Disc Two: Christian Bale Dons Val Kilmer's Costume to Audition for THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY

Back in the days when DVDs ruled the home video section there were these things called "Disc 2." As crazy as it sounds, DVDs couldn't contain enough information to house a feature length film in addition to supplemental material, so any collector's edition DVD came with a second disc that was (hopefully) packed to the brim with extras. In this era of Blu-ray and rapidly evolving home technology the concept of two discs is slowly fading away, however, for the sake of this new weekly feature, Disc Two LIVES!

Once a week I'll scour the Internet for videos that provide an intriguing glimpse into the filmmaking process. This week's Disc Two comes to us courtesy of The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition (on shelves NOW). In the following video, we get to see an auditioning Christian Bale sporting the Batman costume of Val Kilmer. Needless to say, he got the part.

Hm...I wonder why Bale skipped the George Clooney costume. Maybe Warner Bros. destroyed any proof of the existence of Batman and Robin's production...

 

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Tunesday: The Music of the Dark Knight Trilogy

With the release of The Dark Knight Trilogy on Blu-Ray today, I figured now would probably be my last opportunity to highlight what I consider to be one of the best original scores of the last several years.

I've been openly dismissive of Christopher Nolan's Batman series, but it's important to give credit where credit is due and Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's phenomenal work on Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises are top notch. Zimmer and Howard went out of their way to renegotiate what a superhero score can sound like. With 2005's Batman Begins they stripped away the genre-defining "marches" that were popularized by Danny Elfman and John Williams. Instead, the two composers worked together to embody Nolan's slick underworld, sparingly holding onto some of the Gothic elements that Elfman had made synonymous with Batman back in 1989.

The following tracks are remixes that accompanied a rare 2-Disc album for The Dark Knight, a film that many consider to be the best in the series. The fact that the soundtrack could be re-purposed by the likes of Crystal Method, Mel Wesson, and Paul Van Dyk is a testament to how diverse and layered the original pieces were.

Clickity-Click...

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New "The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition" out this fall

Warner Bros. is releasing an all new blu-ray set of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy this September in a six-disc set. It includes all three movies and special features which had previously been released in special-edition blu-ray releases, as well as a sixth disc which contains all new material. New material includes:

* "The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy", and all new documentary about the conception and creation of the trilogy, including never before seen footage and interviews with Guillermo Del Toro, Damon Lindelof, Michael Mann, Richard Roeper and Zack Snyder.

* "Christopher Nolan & Richard Donner: A Conversation", the two directors discuss how they adapted the two most famous superheroes of all time into film. And Nolan discussed how Donner's approach in Superman: The Movie influenced his approach to Batman Begins.

* IMAX sequences from The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Scenes from both of these films will be available in their original IMAX format.

In addition to new on-disc material, the set also includes some great collectibles including all-new artwork, and miniature models of the Batpod, the Tumbler and The Bat.

This set will be available on September 24th of this year. And as a humongous fan of Nolan's trilogy, I will most definitely be signed up for a purchase.

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What’s In A Reboot?

We now live in an age when CGI is so advanced, almost anything a movie studio wants to put on a screen can be created.

If you’re under twenty five, this might not seem like such a big thing, but it is. Watch any sci-fi film or television show from the 1970s or 1980s and you’ll see how far we’ve come. With such technological advances, TV networks and movie studios are mining the archives for stories to revamp, retell and reboot.

Is this a good thing?

The answer to this question depends on how two more are answered:  

1) Are those that are mining the geek scriptures, mythos and archives being respectful to the original core principles?

2) Or are they simply taking the formof a franchise and disregarding the substance at its heart?

The most recent example of a reboot gone wrong…very, very wrong… would be Man of Steel. Many have gone “Oooooh!” and “Ahhhhh!” over the special effects sequences. But when one looks at the core of the Superman mythos, he does not kill. He just doesn’t. That fact defines the son of Krypton.

 

So, feeling really, really bad about killing someone is supposed to make it ok? Mmmmmmm…no.

 

Having unlimited power and being physiologically superior to humans are not the only characteristics that make him “super”. He embodies truth and dignity and respect for life. And even though it may please many currently sitting in theaters, his snapping of a bad guy’s neck was a complete and utter betrayal of all for which the character has ever stood. Also, what many seem to have not noticed about MOS  is that in previous incarnations, Superman would do everything possible to battle the bad guys away from areas where large populations could come to harm. Yet in MOS, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage occurred and tens of thousands of lives had to have been lost and it appeared that the Man of Steel wasn’t even giving it a second thought.

