The Dark Knight Rises Anticipation Station

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

did Harvey Dent, in the few weeks (at most) portrayed in the Dark Knight, really leave that much of an impression that it matters if his innocence was a lie eight years later? The most he actually did was lock up a bunch of criminals on a technicality, and even he admitted that a lot of them could get out on bail, and the rest would be for 18 months at most.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Everything we keep hearing about Bane and his back story has me extremely interested. It would continue to seem to me that the Nolans and Goyer read the Legends of the Dark Knight story that I and others have referred to earlier in this thread and have decided to use that as the basis of Bane's story. The two parter was one of my favourite stories so I'm glad that DC is releasing it in trade next year in the form of the Bane Vs Batman TPB.

 

[JarodRussell]

did Harvey Dent, in the few weeks (at most) portrayed in the Dark Knight, really leave that much of an impression that it matters if his innocence was a lie eight years later? The most he actually did was lock up a bunch of criminals on a technicality, and even he admitted that a lot of them could get out on bail, and the rest would be for 18 months at most.

Dent put almost the entire mob to prison, including the big ones.

 

[Admiral_Young]

It's not just the revelation of Harvey devolving into Two-Face that would be a big deal but also the notion that the police covered this up and essentially framed Batman for something he never did even though it was Batman's suggestion they do this in the first place. Harvey was the cities symbol of hope so there would be a great deal of fall out if Bane revealed that he was Two-Face.

 

[archeryguy1701]

^I can actually see how this would cause a huge uproar in Gotham... Batman, while he is a vigalante, was working hard to make Gotham sager and better. If word got out that Batman was framed to essentially protect a government official who became corrupt, people would definitely pissed off. The "revolution" wouldn't be based on the idea that their symbol of hope was bad, but rather that the good guy was taken down to hide the bad guy.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Yep. This is precisely how i expect the city to react if indeed that is what we're going to see.

 

[Trekker4747]

Eh, eight years had past. In city terms that's a life time, the people of Gotham would be more absorbed with the new iPod than to worry about some government fiasco that had happened nearly a decade ago.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

plus the scenes where Two-Face is actually Two Face and he's shooting cops and gangsters were actually the weakest moments in the film, dramatically. They hardly are memorable compared to what the Joker did. I am not happy Nolan is using those scenes to set up this new film. It's like using silly string to tie a trailer to a truck cab.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Eh, eight years had past. In city terms that's a life time, the people of Gotham would be more absorbed with the new iPod than to worry about some government fiasco that had happened nearly a decade ago.

I know. that's why you never hear people talking about the assassinations of JFK, RFK or MLK, the election debacle in 2000, conspiracy theories over 9/11, Princess Diana or the Lockerbie bombing, the Iraq War, etc etc. No-one ever cares about things that happened in the past.

 

[archeryguy1701]

^Not to mention it wouldn't just be a "government fiasco that happened nearly a decade ago"... depending on what action Bruce takes, Batman would potentially still be doing his thing and being hunted by the police the entire time. Even though the initial event happened a decade ago, it would be soemthing that still effects everyone, or that they are all at least aware of, every day. It's one of those things that just won't go away unless Batman went into hiding for that whole period.

 

[the G-man]

Have you guys ever, for example, the New York Post or any other big city tabloid? There are scandals and cover-ups in city government all the time, some recent in time and none of them have the effect that "Bane" apparently thinks the big Harvey reveal would have. At most, resignations occur and/or the attorney general or justice department shows up and starts indicting people.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Well, we don't know what has happened since TDK. Harvey may well have been revered as a martyr, an icon since then. Gotham's last chance for normality. Nor do we know what state things are in at the time of TDKR. With a downtrodden, depressed people, the sudden shattering of their illusions about one of their heroes could have a more serious impact than say that New York politician who was caught with the hookers.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Count me in as another who's just not feeling it. It seems like it's just one potential pit-fall after another and has really set it self up to fail hard.

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder why Nolan even bothered in the first place other than to follow that nonsensical rule that it HAS to be a trilogy. BB/TDK make a fantastic dualogy, and I actually think the ending of TDK works better that way--from a thematic standpoint.

Anyone in his right mind knows it will be nearly impossible to do better so why even try?

I really think the smarter move would to have just reboot and done a parallel Bats movie to MoS, push it back a year, and have 2013 launch a new DC-verse to build from.

 

[Warped9]

Count me in as another who's just not feeling it. It seems like it's just one potential pit-fall after another and has really set it self up to fail hard.

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder why Nolan even bothered in the first place other than to follow that nonsensical rule that it HAS to be a trilogy. BB/TDK make a fantastic dualogy, and I actually think the ending of TDK works better that way--from a thematic standpoint.

Anyone in his right mind knows it will be nearly impossible to do better so why even try?

Good things often come about because someone believes they can do something better. After two good films I think Nolan has earned some cred with Batman. Yeah, I've got questions, but I've found an element in trust in Nolan's ability. I'll wait and see.

 

[the G-man]

^ Well, we don't know what has happened since TDK. Harvey may well have been revered as a martyr, an icon since then....

I'm perfectly willing to be proven wrong but it just doesn't feel "real" to me that a jaded city would treat a first term D.A. like a cross between JFK/MLK and John Lennon eight years later, at least not to the extent that the city would explode if it turned out he died a mentally ill burn victim whom the police tried to maintain was a hero.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Well, we don't know what else has happened, what else Bane has done, how the people are otherwise feeling. This could just be his opening gambit to flush Batman back into business. You may well be right but until we see it all on the big screen, we don't know how convincing it will all be.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

I haven't read this entire thread and don't know what all information has been released about the film, so correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't all this speculation that the film's story will hinge on Bane exposing Harvey come from a single still of Bane holding up Harvey Dent's picture before a crowd?

If so, that seems thin evidence upon which to decide that the main blow Bane deals to Gotham is destroying Dent's reputation. Especially since Hardy has spoken about Bane primarily in physical terms -that's he's wildly brutal. Seems more likely to me that he'll sow terror by randomly beating the hell out of people and anything having to do with Dent will be relatively minor - adding insult to injury essentially.

But maybe you all know something I don't so I could be wrong.

 

[Nowhere Man]

^ Yep. This is precisely how i expect the city to react if indeed that is what we're going to see.

There would be a huge distrust of Batman and Gordon. Just think, if there is some memorial to Dent, then the people find out he's a fraud, they have spent all of this time honoring a criminal and condeming a hero. A little bit of uproar can escelate very quickly if you add in a character like Bane.

 

[the G-man]

Huge distrust of Batman? The whole point of the end of TDK was to "frame" Batman for Harvey's death. The public will trust him less if he's revealed to NOT be a killer?

Gordon is a better point. Again, however, the result would be less "riots in the streets" and more "call in the justice department."

 

[Admiral_Young]

Lapis Exilis we've been speculating on all facets of the film's plot without knowing very many details. This is kind of one of the points of this thread. Speculation is part of the anticipation process