Didim Today

Dark Night Rises 2012 and today critics and public alike were shown a 6 minute prologue for the 2012 release of Christopher Nolan’s epic conclusion to his Batman saga. After crowds of devoted fans waited with baited breath – while also divulging in intense discussion about what might be shown – and general punters eagerly hoping for the sort of grand spectacle that the IMAX format provides, the screening began to a warm round of applause.

To some taking time out of your day to see 6 minutes of a film that is a) not finished – Nolan is busily editing the film as we speak – b) not released for another 7 months and c) reviewing 6 minutes of footage does seem rather pointless, but there is little doubt that the anticipation for what is surely going to be the biggest film of 2012 just got bigger.

After making Warner Bros. a cool $1 billion with The Dark Knight and an astonishing $800 million with Inception, Nolan has carte blanche when it comes to his film and say what you like about this prologue screening but Nolan clearly pointed towards what he believes is a format to invest in. And just as the prologue for The Dark Knight – which was similarly released for hype/marketing purposes – was spectacular in its splendid IMAX form, The Dark Knight Rises is a visual splendor to behold. One hopes the rest of the film’s IMAX scenes – of which there is a purported 40 to 50 minutes compared to 27 minutes in The Dark Knight – maintains this high standard.

There are however some minor issues that need discussing, so if you’re planning to see the prologue for yourself or want the film to be completely unspoiled, switch off now. Consider this an OFFICIAL SPOILER ALERT! Without dissecting every last detail, the introduction of the latest incumbent villain, Bane, comes in a somewhat similar fashion to the revelation of the Joker in The Dark Knight when the mask is finally pulled back. There are however far more nudges and winks towards future plot points that may later play out. Fanboys and forums will no doubt be alight with speculation as to what was going on with the body bag and in-flight blood transfusion. One thing is certain that as a screen presence Tom Hardy is imposing and unnerving as Bane.

Whereas the Joker was a psychological torment to Batman, Bane looks the real deal as a physical equal to the caped crusader. The prologue actually opens with a look back to the conclusion of The Dark Knight and Commissioner Gordon’s obituary of Harvey Dent, “Our Friend”. Another character who is also fleshed out from some of the viral material that has been floating the net is Dr. Leonard Pavel, yet little else is really revealed apart from his presence and capture by Bane. What surely will stick in the minds is the sheer captivating stunt work that takes place mid-flight across two jets. Backdropped by some chilling tundra – believed to be somewhere in Scotland – Nolan has orchestrated a brilliant set piece of in-camera stunts and special effects, onc agin proving that CGI is an aid not a reliant.

All of the above add to that inner child and on such a scale the occasion really felt like going to the cinema as a child when everything was bigger than life. In aiming for an epic conclusion, Christopher Nolan has on the evidence of the prologue not been telling porkies. Much will no doubt be made of Bane’s voice which quite honestly comes over in a garbled and unintelligible drawl. Picture something between Jeff Bridges’ Rooster Cogburn from the Coen’s True Grit and Gary Oldman’s russian accent in Air Force One. But just as Bridges’ Cogburn was difficult to understand, there is something strangely fun about trying to decode what is actually being said.

Some are sure to point out that this could be an impending problem for the film – let us not forget that Batman’s vocal chords verged on laughable in the previous installment - but as The Dark Knight Rises is still in post production you shouldn’t be surprised if there is some tweaking still to be done. Such is the noise of the IMAX camera, dialogue scenes are difficult to shoot and have to be dubbed as a consequence. Nolan is a man of detail and any vocal difficulties are surely something that can be ironed out. The message of the whole event spelled out the “End” to an epic series of films and if the visual majesty and eye-popping stunt work is anything to go by, we could be in for something truly special.

IMAX truly transports you into the frame and in a time when filmmakers are urging the ‘immersiveness’ of 3-D, Nolan has forthrightly signalled his loyalty in IMAX. Quite a stament of autonomy from a filmmaker at the helm of what looks to be one of the biggest films of the 21st century. But where do we go from here? Well if you take the prologue for what it is – a snippet of a yet unfinished project – and revel in some childlike excitement you’re on the right track. For me, I’m going to rock out in my complimentary TDKR t-shirts. Who said PR stunts weren’t fun? from eat sleep movies blog.