The Dark Knight Rises
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| The Dark Knight Rises | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Christopher Nolan |
| Produced by | Emma Thomas Christopher Nolan Charles Roven |
| Screenplay by | Jonathan Nolan Christopher Nolan |
| Story by | Christopher Nolan David S. Goyer |
| Based on | Characters created by Bob Kane |
| Starring | Christian Bale Michael Caine Gary Oldman Anne Hathaway Tom Hardy Marion Cotillard Joseph Gordon-Levitt Morgan Freeman |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer |
| Cinematography | Wally Pfister |
| Editing by | Lee Smith |
| Studio | Legendary Pictures Syncopy Films DC Comics |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Running time | 165 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250 million |
| Box office | $248,887,295[2] |
The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the third and final installment inNolan's Batman film trilogy, and is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale, Michael Caine,Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy reprise their roles from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The film introduces the character of Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway,[4] a cat burglar whose appearance in Gotham City sets in motion a chain of events that will lead Batman to come out of retirement and cross paths with Bane, played by Tom Hardy,[4] a terrorist leader with plans to destroy Gotham City.
Nolan was initially hesitant about returning to the series for a third time, but agreed to come back after developing a story with his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note.[5] Nolan drew inspiration from Bane's comic book debut in 1993 Knightfall, the 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns, and the 1999 series No Man's Land.[6][7]Filming took place in various locations, including locations in Jodhpur, London, Nottingham, Glasgow, Los Angeles, New York City,New Jersey, and Pittsburgh. Nolan utilized IMAX cameras for much of the filming to optimize the quality of the picture. As with The Dark Knight, viral marketing campaigns began early during production to help promote the upcoming film. When filming concluded,Warner Bros. refocused its campaign; developing promotional websites, releasing the first six minutes of the film and theatrical trailers, and sending random pieces of information regarding the film's plot to various companies.
The Dark Knight Rises premiered in New York City on July 16, 2012.[8] The film was released in Australia and New Zealand on July 19, 2012,[9] and in North America and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2012 to mostly positive reviews.[10][11]
Contents[hide] |
Plot
Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Gotham City is in a state of peace. Under powers granted by the Dent Act,Commissioner James Gordon has nearly eradicated violent and organized crime. Gordon feels guilty about the cover-up of Harvey Dent's crimes, but decides that the city is not ready to hear the truth. While following a lead in the abduction of a congressional representative, Gordon's speech falls into the hands of the villain Bane, who discovers the truth about Dent. Gordon is shot in the process of escaping and promotes patrol officer John Blake to detective, allowing Blake to report directly to him.
As Batman has disappeared from Gotham, so too has Bruce Wayne, locking himself inside Wayne Manor. Wayne Enterprises is crumbling after he invested in board member Miranda Tate's clean energy project, designed to harness fusion power, and shut it down after learning that the core could be modified to become a nuclear weapon. Both Blake—who has deduced Batman's identity—and Gordon implore Batman to return. Bane attacks the stock exchange and bankrupts Bruce, forcing him to relinquish control of Wayne Enterprises. Correctly suspecting that his business rival, John Daggett, employed Bane to aid in an aggressive take-over of his company, Wayne entrusts Tate to keep full control out of Daggett's hands. However, Bane has other plans, and kills Daggett to take control of his infrastructure.
Following a trail left by cat burglar Selina Kyle, Batman locates Bane, who says that he took over the League of Shadows followingRa's al Ghul's death. In the following confrontation, Bane physically cripples Batman then places him in a prison from which escape is virtually impossible. The other inmates relate the story of how Ra's al Ghul's child was the only person, through necessity and the sheer force of will, to ever escape the prison. Batman believes that the child grew up to become Bane. Meanwhile, Bane lures most of Gotham's police force underground and sets off explosions across the city, trapping the officers and turning Gotham into an isolated city-state. Any attempt to leave the city will result in the detonation of the Wayne Enterprises fusion core, now converted into a bomb. Bane publicly reveals the cover-up of Dent's death and releases the prisoners in Blackgate Prison. The rich and powerful are forcibly brought before a show trial presided over by Jonathan Crane.
