The Dark Knight may indeed be rising, but so too is my concern...

Around two months ago I found myself at a press screening of Joss Whedon’s wonderful Cabin in the Woods; a film that, for me, will take some beating within the horror genre of 2012. However, half of my night’s entourage – two up and coming horror directors – were unimpressed, stating that they felt the film 'was flat with little to no imagination'.

Had they not seen the same film as myself? What more could writer-producer Whedon and writer-director Drew Goddard have done – heck, the guys had seamlessly infused horror and subtle comic timing, a stumbling block for many of the top directors. Anyhow, after further discussion we agreed to disagree…it was clear that both had sustained head-injuries at some point – possibly due to a butter-fingered nanny or an infantile love of stair parkour – but let’s not get bogged down with specifics…

Inevitably, film fanatics that we are, the conversation soon turned to Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, the sequel to 2009’s The Dark Knight. Childish glee spread across the faces of all parties; and why not? Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Tom Hardy, Batman… what’s not to like? Well, for me, a number of things. The formula of (Batman x cast) + Hardy is wonderful, but how can it better The Dark Knight? Furthermore, throw in the Hathaway variable and I think we’ve got an unstable – and untested – blueprint.

Now, if I know the Internet like I think I do, I’m in for a barrage of abuse, and understandably so. Either way, here are five concerns I have regarding The Dark Knight Rises…

5. How do you improve on Ledger’s Joker?

Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker was, quite simply, unnerving. To prepare, Ledger had spent large periods alone, with rumours speculating that lengths of isolation had been as long as 30 days; and many believed that this devotion to the role played a substantial part in his unfortunate death (which, again, has been rumoured to be suicide ) …and who could blame them.

Rather than playing a role, Heath wanted to be the role. He gave himself 30 days to think, sleep, talk and even move like a psychopath; to understand the mind-set of a killer; and, most importantly, to abandon the ideals of a 28 year old Australian actor in favour of those of a systematic lunatic. He transformed his image, his persona, everything that made him, him, before re-emerging as The Joker.

As The Joker, Ledger won critical acclaim and the respect of the entire industry; a community that mourned his untimely death just months after the wrap of The Dark Knight. There's no doubting the undeniable talent of both Christopher Nolan as a director and Tom Hardy as an actor, but will they ever be able to shake comparisons to Ledger's last full performance? I don't think so...

4. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

While I’ve nothing against Hathaway as an actress, a simple read over her filmography is enough to worry me. The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, Bride Wars – I could continue, but I think the trend is already pretty obvious…

Bar the occasional Brokeback Mountain and Rachel Getting Married, Hathaway has built a career on chick flicks and rom coms, neither of which would instil confidence in her suitability for the role as Catwoman. After all, the same role left Halle Berry’s career – one of a far more established and suitably darker (performance wise) actress – in tatters, fending off Razzie awards left, right and centre.

Catwoman’s involvement in the Batman mythology has always been of great interest, one that a number of directors have tried – and continually failed – to get right. Saying that, the ‘Anoedipal Mythos’ of Batman and Catwoman states that the pair are polar opposites personality wise, yet are drawn together on a number of occasions, so perhaps the casting of Hathaway will prove to be a wonderful decision. Unfortunately, for the time being at least, I just can’t see it…her ‘butter-wouldn’t-melt’ persona just doesn’t fit the dark image of Nolan’s Batman...

3. Even the greats trip once in a while…

Steven Spielberg had Always (Google it…it’s horrific); David Beckham had Rebecca Loos; and George Michael had his public toilet faux pas…all greats, all of whom have stumbled at some stage. But what of Christopher Nolan; where’s his faire une betise? To date, the worst thing he’s directed has been Following, a film that still sits pretty with a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes...it’s hardly a fall from grace, is it?

So why mention it? Why bring concern to a rather unblemished career? Well, because I can’t shake the feeling that Nolan’s due a rotter. The Dark Knight remains one of the most defining films of the 21st Century, with performances to match – how can you improve on that? Sure, Tom Hardy is a great addition, but is he a step up from Ledger and The Dark Knight? I'm not so sure...

