First Take: The Dark Knight Trilogy- Christopher Nolan provides hit after hit after hit- inception anyone?

BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

Plot in simpler terms- the traditional origin story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman

The opening to this trilogy sets up many aspects of the franchise, but this film focuses more on the origins of Batman. This is one of Nolan’s more emotionally charged works, as Batman Begins tackles the big subject of fear and loss. Action is also very well choreographed and is shot brilliantly by Wally Pfister   Performances from Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and of course Christian Bale are on point, and the supporting cast are perfect. Music from James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer compliments the visual feast, with Nolan using his unique flair to create a realistic Gotham City. It might be only about the origins, but this is a good film as a standalone piece.

SMIT RATING- 5/5

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THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

Plot in simpler terms- Batman takes on a Joker in many ways while trying to hide dark secrets from Gotham

The Dark Knight. A film that shows off exactly what can be done in cinema. The performances are superb and yes, I agree that Heath Ledger as the Joker is perfect. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard also provide (once again) a very modern and now-conventional score, fitting with Nolan’s faultless direction perfectly. The cinematography is also on a another level, with 28 minutes of the film using the IMAX camera for a lot more depth. I think this might be the Star Wars of this generation, as every scene (even the IMAX optimised sequences) delivers a literal punch to the gut.

SMIT RATING- 5/5

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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)

Plot in simpler terms- 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight, a broken Batman finally returns with yet another twisted villain to take down in the form of Bane

TDKR is the Marmite film of this trilogy, and I can understand why. It is a lot more confusing than the other 2, and it is a lot bigger in scale. However, performances from the cast are brilliant as expected- particularly from Tom Hardy as Bane (and his voice, well, it’s laughable) and the now-famous Liam Neeson returning as Ras-al-Ghul. The Zimmer score is just a typical Zimmer score, and after 3 films of the same themes he finally goes back to basics with slightly smaller arrangements. It’s shot brilliantly by Wally Pfister and yes, Nolan’s direction is very good indeed. Oh, and the stadium explosion is just epic.

SMIT RATING- 5/5