The character of Superman has never been about stooping to the lowest common denominator. He has always been about inspiring others to be as noble as he. And that’s where the creators of MOS screwed up. They went with form, but not function. They tried to make Superman fit into a Rambo mold. It is the geek equivalent of making a ham and cheese sandwich for a Rabbi or asking a member of Occupy Wall Street if they’d like to donate to a Karl Rove CPAC.

Prometheus (2012, Dir. Ridley Scott, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron) is an example of a reboot that’s somewhere in the middle-ground. When I walked out of the theater after seeing it, I was left with the feeling of “Meh. It was beautiful, but that was supposed to fall into the same paradigm of the Alien trilogy?” (note:  And it is only a trilogy. That fourth one? With Winona Ryder? It doesn’t count. I said…IT DOESN’T COUNT.)

Ok, so she’s not Ripley. It’s ok. Let it go. Life is change.

However, being a hi-def visuals geek, I still picked up Prometheus on Bluray. Upon second viewing, I started to see things I hadn’t noticed in the theater. And by the third viewing, I realized how well done it was and what had been a major obstacle for me.

No Sigourney Weaver.

My mind had become so accustomed to having her involved in anything featuring the Xenomorph, that I let it hamper my enjoyment of Prometheus, which I now view as one of the best science fiction films of the past decade. A full review of it is the beyond the scope of this article, so I’ll simply put forth that if you’re ever hard up for something to watch some weekend, give it a second shot. If you keep in mind that it would be impossible to include Ripley in every flick, you’ll discover a whole new realm to appreciate.

And although some die hard Trekkies were down on J.J. Abrams’ reboots, and although many non-Trekkies didn’t dig them either, it’s fair to say that Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) were both amazing on many levels. Twenty years from now, when Man of Steel has fallen into obscurity, Abrams’ efforts will still be studied and enjoyed by film students and sci-fi geeks alike.

Another successful reboot? The Dark Knight Trilogy (Dir. Christopher Nolan). The Batman franchise was almost completely destroyed by Hollywood cheesiness in the 1990s. And then Christopher Nolan figured out two things. First, Batman should never be seen standing up straight. And second, he should almost never be seen in daylight. He understood that Batman was about fear and darkness and drama.

Sorry. We generally avoid graphic and disturbing imagery on Action A Go Go,
but this image had to be shown. Never again. I say, never again!

And possibly one of the best reboots ever made? Before I go into detail, watch this video. Although created for comedic purposes, it holds much truth.

The very essence of the power of the series is best summed up in the lines:

 

Her: So, I lost my job.
Him: One more episode?
Her: Yah!

I have watched the complete series three times and own it in its entirety on Bluray.

When Ronald D. Moore rebooted Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) he created what many consider to be the very definition of science fiction purity. He took the basic themes of the original, expanded upon them, creating new depths of character and storyline. Camerawork and visuals constantly challenging one’s ocular range and capability. Music that was unique and compelling and haunting.  Plot twists that rip one’s heart out and that give one hope.

And although the form was changed, some ways subtle, other ways major, he still stayed true to the essence of the original series. Humans figuring out what it means to be human and trying to find a new home.

So, when the topic of reboots and remakes arises in conversation with friends, my mind as of late has wanted to just block out any and all neural pathways that may be storing knowledge of the existence of Man of Steel, and I plunge into the areas that are holding onto the likes of Prometheus and The Dark Knight and that shining gem…that mother of all reboots….Battlestar Galactica.

So say we all.

Stephen Sumner is the sci-fi columnist for Action A Go Go.

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Dueling Movies: Marvel’s The Avengers vs. The Dark Knight Rises (The Final Word)

In 2012, the rivalry between “Marvel zombies” and DC Comics fanboys left the comic shops and came to a head at cineplexes across the globe. The lines were drawn.

In one corner, you have Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, a far more sober take on the comic book genre than audiences were used to. In the other corner we had Marvel Studios’ string of colorful superhero flicks, all building up to their all-or-nothing final chapter, The Avengers. 

We’ve talked endlessly about our love for Marvel’s The Avengers (even going as far as to label it as our 2012 movie of the year), so forgive us if this go-round is a bit TDKR-heavy. It’s just that we hate repeating ourselves.