Bruce recovers from his injuries and retrains himself physically. He successfully escapes the penitentiary and returns to Gotham, enlisting Kyle, Blake, Tate, Gordon and Lucius Fox to help liberate the city and stop the fusion bomb. As Batman, he subdues Bane, but Tate intervenes and reveals herself to be Talia al Ghul. It was she who escaped the prison as a child, returning with her father and the League of Shadows to rescue Bane, the one person who aided her in prison. She plans to complete her father's work by destroying Gotham and avenging his death at Wayne's hands. Gordon blocks the bomb's ability to be remotely detonated while Kyle saves Batman by shooting Bane. Batman tries to force Talia to take the bomb to the fusion chamber where it can be stabilized, but she remotely floods the chamber. Talia dies when her truck crashes off the road, confident that the bomb cannot be stopped. Using an aircraft developed by Fox, Batman hauls the bomb beyond the city limits, where it detonates over the ocean and apparently kills him.
Batman is later praised as a hero and Wayne is presumed killed in the riots. After Bruce's funeral, Blake wants to reveal Batman's identity to the world as a tribute to Bruce, but Gordon reminds him that it is best left as a mystery to the uninformed. Gordon later finds that the Bat-Signal has been repaired. The Wayne estate is divided up to cover any debts, with the manor left in the city's possession to become an orphanage and the rest going to Alfred. Fox discovers that Bruce repaired the autopilot on the aircraft before he left to face Bane and Talia. Alfred witnesses Wayne and Kyle alive together at a café in Italy, while Blake (whose full legal name is revealed to be Robin John Blake) inherits the Batcave.
Cast
- A billionaire socialite dedicated to protecting Gotham City from the criminal underworld. Nolan has stated that, due to the eight-year gap between the events of The Dark Knight and those of The Dark Knight Rises, "he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state."[13] Bale employed a mixed martial arts discipline called the Keysi Fighting Method, but due to Bruce's current state and Bane's style, the method had to be modified.[14] Bale has stated that The Dark Knight Riseswill be the final film in which he plays Batman,[15] and describes the character's arc as finally confronting the pain of loss that he has deferred for years by fighting criminals balanced against the need to internalise that pain lest he give into his emotions and become the killer the city already believes him to be.[16]
- A terrorist leader intent on destroying Gotham City. He was originally a member of the League of Shadows, before beingexcommunicated. The character was chosen by Christopher Nolan because of his desire to see Batman tested on both a physical and mental level.[13] Bane has been described as "a terrorist in both thought and action"[13] and is "florid in his speech, [with] the physicality of a gorilla".[14] Hardy stated that he intended to portray the character as "more menacing" than Robert Swenson's version of the character in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin and that in order to do so, his portrayal entailed creating a contradiction between the voice and the body. Hardy gained 30 pounds (14 kg) for the role,[18] increasing his weight to 198 pounds (90 kg).[18] Hardy based the character's voice on several influences, which include his intellect, Caribbean heritage, and Bartley Gorman.[19][20]
- Selina Kyle is a cat burglar described as "an associate" of Bane[22] who establishes a relationship with Batman that "takes some of the somberness away from his character."[14] Kyle is pursuing a "clean slate", a computer program rumoured to be able to erase a person's criminal history when she crosses paths with Bruce Wayne. Hathaway auditioned not knowing what role she was being considered for, admitting that she had one character in mind, but only learned that the role was Selina Kyle after talking with Christopher Nolan for an hour.[23] Hathaway described the role as being the most physically-demanding she had ever played, and confessed that while she thought of herself as being fit she had to redouble her efforts in the gym to keep up with the demands of the role.[24][25] Hathaway trained extensively in martial arts for the role, and looked to Hedy Lamarr—who was the inspiration for the Catwoman character—in developing her performance.[22]
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake:
- John Blake is a young police officer whose instincts lead him to believe that there is trouble on the horizon. Seeing something of himself in Blake, Commissioner Gordon promotes him to special duty.[26] Blake represents the idealism that Gordon and Bruce Wayne once held, but soon lost in their battle against crime in the city.[14] He is portrayed as being intelligent enough to deduce Batman's identity, and is disgusted by the cover-up of the circumstances surrounding Harvey Dent's death and Commissioner Gordon's role in it. Near the end of the film, Blake reveals his legal name is Robin John Blake.
