Can Nolan Really Top The Dark Knight?

I've been a little harsh on the Batman franchise. Just last month I criticised Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight for being over-hyped, and being unfairly seen as the benchmark for all comic book movies. Whilst I remain true to my word, Nolan's Bat franchise would not be as famous if it hadn't of been for Heath Ledger, I will admit his previous Bat flicks surpassed my expectations and stand next to the likes Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2 and Thor as the greatest comic book movies of all time.

What made The Dark Knight so special was that it was a thoughtful movie that didn't rely on fights and explosions, but had them anyway. It showcased the moral maze the characters faced, managing to break away from the conventional superhero story. There were repercussions for everyone from Batman's actions, and hopefully the next film in the franchise The Dark Knight Rises will showcase those repercussions from the caped crusader's moral sacrifice at the end of the last film. Now Batman faces being an outlaw, after taking the fall for crimes he didn't commit. However after seeing potential plot leaks, I am not so confident in where this film may be going.

(Spoiler warning) Supposed leaked plot details emerged recently revealing that Batman is set to have his back broken early on in the film by Tom Hardy's Bane, drawing from the famous Batman storyline: Batman: Knightfall. Whilst this should be taken with a grain of salt, it does make sense considering the film's title 'Rises'. What worries me is how rumours indicate Selina Kyle/Catwoman played by Anne Hathaway is set to fill in fighting crime whilst Bruce is on the mend. I'm not the biggest fan of Hathaway, and I'm not convinced she would remain convincing with such a large amount of screen time. Whilst this does allow Nolan to open his moral playground, with perhaps Selina Kyle crossing the line Batman won't, I just hope we'll see a continuation of Batman's sacrifice at the end of the last film.

I am very interested in Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane. I hope there will be more to the character than brute force, as Bane is one of Batman's most intellectual enemies in the comics. I want to see Bane outsmart Bats, which is quite a feat considering Bats is one of the world's greatest detectives. If Rises manages to showcase Bane's superior intellect, we should be for a great hero/villain show down.

I'm sure there's more to The Dark Knight Rises than what meets the eye, given Nolan's track record of surprising audiences. Now we know Nolan's desires to wrap up the trilogy, I just hope this film reaches the standard of those set before it.

We should get the film we deserve, but not the one we need right now. But we'll watch it, because it's going to awesome. (Sorry couldn't resist)

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