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- Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
- Release Date: Jul 20, 2012
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Universal acclaim- based on 3193 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 2,843 out of 3193
Mixed: 147 out of 3193
Negative: 203 out of 3193
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Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises was gloriously the best moment of my life in a movie theatre. It stands alone, peerless in the pantheon of superhero movies. There will be no spoilers here and if the impulse to spoil yourself before watching the film is too excruciating to bear, remember this, it'll be the equivalent of Selina Kyle robbing you blind. When Batman Begins came out, I was very sceptical about watching another one of those Batman flicks, such is the enduring traumatic impression Joel Schumacher's films left me. Thank goodness I did and from that point on there's no turning back. Christopher Nolan's finale made all the recently released superhero movies look like child's play to be honest, it is the appetizer to the main course that is the final chapter of The Dark Knight trilogy. The typical critique of Chris Nolan's movies is that it might be too cerebral for the casual moviegoer, no it's not. His films are universal, it's so well-layered, directed towards everyone. If you're more of the "intellectual genre" you'll notice the political undertones and social commentaries and what have you, but even if it goes over your head, it doesn't detract your experience from the film. Fanatic fans of the Batman comics will love all the little nods and references, even the major ones from the comic books thoughtfully implemented throughout the film.
Christian Bale is just magnificent, as he puts it he plays three characters, the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, the true persona of Bruce Wayne still grieving the lost of his parents and the Batman. He's the defining actor of The Dark Knight, his portrayal of all these characters are just perfect and even though he's a man dressing up at night as a bat beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, we empathise with him. Returning inhabitants of Gotham and Bruce's fundamental foundation of his lifestyle is Gary Oldman's aged and weary morally-strayed Commissioner Jim Gordon, the Q to Batman's James Bond, Lucius Fox and possibly a Best Supporting Actor nominee perhaps, the closest thing to a father figure Bruce can get, his moral compass, oozing with words of wisdom, Michael Caine's Alfred Pennyworth. Scenes between the trio are so poignant, beautifully crafted and presented, it's so hard to watch without getting a lump in your throat, to describe it as tear-jerking ia an understatement. One of the newcomers is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's solid portrayal of beat cop John Blake and Marion Cotillard's enviromentalist Miranda Tate. The chief antagonist is Tom Hardy's full time terrorist Bane, He's frightening to watch, Tom embodies and embraces the sheer brutality and monstrosity of "the mercenary" flawlessly with half his face covered up, the way he conveys his emotions with only his eyes is amazing. Anne Hathaway's morally ambiguous Selina Kyle is a wild card, it's really fun to watch the development and chemistry between Bruce/Selina and Batman/the cat burglar. The 2 hours and 44 minutes running time didn't feel long at all, the story flows seamlessly as it comes full circle with flashbacks from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, it's all beautifully balanced between the intimate moments of character development that's unusual in a summer blockbuster film and the really elaborate and simply put awesome all-out war action sequences and the choreography of the brawls between Batman and Bane is much improved than the previous films. The most important element of The Dark Knight Rises however and what makes it a gem is that it manages to amp up the suspense and anxiety to incredible heights knowing that every single character is dispensable including the Batman. When was the last time you watched a superhero film and feel a genuine concern that our hero is not going to come out alive? Exactly.
Thank you Christopher Nolan for not giving in to the public and I'm assuming studio demands to continue this magnificent 7-year journey we have all been through together, to truly end this great vision of the legend with integrity, to give this great story a great and true conclusion to let the Batman ride off into the sunset if you will. It was the ending this iconic character deserved. And to anyone who thinks the Rises in The Dark Knight Rises is just a convenient way to name the film, it makes complete sense, it… Expand
Jul 25, 2012I liked this movie. But the problem is I really wanted to LOVE this movie. There were just so many small plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the film that kept creeping in and jarring me out of the experience as well as several secondary characters that really served no purpose at all. I would list them out but I won't to avoid spoilers. All in all, this felt kind of sloppy for a Christopher Nolan movie.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012It is not our own fault, as a collective audience, that the third film in the trilogy is often so pressurised into being a fantastic, ugly and plot-less mess. We get overexcited and speculate endlessly and wildly about the plot and twists of the film to the extent where the creators are left with no option but to go hell for leather and overload, over-complicate and overextend themselves when it comes to actually making the damned thing! Nolan has in the past provided massively entertaining well written, scripted and directed works of cinema, (TDK, Inception and YES prestige) I do not doubt his talent.
