The Dark Knight Rises - A Dark Masterpiece

2012/165 min

In 2003 an Anglo-American film director and screenwriter named Christopher Nolan, who had already made two successful films, Memento -2000 and Insomnia -2002, together with his brother Jonathan and the screenwriter of  Blade -1998, David  S. Goyer , approached  the Warner Brothers Studios, pitching  their  idea for ​​a revival of the series of films starring the Batman. The executives of Warner Brothers, who initially did not want to hear about yet another movie starring the masked avenger, especially after the commercial and artistic failure of  Joel Schumacher's "Batman & Robin" -1997, finally succumbed to the undisputed charm of the young filmmakers.  

In June 2005  "Batman Begins" was released in theaters, followed by "The Dark Knight" (July 2008), with two films not only breaking  box office records with global revenues of 372 million dollars for the first and over 1 billion dollars for the second, but also achieving artistic recognition, gathering nominations and awards, while the unjust death of Heath Ledger in the role of the Joker and his posthumous Oscar award, will haunt the role and the film.

4 years after the most successful, at all levels,"Dark Knight" which ironically is the first film of  the series without the brand name "Batman" in its title,... Batman returned for the third and last time, in the Nolan way, with the director drawing inspiration from the comic books: "Knightfall" -1993, in which the character of  Bane is introduced, "The Dark Knight Returns"-1986, in which Batman returns to Gotham City after a 10 year absence  and  "No Man's Land" -1999, in which Gotham has been swamped by gangs.

The story in a nutshell: It has been 8 years after the events of the previous film, in which Batman had saved Gotham city from the Joker and  Two Face / Harvey Dent,  taking the blame for the latter's crimes.
Chased by the police, he has chosen to live in exile and to leave the safety of the city in the capable hands of the highly qualified Commissioner Gordon.
Finally peace  prevails and it seems like Bruce Wayne will not have to wear his Batman cape again.
Then, out of nowhere, a new deadly enemy appears. His name is Bane and he threatens to destroy the city.
The authorities prove to be too weak to cope with the new villain.

The Dark Knight will be forced  to return and use his powers for one last time.

The entire cast of the past films is here: Christian Bale wears for the last time ( ? ) the suit of the best Batman so far, veterans Morgan Freeman, in the role of  Lucius Fox and Michael Caine as the devoted butler / adoptive father- Alfred,  add  prestige, Gary Oldman in the role of  Commissioner Jim Gordon, Liam Neeson as evil  Ra's Al Ghul, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the role of police officer -and not only, John Blake.

Like in The Dark Knight and for one more time, those who steal the show here, are the villains: Bane and  the Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

Eartha Kitt-Michelle Pfeiffer-AnnHathaway as Catwoman

In the role of the not so evil pussy cat, we find Anne Hathaway. When I first heard of  the young actress  being cast for this role I was disappointed. 

Having in mind Michelle Pfeiffer's performance in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" -1992  and the amazing Eartha Kitt, in the distant past of  the super hero's TV series, I couldn’t see how the elegant and classy, Hathaway could play a role dominated by more bestial instincts and..well...sex.

Needless to say, Nolan knew better.  

Hathaway's Catwoman is a perfect match for Bale's Batman. There is real chemistry there and Hathaway's less of a sexy kitty and more of an Aristocat.. 

So let's talk about Bane.

In the role of the ultimate rival to the Dark Knight, we find   the talented British actor Tom Hardy. 
Hardy nearly stole the show in "Inception", Nolan's previous film, while in the last years we saw him again alongside Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and next to Nick Nolte in "Warrior".
Where you should definitely see him is in "Bronson", a film directed in 2008 by  "Drive" director Nicolas Winding Refn.  I  bet that  it was Hardy's transformation  into  Bronson,  that  made ​​ Nolan notice him and  choose him for the role of Bane

Nolan,  in an interview with the  L.A. Times said this about Bane: “With a good villain you need an archetype, you know, you need the extreme of some type of villainy. The Joker is obviously a particular archetype of diabolical, chaotic anarchy and has a devilish sense of humor. Bane, to me, is something we haven’t dealt with in the films. We wanted to do something very different in this film. He’s a primarily physical villain, he’s a classic movie monster in a way — but with a terrific brain. I think he’s a fascinating character.  I think people are going to get a kick out of what we’ve done with him”.

We certainly got a kick out of Bane, although his motives seem vague for more than half way through the film. Still, little by little he starts to make sense. His story is being unveiled as plot and action escalate, leaving us breathless.

The Dark Knight Rises is a multi-layered complex thriller that could never compare to a typical super hero blockbuster.  

What happens in Gotham City reflects the worst fears of post 9/11  NYC  inhabitants, more than ever.

The scenes at the Stock Exchange Market and the Stadium, the emblematic demolishment of two of the cradles of contemporary America, combined to the villains’ history and their real purpose of mass obliteration surpass the motives of  The Dark Knight’s anarchist Joker.

Nolan's  technique, his artistic and sophisticated narration with all action scenes being filmed with IMAX cameras: (in his own words) "the most immersive film format that's ever been created", "the frame is enormous, the cameras are enormous, but when you project it on one of those eight-story-high screens, it is the sharpest image imaginable"

The Dark Knight Rises, certainly is one of the best films  of 2012 and with films like "The Dark Knight" and Zach Snyder's 2009 "Watchmen" break new ground for the super hero genre and point the way to the future for the comic book to film adaptations.

