had just a hint of accent to it that made me think Sean Connery (not even Scottish, but Sean Connery) and... maybe it's just the theater audio (or maybe it's how it was redubbed to "fix" earlier difficulty in understanding), but it struck me as a little more omnipresent and less "from that guy over there." Still, while Bane (and the whole League of Shadows) plot came across as rather nihilistic, it was a worthy anty-upping over the first film.

That said, it would have been nice if it didn't feel like Gotham was being held hostage in each of the trilogy movies. Okay, in Begins, it was only a section of the city, but still.

I can't help but think that anyone with any means would be out of Gotham in the next couple months after everything that's happened. Even with a hero like Batman... dayumn. I wouldn't want to live there. It seems like only the very entrenched or utterly unable to move would be left. Wrrf. And Wayne Industries technology allowed most of that to happen, so the company would be dealing with major negative press if it even survived.

And on the matter of survival, I have to wonder just what a moneyless Bruce Wayne is going to do to get by. Without his resources, and with everything he's been through physically, he's not likely to be playing vigilante. Is he retiring and letting Selina buy the meals? 'cause where's she going to get the money? Stealing from people? I can't see how that would sit well with him. Well, I suppose I can take it as a reasonably "happy" ending and just accept that they'll get by somehow. ;)