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Will "Dark Knight" sequel live up to the first one?
By Tony Fiorello
On April 15, 2012
Once in a while, a movie is so successful that a sequel is demanded by fans because they don't want to
see the story end, they want to see it continue.
Not all sequels turn out to be very good, however. The outcry for an epilogue can sometimes blow up in
the moviegoer's face with a terrible follow-up.
A good example of this is the original installment of the Batman movies. After the first two flicks
(Batman and Batman Returns - both good), the franchise continued in the form of Batman Forever and
Batman and Robin. Those two films didn't even come close to the standards that the previous ones set,
thanks in large part to director Joel Schumacher trying to make them more kid-friendly.
This is why I'm a little nervous about the release of The Dark Knight Rises in July.
The first two movies in the second installment, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, certainly met
expectations, especially the ones of a lifelong Batman fan like me. Both had great story lines and the
right people to play the characters involved. The characters that were chosen were also excellent picks.
I have no doubt that The Dark Knight Rises will have the right actors and actresses. Judging from the
trailer, Anne Hathaway looks like she might be a natural fit as Selina Kyle (Catwoman). And when it
comes to playing Bane, anyone would be considered an upgrade over Jeep Swenson, who played the
character in Batman and Robin, so Tom Hardy is an automatic improvement.
But what has me concerned about the third movie directed by Christopher Nolan is the potential plot. A
bad plot can ruin any good movie, especially a sequel that is measured up to the blockbusters that came
before them.
Case in point: The Godfather Part III. It was a good movie because it was able to bring the trilogy to a
fitting end, but the story didn't live up to the standards that were set for it from the first two Godfather
films.
That's why it is so hard to make a good trilogy. Very few know how to effectively end a series. The ones
that have, like the original Star Wars, Austin Powers or the Spider Man trilogies, had plots that didn't go
off course - they stayed consistent with the theme of the first two films.
Unfortunately, more often than not, movie spinoffs will end up becoming similar to the Scary Movie
series - everyone loves the first two, but they tend to fall off after that.
Ultimately, I do trust Christopher Nolan to make a movie that can bring the Batman series to an
emphatic end. His movies are generally fascinating, and he's quite a storyteller. As long as he doesn't
somehow bring Robin into The Dark Knight Rises, then I think it will turn out to be very good (although I
did hear the other day that Nolan considered having Chris O'Donnell make a cameo appearance.
I kid, of course. See you at the box office July 20!
Tony Fiorello can be reached at fiorello.record@live.com.
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