by Ryan Rigley
Every now and again, we all find ourselves drawn more to the supervillains than the heroes. They're just so much more interesting than the good guys! This weekend, Batman fans all across the country were treated to the re-imagining of three new comic book villains up on the silver screen. We're talking, of course, about Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway, who both nailed their performances as Bane and Catwoman respectively. As for the third villain, you'll just have to see the movie to find out who it is.
While "The Dark Knight Rises" wasn't the first film to feature these Batman baddies, it certainly was the most realistic take on them so far. But how exactly do these "Dark Knight Rises" villains fare when put up against their comic book counterparts? Find out after the jump! Oh, and SPOILERS.
BANE
What Worked: There's no arguing that Tom Hardy's Bane is truly a terrifying sight to behold. Built like a human gorilla but twice as smart, Bane poses the first real physical threat to Batman in the "Dark Knight" trilogy. Unlike scrawny madmen like Scarecrow and The Joker, Bane has the brawn to match his brains making every one of his fight scenes more exhilarating than the last.
What Needed Work: Unlike the comic books, we never really get a sense for Bane's addiction to the Venom serum. Other than the fact that he's constantly wearing that gas mask, Venom is never really mentioned or hinted at in any way. Also, that mask made it really hard for us to understand what Bane was saying at certain key parts of the movie. But at least that gives us a good excuse to go see it again!
What Was New & Interesting: Christopher Nolan's version of Bane is a lot more witty than the version that we see in the comic books. He also seems to be some type of Greek or Mediterranean while the comic book Bane hails from the fictional Caribbean Republic of Santa Prisca. Bane's relationship to Talia was a new, but welcome surprise to most Batman fans. In the comics, Bane does in fact become Heir to the Demon (Ra's al Ghul) so his love for the Demon's daughter makes perfect sense.
CATWOMAN
What Worked: Selina Kyle is a strong, independent woman who also happens to be a strong, independent cat burglar. The sassy, yet seductive nature of her comic book counterpart was expertly captured by Anne Hathaway in "The Dark Knight Rises." It was easy for moviegoers to imagine Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle becoming romantically involved from the get-go, as it very well should have been.
What Needed Work: We find it hard to believe that Catwoman would not have a single cat in her apartment. Come to think of it, we can't recall anyone ever actually referring to her as "Catwoman." Perhaps, in Christopher Nolan's universe, it would be more realistic to refer to a cat burglar by her actual name but where's the fun in that?
What Was New & Interesting: While Selina never wore any cat-themed outfits whilst on the prowl, her sweet night vision goggles sure looked a lot like cat ears when pointed in the right direction. The real world wardrobe that Anne Hathaway's Catwoman wore seemed a lot more practical to us than dressing up as a giant cat for a big heist. The serrated edges on her stiletto heels were also a nice touch.
TALIA AL GHUL
What Worked: In the comics, Talia is desperately in love with Batman and longs for him to become her father's heir and rule the world with her. Although we never get a sense that Marion Cotillard's Talia loves Bruce Wayne, we do see the connection that the two initially have shortly after Bruce loses his family's fortune.
What Needed Work: Miranda Tate turning out to be Talia al Ghul was a clever twist on Nolan's part, but it doesn't really make sense that she would want to complete what her father started. Especially since Ra's al Ghul left her to grow up in that terrible prison for so many years.
What Was New & Interesting: The fact that Talia was the only one to ever escape the prison, as a child no less, says a lot about who she is as a person. The comic book Talia is a determined woman dead set on ruling the world, which also rings true for Marion Cotillard's Talia. But escaping the prison as a child while it took Bruce Wayne several attempts to escape makes this version of Talia seem like even more of a match for the Caped Crusader.
Tell us what you thought of the "Dark Knight" villains in the comments or on Twitter!
