The final film in the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale epic entertainment Batman collaboration, The Dark Knight Rises, hits theaters on July 20 and marks the end of an era. It is the third, and final, film that this dynamic duo will make.
“We feel a tremendous challenge and responsibility to finish our story”, said Nolan recently. “We have to give the audiences something they haven’t seen before, but also fulfill their expectations. It’s a tricky balance.”
In the final episode for Christian Bale’s caped crusader, Batman continues to struggle with many things and is not really who he once was. On top of all that, two vicious villains, in the guise of Bane and Catwoman, are poised for the kill.
“We wanted to show a character who is aging, who is damaged, who may be past his prime,” Bale commented. “He has never encountered anyone with such blunt force as Bane, and this is not the best time for him to encounter him.”
The Dark Knight Rises is happening eight years after Batman’s tumultuous encounters with the Joker and the mad Harvey Dent. Gotham City has been relatively peaceful and Bruce Wayne has still not fully recovered from his injuries, both physical and psychological, from his battles with those two foes. Not to mention the death of his beloved Rachael.
Batman took the brunt of the blame for Two Face’s crimes and is hated throughout the city. Bruce Wayne has been lying low in a self-imposed exile. The storm clouds are gathering, however, and the caped crusader is forced to return to the fight.
Along with a returning cast of regulars who include Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, the gruesome trilogy brings on the formidable likes of Tom Hardy as Bane and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.
“Without getting into specifics”, Nolan mused,” the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story.”