TDKR was not one of them, the dialogue lacked the wit and pithy impact of the previous film to the point where everything felt rushed and miscued. The plot 'twists' were obvious, unnecessary and entirely un-intriguing. The action scenes were fine, a little drab although I appreciate the 'broken Batman' concept. Bane was good and would have appeared better if the rest of the plot had stood well around him. A suitably frightening bad guy I loved the voice and the interactions between him and his army (although why they are so willing to die at his command is never fully explained). The prison scene could have worked in another film, similar to Batman Begins for example, but were an irritating and contrived side plot, especially the whole rock climbing bit (was this the key scene? Not sure). Give a director enough budget and he will drop your expectations through a trapdoor.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012It is an amazing film.Although Tom Hardy as Bale isn't able to match the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, but he gives a very solid performance.The acting of Bale too is great along with a brilliant plot.I think it really is the epic conclusion to the Batman Trilogy.Thanks Nolan for this film:)
Jul 20, 2012I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best Batman movie ever. The action, scale, and emotion involved is breathtaking. Bane rivals the Joker as one of the best villains I have ever seen. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat and keep you holding your breath the entire time.
Jul 20, 2012The movie is about equal to the dark knight, which is a superb thing. the start is kind of slow and there are a few minor unexplained things, but just an overall brilliant film. the ending is the best i have ever seen in a film!
Jul 28, 2012Ultimately the problem with the movie is the plot makes no sense at all. As I'm endeavoring to not give away anything, so I'm going to be intentionally vague. There is no logical explanation for the actions of the villains in this movie. Nothing to justify why they are doing what they are doing, and even if you work past that and accept that they just are, what they end up doing doesn't even make sense in the context of their stated goals. Unlike the insane, but methodical plans of the Joker in the second movie, the bad guys in this are just plain insane, and yet they play it far more straight-faced than the aforementioned previous antagonist did.
The next problem is the action. The whole "comic book movie" excuse that gets banded around so often can really only make up for so much. The core of the issue is that in Nolan's Batman universe, bullets seem to be more precious than diamonds. For some reason this did not feel quite as obvious in the previous two installments as it did in this one. Every action scene has mooks running up to Batman or other characters with guns in their hands to be easily disarmed. The frequency with which this happens in staggering. Barely anyone ever fires their guns throughout the movie and when they do, they make Stormtroopers look accurate. This culminates in a massive all out battle in which literally thousands of people suddenly forget the deadly projectile launching devices more or less all of them are holding and start laying into each other with whatever is available on hand. The sheer absurdity of the scene makes it impossible to ignore the issue even if you'd intentionally not payed attention everyone running up to martial arts specialists to be easily disarmed up to that point. All of this casts an absurd, practically silly light on the action that really detracts from the movies tone.
Next problem: Exposition, exposition, exposition, exposition, exposition...you can see where I'm going with this. A character enters a plot important room and they start spouting exposition about it to people who quite obviously and unmistakable already have this knowledge beforehand, and nobody questions why they are being told something they already know. The sheer volume of exposition in this movie pushes the already ridiculous runtime past the point of tolerance.
Honestly, I feel tired of this movie. I felt tired of it by the time it finally ended on it's awful cop-out ending, I felt tired thinking of all the things that really did not work in it, and I feel tired listing them here. I'm sorry, it just really isn't a good movie on almost any level, which is a crying shame seeing as it's predecessor is one of my personal favorites.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The production values are brilliant. Camera, costumes, sets, production design and the rest are superior and, with the roller coaster ride Nolan gives us, make the 164-minute film fly by. My Favorite batman Flim yes Better than TDK :)
Jul 22, 2012It's not a bad movie, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's certainly superior to Prometheus. However it lacks any impact. There are no memorable performances, ideas, moments, scenes or effects- good or bad. I didn't walk out angry but I was certainly disappointed.
Bane was horribly realized. I'm sure the mask was a severe burden on Hardy's acting but I never connected with Bane the same way I did with the Joker, or even Ras. And given that he is probably my favourite Batman villain, that was a severe disappointment too. The voice is also frankly atrocious. It sounds like a stereotypical old man but through a Darth Vader filter. Half of his lines were unintelligible and the rest had any menace robbed from them thanks to the ridiculous tambre. The more we learn about him, the less sense he can his motivations make. Apart from that, the rest of the movie was just... just there. Anne Hathway made a pretty decent Femme Fatale, but the role never really evolved beyond that. I think there were just too many characters and development was spread too thin. I never got emotionally invested in any of the characters, and consequently the action and drama just didn't carry much weight.
Speaking of spreading too thin, for a Batman film we see very little of Batman, and only marginally more of Bruce. He spends the entire first act hobbling around and then after two or so action scenes he spend most of the second act wallowing in a cell while what can only be described as 'Stuff' happens.
The take home message of the film is shocking. Apart from pissing all over the 'people are essentially good' message of the second film, it also seems to be giving a great big middle finger to the idea of socialism and the Occupy movement. There's also a big thumbs up for authoritarianism. Did Frank Miller write this? Not to mention another subtext which seems to infer you should be grateful if you grow up in poverty or hardship as it will give you strength.
