Movie Review: "The Dark Knight Rises"

The Dark Knight Rises
Directed by: Chris Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, 
Morgan Freeman,Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard

Rated: PG-13 forintense sequences of violence and action, 
some sensuality, and language

Seven years after his first reboot of the Batman franchise, Chris Nolan brings the popular series to close with his third installment, The Dark Knight Rises.  While most (including myself) thought it would be difficult to top the scale and power of the second film, The Dark Knight, the brilliant director avoids trying to make just a bigger and better version of The Dark Knight altogether, and makes Rises possibly the most unique super hero film to date, so much so that you almost forget it’s even about a comic-book hero.  It’s set in realism, it’s complex, it’s a epic in scale, and it’s a lot of fun.  Not that everything is perfect; there are way too many characters, a lot less depth, and it’s missing the sharp script-work of the first two installments.  It’s also a little more far-fetched than Dark Knight, though still more grounded than Batman Begins.  The acting is also perhaps a little stale at times, considering Tom Hardy’s Bane is limited to almost Darth Vader-like performances, Marion Cotillard lacked a real connection with her character, and Anne Hathaway’s Selena Kyle lacked a lot of mystery, though that was more fault of the script than her performance.

But the great certainly outweighs the bad; Michael Caine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt shine as the emotional centerpieces of the film, connecting the audience emotionally to the events on screen.  Editor Lee Smith and composer Hans Zimmer are perfect in pacing the film’s plot and emotional ride.  Like most of Nolan’s films, Rises doesn’t rely on many CG elements, making the police versus mercenary battle at the end all the more mesmerizing.  The Batman and Bane fights are also terrific, and the ending sequence is perhaps the best closing I’ve seen to any trilogy, wrapping the storylines, characters, themes, and movies all together perfectly.  You can’t help get chills when Selena tells Batman that he has given everything to Gotham, and doesn’t owe them any more.  “Not everything,” the beaten Dark Knight replies, “not yet.”  The self-sacrifice of Bruce Wayne has an impact more powerful than the work he did inside the batsuit; he leaves a legacy that inspires people to do good beyond any logic or reward it may bring.  For that reason, I’m sad to see Nolan’s Dark Knight go.

Movie Review: "The Woman in Black"

The Woman in Black
Directed by: James Watkins

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images

In the midst of our current age of unaesthetic docu-style horror films or blood-drenched slasher flicks, it's always good to watch a simple, creepy ghost story that takes on the horror genre's more artistic traits without falling into R-rated material.  The most recent movie to do this is James Watkins' haunted house flick The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe in his first role since the Harry Potter franchise wrapped.  In the film, he stars as Arthur Kipps, a young widower in the Victorian era, who is assigned to go over the final assets of a wealthy woman who recently died in a nearby village.  Upon his arrival, he is met with hostility by the townsfolk, who believe that his involvement in the old woman's house will awaken a curse that has plagued the town over the past twenty or so years.  And, wouldn't you know it, they're on to something.  The movie's strength is the art direction; it's truly remarkable and almost a character in the story, itself.  Every room of the house is filled with imagery that is as beautiful as it is terrifying, which is only enhanced by the crisp, digital cinematography that is saturated with color yet muted in it's brightness.  As Radcliffe walks the halls, candles in hand, your mind begins racing with anticipation, sure that any mirror will suddenly show you something, any door may suddenly open, or any doll may come to life; it's quite fun experience.  And, while the film doesn't have much of a plot or really any interesting characters, it still manages to scare and startle you as much as just generally creep you out.  Unlike the uncreative or disgusting films of it's genre, The Woman in Black is a fun and creepy horror film that will show you very little and let your imagination do the rest.

Movie Review: "Safe House"

Safe House
Directed by: Daniel Espinosa

Starring: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, 

Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard
Rated: R for strong violence throughout and some language

With heart-pumping action and some psychological twists, Daniel Espinosa's thriller Safe House is a fun ride that's only drawback is not living up to it's own potential.  The movie follows Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a CIA operative who is stuck at a dead-end position working in a safe house in the middle of Cape Town, South Africia.  That is, until the day that a dangerous rouge CIA operative named Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) turns himself in, and is transported to Weston's safe house, which is, of course, attacked shortly thereafter, forcing Weston to take Frost and go on the run from the assassins chasing them.  As if hiding from these criminals wasn't enough, Weston also has to try to keep Frost from escaping or, even worse, turning on the CIA for fear that one of them is in on the attack.  As mind-bending as this may seem, the film never gets to the depth of the latter two Bourne films, and seemingly never fleshes out the potential between Frost and Weston.  From the very beginning, the movie spends too much time with Frost, makes him too likeable, not mysterious enough, and doesn't play the depth of mind games that he could with Weston. Besides that (and the fact that the true villain is obvious throughout the film), Safe House is a action-packed thrill ride that packs some hard punches and some interesting questions that forces us to deal with black-and-white morality in the middle of life-and-death situations.