After a tough battle, Chris Dann finally located the particle accelerator. To thwart the plan to destroy New York, he first had to confront his mentor and teacher, Rainer.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Lynch had gathered every officer he could muster, arriving by boat to start clearing Rainer's perimeter forces. In the face of this situation, Rainer, with his unwavering belief, ordered his men to hasten the detonation, even if it meant their deaths.
Chris Dann was undoubtedly Rainer's most outstanding student. Facing Chris Dann, who was at his physical peak, the aging Rainer did not have absolute confidence in victory. However, he knew he had to stop Chris Dann, or all his previous efforts would be in vain.
As Chris Dann's teacher, Rainer knew exactly how to deal with him. Chris Dann's biggest weakness was his psychology.
"True strength comes from within!" Rainer's belief was unshakable. "Only inner strength is true strength!"
In his eyes, the young and vigorous Chris Dann was not internally strong enough.
"Do you know what kind of man your father was?"
As Chris Dann lunged at him, Rainer, just like during training, kept talking while fighting. "Everything here stems from your father. Without his support and persuasion, this particle accelerator could never have been transported here! New York could never be destroyed! Your father is not the great man you think he is! He was a criminal! A coward! And a traitor!"
Each sentence struck Chris Dann's heart like a heavy hammer. However, having endured so many hardships from fearing the dark to becoming one with it, he had become strong enough, and with his youth on his side, he maintained the upper hand.
"You fear what you don't understand!"
Rainer revealed his trump card, "Do you know why your father died?"
Chris Dann hesitated, and Rainer took the opportunity to kick him down, regaining some ground.
"He betrayed me!" Rainer's words completely shocked Chris Dann. "It was his betrayal that turned him black from the inside out!"
Although Chris Dann had suspected something on the way over, hearing these words nearly drove him mad. His mentor, who had taught him everything, had killed his father...
Rainer seemed to anticipate Chris Dann's thoughts, his psychological assault unrelenting. "I taught you because I wanted you to destroy the city your father gave his life to protect, to show him the consequence of betraying me!"
He knocked Chris Dann down again. "He knew I intended to destroy New York and tried to betray me! So, I made him black from the inside out, even his bones turned to darkness!"
Darkness—the source of Chris Dann's fear. Rainer believed he had helped Chris conquer it and could awaken his fear again.
At that moment, the particle accelerator was ready, and a man in black prepared to activate the detonation mode.
Chris Dann rose from the ground, enveloped in darkness from all sides, but he stood up from the darkness, seemingly becoming a part of it in his black suit.
"But you failed!" Chris Dann tore off his mask. "I didn't follow the path you set! I won't destroy New York! And I won't let you destroy New York!"
Chris Dann and Rainer engaged in their final showdown. Faced with the ferocity of Chris Dann, Rainer, now old and weak, quickly fell behind, allowing Chris Dann to reach the particle accelerator and shut it down.
Several police officers arrived nearby, and Chris Dann overpowered Rainer.
"Kill me!" Rainer demanded.
"I won't kill you!" Chris Dann picked up his mask and left one final sentence, "But I won't save you either!"
Chris Dann decided to let the law judge Rainer.
He left the island, and gunshots echoed in the distance. On the island, Rainer was shot by a police officer, with the blame pinned on the Dark Avenger.
The film reached its conclusion. Chris Dann finally understood that his father had sacrificed his life to protect the city, and he would watch over it just like his father did.
Many high-ranking officials colluding with the gang were exposed, and Sheriff Lynch became a significant figure in the New York Police Department, second only to the chief. Jay Rachel met Chris Dann, and Chris revealed the potential issues with her father. The once-friends did not become lovers but went their separate ways.
In the final scene, Chris Dann met with Lynch again, mentioning the magician with a magic ball...
Applause erupted in the theater. Daisy clapped while exhaling. The film was quite oppressive; the protagonist wasn't ruthless enough. He should have directly killed the mentor to satisfy the audience!