The Summary

In theory, the narrative structure of a trilogy should be circular. Intelligently, The Dark Knight Rises does just that, reintroducing the League of Shadows from 2005’s Batman Begins and catching back up with their overly-elaborate plot to reset the imbalance of power in the world.

Then you have Avengers, a superhero slugfest pretending to be a sibling drama at its core. Mainly springboarding off of details from 2011’s Thor, The Avengers reacquaints us with Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's half-brother. Apparently, Loki has met some powerful friends in outer space. Friends with the same world-beating hard-on as him. From there, wackiness actually does kind of ensue.

The People Who Get Paid to Talk

This is where it gets tricky. Cinephiles (AKA movie snobs) will be impressed by and argue in favor of all the accented actors to be found in The Dark Knight Rises. Let’s see…you’ve got Christian Bale (Wales), Gary Oldman (London), Michael Caine (London), and Tom Hardy (London). Unfortunately, the actors in Dark Knight Rises are let down by a wooden script from Christopher Nolan and co-writer Jonathan Nolan.

While movies of this nature tend to have plot-driven dialogue, the best filmmakers find ways to relax all that exposition, giving the actors (and viewers) something digestible to work with. And that’s the issue with TDKR, despite its potential for powerhouse performances, the players are saddled with some of the clunkiest “speechifying” imaginable. All the players except one...Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

Oozing charisma, Hathaway is a Disney alumni and it shows. Early in the film, she plays Kyle as an easily-intimidated cocktail server. Because this is Catwoman, Hathaway sheds her timid demeanor long enough to put Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) on his ass and somersault out the nearest window. The way she executes this switcheroo (one of several) is a testament to Hathaway’s understanding of the character and the many actresses that have played her before. It’s a spirited and notable performance, especially in a film where most of the other actors are inaudible (Hardy and Bale) or stuck in plot device hell (Morgan Freeman, Marion Cottilard, and Michael Caine).

Then there is The Avengers...

Reiterating my point from earlier, some actors are only as good as the material that they are presented. And when I say “material” I’m not really referring to the script as a whole, but how meaty the dialogue is and how much they can play with it. In that regard, screenwriter-director Joss Whedon is the gift that keeps on giving.

As expected, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) delivers every line as if it just fired off the top of his head (which I’m certain some of it did), but it seems like everyone else in the cast is being just as improvisational. But that’s just it. It’s not improv, it’s the patented Joss Whedon-style. A winning mixture of artistic license, unexpected humor, and perfectly implemented character beats.

Basically, the actors are having fun and it shows.

Winner:

Avengers 1/TDKR 1

Tie! Acting is acting, guys. The material dictates the tone. Unfortunately for TDKR, the dialogue hurts the actors but God bless ‘em for trying…

The Story

Let’s be honest here...both Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises are two of the poorest scripts produced by their respective screenwriters. I mean, they are rife with goofy clichés and questionable short cuts (Batman gets his spine smacked back into place and the Chitauri just collapse upon defeat). The only difference is that one director knows how to maneuver those clichés because he works almost exclusively in that genre.

As stated earlier, I have to admit that the third installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman comes full circle. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that it feels like Christopher Nolan took the worst impulses of his otherwise exceptional filmmaking career and highlighted them (more on that later).

While TDKRawkwardly went for a French Revolution film by way of Batman, Whedon went for a straight-up superhero romp, one that used its exposition to set up pay offs and punchlines while TDKR used its plot to repeat heavy-handed idioms.

In addition, while Nolan tried to connect characters and themes in an effort to close out his own trilogy, Joss Whedon put five films by five other directors on his back and made it look easy. Yes, movie making is tough…but that's real tough. His years of experience as a executive producer for several television shows and writer’s rooms paid off.

(NOTE: Both films have a climax involving clean energy and a hero flying an explosive device away from civilians. F@ck you, Hollywood!)

Winner:

Avengers 2/TDKR 1

Special Effects:

This one is a no-brainer. Avengers literally gave us something we hadn't seen before: a superhero vs. aliens showdown in Manhattan (No, I haven't forgotten about Superman II, but the advancements in visual effects has changed drastically since then.)

Yes, shades of the film are reminiscent of 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon (which, by the way, is because the FX crew from Transformers were brought on to assist with the Avengers’ finale), but it's still light years better than what the the opposition has to offer...