- Bruce's trusted butler and confidant. Alfred has acted as a father figure to Bruce, and continues to aid Bruce on his missions as well as supplying him with useful advice. Alfred is unable to accept Bruce's desire to revive his Batman persona, even going so far as to resign from his position to impress the seriousness of Bruce's position upon him. Christopher Nolan emphasised the emotional bond between Alfred and Bruce, stressing its importance in the previous films and predicting that the relationship will be strained as it never has before.[14]
- Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, and one of the city's few honest police officers. Gary Oldman described the character's work in cleaning up Gotham City as having left him world-weary and slightly bored,[28] likening Gordon to a soldier who leaps at the chance to be on the front lines.[14] Gordon feels guilty over his role in covering up the death of Harvey Dent to the point where he is prepared to resign from his position as Commissioner over it, but refrains from doing so when he senses that Gotham is about to come under threat.
- Fox runs Wayne Enterprises on behalf of Bruce Wayne and serves as his armorer, providing him with high-tech equipment. His position as President of Wayne Enterprises allows him to discreetly develop cutting-edge technology and weaponry, even as Wayne Enterprises starts losing money.
- Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate:
- A member of the Wayne Enterprises executive board who encourages a still-grieving Bruce Wayne to rejoin with society and continue his father's philanthropic works.[26]Cotillard denied speculation that she would be playing a dual role as Miranda Tate and Talia al Ghul, stating that her character is a completely original creation,[29] though the final cut of the film revealed this to be misdirection. Tate was described as providing Bruce with a much-needed sense of hope at the behest of Alfred and Lucius Fox.[14]
Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Dr. Jonathan Crane from the previous films.[30] Josh Pence and Liam Neeson both appear as Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows; Pence plays a younger version of the character in scenes set thirty years before the events of Batman Begins,[31] while Neeson reprises his Batman Begins role in a cameo appearance as an apparition.[32][33] Other cast members include Nestor Carbonell reprising his role as Mayor Anthony Garcia;[34] Alon Abutbul as Dr. Leonid Pavel, a Russian nuclear physicist;[35][36] Juno Temple as Holly Robinson, friend and accomplice of Selina Kyle;[37] Matthew Modine as Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley;[38] Ben Mendelsohn as Bruce Wayne's business rival John Daggett with Burn Gorman playing his assistant Stryver; Brett Cullen as a congressman;[39] Chris Ellis as a priest;[39] Aidan Gillen as a CIA agent;[40][41] Rob Brown as a GCPD officer;[42] and Christopher Judge as a Bane henchman.[43] William Devane portrays the President of the United States. Tom Conti plays a prisoner who assists Bruce in his escape. Desmond Harrington makes a cameo as another police officer in the film. Aaron Eckhart expressed enthusiasm in returning for a sequel if asked, although he later stated Nolan verified that his character, Harvey Dent, is dead,[44] although archive footage of Eckhart from The Dark Knight appears in the film.[45]
Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers make cameo appearances as members of the fictional Gotham Rogues football team in the film, including Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Aaron Smith, Ryan Clark, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, and Casey Hampton,[46][47] and former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher as the head coach of the Rogues.[48] Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl, a kicker in college, appears as the kicker for the Rogues' opponents, the Rapid City Monuments.[49] In 2008, the Rooney family sold a minority stake in the team to Thomas Tull, the CEO and president of Legendary Pictures, which is producing The Dark Knight Rises.[50] United States Senator Patrick Leahy, who also made a cameo appearance in The Dark Knight, returned for another cameo appearance in The Dark Knight Rises,[51] as a Wayne Enterprises board member. Thomas Lennon, who had a cameo as a doctor in Memento, once again has a cameo as a doctor.
Production
Development
"The key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story [...] rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story [...] Unlike the comics, these things don't go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion."
