TehBatGetsBraked wrote:Anyone else think TDKR will age well?

Yes.

I think Nolan has succeeded in making a unique trilogy, in which each movie is equally good but directed in an entirely different tone. But when put together, they give us one complete story. Nobody has ever done a trilogy like this. And nobody ever will.

10/10

[P.S - I rated Batman Begins and The Dark Knight 10/10 as well.]

Awesome awesome movie . Simply loved it . I see nowdays everyone uses 3d technology and tries to take the movie to a different level and mostly the superhero movies . But mighty Nolan just used his imagination and genius brain to take this movie to a different level . No 3D , but IMAX images , slightly different technology which made some parts of the movie so realistic and so natural that it was like living inside Gotham city and witnessing the carnage by Bane & co. It was simply a joyride and giving us a taste of emotion as well . Alfred's character has always been tender and like a father to all of us . So when the honest man cries , it really melts our hearts . Superbly done again by Nolan . A superhero movie with serious emotion attached to it ? Everyone would laugh at you . Maybe from now on , they will remember a guy called - Christopher Nolan .


I am sure , there will be plenty of guys who will end up finding numerous plot holes for the movie. But honestly for me , there is none. This is not only a movie , but it is an end of the trilogy , when we finish connecting the dots , when we finish understanding the critical interpretation of each scenes combined , when years will pass by and we will look back at the trilogy , we will not only see this stand as a 'legend' in the cinematic History but also loved by all . The trilogy gives us an imagination , tells us to have faith , assures us of entertainment , cinematic intelligence , individual brilliance , technical superiority and Nolan's patent mind-fuck .

I can only thank Mr.Nolan for giving us eternal joy, for taking BATMAN to a different level , for the cinematic brilliance and especially for assuring us that , future is bright because Mr.Nolan has plenty of movies to make .

The Dark Knight Rises

My spoiler free review: http://watchordontwatch.blogspot.com/

How do you improve on perfection? Well that has been the task afforded to one of the most gifted third-generation directors in Hollywood at the moment in Christopher Nolan who has had the insurmountable task of following up on his 2008 critical and commercial juggernaut; The Dark Knight. The question on everyone’s lips would be “Is The Dark Knight Rises better than The Dark Knight?” In my opinion, it is not. That is not a slight against the film. The fact that it is able to stand proudly alongside its lofty predecessors, both of which have been widely regarded as the best two comic-book adaptations, is a testament to the quality of The Dark Knight Rises.

Set eight years after the events in The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises sees a reclusive Bruce Wayne spending much of his time reeling in pain following Rachel Dawes’ death now that the streets of Gotham has been cleaned. It would be cruel of me to tell you any more of what happens in The Dark Knight Rises as this is truly one of the rare films that you will not just watch, it is a one-of-a-kind movie experience that has been lost since the time of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park or James Cameron’s Titanic and Avatar. In this day and age, with dissemination of information as rapid as ever, Christopher Nolan still manages to have the production of The Dark Knight Rises clouded in secrecy by filming sequences under the faux title of Magnus Rex and having few of his actors reading the ending in the script. For that, movie audiences have been rewarded as we enter screenings not knowing of the many Easter-eggs, twists and turns of the intricate plot in this instalment of The Dark Knight trilogy.

Without wanting to reveal much, to call The Dark Knight Rises’ plot intricate would be an understatement. There are times in the movie I am left wondering “Why is this happening?” or “How does this character know certain things?” or “Why are these characters doing this?” or “How will certain actions help in achieving certain goals?” I am not sure if these questions will clear up upon repeat viewings but I never had such problems when watching Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The film just feels like it could have been either half-an-hour longer by exploring certain characters and plot points in greater detail or an hour shorter by removing certain characters and plot points and in this race case, I was hoping that the film would be longer.


