It’s no surprise that I’m a Christopher Nolan fan and have been since 2005, when Batman Begins first released. I’m of the firm belief that The Dark Knight trilogy is, in fact, perfect, with each of them being five stars, no questions asked.
And enough time has passed that I’m finally ready to write about them, and also maybe shock everyone with what my favorite of the three is, even when I do love them equally. But again, that’s the thing about this trilogy: it’s that good. Christian Bale’s portrayal of Batman left me so floored that for the longest time, I couldn’t watch any other version. I had to sit with his for a while, think about why it always meant so much to me, and I eventually realized that it’s personal.
Batman Begins is one of the last films I obsessively watched while my dad was alive. It was one of the last movies that was on constant rotation at my house, with him wondering why I kept rewatching it. There’s also the matter that the Tim Burton Batman movies were some of the first my dad ever bought for me, making my connection to the caped crusader bigger than I could’ve ever known back then. But there’s something safe in Nolan’s trilogy that’s rare in a superhero film, and it’s all because the beginning, middle, and end make complete sense as a representation of how to overcome and how to keep moving forward. There’s a hope in them that’s indescribable, still to this day, and it’s a type of hope that I’m not sure I’ll ever find the right words for.
1. The Dark Knight Rises
No, this isn’t a typo. Yes, I stand by this opinion with my whole chest: The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect ending to Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and it’s a perfect movie from start to finish. From the casting to the revelations and the quietly healing ending, there’s nothing about it I’d change. (Except for maybe that I wish we’d actually get to see more of Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Robin/John Blake.)
Plus, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman? Tom Hardy as Bane? I really don’t need to say more. The thing about The Dark Knight Rises that I don’t think enough people acknowledge is how much Nolan packs into the film in order to ensure it sticks the landing. We often choose our favorite movies based on the character interactions, so I get why The Dark Knight is as iconic as it is, but the entire trilogy boils down to how it wraps everything up, and in that regard, it’s faultless.
As far as Bruce Wayne’s character journey is concerned, The Dark Knight Rises is the strongest to represent who he is at his core and why his journey matters. After years of sharpening his voice, mannerisms, and every emotional heartache he wore like armor, Christian Bale delivers his darkest, strongest performance, with a full range of emotions that will always leave me in awe and weeping long after the credits have rolled. Finding a happy ending through this movie and that final moment of Alfred seeing Bruce and Selina at a cafe, I don’t know. There’s a deeper hope in that I also think my dad would’ve really loved, so maybe it’s why I cling so hard to it.
2. The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is a masterful sequel and an example of how you deliver a unique story on a known comic book story. Frankly, the fact that people still try to touch the Joker when The Dark Knight exists is a little odd to me. We all rightfully talk about it all the time, but there are truly so few words for the masterful performance from the late and legendary Heath Ledger.
He is, in every way, the kind of performer who leaves a mark, and a large part of the reason why this movie is as sensational as it is. Dark, gritty, and brilliantly compelling from start to finish, there’s nothing about it that doesn’t work.
3. Batman Begins
The best thing about Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is the fact that there really isn’t a weak film in the bunch. Based on everyone’s different preferences, like the fact that some people do prefer an origin story, their favorite can be a personal choice. Because objectively, each of them achieves what they’re meant to, and that’s why they’re each staggering.
Batman Begins is a near-perfect origin and an exceptional introduction into this version of the vigilante. The way we see Bruce Wayne find himself and how we come to terms with what Nolan wants this version to be makes it exceptional. It’s also rare for an origin to shine when you get other films that might be significantly better in what they showcase, but that’s also part of what makes Batman Begins so layered. Looking back at it makes it even more riveting, and that’s not something that can be said about many movies.
What’s your ranking of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Warner Bros. Pictures