(NOTE: THIS POST CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN ‘THE DARK KNIGHT RISES’.) I finally got around to seeing The Dark Knight Rises this week, and all the buzz that Christopher Nolan had not raised the bar above the previous chapter were indeed true. The third and final chapter of Nolan’s Batman trilogy was still, however, above and beyond most of the studio fare that has filled the cineplex this summer. First off, I am not a huge Anne Hathaway fan, so her portrayal of Catwoman was tough to take, but in general, the film seemed to have been created with an entirely new DNA — completely foreign to the profound energy of the first two instalments. Even Gary Oldman’s character was sadly mishandled.
Nonetheless, it was still a fun ride. The most enjoyable piece of the puzzle was certainly the ending, which unfolded a rapid “crossing of the T’s and dotting of the I’s” so to speak. The one character with the most fascinating resolution was Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s portrayal of John Blake. Something happens to him in the final few minutes which caught me completely off guard, and even though it only lasted a few short seconds, it opened the door to a huge opportunity for Warner Brothers to carry on the franchise.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gordon-Levitt was asked what his thoughts were with regards to taking over such a giant tentpole. His response was that he had “no idea” if the studio was planning any such thing. “I always choose scripts the same way,” he told THR. “If it’s a great script and a great filmmaker, then I’m interested.” During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Gordon-Levitt said, “I don’t think the ending of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is necessarily a set-up. I think it is the great ending for that trilogy. Even if you go back to ‘Batman Begins’, he’s talking about how Batman is more than a man, it’s a symbol, and a hero can be anybody and we all have heroes inside of us.”