The Dark Knight Rises introduces many new characters with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard joining the cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt acts as a young rookie cop named John Blake but it feels like there is nothing much to his character. The fact that we feel any sort of care for the character has much to do with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s charisma rather than the script. Then, there is Anne Hathaway sexing up the screen as Selina Kyle and any nay-sayers who have had concerns with regards to the casting of Hathaway as Catwoman can lay your fears to rest as Anne Hathaway is fantastic. With the combination playful sexiness in her mannerism and voice and irresistible tenderness and charm, Anne Hathaway steals the screen every time she is on screen with many of the best one-liners in the film.

Surpassing The Joker as the villain would always be a tough task, however it has been made almost impossible following Heath Ledger’s magnificent performance as Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime which earned the late actor a posthumous Oscar win. A very brave Tom Hardy has stepped up to the plate portraying the masked villain Bane. Much has been talked about Bane’s voice in the film since the release of the IMAX prologue that preceded Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Some viewers complained that they had problems making out what Bane was trying to say. Viewers will have no such complains about Bane’s voice the film as you will be able to hear the ferocious intensity and malice in his voice. However, I must admit that his voice feels extremely jarring in comparison with the voice of other cast members. It is almost as if his mouth piece serves as a megaphone or that his character’s voice is dubbed ala a cheap Japanese anime dub. Acting wise, there is really very little you can do when three quarters of your face is covered and all you can do with your performance is reflected through your eyes. As far as Marion Cotillard portrayal of Miranda Tate goes, I must admit I did not feel any conviction in her character.

Series regulars Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman have limited time on-screen but considering that The Dark Knight Rises is meant to provide closure to Bruce Wayne’s story, much of the focus of the film lie with the dynamic between Christian Bale and Michael Caine. In my opinion, both Bale and Caine deliver their best performances in their respective roles although in The Dark Knight Rises, Alfred seems to have suffered severe men-opause trading his wit found in the earlier two instalments for a sad, mopey and self-pitying incarnation of Alfred.

Again, without wanting to spoil much of the action set-pieces of the film, I will say that the film is exhilarating. The action sequences, around 100 minutes of it shot on IMAX looks magnificent on-screen and when you add context to the action sequences, there is a rare emotional attachment to what is happening on screen. Christopher Nolan is one of the few directors who manages to use action sequences as a means to enhance the story and not just have them there as a source of spectacle the way many of today’s action films have done. Throughout the many action sequences, I find myself actually cheering for Batman and Selina Kyle, wanting to will them on. There is a sequence in which an entire football field is destroyed (not a spoiler as footage has been shown in trailers) and I find myself actually caring for the people of Gotham. Again, Nolan has manage to not just create Gotham City, he has managed to populate it with people that we have come to care for over the span of three films. In many ways, like Batman, we believe that there is good in Gotham, that Gotham can, and more importantly, should be saved.

Much of the film attempts to break our spirits and it very nearly does. Some may feel that the ending feels disjointed from the rest of the film. However, taking into account how much emotional investment we have had in watching Bruce Wayne grow into the role as Gotham’s Dark Knight, the ending may not have been the ending we deserved but the ending we needed. Yes, I am not denying that The Dark Knight Rises has its flaws and does not reach the heights of The Dark Knight but then again, many films would fall short when compared with it. The very fact that it is able to tell a story that comes full circle and tie-up loose ends in previous instalments while providing a fitting closure in The Dark Knight trilogy is worth applauding. Good things have to come to an end and it will be long before movie-goers will be able to experience cinematic spectacles such as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. If I were asked to rank the trilogy in accordance to my preference, I would rank them: 1) The Dark Knight, 2) The Dark Knight Rises, 3) Batman Begins but in the grander scheme of things, all three films receive a 5/5 stars from me.

5/5

So the film did blow me away. It was overwhelming with the amount of stuff going on. It's got an immense amount of positives, but naturally there are things that weigh it down as well. It isn't as reflective as The Dark Knight, and in many ways is more a sequel to Batman Begins than The Dark Knight was.

Here's my take on the issues with the film, since the positives are many.
Still 8.5/10. Maybe after IMAX more.

TehBatGetsBraked wrote:Anyone else think TDKR will age well?

I think so, I think I will definitely like it more in multiple viewings.

