It has been over a decade since The Dark Knight Rises was released, marking the end of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. I have watched each of these films several times, and I still love them to this day. It’s funny how in the summer of 2012, the general public was more excited about a DC movie (The Dark Knight Rises) than a Marvel one (The Avengers).
However, even with all the superhero movies we get today, I still consider The Dark Knight one of the greatest superhero trilogies. So here, are my 5 reasons why The Dark Knight is still amazing.
1. A Beginning and an End
Nolan always said for The Dark Knight that he wanted a beginning and an end with just three movies. I respect this decision now, given the volume of superhero movies we get each year. For example, in the MCU, a novice must watch over 30 movies and several TV shows to catch up just before watching the latest movie release. Standalone series are still super popular, as shown by more recent projects like The Joker and The Batman.
A trilogy with no spin-offs is perfect for a series like this one, especially when you see reboots like The Matrix Resurrections, which was a bust.
2. Nothing Super Natural in this World
The heroes are by no means superhuman and don’t have any superpowers. Although Bruce Wayne is a very resourceful man with his intelligence, combat skills, and financial resources, he’s still human. The situations that occur in these movies are realistic, i.e., hostage situations, bomb threats, or terrorist attacks. This is a huge reason people can relate to this trilogy so well, as they may have been in one of these unfortunate situations themselves.
The MCU and DCEU have taken their films in a completely different direction showing super powers and god-level threats to entice fans. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but having a realistic version of Gotham can show how humane these characters we love are.
3. Amazing Villains
All of the villains in this trilogy are top-notch. Each villain was crucial in developing Bale’s interpretation of Batman. The most notable performance, of course, was Heath Ledger as The Joker. The abused psychopath who wants to see Gotham burn Ledger sacrificed his life to portray the Joker, and his role is still highly praised 15 years later. Ledger inspired many Jokers in future movies after The Dark Knight.
Other notable performances in this trilogy include Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face and Tom Hardy as Bane. In each movie, the villains were spot on, and fans understood their motives instantly.
4. Bruce Wayne is far from perfect
Bruce Wayne is a playboy billionaire who seems to have a perfect life, attaining things everyone desires, like money, power, and women. However, under all that, he had his fair share of tragedies, like losing his parents when he was nine. That loss made it difficult for him to trust or have a meaningful relationship with anyone.
Also, his superhero image needs work. Batman is the vigilante who protects Gotham City from villains but does not want to execute them. This way of thinking cost him the love of his life, Rachel, when he chose to spare the Joker. The loss of Rachel also resulted in the birth of another major villain, Two-Face.
We often think superheroes are perfect, like Captain America or Superman. But I relate more to heroes like Batman. The vigilante has experienced multiple tragedies in his life, but still sides with justice. His decisions aren’t always right, but he learns from his mistakes.
What were your favorite superhero movies growing up?
So overall, those are my top 5 reasons why The Dark Knight is still amazing. If you have not checked out this trilogy, I hope you do. What were your favorite superhero movies growing up? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll check them out. Be sure to share this post with fellow Batman lovers, and check out my DC movie summary post. Until next time, guys!