Simply by comparison, The Dark Knight Rises’ comes up short in the effects department. To be fair though ---  just at a glance --- the movie doesn't rely on digital effects nearly as much as Avengers. I mean, a lot of the city shots in Avengers were handled via green screen while most of the city shots of Gothamin TDKR were done on-location. That being said, there are shots of  Batman’s aerial assault vehicle, that have what I can only describe as “jaggies” --- little pieces of polygon that trail off the black surface of the "The Bat" as it zips past the camera. It’s an old video game term, but it applies here.

Winner:

Avengers 3/TDKR 1

Action

Earlier, I mentioned that TDKR highlights all of Christopher Nolan’s shortcomings. That means stiff, humorless dialogue and uninspired action.

Firstly, I want to give credit where credit is due (again): Christopher Nolan makes great psy-fi. That is, “genre” films that are primarily driven by psychological drama. If you’ve seen Inception, Momento, or The Prestige then you catch my drift. That being said, Christopher Nolan is NOT an action director. Yes, he gave us that spinning room sequence in Inception, but he also gave us that incredibly generic snowy hilltop shoot out in the same film as well. 

TDKR takes that generic-ness and highlights it. The audience is subjected to horribly bland punch outs between Batman and Bane. In fact, the fights are so bland that Nolan seems to forget to give us the big iconic moment between the two characters: “The breaking of the bat.” It’s a big moment for comic book nerds and for the Batman mythos, but Nolan strips it of its iconography. It happens so quickly --- so matter-of-factly --- that when it’s explained later that Batman’s back is broken, you’re left scratching your head as to when. 

Meanwhile, Joss Whedon (with plenty of help from his experienced effects team) stepped up his game, dashing all concerns about his limited filmography or inexperience with diverse fighting styles and Michael Bay-level action.

Sorry, but the winner is obvious…

Winner:

Avengers 4/TDKR 1

The Verdict:

The fact of the matter is that both directors Christopher Nolan and  Joss Whedon had an unenviable task in front of them. And, while neither director made "The Greatest Superhero Movie of All-Time," (which, according to my blu-ray collection, has been proclaimed almost annually since Spider-Man) only one of these filmmakers effectively wrangled his ambitious project and soared. Joss Whedon.

And that’s what it boils down to. Ambition and the execution of both filmmakers’ aspirations. Both movies shot high, but only one of them was the underdog going in. Only one of them defied expectations and was confident enough to deliver on it's adventure and action. Marvel’s Avengersis that movie.

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ACTION A GO GO's TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2012

Just how hard is it making the list for the TOP TEN ACTION MOVIES of the year? The image below could give you an idea...

http://myloveforyou.typepad.com/my_love_for_you/2009/02/caleb-brown.html

But seriously, it's time to say good-bye to another year, and highlight the best of the best. It's been a wild time at ACTION A GO GO, with many changes and even a few arguments over this very list. Never fear though, we worked through it and here we are! Here are the best action movies of 2012!

Some are obvious, some are out of nowhere, and other are simply best of breed. 

All of them are white knuckle entertainment that get's the blood pumping. 

We hope you enjoy. 

1. AVENGERS

What can we say? In a year of overly-sober blockbusters (Skyfall*cough*Dark Knight Rises*cough*) and incomplete epics (*cough*Prometheus), Marvel's Avengers said "f--- it" and just gave us straight up entertainment.  

Ironically, films like Avengers used to be the standard in Hollywood, but judging by the limp theological lessons of Prometheus, the quivering state of 007 in Skyfall, and the preachiness of Dark Knight Rises, Marvel's superhero gush-a-thon is starting to feel like the exception.

What's so bad about quip-y protagonists, heroes who take on all challenges, and large scale action? Not a damn thing. And, last time we checked, that was the exact same  formula that gave us John McClane, Han Solo,  James Bond, and anything Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Save your half-assed film theories for indie flicks, guys. We'll be fine rewatching our unabashed popcorn movie.

2. THE RAID: REDEMPTION

                      

Every once in a while a movie comes in from overseas and shows us Yanks how it’s done. Last year, that movie was 13 ASSASINS. This year it was THE RAID: REDEMPTION.

The stories simple. The police must infiltrate a tower controlled by a crime lord and filled with criminals hiding from the law. When they are discovered, all hell breaks loose. We’re talking crazy martial arts, crazy shoot outs, and knuckle biting scenes of terror all wrapped up in one amazing package. The cherry on top? Ray Sahetapy as Tama, the crime lord who controls the tower. It’s a performance so cool yet terrifying you can’t take your eye’s off him.

