Before you read this article, read my review first. I make references to CONS in that review, and it'll better explain my thoughts on the movie as a whole:
http://newandclassicreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-dark-knight-rises-nr-29.html
So my biggest problem with the film is how it ends. Now, don't get me wrong, I love just about everything about the ending, the reveal of Robin may be one of the best fanboy moments of the film, but I can't get over the fact that Bruce Wayne lives. While I do think the scene with Alfred going to the restaurant and seeing him is a nice scene and is something Bruce would do, it just doesn't make sense. I mean, how can someone survive a nuclear explosion when they are RIGHT ON TOP OF IT?! It sucks because for the whole last 5 minutes I was saying yes to every reveal, I was pumped and ready to leave the theater knowing Nolan stuck to his guns, but the fact that Bruce seemingly survived ruined a lot of the film for me.
Now after seeing the movie a second, that doesn't bother me as much as it did before. The reason why is because I've heard some theories that can be proven from the film. One of the theroies that seems very Inception-y, is that when Alfred see's Bruce and Catwoman at the restaurant, it's still his fantasy, that whole scene was just an imagination. I think that could work, but I not too sure that Nolan would want that kind of mind twist in this film. Another theory is that Batman did something while in the black smoke. Before Batman flies over the bridge, he shoots the building to go through it, and people think that Batman escaped or jumped out or did something while in the black smoke. At first i thought this theory was some ol' BS, seeing as how there are two or three shots of Batman flying the Bat after going through the smoke and the auto pilot apparently doesn't work. Then I realized, this is a Nolan movie, which means those shots of Batman could've been before he shot the building, which I think probably isn't true, but it's still a viable answer. Also, there is a scene during the last 5 minutes where Fox finds out the auto-pilot was fixed 6 months ago, and it was fixed by Bruce Wayne.
While all of this means there is a big chance that Bruce could've survived that, I still wish they had kept him dead. The whole idea was that this was Batman and Bruce Wayne's final day. Batman would live on as a symbol but die as a human being. I felt that was the best way to go, the best way Batman could've gone. But someone at Warner Bros. or Nolan himself didn't have the guts to just let him die.
Another problem is the fact that this movie commits one of the filmmaking sins, it tells and rarely shows. We are told it's been 3 months since Bane took over, but it never really feels like it, since the film has to move so quickly. The problem is that the movie has a huge, epic story to tell that has a lot of complex character arcs, but it only has 3 hours to tell it. I, along with many other people, wish the film was in two parts. Now I know everyone these days are putting there final film in two parts, but this would actually work. The first film would show Wayne and Gotham falling, show more of Batman's relationship with Catwoman, it would be a huge focus on Bruce Wayne. the film would end with Bane breaking Batman's back and him pushing the detonator that blows up Gotham, but cut off right as he presses the button, to a black screen with the only sound being explosives going off and people's cries as the credits roll. That would be one of the most talked about cliff-hangers in history, and while part 1 would not of a lot of action scenes, it would get the exposition out of the way.
Next winter or spring comes Part 2, which starts with Bane's speech to Batman in the pit, and then cut to the city's destruction. The first hour would show Bruce training in the pit, while also showing the city slowly decay as the months pass by. The last hour or so would be the war, the final battle. You honestly wouldn't need to cut or change anything for the last hour, just add a few more scenes. Because we've had part 1 explain to us the characters and seen them at their lowest point, we go into part 2 ready to see them rise up from the downer ending of part 1.
But, this is just a what if, and we can't change anything now. I know this may seem like I hate the movie, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I really enjoy this movie, while I don't think it's the best way the end this trilogy, I think this one of the better ways to end it. We also have to admire the fact that Nolan even made it this far, and made three movies that never suck. We applaud you Christopher Nolan.
Most of the info, theory's, and idea for the two parts idea were inspired or taken from this podcast on my favorite website Spill.com, which all of you should be listening to:
http://my.spill.com/profiles/blogs/the-dark-knight-rises-spoiler-discussion
Miss the last Summer review? Check it:
http://newandclassicreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/summer-of-movies-91-imitation-of-life.html
Miss the last You May Not Know? Well Now You Know! HA HA! I'll be here all week: http://newandclassicreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magicwait.html
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