—Christopher Nolan, confirming his involvement in The Dark Knight Rises.[52]
Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov had hoped a third film would be released in 2011 or 2012.[53]Nolan wanted the story for the third installment to keep him emotionally invested. "On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question," he reasoned, "how many good third movies in a franchise can people name?"[54]Nolan only agreed to a third film on the basis of finding a worthwhile story, fearing that he would become bored halfway through production if he discovered the film to be unnecessary.[5] By December 2008, Nolan completed a rough story outline, before he committed himself to Inception.[55] Later in December, Alan F. Horn confirmed that while discussions with Nolan about a third film were ongoing, no casting had been done, and Horn denied all such rumors.[56] Before Nolan confirmed his involvement, Gary Oldman had said he was confident Nolan would return.[57] Following the success of the Joker in The Dark Knight, studio executives wished for The Riddler to be included as the primary villain as he was considered a similar character and encouraged the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio.[58] However, Nolan wanted the antagonist to be vastly different than the previous incarnations and committed to using Bane instead,[58] citing the need for a character with a physical presence within the film.[59] He was initially unfamiliar with the character's back-story,[60] but pointed out the appeal of an archetype, labelling it as "the extreme of some type of villainy". When comparing the choice of Bane with the Joker, Nolan highlighted the Joker as an example of "diabolical, chaotic anarchy and has a devilish sense of humor", juxtaposing him against Bane, who he likened to "a classic movie monster [...] with a terrific brain."[59]
It was not until February 9, 2010, that it was announced that Nolan had "cracked" the story of a sequel to The Dark Knight and was committed to return to the project.[61] Shortly afterward, it was announced David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan were working on a screenplay.[62] Goyer would leave the project during pre-production to begin work on Man of Steel; Jonathan continued writing the script based on the story by his brother Chris and Goyer.[27] The film's storyline has been compared with the story arcs in the Batman comic book series Knightfall (1993), which debuted the villain Bane; The Dark Knight Returns (1986), in which Batman returns to Gotham City after a ten-year absence; and No Man's Land (1999), which depicts a Gotham cut off from the rest of the world overrun by gangs.[6][7] The nickname "the Dark Knight" was first applied to Batman in Batman #1 (1940), in a story written by Bill Finger.[63]
Nolan confirmed the Joker would not return in the third film, and dismissed rumors that he considered using unused footage of Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight.[64] The Dark Knight Rises reunited Nolan with many of his past collaborators, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith, costume designer Lindy Hemming, special effects supervisors Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, and composer Hans Zimmer.[65]
Filming
During location scouting in December 2010, Nolan began searching for locations such as India, Romania, and Michigan.[66][67][68] According to the Romania Insider, Nolan was interested in the Bucharest's historical center, Edgar Quinet Street, Palace of the Parliament, and the Turda salt mines.[66] The film had an estimated budget of $250 million.[69] Nolan elected not to film in 3-D, but instead stated that he intended to focus on improving image quality and scale using the IMAX format.[70] The Dark Knight Rises featured over an hour of footage shot in IMAX (by comparison, The Dark Knight contained 28 minutes).[71][72] Nolan had several meetings with IMAX Vice-President David Keighley to work on the logistics of projecting films in digital IMAX venues.[72] Wally Pfister had expressed interest in shooting the film entirely in IMAX,[73] but because of the considerable noise made by IMAX cameras, 35mm and 70mm cameras had to be used for shooting the film's dialogue scenes,[72][74] as dialogue had to be dubbed when shot with IMAX cameras.[75] Chairman and president of the IMAX Corporation Greg Foster stated that IMAX plans to run the film in its theatres for two months, despite only being contractually committed to run the film for two weeks.[76]
Filming was scheduled to start in May and conclude in November 2011.[77] Principal photography commenced on May 6, 2011, in Jodhpur, India at the Mehrangarh Fort[78][79] before moving to Pittsburgh, where it operated under the working title Magnus Rex to reduce the visibility of the production.[80][81] Shooting locations within the city included Heinz Field, the site of an American football game,[82] with members of the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Gotham Rogues football team. More than 11,000 extras were used to depict the shot sequence.[14][46][47]Filming in Pittsburgh also took place at the Mellon Institute and Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.[81] A letter sent out to residents and business owners detailing road closures revealed that the streets of the city would be featured "as the start of [the] film".[83] 9-1-1 operators were told to expect an increase in calls related to gun shots and explosions in the film's production.[84] The Pittsburgh leg of production wrapped after three weeks on August 21, 2011, before moving on to Los Angeles and New York.[85] The Trump Tower replaced the Richard J. Daley Center as the location for the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises.[86] In November 2011, shooting shifted to Newark, New Jersey.[87][88] Newark City Hall and Military Park were among the locations used for filming.[89] Other shooting locations include London and Glasgow, the latter of which was used for "additional exterior filming".[90] Principal photography concluded on November 14, 2011.[91]
