Bane and Batman Face-Off in The Dark Knight Rises
Do not read the following if you want to stay fresh and clean. A few minor spoilers lay ahead.
Christopher Nolan hopes to ignite a fervor amongst fanboys with his seven minute long prologue to The Dark Knight Rises, which will be attached to IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol when it gets it's early IMAX theatrical release on December 16th.
Speaking before an advanced screening of this Bane-centric short in Hollywood tonight, the director introduced the clip by expressing his love for the IMAX format. He wants audiences to know that this is the only way to see his new film. Even though its short at just seven minutes, Christopher Nolan is putting this footage in theaters early to whip up a want and need to see The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX. Rather, though, this so-called prologue will more likely stir up nothing but controversy and debate.
The Fire Rises, indeed.
We're contractually banned from giving a second-by-second, blow-by-blow, detailed account of what this seven minutes of footage contains. It's a teaser. A Taste. And a quite detailed account already hit the Internet last week. It's true. This seven-minute short film, as rumored, is Bane (played by Tom Hardy) on an airplane. This footage is bookend by Gary Oldman's Lt. Gordon telling an enraptured crowd how much he misses Harvey Dent. And it ends with a random procession of quick clips from the as-yet unfinished movie. The scene earning the heaviest response from the crowd sees Bane carrying Batman's tattered mask, which has been crushed and ripped in half. It's a very powerful image.
According to Christopher Nolan, he has barely begun to scratch the surface on putting the final film together, "I have barely started to edit. Please don't ask me what happens at the end." He said with a smile.
With the exception of the Harvey Dent memorial, which clocks in at less than a minute, everything seen is in gorgeous IMAX. And it's stunning. The cinematography is beautiful. These opening moments are surprisingly lush and bright, and green. It has been shot in the daytime. Not at all what you might expect from a Christopher Nolan Batman movie. And that is bound to throw a few people for a loop.
We can't tell you what happens on the airplane, but the aerial stunts are exhilarating and streamlined. It's an action packed seven minutes, for sure. Yet, it doesn't quite have the same emotional weight as The Dark Knight's prologue. That scene was perfect in setting up the Joker's introduction. It worked on its own. And it got people really excited for the movie yet to come.
The Dark Knight Rises footage Screened
The main debate will come with Bane as the main villain. As with the bright daytime photography in contrast to the dark nighttime gloom associated with Batman, Bane couldn't be any more different from The Joker if he tried. He isn't charismatic. So far, he isn't likeable. And worst of all, you can't understand anything he is saying. Trust me, he has huge chunks of dialogue in just this short stretch. And its almost all unintelligible.
This isn't a slam on the character. This is what he is supposed to be. Unlikable. It's all intentional. And Tom Hardy looks to have created something original and unique in the superhero genre. This isn't like any Bane we've seen before. And this is where the heated debates are going to arise.
You simply can't compare Heath Ledger's Joker to Tom Hardy's Bane. It's a moot point. And the grating contrast was really the only way Christopher Nolan could go, here in this final installment of his beloved franchise. In the coming months, leading up to The Dark Knight Rises release on July 20th of next year, there will be plenty of deliberation about this new villain. And it will all boil down to this one question: "Does this suck? Or does it not?"
Me, personally? I can't stand being unable to hear dialogue in a movie. It drives me nuts. And trust me, you will be straining to hear the words coming out of Bane's breathing apparatus. Especially in a packed movie theater surrounded by the noise of the crowd. This was only seven minutes of Bane, and truthfully, I was annoyed by it. "What the buck did he just say?" I caught, "The Fire Rises!" But everything else was incomprehensible.
After the screening was over, I was allowed a quick second to shake Christopher Nolan's hand. I had to ask. "Are we going to be able to understand anything Bane says?"
This was his response.
"Probably not. He has the mask on, the apparatus, and he has the accent. It's a tough one. He's incredibly hard to understand. Of course, the whole movie doesn't take place on a plane...This insures that you'll go back and see the movie a couple of times in the theater."
Tom Hardy plays Bane in The Dark Knight Rises
Is the seven-minute The Dark Knight Rises prologue worth a trip to the IMAX theater and a ticket to Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol? Yes. Just be prepared to be a little under whelmed (the montage at the end of this short film will seem quite familiar to anyone who has kept up with all the spy footage. Most of these iconic images have already been accounted for in bootleg form, which, I think, too, is intentional). Also, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol is pretty damn near close to being the best film in that series. So even without the Batman footage, it might be worth it.
I'm just saying...
The Dark Knight Rises was released July 20th, 2012 and stars Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Liam Neeson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.
Comments (54)
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Trevor Ryan Greenfield
I highly doubt Christopher Nolan said the bit about "insures you'll go see it a couple of times." No way he said something like that!
1 year agoby @Trevor-Ryan-GreenfieldFlag
Chad Rogers
I saw the prologue. How does Bane compare with Joker? I can only speak for myself when I say that Bane is scary as hell. I never thought Ledger's Joker was scary. He was a colorful and charismatic. The kind of guy who'd be the life of the party (if he weren't a mass murderer). Bane is cold and he's a wrecking ball. Anything standing between him and the finish line gets obliterated.
