The Dark Knight Rises

[Ball Lightning]

Alot of comments by people I know about TDK being the black sheep. They're definitely not complaining!And that last shot of the film... Was just amazingly simple, yet so good :DEnding was definitely the best out of the 3, but nothing can beat The Joker in TDK.Also in relation to Bane's voice. It is very different to what it is in the trailers/previews, and I for one am thankful for that. It did not sound clear in them, but now it does and it doesn't detract at all.

[riczhang]

I thought the ending in TDK was best, but only because of Gary's Speech, eloquent, and absolutely perfect, beat TDKR's ending by a tiny margin.

[Mango]

Well after anticipating this movie for 4 years (and REALLY anticipating it for around 2 when it was officially announced) and anticipating it on probably unhealthy levels (I kid) for around 1 year. I can safely say that for me, The Dark Knight Rises did indeed live up to the expectations.

Seeing it surprisingly 2.5 hours ealier that we were supposed to, (which was a ginourmous surprise but welcomed) really made us all realize, "Wow, probably the most anticipated, culturally significant movie since The Phantom Menace in 1999 is finally here. And we're watching it." Being a young adult, these past few years really haven't given you a lot to look forward to in this sense. Yeah, TDK, Avengers, and Avatar were all huge. But to be fair the massive success of those was almost a surprise. No one expected them to do what they did. Yet here we are with The Dark Knight Rises, a movie with all that expectation... and one that could truly live up to it. It's just, being a part of something like that feels so fun.

Anyway, for the actual movie. Just... wow. Now don't get me wrong, the movie was not perfect. I can see why it isn't getting as many raves as it's immediate predecessor. The first third of the movie feels, well, a little rushed. We're introduced to an anti-social hermit that Bruce Wayne has evolved into. One that isn't in good condition, and Gordon, who lives with the guilt of a lie which practically formed the city of Gotham as it was presented here. John Blake, a more idealist cop that almost seems like a younger Gordon, realizes the seemingly fragile state of the city, somehow realizing that there is indeed a lie sheltering the community, and strives to somehow arrive at a more truthful reality. And boy, do they find out the truth...

While the first act of the movie did feel a bit rushed and hard to grip. They were just introducing all of the plot points and characters incredibly fast, it was a bit hard to follow. That said, about the time Batman and Bane had their first big showdown was when things really picked up. Absolutely epic battle scene. Starting in complete silence, with Catwoman and Bane's henchmen just watching in awe and maybe fear. And HOLY SHIT BANE DOES BREAK BATMAN'S BACK. That recieved a gigantic "gasp" from the audience. I think partially because most of them already knew that it happened in the comics and might would in the movie, but just not at that point. Well played Nolan, well played.

As Bruce was rising from the darkness, the decay of Gotham really helped with that melancholy feel. And just made you root for him so much more. And I really, really liked Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. I thought she did a fantastic job with the character, and really brought us a more down to earth representation of the character. Bane was done well also. They really did a good job with making him seem as brutal and unforgiving as they come. You really felt that there was a threat with him, and the feeling of uncertainty always helps make things more suspensful. John Blake was very likable, and JGL did a great job as usual.

The climactic battle was just... epic. Really, the entire war section of the movie was pure brilliance. Especially the big twist with HOLY SHIT IT WAS REALLY TALIA though I already had a hunch about that but since I actually stayed very clear of spoilers I still wasn't completely sure. I loved Batman's response to Gordon asking him if people would want to know who died saving their lives. Anyone can become a hero, and that Batman stood for something that anyone can stand for. Then he went off, and as everyone in the theater thought their hero had truly made that heroic sacrifice...

He lives! And has finally moved on with his life. I absolutely loved the ending with Bruce and Alfred nodding in mutual understanding at the cafe. Really, that was a heartwarming ending, and I was just glad to know that the two of them could live out the rest of their lives happy, and in peace. And the big reveal of John Blake's true name. VERY nice.

Overall, in my jumlbed up "review" so to speak of this, I'd have say I absolutely loved it. It had flaws, but I don't think we could have gotten a better ending to this, and it was an emotional thrillride all the way through. I don't really know where to put it with the other two films, honestly I think just because of how well it wraps everything up it might be my favorite of the trilogy now, but I'll just say I give it an A. Maybe an A+, I dunno... I can decide that the other 3 times I see it.

[Gopher]

I don't know what to say. I loved a lot of it. I loved a lot of it a lot. So why did I walk out disappointed?