The movie's star Iko Uwais is now the international face of Indonesian action films and director Gareth Evens now has a calling card like no other. Hopefully we will see more of these two because this movie is one for the ages.

3. DJANGO UNCHAINED

                     

We’re still in the thick of Django’s immediate outing, but lets be honest, who didn’t see this coming? A movie directed by Tarantino, a rogues gallery of top notch acting talent, and new take on the western. Yeah, it was destined to be up here somewhere.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson’s  performances as villains are mesmerizing. The scenery is amazing and the action is quality (as always in a Tarantino film). But, what separates it from so many other movies this year is how the film faces the most disturbing parts of American history with open arms and invites you along for the ride. For that, it makes it on the list for best of the best for 2012 and even more importantly one of the best Tarantino movies ever made.

4. DREDD 3D

No movie this year delivered on its promise of 3D like Dredd 3D. 

Riding the comic book movie craze but wisely clearing its own path, Dredd 3D is one of those rare times that style totally wins out over substance. Whatever the film loses with it's supermodel-thin plot (apologies to The Raid: Redemption) it makes up for with its ruthless characters and beefy eye-poping action.

It gets bonus points for being the most hardcore movie of the year and earning its hard R rating. Good form.

5. SKYFALL

Bare bones, tough, and to the point. That’s what has separated the Craig era of Bond from every other, and SKYFALL sticks to that skill set while adding stunning visuals that make this one of the most beautiful movie’s this guy has ever seen. And that’s as a lover film, not just an action junkie.

In the film there is metaphor after metaphor that explores the meaning of Bond, his own strange popularity, and what makes the character who he is. Then, literally, it goes where no Bond film has gone before. It’s a master work of director Sam Mendes. Oh, and let’s not forget how Javier Bardem steals the show as Silva (the main heavy) and how Judi Dench then steals it right back.

It’s (almost) the best Bond film ever and the only reason it sits at number 5 is because this was a very good year.

(BONUS TRACK: Check out loads of fan made posters for the movie HERE: http://geekynerfherder.blogspot.com/2012/10/movie-poster-art-skyfall-2012.html

6. THE GREY

Dismissively calling The Grey "Taken in Alaska" totally undersells what is one of 2012's most taut, intense thrillers. The Grey takes the "man vs. nature" prototype and uses it as a springboard for classic guy flick territory. 
Besides, "Fuck faith...earn it" is one of the hardest one-liners uttered in an action film in years.

7. ACT OF VALOR

                                          

Unlike your average "inspired by events" war flick, Act of Valor uses REAL soldiers from Naval Special Warfare. A fact that is indespensible to the overall enjoyment of the film. 

Because of the exclusion of actors, these Navy Seals do deliver some wooden moments of scripted drama, but those scenes are quickly trumped by sequences of true-blue bad-assery. 

Directors Scott Waugh and Mike McCoy give the film plenty of polish too, managing to hit every action note with sobering visual abruptness. It allows the fictional aspects of it to be exhilarating but the stark reality of it to feel appropriately frightening.

8. EXPENDABLES 2

Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, and Jet Li (for a minute) all in the same movie.

Nuff said.

9. THE HOBBIT:  AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Marked with more critical malarkey thrown at it than any other film this year, THE HOBBIT still stands as  incredibly entertaining . Even more so when you factor in it's truly groundbreaking gimmick, 48 fps (we won’t get into the details here, but it’s good.)

Beyond that, what is there not to love about this film? Epic scenery, thoughtful storytelling, solid action, magic  monsters, ghosts...come on, what other movie has half the stuff THE HOBBIT did in 2012?

Not one. So forget the haters. Again, this is one for the ages, and we at ACTION A GO GO cannot wait for more.

10. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Let me set the record straight: I feel like Christopher Nolan is a great director. That being said, The Dark Knight Rises is his poorest showing to date. It's bloated, it crumbles under it's own self- importance, and the only person who seems to get that this should be fun is actress Anne Hathaway. It takes all the things I like least about Nolan's films and amplifies them. Exposing his love for mopey characters and his inability to choreograph and execute action sequences.

So why is it on this list? Well, like most of the Internet, Action A Go Go is of two minds on TDKR, making me uncomfortable with putting it on the list but forcing me to compromise with Derek. For that reason, it gets the ten spot.

