"Batman, The Dark Knight Rises" has finally been released in Chinese mainland cinemas. Apart from the actors in the previous films, including Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, viewers can also see Tom Hardy as the series' most menacing villain Bane, and Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman. The final installment of the series has grossed over one billion U.S. dollars worldwide.

"The Dark Knight" rises for Chinese viewers the same day as the "Amazing Spiderman" this week. Regrettably, few cinemas in the country can deliver even in digital format the grandeur of its unprecedented 70-minute IMAX marvel, let alone the fullness of the films. But Chinese moviegoers are no less enthusiastic about the Warner Brothers production, many of them queuing up for the premier early on Monday.

Because what Christopher Nolan creates in his batman trilogy is not just a simple, muscular superhero, but also the image of a man who rises to greatness from his personal inferno. The masked figure that walks in the shadows of a corrupt city used to carry no less darkness upon him than the city he now strives to protect. In his endeavors, he faces no ordinary foes, but villains with equally strong beliefs and logic underpinning their atrocities. This philosophical dimension transforms their rivalry into a clash of ideals, making the picture more pleasant for the mind than superhero hoaxes that feature a baser level of wrestling of pure strength.

Some Chinese critics have blasted this final installment of the Nolan trilogy, saying it is a setback from the second episode featuring late actor and Academy Award winner Heath Ledger. They believe the previous piece was the peak of Nolan's ingenuity, with plenty of in-depth explorations into the villain's destructive incentives and insights into the human desire for order and/or chaos.

But I prefer looking at the movies as a series of films, each one of which serves a specific purpose. "The Batman Begins" maps the hero's awakening as he conquers his own fears and sets out to save a corrupt city – corrupt in the sense of morals, of course, but also in the sense of a failed system. In the second installment "The Dark Knight," we see Batman outgrowing his gang-cracking routine and seeking to enlist the people in his campaign against crime and chaos. That he achieved, albeit through secrets and lies. Still, one problem needs to be fixed. Despite eight years of peace, the police are at the end of their tethers when a new thug appears. Gotham is still not ready to enforce law and order without Batman. So in the third and final installment, it is time to reveal the limits of Batman and fix the city's system failure.

Some critics sat "The Dark Knight Rises" has been reduced to a mere showcase of muscular strength. But the truth is Nolan wants Batman defeated in every sense. He is both outsmarted to bankruptcy and beaten up and left with a broken spine. His enemies are so formidable that he cannot possibly stand against them single-handedly. At this point, the police are a symbol of the weak system that awakens and stands up in time of crisis. The system is fixed, but apparently not adequately enough, as is seen is the casual death of deputy commissioner Peter Foley.

So in the final piece of the Batman trilogy, Nolan provides a convincing conclusion. Bruce Wayne is freed of his duty. But to solve all of Gotham's problems both the System and Batman are needed; therefore, someone is there to take Bruce's position.

The film is an appeal to the senses as well as the mind. Apart from the title character, Christian Bale, there is Tom Hardy as Bane who almost brings the end of Batman, and Anne Hathaway whose interpretation of Cat Woman is more human than feline. The combined efforts of cinematographer Wally Pfister, music producer Hans Zimmer and film editor Lee Smith produce enough power to keep your heart racing for nearly three hours, so be sure to take a load off before you dash into the cinema.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)