[rockNrollaDIM]

I'm in love. Will not post a full review until I see it again, more awake, on Tuesday.

[rockNrollaDIM]

The swerve with Talia was amazing... Although I did suspect it the whole time, especially considering the original casting rumour was her as Talia... so I wasn't shocked, but the execution was really nice.The ROBIN thing though... HOLY SHIT! The crowd went nuts.

[rockNrollaDIM]

Bane was good but he disappeared a lot of the time... it didn't feel as though he had as much control as The Joker had. The voice WAS a bit of a distraction, sometimes I couldn't understand the dialogue (are we supposed to?), and watching Hardy act without seeing his lips move is a bit jolting in some moments. But for the most part I was happy with him and he was a force. Can not believe Catwoman of all people takes him out in the end.And Anne Hathaway was truly stunning. She had a big part but would have liked to seen even more. I was surprised at how believable she was as a femme fatale, tough girl... her fight scenes were choreographed very well and her delivery was great, she had some awesome one-liners. The character felt underdeveloped at times, but not in a bad way.. I can't explain it. She was like a whisper in the wind.. quick with her words, to the point, there and gone, not wallowing in the moment for too long... I think the way she was meant to be.

[Gopher]

I flipping loved the ending. And the climax. And a lot of the story and character beats throughout. Just, I don't know, it felt more tired than BB or TDK. Or maybe I was more tired. I already have tickets to see it again on Sunday. I know it's a good movie. I need to check again to see if it's a great one.

[Michael Gary Scott]

perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. i loved it!5/5

[DeeCee]

This got a good laugh. Batman:"So that's what it feels like"

[DeeCee]

I think TDKR at times doesn't feel as tight as BB or TDK because the main action of the story is spread out over months. In BB and TDK the bulk of the story takes place over a few days or no more then a week or so.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Loved but so fucking tried.

[haku]

As much as I wanted to LOVE this, I came out with a deep feeling of disappointment. There were several times where I was in awe at how well some things were done, and felt this was probably the funniest of the series. The film immediately started off feeling strange. The feeling and style are different from BB and TDK for me. This inconsistency took some getting used to, but I rolled with it. The first act was hard for me to follow. I’m by no means a dumb movie watcher. I’m very attentive and usually can string plot points together fairly well, but I was often times confused on the sequence of events. Often felt like I had Part A and Part C, but was missing Part B for things to make sense to me.

I absolutely loved Bane in this, but I’m a huge Tom Hardy fan, so I expected as much. His voice was fine and he was mostly easy to understand, but this film was full of mumblers. The fight between Batman and Bane was soul stirring. Very well done. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was probably the surprise scene stealer for me. I loved her, but hated what happened to her character in the end (little more on that later).

Which leads me to the negatives.

Several moments completely pulled me out of the experience. For example, the amateur filmmaking mistakes, like the strange progression of time right after the stock market scene. Bane needed less than 10 minutes to trade off all the Wayne stocks from the tablet computer, or whatever it was. So he goes outside, and it's bright, feels like morning (we can even say it was the afternoon) and escapes, runs into Batman later on and it's suddenly pitch black outside, but yet the transfers still don't go through until the end of the chase sequence? So in 10 minutes it goes from being bright outside to completely dark? This sort of thing happened at least twice. Not to mention the wonky camera work with the final chase scene. I could barely see anything!

There were tons of problems I had with this film that I don’t want to spell out here in too much detail, mostly because it’s 5:30am and I’m tired as all hell. But, I really tried to like this movie and after the spectacular Bane vs. Batman fight, I was ready for the film to save itself and for the third act to really blow me away. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I see many people praising the ending, which amazes me because it was probably the weakest point in the film, which is probably where my deep disappointment is coming from!

So the ending was absolute shite to me. Hearing John Blake’s name as Robin really irritated me, because it felt so damned corny and went against what I believe the Nolan Batman films should feel like. But perhaps that’s just me. The film was already tacky/cheesy enough without the Boy Wonder showing up in the end. Moreover, Chris Nolan managed to ruin what could have been a beautiful ending scene with Alfred. Physically seeing Bruce and Catwoman across the room made it feel ridiculously hollywood. It would have been a great and emotional ending if Alfred just nodded to us, the audience, and smiled, because duh, we know who he’s looking at, and that would have been enough to know that Bruce is still alive. But physically seeing Bruce show up in the scene could have still worked if it wasn’t for the appearance of Catwoman. I really felt like it cheapened her as a character, and gave us a weaker ending. Bruce Wayne has a hot piece now and doesn’t need to be Batman anymore because John Blake will handle that supposedly as Robin.