Believe me, I'm as excited as anyone about The Dark Knight Rises, but The Dark Knight was as close to perfection as you can get...what can Nolan gain or achieve from a follow-up?

2. Will comic mythology suffer in favour of dark content?

Like Alan Moore's Watchmen, The Dark Knight proved that we like our heroes with a hint of sadism. Throw in a dash of multiple personality order and a short fuse to match and we’re onto a winner; a hero that is not only relatable – with their own faults, short-comings and failures – but believable. As such, I think it’s safe to say that Robin is unlikely to feature in any Nolan based Batman – his rent-boy-esque image is hardly fitting of Bale’s gruff, lozenge-requiring Batman.

And yet, despite the appeal, one has to wonder as to the danger of this image on our crime-fighting philanthropist. Since Batman Begins in 2005, our caped-crusader has become gradually more perturbed as the films went on, to the point where people don’t even remember Adam West’s PG rated alternative. If this trend continues, do we risk turning Batman into everything he fights to avoid? Sure, an internal struggle of good and evil is captivating cinema, but tip the scale too far and Batman becomes the new Harvey Dent…

Ultimately, I feel the balance is a tentative one that, if handled incorrectly, could end the Batman franchise for the subsequent future. Nolan must be careful as to respect both the mythology of Batman and the faithful dedication of Batman’s fanbase, both new and old. Hang too far right and you’ll rile the comic book legion, but concentrate to specifically on the folklore and you dissociate the Dark Knight’s modern-day following.

Proceed with caution, Mr. Nolan…

1. Bane, Bane and Hardy…

When news leaked that Batman’s next nemesis was to be Bane, the Venom-addicted prison protégée of legendary Batman writer Dennis O’Neil, the reactions were mixed. Some welcomed the bold move by Nolan, applauding his nonconformity and welcoming a fresh approach to the aging franchise. However, for those with an insight into the world of the Dark Knight, there were whispers of concern...

Bane, ultimately, is a very difficult character to convert to film. Just ask Joel Schumacher – the guy welcomed a torrent of abuse from both fans and critics alike following his inclusion of Bane as Poison Ivy's 'roided bitch in Batman and Robin (1997)...and rightly so! His portrayal of Bane as nothing more than a drug-induced meat head was an insult to everyone involved in the Batman franchise and to the character itself. While there's no doubting Bane's blood-lust – he grew up in prison and killed his first man aged eight – the inmate also demonstrated an undeniable intelligence, one that led him to quite literally break the Batman (snapping his spine during a fight) in his original, comic-book endeavors, and rise to the top of the underworld within Gotham City. To suggest that this was a mere buffoon, a run-of-the-mill street rat, was incredulously insulting...

And this is where things get complicated. What makes Nolan's Batman so enjoyable is the accessible nature of the script, with the man himself favouring reality to fantasy. Ignoring the fact that Batman is actually a (genius) billionaire playboy philanthropist, we've accepted Batman for what he is, a mere mortal...with access to ridiculously advanced hardware and technology...and we've embraced him more than ever as this. So, with this in mind, one has to wonder how you introduce a steroid-enhanced super-genius to the script? The Joker, as deranged as he was, still fathomed some form of realism – as too did the wonderful addition of Harvey "Two-Face" Dent – so how does one go about integrating the wholly fictional persona of Bane into the otherwise (mostly) believable world of Gotham City?

Furthermore, the casting of Tom Hardy is...well, I'm not sure what it is. We've all seen what he can offer – Bronson, Inception and Warrior just three perfect examples – and he's put on a great amount of size to play the role. But this is not just any role, it's the role of his career. Jim Carrey was (and still is) The Riddler; Heath Ledger became The Joker; and Danny De Vito was born to play The Penguin...is this a role that Hardy can really capture? In years to come, will upcoming thespians look upon this performance in the same light as they may Heath Ledger's Joker?

Please, don't see this as a personal attack on Hardy as an actor – I think the guy's an immensely talented actor. Instead, look upon it as a pause for thought; a moment of realism for you to consider.

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