DEREK’S TAKE:

In other news, it’s incredibly well shot, has a great villian in BANE, manages a twist ending, and makes a brave choice and ACTUALLY ENDS THE F---ING STORY  of  a comic book character in a movie. It has weak spot’s, BUT IT STAYS!

HONORABLE MENTION: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Action A Go Go couldn't wait to see Zero Dark Thirty. Kathryn Bigelow's follow up to to The Hurt Locker was destined to be a welcomed balance of real world politics and white-knuckle military action. Sadly however, we’re still waiting.

With a limited release that has prevented the film from coming to our city (ironically enough, the nation's capitol), we couldn't catch ZD30 in time for this list.

Yes, we are aware of this thing called the Internet and that on this Internet-thing there are torrents. But we aren't keen on seeing big movies on the small screen first. It just ain't right. We're purists. 

So here's to you Zero Dark Thirty. We'll catch you in 2013 with all the other jabronies.

AND BEFORE WE FORGET HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Signed with Big Explosions, Guns, Fast Cars, Speed, Scantily Clad Vixens, and Booze.

Sincerely,

Mr. Derek Scarzella and Mr.Troy Allen. 

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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES REVIEW

THE ULTIMATE (LATE AND BLOATED) DARK KNIGHT RISES REVIEW

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS

It’s over. It’s done. It’s finished. It’s complete. The last Batman from the team of Chris Nolan and Christian Bale has been released and audiences around the world of flocked to see it. It beat the THE DARK KNIGHT’S gross (if you believe BOX OFFICE MOJO) and had a much larger budget, but those are just numbers. Where does this movie stack up against all the other BATMAN movies? Is it the best Nolan Batman film? Will it blend!?! All of these answers and more you will find below!

LET’S START OFF WITH THE PEOPLE WHO TALK

Christian Bale returns as the  Dark Knight. Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, Morgan Freeman returns as Mr. Fox and Michael Cane is once again Alfred. Gary Oldman is again superb as Commissioner Gordon and Tom Hardy plays the ruthless, unstoppable Bane. The two most interesting additions to the series are Joseph Gordan-Levitt as Blake, a young idealistic cop out of place in a peaceful Gotham, and Anne Hathaway comes on as Selina Kyle, A.K.A Catwoman, A.K.A hottest villain ever.

Long story short, they all do a good job. Tom Hardy is excellent. In my opinion he is one of the best actors out there getting consistent work and he is a pleasure to watch on screen. Even though he is in a mask, and his voice is (horribly) overdubbed a menacing performance comes across. There is one part where his eyes flare and that H.R Geiger like mask really pays off. But besides the mask he has some of the best lines in the movie. I found myself quoting lines like “Do you feel in control?” and “Your punishment must more severe” in his gravely blow horn voice. His flare, his manners (yes, manners) and unrelenting brutality weave themselves into a convincing and classy villain that is incredibly entertaining.

Catwoman is played well here by Anne Hathaway. I prefer the sex kitten Tim Burton style Catwoman, but Hathaway is excellent as always and brings a tough, modern take to the classic role. She also has plenty of smart tricks that make her an excellent foil to Batman himself, and isn't afraid to snarl a bit in the thick of the action.

However, as it should have been throughout, we finally get to see more emotion from Christian Bale. He pulls off being old and weak, then poor and sullen. When he is broken we see the pain in his face. Also, when he is wearing the mask the Dark Knight has a pretty sharp wit as well. It's refreshing, and it's nice to feel like there's more Batman in our Batman movies.

Marion Coultard is also a incredible addition to the cast and plays a pivotal, intense role and ends up making the movie.

As I can wax lyrical about these players all day, Joseph Gordan Levitt also brings it, Gary Oldman brings some gravitas to Commissioner Gordan (again). One exchange between these two actors is so intense it is practically Shakespearean. But Michael Cain  as Alfred acts as the lynchpin for the whole series and is the emotional center of this movie. It's a heartfelt performance that grounds everything and it's no wonder that this is the fifth Nolan Movie straight that features Cain. He's just amazing.

WHAT'S THE GOOD?