It was all just a hot mess! One last thing I will complain about: Why was Bane’s death so anti-climatic? I thought he might even still be alive for a moment there! There was no moment afforded to even consider that he was dead. It was weird and cheap. But I still loved certain parts of the film, mostly the scenes focusing on Bane and Catwoman. Some things were done beautifully, but the script felt bloated, slow and unclear, three things TDK COULD have been, but avoided by being purely entertaining. TDKR felt more like a chore than a natural progression from TDK.

It really kills me to say these things because I absolutely adored BB and TDK. I really did. But TDKR just simply didn’t make the mark for me.

I give it a C+

Edited July 20, 2012 by haku

[Kevin Bacon]

Bane was a total badass motherfucker. Preferred the first half to the second. Things just get elevated to such a scale that it feels really jarring. Repeat business may fix this. Midway fight between Bane and Batman was the highlight. Lots of Holy Fuck moments.Holy fuck! Cotillard ISTalia after all!Holy fuck! The city's about to be literal anarchy!Holy fuck! Batman is dead!Holy fuck! The Dark Knight Returns ending!

[PoeticProse22]

That was an incredible finale to the trilogy!Although I had rather high expectations for the film, they were thoroughly beaten. The renewed focus on Bruce was everything I had hoped for, and Bale rose to the challenge, easily giving his best performance.The first fight between Bane and Batman was really brutal and an extremely memorable scene. Despite a slightly uneven first act and a few minor flaws, the quality was quite consistent throughout. The last act is definitely better than both BB and TDK's, and the ending, particularly the last shot, is masterful.Although I'll need to see it a second time before writing a proper review, here are my tentative rankings of the trilogy:1.The Dark Knight Rises - 9.02.Batman Begins - 8.63.The Dark Knight - 8.4This is, without a doubt, the best SH film I've seen.

Edited July 20, 2012 by PoeticProse22

[CloneWars]

After seeing the film, I had a hard time processing what I had just saw. It took me a while to figure out whether the film was good, okay, or even bad. But, after some thinking and letting it sink in, I feel TDKR is a very good film, and the ending is exceptional, not as good as TDK's ending, but still very good. The tomb scene when Blake asks shouldn't they know who really is Batman and Gordon says Gotham knows who saved Gotham--It was the Batman. It thought that was great. To Gordon, even though he knew Bruce was Batman, Batman was still Batman to him. And, I felt a bit emotional when the statue of Batman was put up.

Great film. It was sad to see Bruce lose everything and then for Gotham to be torn down like it was. This is a very ambitious film.

[75Live]

Still tired from being at the marathon last night, so this will be brief.

It was a very good movie. They found a good way to sew up all the storylines and keep Gotham safe with another protector. Bane was incredible as I knew he would be knowing his character from the comics. Catwoman was very good as well.

I loved the ending and can't wait to see the movie again.

A

[Bluebomb]

As much as I wanted to LOVE this, I came out with a deep feeling of disappointment. There were several times where I was in awe at how well some things were done, and felt this was probably the funniest of the series. The film immediately started off feeling strange. The feeling and style are different from BB and TDK for me. This inconsistency took some getting used to, but I rolled with it. The first act was hard for me to follow. I’m by no means a dumb movie watcher. I’m very attentive and usually can string plot points together fairly well, but I was often times confused on the sequence of events. Often felt like I had Part A and Part C, but was missing Part B for things to make sense to me.

I absolutely loved Bane in this, but I’m a huge Tom Hardy fan, so I expected as much. His voice was fine and he was mostly easy to understand, but this film was full of mumblers. The fight between Batman and Bane was soul stirring. Very well done. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was probably the surprise scene stealer for me. I loved her, but hated what happened to her character in the end (little more on that later).

Which leads me to the negatives.

Several moments completely pulled me out of the experience. For example, the amateur filmmaking mistakes, like the strange progression of time right after the stock market scene. Bane needed less than 10 minutes to trade off all the Wayne stocks from the tablet computer, or whatever it was. So he goes outside, and it's bright, feels like morning (we can even say it was the afternoon) and escapes, runs into Batman later on and it's suddenly pitch black outside, but yet the transfers still don't go through until the end of the chase sequence? So in 10 minutes it goes from being bright outside to completely dark? This sort of thing happened at least twice. Not to mention the wonky camera work with the final chase scene. I could barely see anything!

