Decades ago, Tim Burton had something going with a dorky-yet-eerie fistful of Batman movies, decent casting and all, but things went downhill when real-life penguins started marching Gotham’s streets with explosive rockets on their backs. That gave way to just plain dorky, with subsequent villain portrayals (to say the least) not given justice, and the bat-suit being given nipples.
But then a “reboot” happened. And now the series was over. What started in 2005 as one of the three most significant movies to start making comic book stories believable and truly entertaining to a broad audience (between X-Men (2000) and Iron Man (2008)) was followed by, arguably, the best portrayal of the Joker and then the highly-anticipated conclusion. Not only did it make believable the idea that a billionaire would double as an efficient hand-to-hand combatant of crime, with competent scientific prowess and a bat suit. It also taught old-school biblical values better than most action movies.
Batman Begins showed us the story of Bruce Wayne’s journey in becoming the caped crusader. We learn about grief, forgiveness, the selflessness of justice, discipline, and unconditional grace, the latter modeled by Bruce’s heart for his morally struggling hometown (dare I say, mission field?), Gotham City.
The Dark Knight is the story of the terror brought to Gotham by Batman’s most popular villain, the Joker, who causes a lot of setbacks in Batman’s (and others’) project to reduce crime and improve morale in the impressionable city. The Joker fights to prove that all people, especially in trying times, are selfish and corruptible, abandoning any previously-held canon of morality or ethics for survival, vengeance, etc. At the very end is a strong analogical nod to penal substitution.
The Dark Knight Rises tells the tale of Bane and his takeover of Gotham City, and Bruce, now 39, must come out of virtual retirement to outwit and outmatch his first physically-superior foe. We see Bruce’s aforementioned compassion for a seeming ramshackle Gotham City go to another level, involving ultimate sacrifice, and we see Bruce Wayne/Batman legacy end with city-inspiring acts of charity. His faith in the righteous people of Gotham changes cold hearts, and we also learn the importance of developing leadership for the future, as Batman passes on the proverbial torch.
Which was the best movie? Most would say The Dark Knight, mainly because of the late Heath Ledger’s flooring performance as the Joker, which is arguably the greatest portrayal of a comic book villain, period. However, I’d put Batman Begins at the top. Neither of its sequels quite matched its brilliant story sequencing, diverse and balanced soundtrack (a good combination of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard), philosophical and biblical depth and general acting performances.
So, yes, this puts The Dark Knight Rises in third place, but that’s a bronze medal, not an insult. You should definitely see it. It’s lightyears above any third-in-a-series or trilogy closer that disappointed (e.g. X3: The Last Stand or Spider-man 3). It ends the story of the Dark Knight in a satisfying way.
Unlike the Hulk and Spider-man, Batman won’t need a reboot for at least 20 years, and I think this generation barely knows Adam West and Joel Schumacher as it is.
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