In pushing the epic, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ falls flat in places, it's action and emotion unable to disguise what is a sub-par script and plot when compared to those that have come before it in the trilogy.


With exceedingly high expectations resting on its shoulders, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is the conclusion to a trilogy that has altered the mind-set of modern-day cinema. Therefore it is of no surprise that one could describe Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy as a journey, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ being its climatic finale.

As the end-credits played to the sound of Hans Zimmer dramatic theme, I admit it took several moments to compose myself into some sort of state in which to even begin to take in what I had just witnessed over the 2 hours and 45 minutes run-time of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

Much was said and made of the decision to begin ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ eight years on from the ending of ‘The Dark Knight'. With Bruce beginning the film in the manner he does,a total recluse living in Wayne Manor with only Alfred for company, we do truly see how the death of Rachel and the events of ‘The Dark Knight’ have affected his state of mind and perception of life. With Bruce’s Howard Hughes-like lifestyle in the film’s beginning, the scene is well set, much to the talent of Michael Caine’s Alfred, who is truly the emotional connection in this movie, if not the entire trilogy for that matter. I felt Alfred to be used sufficiently in the film’s first half, but his decision to leave Bruce, although understandable, was detrimental to the film as it suffered without his emotional presence until the film’s closing stages.

In agreement with the majority of reviews so far released for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, Anne Hathaway threatens to steal the show as The Cat, pun well and truly intended. The script, written by brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, however restricts Hathaway in her role, with only enough screen time in which to impress but not dominate. Was this intended so as to avoid what ultimately happened in The Dark Knight, with Heath Ledger taking ownership of the movie on his performance alone?



Beautiful, elegant, devious, comic, mischievous, charming, vicious; the list well and truly goes on for words to describe Hathaway’s performance and portrayal of Catwoman. The film’s first third belongs to her and rightfully so. But as stated, the script removes her from the limelight after a dazzling performance in the film’s opening third, instead resorting to give her brief appearances amidst a chaotic and action-packed second-half.


Whereas Batman Begins lacked a fully-fledged villain, The Dark Knight survived on its. The Dark Knight Rises gets sadly caught somewhere in the middle. Bane, played by Tom Hardy, is at times terrifying, and other times embarrassing. He has presence, no question. But this presence I found to fade out as the movie progressed, and rapidly. Christopher Nolan has praised Tom Hardy for his ability to act with his eyes, something he needed to do not only well, but incredibly well for Bane to fully work, mask and all. Hardy has excellent acting skills, but the mask, an initially terrifying feature that gradually becomes ineffective, provides his character’s fundamental flaw: his voice. I am sorry to say, that for me, much of what he does say is unintelligible. And the common occurrence of Bane saying something and me having to replay the line in my head so as to try and better understand what was in fact said, made for an unwanted distraction. Many different suggestions have been made regards the inspiration for Bane’s accent. Hardy himself has told reporter’s what that was. But the fact of the matter is he sounds English and one who is very highly educated. The desire of Nolan to portray Bane as both a brute force, but also as an intellectual individual with a ‘brilliant brain’, is clear in the way Bane speaks. However, the idea of Bane being smart as well as incredibly physical and strong, never quite comes to fruition. His tone of voice and the accent used, does attempt to show an intellect in his character, but this never works. Discussing the movie afterward, there was a consensus that I support, that Bane’s accent needed a darker, deeper approach to support his physicality. Simply put, the contrast between Bane’s appearance and voice is ineffective and makes for a character that feels unpolished and unfulfilling, even if the opening scene in which he hijacks a plane and later, the sewer fight between him and Batman, are moments of brilliance.

