Today’s forecast: a thick fog of Batman rolling in over the explosive box office earnings of 2012’s other superhero movie, The Avengers.
Beginning last week with an onslaught of posters and a bevy of TV spots, The Dark Knight Rises continues its aggressive campaign to win over the masses, knowing full well that the summer season’s many blockbusters are competing for their attention. Sure, its the sequel to The Dark Knight, one of the highest grossing movies of all time — but five years later, the landscape of summer action movies is an entirely different ball game. The Avengers, with its light and fluffy take on the comic book movie, is on its way to besting The Dark Knight‘s gargantuan take. Can Batman’s dark, gritty, realistic spin still attract the general public?
The latest TV-sized trailer boldly declares: “Hell yes.” Director Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga may be brewed with metaphor and human emotion, but it still packs a punch like few other summer action movies. The Dark Knight Rises promises big, big, big stunts — and the latest snippet of footage is ready to show it off.
A fourth spot has also been released, one more in tune with the previous two emphasizing the return of Batman as the focus of the series (a very important perspective shift, in my opinion). Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox pops up to lure Bruce Wayne back into the game with some fancy new technology (mainly, a Batplane). Wayne quips that he’s “retired,” but really, who can resist a Batplane? Not anyone interested in adrenaline-infused action, that’s for sure.
The two and a half hour trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will play exclusively in theaters July 20, 2012.
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
More:
‘Dark Knight Rises’ TV Spots: Fixing ‘The Dark Knight’ Problem
‘Dark Knight Rises’ Poster Frenzy Continues: More Action, More Destruction
‘The Avengers’ passes ‘Star Wars’ Box Office!
[Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures ]