Production photos from filming in Pittsburgh showed a second Tumbler chassis after the first was destroyed, indicating that a new Batmobile would be in the film, following the destruction of the first in The Dark Knight.[92] Further set photos revealed a "new vehicle" being transported to Wabash Tunnel, prompting speculation as to its nature.[93] In June 2011, Autoblog confirmed the presence of the new Lamborghini Aventador on the film set.[94]
Several accidents occurred during the production of the film. While filming at Wollaton Hall, a tractor-trailer crashed into the main entrance, though no one was injured.[95] A stuntman parachutist later crashed through the roof of a home in Cairngorm Gliding Club, Feshiebridge in Scotland, and became wedged there after a failed landing during a skydiving stunt; he was not seriously injured.[96] While filming scenes in Pittsburgh, Hathaway's stunt double crashed into an IMAX camera while filming a sequence that required her to ride a Batpod down a flight of stairs during a riot. There were no injuries, but the camera was destroyed.[97] A second accident took place in Pittsburgh when the truck carrying the then-unidentified vehicle later termed "The Bat" went off-course and crashed into a lighting array, damaging the model of the aircraft. Production was delayed while the model was repaired.[98]
Design
Costume design
Costume designer Lindy Hemming explained that Bane uses a mask to inhale an analgesic gas, which, in director Christopher Nolan's words, "keeps his pain just below the threshold so he can function."[99][100] Costume effects supervisor Graham Churchyard created a three-dimensional model of actor Tom Hardy's face and skull to design the mask, allowing the mask to perfectly conform to the contours of Hardy's face.[14]Hemming personally designed Bane's coat, which she admitted took two years to complete. Taking inspiration from a Swedish army jacket and a frock coat from the French Revolution, it was designed to make Bane look like equal parts dictatorial and revolutionary, "like an amalgam of all sorts of bits and pieces he cobbled together, as he passed through some very remote places".[14] The design was difficult as Hemming struggled to find a tailor in Los Angeles who could work with shearling.[101]
The Batsuit consisted of 110 separate pieces, each of which had to be replicated dozens of times over the course of the production. The base layer was made of a polyester mesh that is utilized by the military and high-tech sports manufacturers because of its breathability and moisture-wicking properties. Molded pieces of flexible urethane were then attached to the mesh, to form the overall body armor plating. Carbon fiber panels were placed inside the sections on the legs, chest and abdomen. The cowl was sculpted from a cast of Bale's face and head to become a perfect fit for Christian Bale. The suit remained unchanged for the film since The Dark Knight.[14]
In creating Selina Kyle's catsuit, two layers of material were used, with the outer layer being polyurethane coated spandex, embossed with a hexagonal pattern.[14]
Production design
Concept artist Tully Summers commented on Nolan's style of cinematography when asked about the difference between his designs for this film and fantasy-based designs for Men in Black 3: "The difference for me was Christopher Nolan's visual style. One of the things that makes his Batman movies so compelling is their tone of plausibility. He will often prefer a raw, grittier design over one that is very sleek and product design pretty. It's sort of a practical military aesthetic. This stuff is made to work, not impress shoppers. The Dark Knight Rises is a war film."[102] Producer Emma Thomas stated this Batman film has a different visual aesthetic from the first two Nolan-directed features, explaining that "it's meant to be winter in Gotham, so that right there is going to lend a whole different look to the film."[103]
The film introduces a vehicle that has been compared with the Batplane, dubbed "the Bat". In designing the Bat, Nathan Crowley approached it as if it were an actual military project, emphasising the need for it to "fit into the same family" as the Tumbler and the Batpod. The final version of the Bat takes its design cues from the Harrier Jump Jet, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and the Boeing AH-64 Apache.[14] Chris Corbould described the Bat's size and shape as presenting a major challenge for filming given Christopher Nolan's emphasis on practical effects over computer-generated imagery. In order to make the Bat "fly", it was variously supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.[14][104][105]
When designing the Batcave set, Crowley and fellow production designer Kevin Kavanaugh hit upon the idea of flooding the Batcave with water and having Batman's equipment, the Batsuit and a supercomputer rise from the water.[14] Another set was designed at Cardington as an "underground prison", a rough-hewn labyrinth of stone cells in a vast abyss with a 120 foot (37 m) vertical shaft leading to the surface. Exteriors above the prison were filmed in Jodhpur, India, chosen because the "forbidding landscape added to the desolation".[14]
Music
Main article: The Dark Knight Rises (soundtrack)