In the premiere hall of Lincoln Center in New York, the applause was equally enthusiastic. People around congratulated Murphy, who responded with continuous smiles.
In the back rows, *The Hollywood Reporter* columnist Todd McCarthy also stood and clapped. This film was deep and oppressive, especially emphasizing the psychological portrayal of characters. The main roles were particularly well-rounded, with unexpected yet reasonable conflicts and turnarounds, deeply exploring the dark side of humanity, including political, ideological, legal, systemic, and ideological reflections. It was a rare masterpiece.
The only regret was that the story was a bit old-fashioned, not as brilliant in twists as *Gone Girl*.
Overall, it was an excellent film, more exciting than Murphy Stanton's previous work, *The Wolf of Wall Street*.
To his left, three seats away, *Los Angeles Times* critic Kenneth Turan, after applauding, quickly sat down and jotted down key phrases in his notebook, his mind filled with thoughts about the film.
He first noted the characters. A successful character meant a successful film. Henry Cavill's portrayal of Chris Dann's journey was heart-wrenching, perfectly reflecting the process of overcoming psychological obstacles to become a strong individual. This character was undoubtedly well-crafted, and the villains were equally impressive.
Rainer was a man of firm belief, even willing to sacrifice for his ideology. He wasn't a traditional villain, possessing unique logic and ideals...
His organization was intriguingly set up. They didn't seem bad but were incredibly fanatical.
For instance, saving New York.
Undoubtedly, whether in real-life New York or the film's New York, the night was filled with crime, needing a new order to cleanse it. But this couldn't be built on destruction, and Rainer didn't assess if the city was beyond saving but judged by his standards.
In other words, Rainer's organization saw themselves as gods, enjoying the ultimate right to judge a city's life and death, with standards set by themselves! From this, Chris Dann's mission to save New York dug deeply into societal values. Rainer and his organization ignored the objective existence of society for their survival. Both growing up in and being deeply hurt by the city, Chris Dann, due to different ideologies, became its protector.
For *City of Chaos*, it matched Murphy Stanton's consistent production style. Kenneth Turan could easily see the film's content and ideological depth were top-notch in commercial films!
Moreover, the many dialogues and the ending seemed to lay the groundwork for sequels. From this, it seemed the whole story was just the beginning.
Kenneth Turan was eager to see what special elements and masterpieces Murphy Stanton would bring next.
As the film ended, a large number of fans poured out of the theater. Edmond Princeton and Derk were among them. After leaving the cinema, they didn't go home but went to a nearby bar as previously arranged.
"This movie mainly talks about Chris Dann's growth process. What impressed me wasn't his later role as the Dark Avenger saving New York but his early journey learning martial arts and overcoming fear with Rainer."
Entering the bar and ordering two drinks, Edmond Princeton continued discussing *City of Chaos* with Derk. "Good movies aren't mindless popcorn flicks but films that can spark thought and resonance at any moment. A single scene or line can make people feel passionate or emotionally connected. Movies that can do this are undoubtedly good films, and this one is no exception."
The two seemed to have a great conversation, discussing while drinking. Most of the time, Edmond Princeton was talking, and Derk was listening. "Actually, some of Rainer's words make sense, like the only way to overcome fear is to face it head-on. People are always afraid of the unknown and unfamiliar. We instinctively reject things that don't conform to mainstream choices, not daring to try new fields because we fear change. We're afraid life after change will be worse, so we often deceive ourselves, staying put, living life as it is."
"Henry Cavill really suits the role of Chris Dann." Since he missed the beginning, Derk could only talk about the actors. "His righteous yet melancholic face is perfect for a character struggling internally."
"Yes." Edmond Princeton completely agreed. "Murphy is not only good at making movies but also excellent at casting actors."
Derk sighed, "Too bad I missed the first part!"
Edmond Princeton suggested, "How about we come back tomorrow night to watch it together?"
"Sure!" Derk agreed immediately.
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