4 out of 4 stars. Blows number 1 & number 2 away. Best film since Pan's Labyrinth which was, chronologically, the last great film I have seen.
Dragon_316ca wrote:http://www.imdb.com/user/ur4316789/boards/profile/4 out of 4 stars. Blows number 1 & number 2 away. Best film since Pan's Labyrinth which was, chronologically, the last great film I have seen.
I signed a waiver so I don't want to give up anything except it is incredible and is probably best enjoyed in IMAX form. The Avengers was fast food. This is filet mignon and will most likely generate incredible word of mouth. It's a head scratcher why they aren't getting the reviews going on this film sooner than later. The ending was pretty emotional. Honestly, the word that there are bad reviews out there are, in my opinion, totally bogus because the film obeys all the logic within the world it creates for itself. I found the first two films and Inception were on the overly long side, but this installment uses every moment wisely without any lagging moments that don't contribute to the overall pacing. The acting is superb and Gary Oldman really, really needs to get an Oscar. He deserves it here. The action is spectacular and not recycled. CGI is used sparingly and the real satisfaction you get by the end is from raw emotion due to the writing and performances but I've already said too much. The cinematography is excellent as always however you're not going to see cookie cutter CGI enhanced cliches. You will see things you haven't seen countless times before and that is what's so refreshing about this film. (About Anne's acting): Sexy as hell. I never really paid attention to her as an actress in the past but I will now. Michelle Pfeiffer be damned! The music was fine. I've never really paid attention to the soundtracks of the first two films to be honest. Nolan's brilliance is that he doesn't let CGI or booming music or ANYTHING take centre stage over the story and characterizations. I can't give any further details on this film other than it is a helluva movie! A perfect masterpiece. It would be something to see the third entry in a trilogy win Best Picture. I hated Bane as much as I hated Clarence Boddiker in Robocop!
The film is gorgeous, sharply written, briskly paced despite an epic running time approaching three hours. The characters have depth and pathos, and the drama feels far richer than the usual hero-saving-the-world saga. The action reflects our own hard times as a masked terrorist lays siege to the masses in a sort of perverse Occupy Gotham City movement that pits the comic-book world’s 99 percenters against the rich and rapacious.
Without spilling any beans, we can safely say that it lives up to all expectations and is a testament to epic storytelling.
I've spoken to three persons who attended one of the two screenings yesterday of The Dark Knight Rises in Manhattan. Without being specific or spoilery it seems fair to generally summarize at least some of what they said. So here are the main observations, starting with the most positive and working our way down:
(a) "It's going to be huge...dramatically and thematically a very powerful film," says one. "It's a special kind of blockbuster," a somewhat younger media guy says. "The Avengers is a joke next to this...I know a good movie when I see one." Another claims that "it's better than both of the Joel Schumacher [Batman] films and the two Tim Burton versions put together."
(b) One responder feels that "the best thing about it are the performances by Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon Levitt."
(c) The geekboy known as "c*mfckn*w" who tweeted after last Friday night's junket screening that "if this does not break the mold and win Best Picture, no comic-book movie ever will"...this guy is delusional, I'm told. TDKR will be a box-office behemoth, but like TDK and BB before, it's just not Best Picture material. Certainly not as the average Academy member defines that term.
(d) It's strong but quite long, and in one person's view "not that compelling...there's a really solid 115 or 120 minute drama with action in there [but Nolan] has made this huge bloated thing that runs two hours and 40 minutes."
(e) Tom Hardy's Bane is an unmistakably strong figure in and of himself, but he's no match for Heath Ledger's Joker. He just doesn't deliver the same bark and spark that Ledger gave to The Dark Knight.
The rest of the reactions are too spoilery to mention.
just saw #Batman movie for interview with Chris Nolan tomorrow. One word: #amazing. #sworntosecrecy
Looks like at least BP nomination based on all the early reactions from the trusted people I know who seen it here in London.
The consensus here is that this one feels as a proper conclusion to the trilogy and the tone of the film is more along the lines of serious drama than your usual superhero stuff. The drama is so good that you are supposed to completely forget about silly costumes etc. Just the right balance and the right momentum for this one to get in and may be a threat for win if the film sweeps.
Strangely, Bale was praised the least while Oldman, Levitt, Hathaway all got strong buzz. So did Marion and Cain, but smaller parts. Hardy, kind of mixed. But the opinions were subjective. People felt that none of the performances truly stood out though, like in the case of Ledger. More of an ensemble piece.
