The Dark Knight Rises - 3 smiles

Although Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” is complex and the characters multidimensional, it’s not as good as 2008’s The Dark Knight. The plot is occasionally murky, the arch villain lacks charismatic menace and the last hour is belabored. Eight years have elapsed since Gotham has seen the caped crusader. His alter ego, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), has become a recluse, wallowing in guilt and sorrow. He paid a high price for doing what he believed was in the best interest of his beloved city, but this assumes you saw the second Batman installment although Nolan does give you brief flashbacks.  Nonetheless, Wayne is drawn out of his self-imposed exile by hulking terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy), who is determined to liberate Gotham’s citizenry from the shackles of government. While this adds substance to the narrative, it also means a bunch of new characters. And this final chapter lacks the maniacal villainy of the late Heath Ledger’s Joker.

Bane is hampered by an elaborate black mask that covers most of his face with a mouthpiece that makes him look like Hannibal Lecter. This makes it almost impossible to understand much of what Bane says and it prevents Hardy from using his face to enhance his evil character. Thus, Hardy has to rely on his physical presence, becoming all brute force and making him more of a one-dimensional character. Bale continues to be superb as the tortured hero and his story has a poignant conclusion. The most moving scenes involve Wayne and his loyal butler, Alfred (Michael Caine). There’s welcome chemistry between Bale and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Hathaway offers a fresh take on her character, less feline and more acrobatic and assertive. Less impressive is Marion Cotillard as the rather bland and underdeveloped environmental conservationist, Miranda Tate, which is a huge problem because she plays a key role in the film’s climax.  And the romance that develops between her and Wayne is utterly unbelievable. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is effective as dedicated police detective John Blake, a role that could figure into a potential spinoff. Wally Pfister’s cinematography is artfully gorgeous and Nolan skillfully juxtaposes sound and silence to heighten tension. However, Hans Simmer’s musical score sometimes interferes rather than enhances. Overall, “The Dark Knight Rises” is a satisfying conclusion to the Batman trilogy. 7/22/12