Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Released July 20, 2012
Watched July 20, 2012
timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars
Contenders: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay
This probably isn't a film I would normally include in my Oscar Watch series, but it was on my initial list, and it IS the last of the trilogy... so why not.
Simply put, TDKR is a film that didn't live up to expectations, but probably couldn't have. The second film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, was quite possibly the greatest superhero film ever made, and this is a film that is simply in it's shadow. Don't get me wrong: it's an incredibly enjoyable film and a great end to a sublime trilogy, but it doesn't reach the level of The Dark Knight.
Oscar chances? I'm really not sure. Christian Bale is good (but he's been better), Anne Hathaway is good (but she's better in Les Misérables), Nolan's work is good (but was better in TDK). But like I wrote in my review of Toy Story 3 back in 2011, the Academy does have a precedent of rewarding the end of great series... but it'd really be a token nomination, honestly. It was obviously a different situation back in 2008 when TDK wasn't nominated, but in hindsight, this being nominated when TDK wasn't would be a travesty.
