Well I'm going to skip the normal introductions with this film considering most of you have probably already seen or plan to see it in the near future. This movie was talked about and anticipated for a very long time before it was finally released into the theaters. They hype was that it was the best Batman yet, and one of the best films of the year. I think I would have to agree with these assessments. This film is by far one of the best I've seen in a while, but not necessarily for all the reasons you'd normally expect. Sure the acting was good, the music was awesome as usual, but one of the things that really made the film for me, was the picture and cinematography.
If you haven't watched this movie on a good TV, using a blu-ray player, I hate to seem privileged or snooty, but you're missing out my friend. The picture during some of the helicopter shots over the city is absolutely breathtaking. The picture through the entire movie is absolutely stunning, and some of the camera angles and movements are pure genius. The audience is never bored, even during the transitions of scenes, and it's all to do with the spectacular cinematography.
The acting overall is quite good, as it has been in the previous Batman movies. Honestly after seeing The Dark Knight, I would have said no one would ever be able to top Heath Ledger's performance. However, I'd have to say that Tom Hardy's performance of Bane comes incredibly close. The funniest part of his character, is that if you watch the special features of the movie, you find out that the reason for the higher, more resonant tone in his voice is that a lower and more "intimidating" voice wouldn't carry through the mask he wore on set. That being said, his ability to take that direction and run with it is awe-inspiring. The character of Bane has a delightfully spine-tingling fear about him. His calm, and collected attitude does more to inspire this fear than I think any amount of deep or low voice would have. The character ticks that he has developed (such as standing with his hands on either side of his vest) are pure genius as well, and add a depth to the character that truly makes the audience believe in him and his abilities. Another great acting moment that I appreciated was Anne Hathaway's switch from innocent maid, to master jewel thief in the blink of an eye. Pay attention to that next time you watch the film. Finally, one can't forget Michael Caine's heart-warming and tear-wrenching performance as he struggles to help Bruce Wayne and then grieves his passing.
The other thing I think I should mention before I wrap this little critique up, is that so much was done to bring realism to the audience that they might not know about. Director Christopher Nolan spent a great deal of time, effort, and funds, on making sure that all the sets, shots, and stunts were as impressive as they could be. You'd be surprised how much of what's done in the movie was shot in reality. A great example is the first scene where Bane's men take over the government plane by jumping from their own plane and breaching the doors. A majority of that scene was shot using actual air jumps while flying over Scotland. Those are real people doing the stunts and a camera capturing them from another plane in mid-air. Obviously the breaking of the wings was created in the studio and plugged into the real footage, but it's incredibly impressive that ANY of that was shot in real life. Kudos to you, Mr. Nolan.
So in case you can't tell from my raving so far, I think this is definitely a movie you should see if you haven't, and you should watch again if you already have. It's beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, and something that's sure to be entertaining for everyone.
My rating: It's a must see for everyone.
Now it was suggested to me by a reader, that I try to get you all involved a little more at the end of these critiques, so starting this time I'm going to ask a few questions at the end and let you all comment on the post to answer them. Maybe I'll even chime in with my opinion occasionally as well, but mostly I'd just like to hear your opinions!
1. Who do you think had the best acting performance in the film, and why?
2. If you could recast one part, who would it be, who would you cast, and why?
3. What do you think is most impressive about the film, and why?
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