Along with these disappointments and slight successes comes Bane’s plan of attack on Gotham, if really this plan is that of Talia al Ghul’s (Marion Cotillard). The use of a Gotham isolated from the world is one of the plot’s best elements; however, the main factor behind this isolation is where the plot became tedious. Talia’s use of a nuclear bomb to threaten the city with was not only wearisome, but also rather infuriating. Nolan’s previous Batman films have each involved a threat on Gotham that is, if not always conceivable, is at the very least original. A bomb able to kill those within a six mile radius is in no shape or form original and this was highly disappointing. Talia’s plan for Gotham felt more aligned to that of a Bond villain rather than a villain inside Christopher Nolan’s Batman universe. That, and the absence of practically any of Gotham citizens, makes what may have been a thoroughly interesting plot seem disconnecting and ineffective.



As for Talia, or for the purposes of the identity used for the most of the film, Miranda Tate; her role as a villain was let down by the repetitiveness that occurs with having the daughter of a former villain returning to try what he failed to do. The Joker was a fresh, new and intense threat, whereas Talia felt simply like a reincarnation of Ra’s al Ghul, except with a bomb and not a micro-wave emitter. As for her revelation to Bruce, it was not a surprise nor as dramatic as I feel it should have been, but perhaps that’s my own fault for following the film so closely since it began pre-production through until its release. I also felt her revelation to Bruce lacked effect due to their rushed and somewhat forced relationship.

The film pushes the sense of epic to its maximum with fast, loud and often impressive action sequences, my personal highlight being that of Batman joining Catwoman on the rooftop to take down the group of Bane’s mercenaries.

Despite the presence of The Bat during the film’s final action sequences, the action itself was let down by the plot. The sequence of the bomb being driven through the city, whilst chased by Batman, never got me to a point where I can truly say I was on the edge of my seat. However, on using The Bat to lift the bomb above and away from Gotham, Batman was given his dramatic and heroic. If one complaint about the moment Batman saves Gotham by taking the bomb out to sea, I felt the editing should have placed more emphasis on a pause between the time Batman disappeared from sight out at sea, to the time the bomb exploded. Once again, it felt rushed.

This feels an appropriate time to talk of my thoughts on the film’s length and pacing. The opening hour, although starved of Batman for the majority, was thoroughly entertaining, making good use of Selina Kyle’s introduction and portraying Bruce Wayne’s reclusive response to events eight years previous. However, the film falls undeniably flat the moment Bruce is imprisoned by Bane. Admittedly, Nolan needed to use much of the film’s middle section to show how Gotham turns to ruin without order or Batman; but, the scenes involving the kangaroo court, Gotham’s police force being trapped underground, and Bruce when in Bane’s prison, had me feeling rather bored in all honesty. I simply could not wait for Bruce to escape and return to Gotham. And when he does, the film finds a new lease of life and re-energizes for what is a non-stop final third.



The film tries to force the issue with multiple stories being told simultaneously, not all of which are successful, not to mention the character Folly is entirely one-dimensional and completely unnecessary. Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon is under-used by a script that plays heavily on action, his relationship with Batman almost non-existent. At no time are Batman and Gordon ever on-screen together for longer than 10 seconds, with Gordon hospitalized when Batman returns, and Bruce imprisoned while Gordon tries to take back the city. This relationship is lost amongst the focus on action sequences and chaos in Gotham, something Nolan rather knowingly tries to hide by presenting us with the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exchange where Gordon finally realizes who Batman really is.

Joseph Gordon Levitt as Detective Blake is very good, if not fully attached to the film as part of a trilogy. He balances an emotional, caring side of the character with a tough and committed city cop persona seamlessly. However, the major flaw in his character and the decision to ultimately present him to be Robin, is that he is new to the trilogy and therefore doesn’t feel as connected to the story of the three films as someone with that much importance placed upon him should. As for the decision to show him as Robin and the man to replace Batman in Gotham, I thought it was a perfect ending, even if Alfred’s tearful apology by Bruce’s ‘grave’ felt rather pointless as it is revealed he is alive and in a relationship with Selina. Although I appreciated the ending of Selina and Bruce being together in Florence, I found that the film hadn’t given us enough time of the two together to merit such an ending. When used together, Bale and Hathaway have unbelievable chemistry, with Selina’s elegant, if slightly vicious charm, working brilliantly off of Bruce’s cold caged demeanour. But the lack of time the two spent together and the result of once again huge importance and significance being placed upon a character only being introduced in this, the final film in the trilogy, meant that there being together wasn’t entirely convincing in relation to what had gone before.



