10. The first part of 'Batman Begins'
The reason I like the opening to 'Batman Begins' so much is that it doesn't even look like a Batman movie. It's a ballsy move, but opens the trilogy superbly. It's shot on an exotic location, and even has Bruce Wayne and [who we later find out is Ra's al Ghul] sword fighting (an obvious nod to Batman and Ra's al Ghul fencing!). It's one of the most beautifully shot sequences in the entire trilogy, and the part where Bruce saves "Henry Ducard's" (Liam Neeson) life demonstrates a realistic example of not only how far a person would go to save another man's life; but what Bruce Wayne will do to save the life of a [then known to be] bad man. Brilliant.
9. "Does it come in black?" (Batman Begins)
This is not only the introduction to what's essentially the Batmobile; but also the mutual "keep it on the DL" and witty banter between Bruce and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). The look of "the Tumbler" definitely took a while getting used to after all the flashy Batmobiles of previous movies; but once you saw it in action, you never looked back. The look on Fox's face as Bruce is driving the Tumbler like a kid in a race car simulator is priceless.
8. Selina Kyle's fight at the bar (The Dark Knight Rises)
In one of the early scenes in The Dark Knight Rises, we knew Selina Kyle is slick but here we get a (very satisfying) taste of her kicking ass before we see her in her cat burglar suit. As soon as the police arrive, she's the damsel in distress all of a sudden, a true chameleon. In reality, she's totally fearless the whole time, and just casually strolls out of the scene that has erupted. I love it!
7. The Joker Card (Batman Begins)
Batman Begins might be one of the best "origin stories" for a comic book character. It was another brave, but wise move to not include one of the more well-known villains as the antagonist. Although Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul are no slouches in the Rogues gallery, they're not as well-known to non-hardcore fans. With a semi-happy ending, there can only be one logical conclusion: escalation. The goose bump-inducing Joker tease is so much cooler for the fact that it was only meant to be a tease, originally.
6. Agent of Chaos (The Dark Knight)
This scene is so cool for several reasons: it's two great Batman villains in one scene. Nurse Joker is wearing the "I Believe in Harvey Dent" sticker on his chest. The Joker disturbingly convinces Harvey "Two-Face" (and by extension, the audience) what's truly fair in the world. In effect, he makes Harvey look at the other side of the coin. It ultimately ends with the best practical effect in the trilogy and non-verbal acting by Heath Ledger--the hospital explosion.
5. Breaking the Bat
Batman and Bane's first fight in the sewers is just so brutal, you wanted it to end because you knew early on Batman didn't stand a chance. Stunning imagery and choreography, no background music, and one of my favorite lines in the movie (Bane: "Theatricality and deception, powerful agents to the uninitiated. But we are initiated, aren't we, Bruce? Members of the League of Shadows!"). Batman's cowl getting smashed in brings about tears of pain, one crack at a time. Of course, it ends with the famous "backbreaking", which happens so quickly that it's more painful to see here than it can be depicted in comic books.
4. The Climb (The Dark Knight Rises)
This scene resonates with me on many levels. Bruce faces fear again. He was broken and redeems himself. It brings back the "Why do we fall?" theme. The way "the chant" and Hans Zimmer's theme build up and culminate in an uproar of applause. We even see bats again. And then Bruce sees sunlight for the first time. The prison serves as a metaphorical Lazarus Pit ("Batman" is brought back to life). Most importantly, Bruce gives people hope. I get chills every time he makes the jump (without the rope).
3. The Dark Knight Rises Prologue
The third film starts strong with a stunning aerial sequence and a grand introduction to Bane, with the best IMAX has to offer in an action movie. Bane is an imposing physique but can disguise himself when needed. It's very similar to The Joker and his clowns robbing the mob bank in The Dark Knight prologue, although the stakes are much higher here (literally). You also get a sense of Bane's "true believers" ("Have we started the fire?"). Everything works for me here: the imagery, the [practical!] stunts, the soundtrack (big beats, pounding bass), dropping the fuselage of a plane to the ground, you know, that sort of thing. Bane also moves quickly and smoothly through the hijacking, as if this sort of thing can be trained for. I was a bit shocked at hearing Bane's "new" voice at first (as I think most were), but I got used to it right away.
2. Armor Car Chase (The Dark Knight)
Even though I think The Dark Knight Rises is a better action movie overall (and has some amazing cinematography), The Joker chasing the SWAT van carrying Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight is, I believe, the best action sequence in the trilogy. It's quite a long scene (all in IMAX) with no background music, and mostly all practical effects. "SLaughter is the Best Medicine" is a nice touch and very much The Joker. I also enjoy The Joker's military-grade arsenal. We see the reveal of the Bat Pod and get treated to yet again one of the best practical effects in the trilogy--the 18-wheeler truck flip. The scene is just so satisfying when Gordon is revealed as the SWAT driver.
1. The last 5 minutes of The Dark Knight Rises
So many good things happen in the last 5 minutes of 'Rises' after one of the most mind-blowing reveals: Talia al Ghul (although most fans speculated it for a while), along with an amazing action sequence and painful conclusion for Talia. We first get despair, thinking Batman died to save the people of Gotham. John Blake is revealed to be Robin John Blake. (We were waiting for Dick Grayson or something similar. . . but they went straight for it.) Bruce's idea of Batman being a "symbol" is carried on as Blake aka Robin finds his way into the batcave. The music fits perfectly, as the bats fly over Blake (I'm just going to call him Robin) and then Hans Zimmer's score hits hard as Alfred nods straight ahead as he's looking at (an alive) Bruce Wayne, who's at the cafe with Selina Kyle who is wearing the pearl necklace. Our despair becomes hope. Alfred's "fantasy" becomes a reality. Robin "rises" in the batcave, water falls down, cuts to black, and The Dark Knight Rises title card appears. A perfect way to end the trilogy.