Basically, a lot of stuff. Now the THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) made some waves with its special effects. The Batpod they came up of with was an amazing engineering feet, really, and everything else in the picture was just...seamless. In this movie I can say they did the same, and stepped it up. You can't tell where a special effect begins and ends, and this is exactly how it should be in every movie. When Batman's new toy, the Bat, shows up it's jaw dropping and that vehicle steals the show left and right. Its movements are natural and fluid. BTW, it's totally not functional in real life, unlike the Tumbler or Batpod. It's a shame, because I want one.

The tone throughout is spot on, and everything melds visually. We get to see a new side of Gothamthat is distinct from the previous two films. Also, the themes of this film are a bit more tangible. A bruhaha was made over the Occupy Wall Street movement going on while the movie was made and elements of that being roped in. Class warfare is a huge part of the movie, and is topical in our own lives now, but here it works well because it destabilizes everything and does what it can to put Catwoman and Batman on two very distinct sides of the fence.

The set's the movie takes place on are also epic. It's a different world than BATMAN BEGINS (2005) and THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). In the first we were in the mountains, then slums. We spent time in the mansion where Batman discovers himself. In the second we spent nearly all of our time in the corridors of the city or apartments (albeit big ones) or the sparse modern Batcave. Here, we get to see the bowels of Gotham, which is fitting, because Bane and his budget League of Shadows is out to destroy the very foundations we see.  Conversely, we also fly to the towering heights thanks to the Bat and it's aerial acrobatics. Also, the modern Batcave has some nifty visual tricks that are fitting of a true Batman.

The action was also incredibly well done. Brutal, fluid, and most important of all you get to see it. The chases, the shootouts, everything Bane does is great.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

Unfortunately, a lot. None of it conspires to make the movie bad, it's just not top level. It simply doesn't soar! But let's get to it.

First off, the movie is bloated. These are great actors, and the recipe is has all the right ingredients, but none of it is mixed well. The problems begin once the 2^nd act kicks in and Batman has fallen. It begins one long montage that is meant to pack in Batman’s story in the pit, Bane's rise and defiling Gotham, the Police rebellion, and Catwoman's wandering around a fallen society. And it just doesn't work. The editing just isn't timed right, and the movie jumps when it should linger. Nothing sets in, and because of that the story is forced along instead of allowed to blossom. It's surprising to me because it's all very un-Nolan.

THE GAME HAS CHANGED (OR THE AVENGERS HAS CHANGED THE GAME)

The success of the Nolan Batman films was attributed to their (sometimes) brutal realism and the shunning of “comic book” aspects like flamboyant costumes or monster creatures. This brings me to my next point. The other aspect of the movie that doesn't work is the scale. I'll come out and say...THE AVENGERS (2012) has changed the game. To be honest, pretty much all of the MARVEL movies have moved things forward, but in short THE DARK KNIGHT RISES just doesn't feel all that “epic”, or what is supposed to be epic about it falls flat. A lot of cops running down a street just isn't all that impressive compared to an alien invasion with flying space ship war snakes.

           

If this movie had come out in a vacuum, it might have been the end all be all of super hero movies, but it is not. If it was cut back to something just over the grandeur of THE DARK KNIGHT this might have been an absolute home run, but for Action A Go Go it is not.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...and the SPOILER PART

The ending is good. Convoluted, but good. The Talia Al Goul reveal at the end caught me by surprise (But really didn’t need to be there), as well as throwing the pseudo Robin curve ball. That was pleasant. But what really caught my heart, as a fan boy, was seeing that Batman makes off with Catwoman at the end. Alfred gets to see the boy he put his heart into raising finally move on with his life. There is no did he or didn't he bullsh** like in INCEPTION (2010). It just ends. I hope that other series <caughANYTHINGMARVELcaugh> aren't afraid to do the same, or at least do something like it before the next reboot. What this movie did was surprisingly unique and possibly the most surprising part of the movie.

AND THAT'S IT...

So go see it. It's a great movie. And see it in IMAX. It was shot in that format, and that format is probably the only way you should any Nolan movie.

It's not the greatest Batman movie ever made. But it is great, and it is an achievement, and it is a great end to an awesome trilogy. It helped bring back superhero movies for us all. Nolan and Bale and all the other participants should be celebrated for their contributions to cinema and the Batman legacy and for giving us all what we want, quality movies with Comic Book heroes beating the crap out of bad guys. 

P.S 

Where does this movie fit in our all time greatest BATMAN movie list? That will be edited soon. Where do you think it should fit? Feel free to comment below...we feel like arguing... 

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