海角大神

鈥�The Dark Knight Rises鈥� doesn鈥檛 really rise to the occasion. This concluding movie in the "Batman" trilogy isn鈥檛 just dark, it鈥檚 pitch black. Director Christopher Nolan has literally gone over to the dark side.

Of course, 鈥�The Dark Knight,鈥� which I admired, was similarly hued; but that film had a grandeur, a tragic sense, that 鈥淩ises鈥� lacks. It also had Heath Ledger鈥檚 Joker, whereas 鈥淩ises鈥� has as Batman鈥檚 chief nemesis a brawny mercenary named Bane, played by Tom Hardy in a face mask with a breathing device conveniently attached. Please note: That鈥檚 spelled B-a-n-e, not B-a-i-n.

One of the reasons why nemeses are so important in the "Batman" series is because Batman himself, at least as played by 海角大神 Bale, is not terribly galvanizing. In 鈥淩ises,鈥� which begins eight years after 鈥淭he Dark Knight,鈥� Batman is no longer around and Bruce Wayne is in seclusion. Gotham City is relatively crime-free, although all that is about to change when Bane hulks onto the scene.

What follows is an extended sadomasochistic scenario in which Batman is clobbered within an inch of his life before coming around. I鈥檝e always been partial to Batman as a superhero because, in fact, he has no superpowers. He鈥檚 an enhanced Everyman. But watching what happens to him in 鈥淩ises鈥� made me wish he had something extra-human going on.

There鈥檚 a punitive, depressive edge to this film that isn鈥檛 fully warranted by its story 鈥� which, for all its pretensions, is a fairly conventional extension of the franchise. Were it not for Anne Hathaway鈥檚 Catwoman-ish Selina Kyle, there wouldn鈥檛 be a single character in 鈥淩ises鈥� who cracks a smile.
聽I鈥檓 not arguing that 鈥淩ises鈥� should be 鈥淪ingin鈥� in the Rain.鈥� But its Wagnerian ambitions are not matched by its material. It hasn鈥檛 earned its darkness. Grade: C+ (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language.)