"The Dark Knight Rises" Review and Discussion Thread (spoilers)
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Just got back from the midnight showing.
All in all, I'd call it a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, and likely the best new movie I've seen so far this year (admittedly not a huge amount of competition). Nolan is skilled at cinematic sleight of hand, but I will say that I guessed pretty much the entire climax/denouement midway through, after thinking about how Alfred might reappear -- there's a whole series of foreshadowing pieces scattered throughout that all slide into place pretty easily. I don't think that really takes away, though, because it still has surprises, and a story that plays fair with the audience always runs that risk (plus one reveal that anybody who knows anything about the legacy of Ra's al Ghul will have guessed long before).
Perhaps the thing I most liked about this one is how it takes apart the morals of the ending of the second movie.
I've seen some people who have been very critical of Nolan's female characters, and while I'm not wholly in agreement with that sentiment, I will say that I think Hathaway's Selina Kyle is easily the most interesting lady in any of his movies.
All in all, I'd call it a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, and likely the best new movie I've seen so far this year (admittedly not a huge amount of competition). Nolan is skilled at cinematic sleight of hand, but I will say that I guessed pretty much the entire climax/denouement midway through, after thinking about how Alfred might reappear -- there's a whole series of foreshadowing pieces scattered throughout that all slide into place pretty easily. I don't think that really takes away, though, because it still has surprises, and a story that plays fair with the audience always runs that risk (plus one reveal that anybody who knows anything about the legacy of Ra's al Ghul will have guessed long before).
Perhaps the thing I most liked about this one is how it takes apart the morals of the ending of the second movie.
I've seen some people who have been very critical of Nolan's female characters, and while I'm not wholly in agreement with that sentiment, I will say that I think Hathaway's Selina Kyle is easily the most interesting lady in any of his movies.
Excellent film! I won't say anything specific until later on but I really liked it. Similar to CaptainCanada I could guess the general ending but I had no problems with that as the ending was exactly what it should be.
Just got back. Lukewarm I liked a lot of it but I hated a lot as well. There was too much in there that felt like "normal movie cliche stuff" for my liking.
My favorite moment is the scene where you actually see a couple of bats fly.
The moment should have come earlier in the film, because it didn't cut too well with its parallel storyline.
LOVED IT! Simply awesome...
As a comic book fan that is familiar with the back story for all of the characters, I liked that Nolan was able to use that knowledge against me and twisted it in a unique yet believable way.
As a comic book fan that is familiar with the back story for all of the characters, I liked that Nolan was able to use that knowledge against me and twisted it in a unique yet believable way.
There's been a shooting at a screening in Colorado 
not sure if anyone died...
not sure if anyone died...
^ There have been reports of at least 15 people dead. Very sad.
Here's the news story. Holy crap!
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...ring-dark-knight-screening-in-aurora-colorado
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...ring-dark-knight-screening-in-aurora-colorado
Good movie, maybe even great, but with each film in the trilogy (I went to a marathon showing) I find it got further and further away from being a Batman story and instead became the story Nolan wanted to tell wrapped in Batman packaging. I'm okay with that though, because I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Like the second movie there are some flaws in the editing, and certainly in the clarity of the dialogue, but they are easy to overlook when taken as part of the whole.
I think the pacing was off. One simple way it could have been fixed: At the outset, Wayne )and Bats) have been out of the public eye for eight years. I think his brief reappearance should have happened within the first moments of the film (Nolan needs to learn something about pacing a film) and fight with Bane should have occurred within 20 minutes of the opening logos. Thus his subsequent imprisonment and return would have more power. As is, it weighed down the already-much-too-busy final act.
No, it's called editing, pacing and getting to the point. Most critics agree that the film has way too much goingg on in the first hour, with a lot of cahracters being intorduced but no real coherent idea of why or where it's going. Nolan shouldn;'t have made the story more complex just because he can and just because TDK was. He shoulddn't have mnade it simpler, either. Bujt he should have done what Batman Begins did.. made it more visceral. How cool was it that that film started out with a brief moment of Bruce as a boy but then skips ahead to him in a prison, and we are left to wonder and figure out why he's there or where his journey will go. In this film, he's in a prison in the wrong part of the film. Thank god that bomb wasn't due to go off for 23 days. And thank God Bruce still remembers how to do push-ups.
I disagree. You can't take Batman out of commission in the first 20 minutes and only bring him back for the climax and still even pretend it is a Batman movie. There are flaws in the editing and pacing of the movie, but not getting Batman out of the picture earlier wasn't one of them.
Fourteen dead and 50 wounded in various conditions at area hospitals. My prayers go out to the victims, their families and all who were there.
