***WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS***
 |
| Deshi basara! Deshi basara! |
Re-watching The Dark Knight Rises, I am reminded of the recent James Bond outing Skyfall. Both movies feature tortured heroes who are broken and must rebuild physically and mentally to return better than ever.
In the Dark Knight Rises, the film opens with Bruce Wayne as a shell of himself. He chooses to stay a recluse after losing his love and his reputation to The Joker and Harvey "Two-Face" Dent respectively. He skulks about Wayne Manor crippled and angry. He refuses to take care of business, allowing his life to waste away.
Bond, in contrasts, hides behind his phony death. After being shot in the line of duty, he allows himself to be listed as 'dead' and spends his time frolicking on a remote island. When he does return to 'life', he is angry at the agent who shot him and also seethes with animosity to M, as evidenced by the answers he gives when he is tested by a company psychologist.
Both men return to action when a threat to their existence happens: Wayne with the emergence of Bane, Bond when cyber-terrorist Raoul Silva threatens M's life.
 |
| Bond, James Bond |
Bruce Wayne is literally broken when Bane breaks his back during a subway tussle. Bond is mentally broken and not physically adept when he undergoes his physical test to prove he's prepared to return to duty. Both men also SHOW their weariness in he form of gray flecked beards and weakened physical appearance.
When it is time to test their readiness, both men return to the past to prepare. Wayne is taken to prison in the same country where he met Ra's Al Ghul during his training as Batman. Bond returns to his Scotland childhood home for a showdown with Silva.
The Dark Knight Rises transitions the characters to endings while Skyfall transitions to new beginnings. Both movies introduce known characters: Robin, Ms Moneypenny. And both end with our heroes embarking on the next chapter of their lives.