In an interview in October 2010, composer Hans Zimmer confirmed that he would be returning to score The Dark Knight Rises. James Newton Howard was offered to return and write the score with Zimmer as he did for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but he chose not to because he noted that the chemistry established between Zimmer and Nolan during the making of Inception would make him seem like a "third wheel".[106]
In November 2011, Zimmer crowdsourced online audio recordings of a chant to be used in the film's score.[107][108] When asked about the chant for clarification, Zimmer said, "The chant became a very complicated thing because I wanted hundreds of thousands of voices, and it's not so easy to get hundreds of thousands of voices. So, we Twittered and we posted on the internet, for people who wanted to be part of it. It seemed like an interesting thing. We've created this world, over these last two movies, and somehow I think the audience and the fans have been part of this world. We do keep them in mind."[109] The two-word chant deshi basara translates to "he rises" in Moroccan, exhibiting Ra's al Ghul'sArabian nationality, as well as coinciding with the title of the film, The Dark Knight Rises.[110][111]
Zimmer included several cues from the earlier scores, but explains that he wanted to go in a "completely different direction" for Bane's theme. While the theme accompanying Selina Kyle is deliberately ambiguous, the musical thread spanning throughout the trilogy was composed exclusively for Bruce Wayne.[14]
Marketing
In May 2011, the film's official website was launched, introducing a viral marketing campaign similar to the one used to promote The Dark Knight. When the website was opened, an encrypted audio file played the noise of what has been described as chanting. When the audio file was decrypted, it gave a hashtag "#TheFireRises". For every person who commented on Twitter with the hashtag, a pixel was removed from the webpage, eventually revealing the first official image of Bane.[112]
In July 2011, a teaser trailer that was meant to be released with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was leaked online.[113] It was released by the studio three days later. Responses to the trailer were mixed; Stephen Spencer Davis of Slate wrote that it successfully built hype,[113] while Kofi Outlaw of ScreenRant was disappointed with the trailer, claiming that it was more of an "announcement trailer" than an actual teaser trailer. Outlaw criticized the quality of the trailer, writing that a scene depicting Commissioner Gordon in a hospital bed was overly dramatic, had "hammy" dialogue, and was difficult to understand due to Gordon's labored breathing. Outlaw wrote that the final sweeping shot of Gotham City had poor CGI and was too reminiscent of the trailer forInception.[114] A theatrical teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was attached to theatrical prints of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.[115] Like the teaser trailer, the theatrical trailer was also leaked online[116] before being released the following week.[117] Critics noted political undertones to the trailer, with dialogue foreshadowing the theme of income inequality and an "Occupy Gotham" campaign within the world of the story.[118][119][120] Receiving more than 12.5 million views in the first 24 hours after its release, the trailer set the record for most combined downloads from iTunes, beating the previous record held by The Avengers.[121] However, the second trailer forThe Avengers again set the record with 13.7 million downloads.[122] A second theatrical trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was attached to theatrical prints of The Avengers. An "unnamed" Warner Brothers executive clarified that "We see this placement as a good strategic decision. We always want our trailers to be seen with films that people want to see—and a lot of people will be going to The Avengers!" The executive also commented that the trailer will "provide the best potential exposure for TDKR."[123] The trailer was released online on April 30, 2012, approximately four days before the attachment of the trailers on the theatrical prints of The Avengers.[124]
Continuing a method used with The Dark Knight whereby the opening sequence of the film was attached to IMAX prints of I Am Legendseven months before release,[125] a six-minute prologue of The Dark Knight Rises was attached to 70mm IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, again approximately seven months before release.[126] Critical reaction to the prologue was positive,[127][128][129] with one critic commenting that "no one gets to make a film on this kind of scale anymore. Except for Christopher Nolan," though a round-up of reviews highlighted the way many critics found Tom Hardy's dialogue very difficult to hear.[130] Addressing the issue in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nolan said "I think when people see the film, things will come into focus. Bane is very complex and very interesting and when people see the finished film people will be very entertained by him."[131]