The gunman is in custody and apparently has a stash of explosives at his apartment so his apartment complex has been evacuated.
I was really looking forward to this movie, then last night when I finally saw it, I found myself wanting to walk out and go home several times. I just couldn't take it anymore. It was the worst movie-going experience of my life and I couldn't wait for the thing to be over. No, this isn't a joke. I'm quite serious. Let me back up and tell you why...
Okay, I arrived at the multiplex at 9 PM expecting a big line-up to start and sure enough, that's what happened. Four theatres were showing the movie and there was a line-up for each one. I didn't want to wait for 3 hours, so I decided to "wait" in another theatre. I went into the the one showing the whole trilogy and arrived just in time for The Dark Knight, so I plopped down and watched that. When it was over, I left and I was hungry, so I got some popcorn and a drink and went into one of the other theatres for the midnight showing. I was excited. Then it happened... I developed a migrane, a painful headache between my eyes accompanied by nausia. I was in excruciating pain and wanted to leave, but I stuck it out and finished the movie. So there you have it, my movie-going experience for The Dark Knight Rises, ruined by a migrane. I loved the movie though.
Here's my quick rundown...
- As one of the reviews said, there weren't a lot of surprises. And as I predicted, some of what we saw in the trailer was shown out of order.
- The movie didn't feel that long or have as much story as a lot of the hype made it seem.
- A reclusive bankrupt Bruce made for a good story. The situation didn't feel as dire as it could have though.
- The thing I liked most about Bane? Tom Hardy's awesome voice. That really made the character.
- Anne Hathaway did better than I expected as Selina Kyle. She was a classic 40s starlet with both grace and a touch of that "bad girl" you expect from Catwoman. My favorite part was when Selina was playing the scared victim in the diner as the police arrived.
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character was more involved that I thought he'd be and I quite liked the ending they gave him.
- Alfred wanting the best for Bruce was touching.
I can't wait to see this movie again in a few days so I can take it all in and enjoy it properly.
Yep. Sometimes, you just can't.
Okay, I arrived at the multiplex at 9 PM expecting a big line-up to start and sure enough, that's what happened. Four theatres were showing the movie and there was a line-up for each one. I didn't want to wait for 3 hours, so I decided to "wait" in another theatre. I went into the the one showing the whole trilogy and arrived just in time for The Dark Knight, so I plopped down and watched that. When it was over, I left and I was hungry, so I got some popcorn and a drink and went into one of the other theatres for the midnight showing. I was excited. Then it happened... I developed a migrane, a painful headache between my eyes accompanied by nausia. I was in excruciating pain and wanted to leave, but I stuck it out and finished the movie. So there you have it, my movie-going experience for The Dark Knight Rises, ruined by a migrane. I loved the movie though.
Here's my quick rundown...
- As one of the reviews said, there weren't a lot of surprises. And as I predicted, some of what we saw in the trailer was shown out of order.
- The movie didn't feel that long or have as much story as a lot of the hype made it seem.
- A reclusive bankrupt Bruce made for a good story. The situation didn't feel as dire as it could have though.
- The thing I liked most about Bane? Tom Hardy's awesome voice. That really made the character.
- Anne Hathaway did better than I expected as Selina Kyle. She was a classic 40s starlet with both grace and a touch of that "bad girl" you expect from Catwoman. My favorite part was when Selina was playing the scared victim in the diner as the police arrived.
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character was more involved that I thought he'd be and I quite liked the ending they gave him.
It might have been nice though if they made him "Dick Grayson" instead of a guy named Robin. It was still a nice homage though. I imagine he'll go on to become a sort of "Nightwing" character now. I wouldn't mind seeing that. By the way, this is another prediction fulfilled. I kind of wondered if Robin would get a mention somehow.
He and Bruce parting ways was a bit sad, but seeing him get his wish to see Bruce with a good life was satisfying and the whole scenario was very "Batman".
This I will add in a spoiler tag. At one point of the film I was reminded of a line from the Adam West Batman movie.
Somedays you just can't get rid of a bomb.
^ Not gonna read the spoiler, but I have a feeling I know what that line is...
Yep. Sometimes, you just can't.
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I was also hoping to see an older Barbara Gordon, but no such luck. Guess we'll have to wait 'til next time.
Also, more on Selina Kyle...
Also, more on Selina Kyle...
She and Bruce ended up together in the end, but I don't think we really saw a real relationship develop. They were just kind of put together.
I was also hoping to see an older Barbara Gordon, but no such luck. Guess we'll have to wait 'til next time.
Also, more on Selina Kyle...
She and Bruce ended up together in the end, but I don't think we really saw a real relationship develop. They were just kind of put together.
I agree, that was odd.
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