Warner Bros. has released a long-form trailer for its upcoming super hero action film The Dark Knight Rises.
The new trailer starts with an eerie lack of music, and a few whispered, melodramatic lines, building into our best look yet at what the final Nolan Batman film will look like.
There was a bit of controversy about the audibility of Bane’s voice in the early teasers, and we were told the sound would be remixed, and it clearly has, but it seems like it’s gone too far the other way. Bane sounds too clear, and not like he’s speaking through a mask at all. In each of his lines, it sounds more like someone is saying the line behind his hand just off camera. It doesn’t help that his mask doesn’t seem to move, and he seems not to emote his lines. Maybe it’s just an oddly mixed trailer.
What we do get is a stronger sense of Catwoman’s role in the story. It’s been hard to tell so far if she will be plying a more traditional crossfire enemy as in the comics or if Nolan has made her character more sinister, as it seemed in other promos. This depiction puts her squarely back between Batman and his foe, where she belongs. A known unknown who could help or hinder Batman – or both – and any given juncture.
The scene of the destroyed bridge tells me the isolation of Gotham from the outside world will be a big part of the film, as it was in Batman Begins, but I am also surprised to see so much sunlight, leading me to believe that more of the action of this film might take place in the light of day, rather than everything going on in the dark.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20th, 2012.
