Movie review: Cinematography, acting exceptional in 'Dark Knight Rises'

When we last saw Batman in “The Dark Knight,” he was preoccupied taking the blame for all the crime around the city and the murder of Harvey Dent. With Gotham City against him, we saw the Dark Knight fall.

However, in director Christopher Nolan’s final Batman movie, the Dark Knight will rise, and rise he did.

After seeing the midnight premiere of “Rises,” I am simply in awe. From the gripping story line to the beautiful scenes, Nolan has yet again made a masterpiece.

Taking place eight years after the night Batman took the blame for the crimes committed by the late district attorney Harvey “Two Face” Dent, Gotham City is still functioning with a nearly crime-free existence, though the true events of that infamous night still haunt police Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman).

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne, who has since retired being Batman, has turned into a recluse living outside the public eye, which has made his billion-dollar company Wayne Enterprises decline over the years.

However, after being robbed from a beautiful masked burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), Wayne suddenly finds himself back into action.

As the plot unfolds, catastrophic events begin to occur, which are all part of a devastating plan developed by an evil mercenary named Bane (Tom Hardy), who wants nothing more than to bring chaos and devastation to Gotham City. It then becomes Batman’s job once again to save the people of Gotham and rise one last time to protect people from Bane's wrath.

One aspect of this film I enjoyed was the beautiful cinematography Nolan brought to the table. From the get-go, scenes depict a dark underworld of crime and injustice, which helps paint the overall hopeless situation that befalls the city. One fight scene between Bane and Batman honestly looks like it came straight out of a graphic novel, complete with the desperation and fatigue shown by both as they fight each other off.

Another thing I liked about the film was the top-notch acting from the entire cast. Batman still acts like Batman, of course, but Hathaway made a much more believable (and “meow”-free) rendition of Catwoman, which was nice given that I absolutely hated the film “Catwoman” (2004). Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also brought their A-games playing well-developed humanized characters.

However, given how much I loved this movie, the one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the fact that Bane was just nowhere near as menacing as The Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Yes, he was menacing and delightfully violent (as every Batman villain must be), but I felt as if he just couldn’t make me fear him the same way I feared The Joker.

Other than that, I couldn’t be happier with the film itself, which had me on the edge of my seat the entire time (which was a pleasing two hours, 45 minutes).

All in all, "Rises” was a fantastic movie. Not only was it a more-than-spectacular conclusion to the Batman franchise, it also was a probable starting point for some new beginnings (don’t worry, I won't spoil it).

Whether you are a Batman fan, this movie is worth seeing multiple times, providing you're someone who loves great movies.

Max Meier is a broadcast and electronic media sophomore.

Max Meier

Max is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Life & Arts Reporter and Sports Reporter.