Viral marketing campaigns for the film continued as magazine companies Empire and Wired received "CIA documents" concerning a "Dr. Leonid Pavel", with its mugshot connected to actor Alon Abutbul. According to the first document, Pavel is a missing Russian nuclear physicist, while the second document appears to be an edited transcript of a conversation discussing the handover of Dr. Pavel to the CIA by Georgian separatists, but with most of the conversation redacted.[36] These were later shown to be plot elements of the six-minute prologue.[127] The official Twitter account later linked to another censored document, this time, referencing "Operation Early Bird". A website of the same name was discovered, revealing a countdown timer. When the countdown finished, the site presented a map showing all available theaters that would be screening the film's prologue earlier than its release.[132][133] Various websites received a package that included a cylinder map of "strike zones", and a "fire rises" T-shirt.[134] In April 2012, the film's official website was updated with a "dossier" of an on a suspect named "John Doe" also known as "The Batman" for an arrest, with a list of several accusations. The premise of the campaign starts when the mayor of Gotham City "redoubles" the effort to capture Batman and anyone supporting his return in preparation for the upcoming "Harvey Dent Day". The site also includes an extensive list of real-world locations where "graffiti related to movement in support of the vigilante's return" is located. For each tweet of a specific location marked on the list, a frame of the second theatrical trailer for the film was released on a separate website.[135]
In January 2012, six months prior to the film's release, tickets for midnight IMAX showings in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles went on sale and sold out immediately. Purchased tickets surfaced for sale online for over $100, compared with their original price of $17.50.[136]
At the American International Toy Fair, Mattel unveiled figures for Batman, Bane, and Catwoman, and Batman's flying vehicle, The Bat. The Mattel figures will also be released in the "Movie Masters" line, featuring more highly detailed and articulated presentation, and Quiktek versions that feature interchangeable accessories. Lego is set to release building sets and mini-figures based on the film and incorporating other DC Comic characters. Additionally, Funko is releasing a series of plush toys, Mezco Toyz are releasing vinyl figures, and Hornby are releasing the Batman Tumbler car.[137] Other partners include Jakks Pacific who are creating novelty and large-scale figures and plush toys,[138] and PPW Toys, who are creating a Batman themed Mr. Potato Head.[139] Various clothing items including shoes, t-shirts, hats and wallets are also being produced.[140]
The film novelization, written by award-winning author Greg Cox and published by Titan Books, will be released alongside the film on July 24, 2012.[141]
Warner Bros. partnered with Mountain Dew to do a cross-promotion that included a special paint scheme on the #88 Chevrolet Impalaowned by Hendrick Motorsports and driven by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.[142] On June 17, 2012, the car won the 2012 Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.[143] On July 4, 2012, the studio signed a deal with Formula One teamLotus F1 to have the film's logos appear on the Lotus E20s driven by Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean at the 2012 British Grand Prix.[144] Räikkönen and Grosjean went on to finish the race in fifth and sixth place respectively.[145] Warner Bros. had previously followed a similar promotion at the 2008 British Grand Prix, when the now-defunct Toyota F1carried a livery to promote The Dark Knight.[146]
Release
On July 6, 2012, Warner Bros. held a special IMAX screening of the film for more than one hundred reporters and critics. However, technical issues with the computer device synchronising the sound and picture forced the studio to postpone the screening by a day.[147] The Dark Knight Rises premiered on July 16, 2012 at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater in New York City, New York.[8] The film was released in Australia and New Zealand on July 19, 2012,[9] and was later released in North America and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2012.[10][11]
Box office
The film earned an estimated $30.6 million in midnight showings, which was the second-highest midnight gross of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2($43.5 million).[148][149] It did, however, break Deathly Hallows – Part 2's record ($2 million) for the highest midnight gross in IMAX with $2.3 million.[150][151] Hours before the midnight release, several box office analysts suggested as much as a $198 million opening weekend.[152][153][154]
In the wake of the 2012 Aurora shooting, Warner Bros. decided to not report further box office figures for the movie until Monday July 23, 2012.[155][156] As a result other distributors also delayed the release of their official estimates as well.[157] The shooting is also speculated to have hurt the ticket sales as E! Online reported that a North Carolina audience member had stated that "this theater was kinda empty".[158] Some reports released on July 21, 2012 said that rival studios estimated that the film grossed $75 million to $77 million on its opening day.[159][160][161] Warner Brothers shortly after released a statement to ABC News stating that they delayed the release of their estimates for the opening day total of the film "out of respect for the victims and their families," and added "Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for The Dark Knight Rises throughout the weekend. Box office numbers will be released on Monday."[162] Later, it was revealed that the film made $75.8 million during its opening day, which is the third highest single day tally of all-time behind Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($91.1 million) and The Avengers ($80.8 million).[163] On July 23, 2012, it was announced that the film grossed $160.9 million, which is the third-highest opening weekend of all-time behind The Avengers ($207.4 million) and Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ($169.2 million).[164] However, it did break The Dark Knight's record ($158.4 million) for the highest opening weekend for a 2D film.[165]