Tags bane, catwoman, Talia Al Ghul, The Dark Knight Rises
'Dark Knight Rises' Villains: What Worked, What Didn't
Posted 7/23/12 2:02 pm EST by Splash Page Team in Commentary, DC Comics
by Ryan Rigley
Every now and again, we all find ourselves drawn more to the supervillains than the heroes. They're just so much more interesting than the good guys! This weekend, Batman fans all across the country were treated to the re-imagining of three new comic book villains up on the silver screen. We're talking, of course, about Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway, who both nailed their performances as Bane and Catwoman respectively. As for the third villain, you'll just have to see the movie to find out who it is.
While "The Dark Knight Rises" wasn't the first film to feature these Batman baddies, it certainly was the most realistic take on them so far. But how exactly do these "Dark Knight Rises" villains fare when put up against their comic book counterparts? Find out after the jump! Oh, and SPOILERS.
BANE
What Worked: There's no arguing that Tom Hardy's Bane is truly a terrifying sight to behold. Built like a human gorilla but twice as smart, Bane poses the first real physical threat to Batman in the "Dark Knight" trilogy. Unlike scrawny madmen like Scarecrow and The Joker, Bane has the brawn to match his brains making every one of his fight scenes more exhilarating than the last.
What Needed Work: Unlike the comic books, we never really get a sense for Bane's addiction to the Venom serum. Other than the fact that he's constantly wearing that gas mask, Venom is never really mentioned or hinted at in any way. Also, that mask made it really hard for us to understand what Bane was saying at certain key parts of the movie. But at least that gives us a good excuse to go see it again!
What Was New & Interesting: Christopher Nolan's version of Bane is a lot more witty than the version that we see in the comic books. He also seems to be some type of Greek or Mediterranean while the comic book Bane hails from the fictional Caribbean Republic of Santa Prisca. Bane's relationship to Talia was a new, but welcome surprise to most Batman fans. In the comics, Bane does in fact become Heir to the Demon (Ra's al Ghul) so his love for the Demon's daughter makes perfect sense.
CATWOMAN
What Worked: Selina Kyle is a strong, independent woman who also happens to be a strong, independent cat burglar. The sassy, yet seductive nature of her comic book counterpart was expertly captured by Anne Hathaway in "The Dark Knight Rises." It was easy for moviegoers to imagine Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle becoming romantically involved from the get-go, as it very well should have been.
What Needed Work: We find it hard to believe that Catwoman would not have a single cat in her apartment. Come to think of it, we can't recall anyone ever actually referring to her as "Catwoman." Perhaps, in Christopher Nolan's universe, it would be more realistic to refer to a cat burglar by her actual name but where's the fun in that?
What Was New & Interesting: While Selina never wore any cat-themed outfits whilst on the prowl, her sweet night vision goggles sure looked a lot like cat ears when pointed in the right direction. The real world wardrobe that Anne Hathaway's Catwoman wore seemed a lot more practical to us than dressing up as a giant cat for a big heist. The serrated edges on her stiletto heels were also a nice touch.
TALIA AL GHUL
What Worked: In the comics, Talia is desperately in love with Batman and longs for him to become her father's heir and rule the world with her. Although we never get a sense that Marion Cotillard's Talia loves Bruce Wayne, we do see the connection that the two initially have shortly after Bruce loses his family's fortune.
What Needed Work: Miranda Tate turning out to be Talia al Ghul was a clever twist on Nolan's part, but it doesn't really make sense that she would want to complete what her father started. Especially since Ra's al Ghul left her to grow up in that terrible prison for so many years.
What Was New & Interesting: The fact that Talia was the only one to ever escape the prison, as a child no less, says a lot about who she is as a person. The comic book Talia is a determined woman dead set on ruling the world, which also rings true for Marion Cotillard's Talia. But escaping the prison as a child while it took Bruce Wayne several attempts to escape makes this version of Talia seem like even more of a match for the Caped Crusader.
Tell us what you thought of the "Dark Knight" villains in the comments or on Twitter!
Tags bane, catwoman, Talia Al Ghul, The Dark Knight Rises
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