There were tons of problems I had with this film that I don’t want to spell out here in too much detail, mostly because it’s 5:30am and I’m tired as all hell. But, I really tried to like this movie and after the spectacular Bane vs. Batman fight, I was ready for the film to save itself and for the third act to really blow me away. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I see many people praising the ending, which amazes me because it was probably the weakest point in the film, which is probably where my deep disappointment is coming from!

So the ending was absolute shite to me. Hearing John Blake’s name as Robin really irritated me, because it felt so damned corny and went against what I believe the Nolan Batman films should feel like. But perhaps that’s just me. The film was already tacky/cheesy enough without the Boy Wonder showing up in the end. Moreover, Chris Nolan managed to ruin what could have been a beautiful ending scene with Alfred. Physically seeing Bruce and Catwoman across the room made it feel ridiculously hollywood. It would have been a great and emotional ending if Alfred just nodded to us, the audience, and smiled, because duh, we know who he’s looking at, and that would have been enough to know that Bruce is still alive. But physically seeing Bruce show up in the scene could have still worked if it wasn’t for the appearance of Catwoman. I really felt like it cheapened her as a character, and gave us a weaker ending. Bruce Wayne has a hot piece now and doesn’t need to be Batman anymore because John Blake will handle that supposedly as Robin.

It was all just a hot mess! One last thing I will complain about: Why was Bane’s death so anti-climatic? I thought he might even still be alive for a moment there! There was no moment afforded to even consider that he was dead. It was weird and cheap. But I still loved certain parts of the film, mostly the scenes focusing on Bane and Catwoman. Some things were done beautifully, but the script felt bloated, slow and unclear, three things TDK COULD have been, but avoided by being purely entertaining. TDKR felt more like a chore than a natural progression from TDK.

It really kills me to say these things because I absolutely adored BB and TDK. I really did. But TDKR just simply didn’t make the mark for me.

I give it a C+

I think you've hit it bang on with the different feel of this movie to the other 2. I loved the other 2 films but the tone of this movie was off for me. The movie also jumped way too many places and sometimes didn't explain things well.

Bane was a huge letdown after The Joker.

Anne Hathaway was great. Cinematography was awesome but the soundtrack was kind of distracting in some parts. First quarter was kind of boring too and I felt nothing for most of the characters. Action was decent enough.

5.5/10 ©

Edited July 20, 2012 by Bluebomb

[filmscholar]

GRADE - B

I give it a B, let's not get it twisted, it had flaws but it was very good. 1st I do commend Nolan for getting off his high horse and including "Robin", all that talk him and bale said about "We will never bring Robin in" I knew it was B.S. cause Robin is a Legendary character in the Batman Franchise so due to probably studio pressure they had to include him. Also I felt the ending was a little anti-climatic, it was like they were setting up Batman 4, it was crazy. But overall after having time to digest it I thought it was a soild ending to a great franchise. Bane was Bad and the breaking of Batman Back had every comic fan extremely happy. His voice was still a little messed up but very haunting. I don't think Batman was actually in it enough but I understand why that was happening to set up the story. No I don't think Alfred was dreaming at the end, this wasn't Inception, lol Batman fixed the auto pilot and ejected at some point. I don't want to compare Anne and Pfiffer, there Catwoman's are vastly different but she did do a good job playing that femme fatal character. Tila part was a little rushed to me but that was a good twisted. I loved all the flashbacks of Harvey Dent and Liam Nesson. Again it brought the trilogy together. The "Killing" off of Batman I don't know if that was even necessary but It brought a lot of emotion. The length did fly by but I think it could of been 20 minutes shorter easily. It's not better than TDK and it's just on par with BB but the Superhero Threequel curse is over. Overall I did enjoy it but it did have some flaws

(Props Nolan for pay homage to the comics)

The Dark Knight - A (Classic)

Batman Begins - B

The Dark Knight Rises - B

Edited July 20, 2012 by filmscholar

[Gopher]

The only thing that outright didn't work for me was Cotillard. I groaned at the Talia reveal, because I saw it coming and they executed it pretty haphazardly. I thought Bane worked well all things considered (bottom line is any villain after Ledger will be a letdown) and his fistfight with Batman will always be one of the best scenes of the trilogy. JGL and Hathaway kicked serious ass. The returning cast all brought their A-game, particularly Caine, who made me cry twice in the movie.