Reception
The Dark Knight Rises received an 87% "Certified fresh" approval rating from critics on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 246 reviews, and an average rating of 8/10.[166]Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 78 (out of 100) based on 44 reviews from mainstream critics, considered to be "generally favorable reviews".[167] The Telegraph granted the film a maximum score of five stars, stating that it is "a superhero film without a superhero," comparing it with The Godfather Part II and praising Hardy's performance as well as the film's intricate plot and narrative.[168] IGN gave it a 9 out of 10, noting similarities in tone and theme to Batman Begins over the trilogy's second installment The Dark Knight, but also describing Bane as "that bit less interesting to watch" than Ledger's Joker, despite praising his "menacing voice" and "body language-driven performance".[169] The Guardian scored the film four out of five stars, calling it a film of "granite, monolithic intensity", yet also calling it a "hammy, portentous affair".[170] Andrew O'Hehir of Salon writes "if The Dark Knight Rises is a fascist film, it's a great fascist film, and arguably the biggest, darkest, most thrilling and disturbing and utterly balls-out spectacle ever created for the screen".[171] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, stating "the film begins slowly with a murky plot and too many new characters, but builds to a sensational climax."[172]
The Daily Mail's Chris Tookey said that the film was bloated and overly long as well as criticizing the sombre tone and lack of humor, despite praising the film's visually impressive set pieces.[173] CNN's Tom Charity called this a "disappointingly clunky and bombastic conclusion to a superior series".[174]
In reaction to fan backlash to negative reviews, Rotten Tomatoes had to disable user commentary for the film leading up to its release.[175] Some fans had threatened violence against critics while others threatened to take down the websites of movie critics.[176]
Shooting in Aurora, Colorado
"I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."
Main article: 2012 Aurora shooting
On July 20, 2012, during a midnight showing of the film at the Century 16 cinema in Aurora, Colorado, a gunman wearing a gas mask opened fire inside the theater,[178] killing twelve people and injuring 58 others.[179][180] Police responding to the shooting apprehended a suspect, later identified as twenty-four year-old James Eagan Holmes,[181] shortly after arriving on the scene.[182] At the time of his arrest, Holmes identified himself as the Joker—one of the main antagonists within the Batman series—to police.[183][184]
Warner Bros. stated that it was deeply saddened by the shooting, and announced the cancellation of the Paris, Mexico, and Japanpremieres of The Dark Knight Rises,[185][186] and suspended the marketing campaign for the film in Finland.[187] Several broadcast networks also suspended television ads for the film in the United States because of the tragedy.[188]
Commentary
Writing in Salon, David Sirota, a progressive[189] political commentator compared The Dark Knight Rises and the game Call of Duty to 1980s popular culture reflecting the political period of the time, accusing them of perpetuating a conservative agenda: "Just as so many 1980s pop culture products reflected the spirit of the Reagan Revolution’s conservative backlash, we are now seeing two blockbuster, genre-shaping products not-so-subtly reflect the Tea Party’s rhetorical backlash to the powerful Occupy Wall Street zeitgeist."[190]An article in Variety reported Chuck Dixon, the co-creator of the Bane character, as saying that Bane is "far more akin to an Occupy Wall Street type if you're looking to cast him politically."[191] Catherine Shoard of the center-left[192] British publication The Guardian claimed the film "is a quite audaciously capitalist vision, radically conservative, radically vigilante, that advances a serious, stirring proposal that the wish-fulfilment of the wealthy is to be championed if they say they want to do good."[193]
Nolan has denied the film criticizes the Occupy movement and insists that none of his Batman films are intended to be political: "I've had as many conversations with people who have seen the film the other way round. We throw a lot of things against the wall to see if it sticks. We put a lot of interesting questions in the air, but that's simply a backdrop for the story. What we're really trying to do is show the cracks of society, show the conflicts that somebody would try to wedge open. We're going to get wildly different interpretations of what the film is supporting and not supporting, but it's not doing any of those things. It's just telling a story. If you're saying, 'Have you made a film that's supposed to be criticizing the Occupy Wall Street movement?' – well, obviously, that's not true."[194]
On the other side of the political spectrum, politically conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh alleged that the film was biased against 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney due to Bane's name being a homophone for Bain Capital, the financial service company Romney used to head.[195][196][197] In response, Nolan said that the comments were "bizarre",[198] while Dixon and Freeman said that the comments were "ridiculous".[197][199]
References
- ^ Bettinger, Brendan (June 3, 2012). "AMC Lists THE DARK
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