IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW ANY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” PROLOGUE, THEN READ NO FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE.
“We’re going to be starting a few minutes late as there are still a number of people trying to get in. There are no trailers before the movie… Except of course for that one thing…”
So said the voice over the speaker at Rave Cinemas in West Los Angeles a few minutes before “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” began. But what really got some of us up at 10 am on Friday, December 16, 2011 was the chance to see “that one thing” which was the opening prologue to next summer’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Our adrenaline rose quickly as Han Zimmer’s powerful music score came over us, and we got our long awaited introduction to Bane as played by Tom Hardy.
The prologue makes full use of the IMAX screen (aside from the opening bit with Gary Oldman) as a number of prisoners whose heads are covered with black sheets are led onto a plane which quickly takes them up into the air. I can’t say much more than that, but you will be able to tell which one is Bane before his sheet is removed. Also, it gives the opening plane sequence from Renny Harlin’s “Cliffhanger” a run for its money.
Hardy looks perfectly imposing as Bane and it goes without saying that he has spent hours upon hours in the gym gaining lord only knows how many pounds of muscle. While his face is covered by a truly frightening looking mask, his eyes and body exude the “don’t f*** with me” attitude that needs no words to express it. If there is a downside, it’s that a lot of what Bane says is hard to make out. You certainly get the gist of what he has to say, but other than that he sounds frustratingly muffled. Still, this is not the Bane from “Batman & Robin” which should quickly relieve die hard fans of the DC Comic Book series.
Watching this prologue in IMAX made me realize how this format truly elevates the movie going experience in a way 3D could only dream of doing. Looking back at when I saw “The Dark Knight” in IMAX, I remember how it felt like we were moving along with the camera over Gotham City. That same feeling returned as we watch Bane make a mid air escape which blew away the audience I was with early in the morning.
Director Christopher Nolan has said that “The Dark Knight Rises” will feature more footage shot in this format than what we saw in the previous film. Of course, with IMAX cameras being as loud as they are, the majority of dialogue scenes will be shot in 35mm and 70mm cameras. Still, technology is catching up quickly with filmmakers as always.
Following the prologue are snippets from the upcoming movie which show Bale still strutting his stuff as the Caped Crusader along with shots which have crowds of people rushing to attack one another. There’s also looks to be a Batwing in this one, but that it looks like a spaceship threatens is a little weird. The final image is the most frightening of all: Bane holding a piece of Batman’s shattered mask.
We also get to see Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Seeing her in the full Catwoman suit was strange at first, but then came another moment where she is sitting in the back of a car with a deeply emotional look on her face that spoke words without her saying a thing. I know a lot of people were worried about her playing this role, but the footage here convinced me Nolan made the right choice in casting her.
But even more thankfully, Hathaway is not descending into the camp Halle Berry got submerged in with “Catwoman.” What the heck was Warner Brothers thinking when they made that one anyway?!
Suffice to say, the prologue gets me all the more excited to check out the final chapter in Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy. As much as I try to control my anticipation and expectations with these big summer event movies, “The Dark Knight Rises” has me waiting impatiently for its release. Everybody cheered when the Warner Brothers logo came up, and they cheered just as loudly when this little taste of what will come came to a close.
Everyone is singing Nolan’s praises like he is the second coming and I just hope he doesn’t get met with the derision which greeted George Lucas with those “Star Wars” prequels.
In the meantime, we’d better start learning that chant which you can hear just underneath the prologue:
“Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!!”
NOTE: There were a handful of people who left the theatre once the prologue ended, and I strongly advise you not to do that. My review of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” will be coming up soon, but I can tell you it is awesome and also makes superb use of the IMAX format as well
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