Certainly, “The Dark Knight Rises” can’t quite live up to Christopher Nolan’s masterpieces “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” in terms of story. This may be largely because the director had to continue and end more story segments with this film than he could excitingly build new ones. Nevertheless, the last part of his trilogy not only provides a completely satisfying finale, but also stands alone today as a very good film between suspense and character study. In addition to the breathtaking action scenes, this is largely ensured by the unique atmosphere created by the presence of probably the most threatening villain in the entire saga.
“The Dark Knight Rises” will be shown today, January 19, 2024 at 8:15 PM on ProSieben. There will be a repeat on January 20 at 11:15 PM. Alternatively, you can stream the FSK 12 title regardless of the date with a flat-rate subscription from Netflix. Of course, (4K/UltraHD) Blu-ray, DVD or paid video-on-demand are also available:
Christian Bale (“The Big Short”) once again plays the titular hero Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. The remaining leading roles are played by Anne Hathaway (“Interstellar”), Gary Oldman (“The Fifth Element”), Tom Hardy (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Morgan Freeman (“Seven”), Marion Cotillard (“Inception” ), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Looper”) and Nolan’s constant collaborator Michael Caine (“Prestige”).
“The Dark Knight Rises” on ProSieben: that’s the story
It’s been eight years since Batman (Bale) took the blame for the death of prosecutor Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and retreated into his private life as billionaire Bruce Wayne. Thanks to a smart move by him and Police Chief Gordon (Oldman), crime in Gotham City has not exploded again, even without the city’s protector.
Another consequence of this white lie, however, is that Wayne no longer leaves his gigantic estate and, apart from his faithful butler Alfred (Caine), no longer has any human contact. That only changes when the mysterious burglar Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (Hathaway) not only steals his deceased mother’s pearl necklace, but also his fingerprints.
The thief is on the road on behalf of the brutal terrorist mercenary Bane (Hardy), who lives in the sewers with an army of loyal henchmen. There he is just waiting to present his diabolical, destructive plan to the world. When the time comes, Batman decides to return from his self-imposed exile and face the new threat…
End point at the right time
“The Dark Knight Rises” brings the trilogy to a harmonious conclusion. One point that clearly sets the film apart from its predecessors is the fact that this is the first time Batman faces an opponent who is far superior to him physically. An almost frighteningly muscular Tom Hardy plays Bane extremely physically, very direct and raw.
Hardy’s approach to the role adds greatly to the character’s unpredictable aura, making her immediately seem dangerous. The audience should actually fear that the villain will tear our brooding hero to shreds with his bare hands if he ever gets a good handle on him. This kind of completely down-to-earth menace never existed for him before, and Nolan plays with this story element very effectively.
Due to the enormous success, there was soon a call for more parts. But Christopher Nolan was determined to end the superhero saga with “The Dark Knight Rises.” And not just so that we can finally take on other projects. Too many film series have already been destroyed by oversaturation. Both in terms of their substantive integrity and especially in terms of the way the audience perceived them at a given moment – namely no longer as something extraordinary, but as normal, almost everyday.
After a great, stylish build-up with Batman Begins, which used the fairly simple comic book storyline to create a fascinating world with unforgettable characters, culminating in The Dark Knight, it was absolutely right to end it, I give to. “The Dark Knight Rises” delivers this in the form of a real blast in terms of tension and spectacular action. Just watch the opening scene of ‘James Bond to the power of three’ and you will definitely be kept informed.
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