Conflicting the emphasis placed on concluding the story, the end shot of Levitt standing in the Bat-cave as the floor rises from beneath him, was the standout moment of the film, a shot worthy of ending any movie.

The film has many other flaws including pacing issues, various plot-holes and a tendency to use character’s dialogue as a way to explain to the audience the numerous plot-points, all of which were hard to keep track of. Of the three films in the trilogy here, Nolan’s use of the non-linear style of story-telling is at its weakest. The score, although very similar to that of ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’, is effective, if slightly too loud at times.

In pushing the epic, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ falls flat in places, unable to disguise what is a sub-par script and plot when compared to those that have come before it in the trilogy. Despite this, the film boasts moments of both pure spectacle and heartfelt emotion, truly solidifying Nolan’s trilogy to be among the best movie trilogies in the history of cinema. However, as an ending to what has been a hugely successful trilogy, both critically and commercially, the film suffers to conclude satisfyingly; with elements of its ending feeling severely rushed, sacrificed in both length and effect in order for more time for the film’s laborious middle section.

A satisfying conclusion in many ways and in others not, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has me caught in conflict as to whether it lived up to expectations or not. One thing is for certain however, and that is that there is great sadness in the knowing that this is the end of Christopher Nolan’s vision of Batman.

Seen it last night. Absolutely no words at this moment to fully describe the excitement of it still.

Others have given very length reviews, many without a single spoiler tag. Which I find appalling. So I will use them, and save most of my "in depth" analysis for the new threads to emerge in the coming weeks in the post-TDKR-premiere era.

My first viewing of the film was in the traditional format; I am seeing it in IMAX later today for a second viewing. But here are my initial thoughts/observations:

BANE'S VOICE BANE'S MENACE SELINA KYLE BRUCE/ALFRED JOHN BLAKE MIRANDA TATE THE FIGHT SCENES THE ENDING
Don't open this if you haven't seen the film. Seriously. THE SOUNDTRACK
Incredible. And no spoilers here. Two distinct themes emerged: Bane and Catwoman. The Cat's theme, in particularly, was very distinct and unlike anything before. But Bane's theme was ubiquitous throughout the film, but I great. No complaints.

FINAL SUMMARY (AFTER VIEWING #1)
For a superhero film, I give it a 10/10. For a film in general, probably a 7/10. This was not Nolan's best work. I liked it better than the Avengers. But it did not have the same depth or mystery as Inception, nor the crazy WTF moments like The Prestige or Memento. Its deviations from the Batman mythos are making me crave the reboot. I feel as if Nolan created this tight, cramped little box with this trilogy. Many of the themes in TDKR were recycled from BB. I don't think there's too many places that the story could go. I mean, eight years passed between TDK and TDKR and no Batman sightings? And the ending of TDKR doesn't leave much for later. There are so many characters in the broader Batman universe, even in the traditional Rogues gallery, that Nolan did not even cover. And he didn't really leave room for them in between the films. While there weren't any glaring moments of "bad filmmaking" in the film, there were a few cliches here and there that I wish weren't included. There were also a few missed opportunities in the storyline. But these minor criticism are only because I hold Christopher Nolan up to such a high standard.

how some people could view TDKR as somewhat disappointing compared to TDK, i can understand (though that's a little unfair as TDK is a true masterpiece). how someone could view TDKR as also disappointing compared to BB, that i can not. i guess if the extra 25 minutes in length bothers you that much or the slightly choppier moments are really that tough of a pill for you, but TDKR is so much like BB but with the stakes and drama at such a higher level, the filmmaking overall at a higher level, the bleakness of TDK coloring the proceedings, the flaws of BB (like how Scarecrow exits that film) still present in TDKR in different forms but made less egregious and given more purpose.
i.e. i, too, was a tad disappointed with the final action sequence...but how is it not better than the one at the end of BB? it is, in almost every way.