1 year agoby @Chad-RogersFlag
the_tall_guy
I don't understand what the problem is. I saw that prologue, and I loved it. I think Bane is a really great villain for this movie. And I was able to understand about 93% of what Bane was saying. There was one or two lines I couldn't make out at all though, but overall I thought it was fantastic. I certainly didn't get any Spider-Man 3 vibes.
1 year agoby @the-tall-guyFlag
Ghostman
Not reading it...I want to be surprised :)
@SpaceCowboy Here's the full-blown image:
http://cdn.nolanfans.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/risesbydogancan.png
1 year agoby @ghostmanFlag
Ben Spear
ya know I heard the dialogue and I was able to understand everything and that was with no subtitles. You just really have to pay attention.
1 year agoby @Ben-SpearFlag
Mutant
I would like to see Batman vs Predator film trilogy but both parties would have to agree to it. I have those comics as well of the Batman vs Aliens comics. That's as dark as I want to see the Batman films to go.
1 year agoby @zenderFlag
Cheristian_16
I just REALLY hope we don't end up seeing Batman in broad daylight. That would kind of defeat the point of the entire character.
1 year agoby @Cheristian-16Flag
Sean
@RyanMoranMita
I don't think that will be a problem. Just because The Dark Knight Rises and Spiderman 3 have a similar movie poster, doesn't mean that the Dark Knight Rises is going to be a bad movie like Spiderman 3.
1 year agoby @themoviefanaticFlag
SpaceCowboy
Where can I find the full picture from the thumbnail?
1 year agoby @SpaceCowboyFlag
RyanMoranMita
god i cant wait to this movie i love batman i am one of his biggest fans i just hope they dont ruin it like what happen with spiderman 3
1 year agoby @RyanMoranMitaFlag
Nicholaus XX
I read just enough to thumbs up. I really don't want to spoil this one for myself.
1 year agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag
Intoxicated
There has been much talk about that a reboot is in the works I hope they make a Batman Beyond live action movie with Christopher Nolan as a producer.
1 year agoby @IntoxicatedFlag
Justice Kowaleski
Soo did anyone else get screening passes for the 13th? Im soooo stoked :D
1 year agoby @justice-kowaleskiFlag
Sean
@TheFury
I think that would be the case if they are confident enough, that a sequel would do well, because of the success of the first movie.
1 year agoby @themoviefanaticFlag
Corey W.
Bane probably won't compare to Joker in character, but that doesn't mean he won't be a better match against Batman. Not being able to understand him is good. Your not supposed to understand Bane. The things that we hear here and there are gonna be awesome. I don't know how he's describing the actors around Bane though....cheap?
1 year agoby @coreyFlag
TheFury
Well, this is a movie studio we're talking about. Movies are planned in advanced.
1 year agoby @TheFuryFlag
Sean
@TheFury
Do you think they've planned on that yet?
1 year agoby @themoviefanaticFlag
TheFury
I'm curious to know what Warner Brothers plan to do after this era.
1 year agoby @TheFuryFlag
Josh
@zender Bale just said a few weeks ago that he was for sure done playing Batman after this movie.
1 year agoby @shuabertFlag
Josh
@ChiRep-1 Thanks for that. Yeah, I'll be skipping this until the movie comes out. The first few minutes are often one of the best parts of the movie experience, so I don't want to ruin that by already knowing what's happening.
1 year agoby @shuabertFlag
Mutant
I wouldn't mind seeing Bale in three more Batman films and they don't have to have Nolan at the helm as long there is someone nearly as equal as him directs it, I'll be happy.
1 year agoby @zenderFlag
Sean
@k-man
That's what i was thinking. I live near atlanta as well. Maybe a theater with a 70mm screen, will eventually be built somewhere in or close to atlanta.
1 year agoby @themoviefanaticFlag
slysnide
@Johnny-Evl: You could literally dress two guys up in costume and have them shouting at each other in these accents without any discernible words being said, and it'd still be accurate. That's my fear here. :P
1 year agoby @slysnideFlag
Jøhnny Evîl
What you really SHOULD have asked is if we were going to understand BATMAN in this movie. The movies are great but Bales Batman voice is the worst... Batman with a really bad lisp.
1 year agoby @Johnny-EvlFlag
slysnide
@moviegeek: No, go to the official site and coordinates are being read over a bad radio frequency. Or at least I presume they're coordinates, always different numbers, a positive set, then a negative set followed by a chime indicating the next set of numbers. So far I've got nothing.
1 year agoby @slysnideFlag
moviegeek
So Operation Early Bird is an advance screening of the prologue? lol..
1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag
LuxoIII
I just REALLY hope we don't end up seeing Batman in broad daylight. That would kind of defeat the point of the entire character.
1 year agoby @brady1138Flag
bud2fresh
I'm so pumped for this!!!! Damn what are we goin 2 do without Nolan making Batman films lol
1 year agoby @bud2freshFlag
moviegeek
I don't want to read all of this, but I'm excited!
1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag
Err
charismatic means charming, likeable or personable.
1 year agoby @err2005Flag