Fans of Batman are always digging though the Dark Knight’s comic book archives when trying to predict where Christopher and Jonathan Nolan are going to take their hero next. But as The Dark Knight Rises comes more into focus following the release of a third TV spot, it’s becoming clear they might be taking their cues from an entirely different source: the Rocky franchise.
I’m kidding, of course, but there are a few odd parallels between what’s been teased in the trio of recent clips and Rocky III and Rocky IV — at least if you really want there to be. Most obviously, Bane is an amalgam of Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago, a brutally violent drug-enhanced freak. Like Rocky Balboa, Batman and Bruce Wayne are now enjoying the fruits of their labors and perhaps they’ve grown a little soft. Then, suddenly, Bane strikes, putting Commissioner Gordon in the hospital — read: Mickey’s death — and shaking Batman’s confidence. He’s got to get his mojo back to defend his honor and Gotham, but can he be that hero again? “You’re not Batman anymore,” whines Alfred, in the most recent TV spot. Ouch. That’s almost as harsh as Adrian shouting at Rocky from the top of the stairs in Rocky IV, “You can’t win!” Watch for more clues below. READ FULL STORY »