You can find the greek version of my review HERE

'The Last of Us' had me at Loading Mode

Go Ape! - Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011/145 min                                                         

It is unthinkable to write about this latest -so far-  Planet of the Apes installment, without  travelling back in time, in the year 1968, and  mentioning the one that started it all, starring the action hero of his time -call me Ben Hur,  call me Moses-  Charlton Heston .

The first Planet of the Apes  movie, was based on the French sci-fi novel with the name: "La Planete des Singes"  -1963  written by Pierre Boulle.

Veteran filmmaker  Franklin J. Schaffner, later director of  unique movies  like  "Patton" -1970 , "Papillion"  -1973  and "The Boys from Brazil"  -1978,  with the use of  minimum visuals but revolutionary -Oscar awarded- makeup techniques, tells the story of astronaut George Taylor, whose spacecraft crushes  on a planet inhabited by an advanced breed of apes  and where people are inferior and used as slaves .

In spite of the heavy makeup,   the best roles in this movie, are played by the ... apes :  Roddy McDowall's  Cornelius, Kim Hunter's  Zira and Maurice  Evans'   Dr. Zaius,  steal the show.

Sophisticated cultured monkeys against  primitive barbaric people.

The film,  the screenplay of which, was co-written by Rod Serling, creator of the unforgettable Twilight Zone series, can be very pleasantly watched even today, while the unsuspecting prospective viewers should know that this movie, has not only one of the best endings of all time but also one of the best lines:"Take your  stinkin ' paws off me you damn dirty ape"!!

Not forgetting   THE  kiss!

You can find the original  movie  on  Blu-ray  and  DVD

And here is the original trailer

After the first planet,  followed a series of films with titles like (breathing in):  Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1969),   Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971),  Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1974)  plus two television series  (breathing out) until the year 2001, when Tim Burton helms a remake of the first film, starring Mark Wahlberg  and an exceptional assembly of actors  in the roles of the apes:  Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth and Paul Giamatti.

The great expectations of the fans of the series were not met, despite the more sophisticated and expensive visual effects and Burton's   artistic filming.

The changed finale of this film, although interesting, cannot be compared to the original, which remains far better and more subversive.

Thus we come to year   2011 and   the Rise . 

Here,   British  director  Rupert Wyatt,  takes us  to the past of the Planet of the Apes, when the planet was  still  of the Humans  and explains what happened and how we came to fall off our place at the top of the food chain.

The story in a nutshell:  
Talented young scientist Will Rodman (James Franco), in his research to find a cure for Alzheimer disease,  discovers  ALZ 112,  a revolutionary formula  that can not only repair the cerebral  damages of  the  patients  -his beloved father being one of them-  but also greatly improve the cognitive skills of  all men.

He starts administering the experimental medicine to chimpanzees and the results are dramatic.

During the presentation of his research to his employers, the board of a multinational pharmaceutical company, everything goes wrong.

The laboratory is shut down and all the animals are killed .

In a cage, Will discovers a newborn baby chimpanzee and secretly carries it out of the laboratory to his home, where he brings it up like a child .

Over the years the chimp,   named  Caesar shows incredible intelligence and ability to communicate , which was inherited to him by his mother, to whom  ALZ  112  was administered , while  she was pregnant.

Growing   up,   Caesar tries to understand  his place in the world and when he realizes it , he rebels and then it is too late for all of mankind.

  
Reasons to see this movie:  Again, like all previous films, the ... apes  steal the show.

Here we have a chimpanzee named   Caesar.

So the one who really steals the show is   Andy Serkis.

The glorious King Kong, the miserable Gollum of  the Lord of the Rings trilogy and  Tin Tin's  Captain Haddock,  are all  played  with the facial expressions, the voice,  the moves,  the intelligence  of the same actor, who  -with the help of  the motion capture technique,  gives life to a... lifeless  image made on a computer.

When we see Caesar on screen, we don't see an actor who plays a chimpanzee.

We see a chimpanzee  who  plays a role.

  
WETA's technology serves the artistic effect of the film   -just like it did with Avatar-   and pushes it up on another level .

The storytelling is also a big plus   regarding character development . Right from the start we sympathize with the young scientist who agonizes not only for the good result of his research, but also for the health of his father (John Lithgow) and the future of his "adopted son".

We are moved by Caesar's efforts to integrate into the society of man and his anticipated failure.

It is ironic but true: We're on his side when one by one  he  overcomes  all obstacles on his way to freedom, even when this will ultimately lead to the final extinction of  the  human species.

For the older fans of the series the Rise holds many surprises. Names, symbols, television news programs,  connects it to the first -the mother of all films- and pays it tribute at every opportunity.  

The   much expected action sequences, the audience requires from the typical blockbuster, may be delayed but compensate,  are enough and lead to the aim of the film industry:
The sequel.

When the majestic Caesar escapes,   crossing and destroying the pride of San Francisco,  the Golden Gate Bridge, we know that this is only the beginning.
 
First  San Francisco,   then the world.

Ave   Caesar !  Those who are   about to die salute you.

You can find  Rise of the Planet of the Apes on  Blu-ray και DVD. 

You can find the greek version of my review HERE

The first official trailer for the third chapter of the franchise, entitled 'War for the Planet of the Apes' came out a few days ago and it looks promising. 

Vikings (My -not so- guilty pleasure)