G-S-T Quick 5 – Best Nolan Batman Moments (Leading To The Dark Knight Rises)

Harvey Dent once said that “The night is darkest just before the dawn.” and tomorrow, so say the trailers, TV spots and WB’s immense marketing campaign, that Knight will rise. So instead of us putting up a CineMagic 8-Ball post since everybody on the planet is going to go see The Dark Knight Rises this weekend, I thought I would give Grady the day off and instead offer up what I think are the 5 Best Nolan Batman Moments in the first two installments of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Enjoy the path to The Dark Knight Rises.

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At some point in life, everyone needs a little push and even though Bruce Wayne was stripped of his intended vengeance by Falcone (shooting Joe Chill) he almost has to thank the crime boss for finally pushing him over the edge. Here Tom Wilkinson’s monologue is as sharp as any Batarang in Batman’s arsenal and becomes the spark that lights Wayne’s justice-fueled fire.

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Taking a que from Falcone, Wayne travels more than “a thousand miles” and begins training to become the hero we know him as today. Ducard (or rather, the real Ra’s Al Ghul) offers sage-like advice as Bruce learns what it takes to become more than a man…and a small lesson in survival, the appropriate way to warm yourself after an unfortunate icy plunge.

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With the prequel safely in the can, this final sequence and lead-in to a much larger universe is enough to illicit huge grins and send shivers down the spine of every Batman fan boy (and girl) on the planet. Talk about a icing on the cake. Class that Nolan.

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Few villains are as memorable and legendary as The Joker and while the bar is consistently raised with each thespian to don the white, red, green and purple, you don’t make a better entrance than Heath Ledger and his “magic trick“. Oh, and if you didn’t already know Heath’s inspiration for The Joker, I highly suggest you check out this video.

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Most times when villains get together and talk shop or plan a diabolical scheme, it can get too mustache twirly…but not in a Nolan film. Here he shows incredible reverence for both the clown prince and the fallen DA. We get solid acting, three-dimensional, sophisticated and anguished characters and even though Harvey doesn’t say a thing, his eyes, like The Joker’s expositional monologue, still speak volumes.

People just love the hospital collapse at the end but the Joker’s initial “Hi” just kills me every single time.

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The Dark Knight Rises is the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s highly successful Batman series based on the famous DC Comics character. This sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman and picks up eight years after the events of The Dark Knight. New to this trilogy are the likes of Selina Kyle and Bane who are played by Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy respectively.

Check out our review which goes live at midknight…and prepare to Rise!! Until then, let me ask you…what are your favorite scenes?? Did we hit on any of them?? If not tell us what you love about Nolan’s Batman films, and please (those of you who saw TDKR early), keep it to the first two Batman films.