All in all it's a deeply flawed film in its conception and execution. It's crime isn't so much that it does things badly (not to say that it doesn't do things badly), but that it doesn't really do anything well. It's the epitome of 'meh', neither good nor bad, but with some shoddy characterization and ideas. A plain cheese sandwich made with slightly stale bread.
I think Nolan was too focused on referencing and drawing from comic source material and desperately trying to create a historical parallel, and not paying enough intention to just making a good film off his own talents. All in all, it's a big step back from The Dark Knight, and an unworthy ending. It's worth a look simply for closure, but probably as a rental.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The movie content is fantastic. Must see,btw. It's one of a kind. Christian Bale did it again , hope it tops the charts yet again .Guys please try and give it a 10/10 rating , I just want this movie to break all records and set its position on cloud nine.
Jul 22, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching The Dark Knight, I knew right away that Rises wasn't going to top it. That was the mentality that I had going into the theater, hoping to be pleasantly surprised, yet expecting, at the very least, a satisfying conclusion. I got neither. To put it simply, this was both underwhelming and dumb. The movie opens with an entirely too elaborate plane heist for what amounted to the abduction of some arbitrary nuclear physicist that doesn't become relevant again until halfway in, only to be killed off just as soon as his importance is explained. If you really think about it, he wasn't necessary. All it really amounts to is some pithy moment at the football stadium where Bane establishes that the physicist was the only person capable of decommissioning a bomb, then kills him immediately to shock everyone. That was **** stupid because he wasn't even in Gotham before he was abducted, but I know everyone else in the audience was mesmerized and got chills. Idiots. Speaking of which, Bane's voice was impossible to understand and surprisingly wimpy sounding behind that mask. Maybe it's just me, but I seriously had no clue what he was saying when he talked in the microphone, further distorting his already hard to comprehend voice. Honestly, the movie jumps from plot point to plot point so quickly that you barely get the gist of what is going on before the shot changes again. Something else that was noticeably absent was the grittiness of the first movies. The emotions felt more genuine in the first two movies, whereas the acting in Rises felt phoned in. No one character really gets a whole lot of screen time. You don't get a chance to give a damn about them before the scene ends. Lotta plot holes in this movie, too. First, the movie establishes that Bruce Wayne has no cartilage in his knees any longer for some reason, forcing him to walk around with a cane. That's remedied by a quick scene showing him using high tech joint support devices that solve this problem while also enhancing his strength to the point that he can break through stone without effort, but then as Batman, he gets the case of the stupids and gets his dumb bat ass kicked by Bane, captured and stripped of his Bat Suit as well as joint support gadgetry, and abandoned in some underground prison. Not only that, his back is broken. So, magically, he's cured of his joint problems with absolutely no explanation, and being hung by a rope fixes his broken back. Dumb. Catwoman barely has any screen time, and arbitrarily wears a fetish leather suit with goggles later in the movie. Also she is an implied lesbian/bisexual with the scant couple of scenes and dialogue with her blonde friend or perhaps roommate. It's not really explained or necessary, but does it really matter? You're not doing the math when all you can think about is sex, are you stupid? Robin is a cop who actually doesn't help the situation even one god damn time. Nothing he does actually affects anything, so I have no clue why he's in the movie other than for the one line where someone tells him he should use his full name, "Robin." Wow, was that supposed to shock me? You think I didn't know who he was supposed to be? Oh, and somehow Batman is able to fly a nuclear bomb out to sea with his Bat copter thing with only 40 seconds left on the timer, then escapes from a 6 mile blast radius, when just two scenes before we see him just barely outflying tank missiles inside the city. The movie even confirms he somehow did this by indicating that he flew his copter back to Luscious' weapons depot without being noticed. I found this movie very hard to watch because of how brain-dead it was. This movie obviously wasn't meant for me. It was meant for morons with 3 second attention spans. Frankly, I'm shocked more people aren't pissed.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012awsome movie. i was shocked at bane character ! nice plot. critical thinking. i love bruce wayne spirit. i can feel the pain.uhhh....anyway..4 years i wait for this sequel.....wow....i was so happy last nite..most of the audience clap hands at the end...thank you NOLAN..
Jul 20, 2012This movie reminded me of a combination of Weekend at Bernies (especially part II) and the video game Burgertime. This becomes especially apparent toward the middle of the film. Toward the end, the film picks up speed and Hans Blix's score really helps keep you awake. I also suspect that that movie theater I was in was pumping in something more than oxygen to keep the audience beyond awake as I went to the 3 am viewing and by 3:30 am, people were clapping at scenes that did not seem to deserve clapping and at several points during the film the guy next to me stood up and yelled: "Go Batman, Go!" As to the end of the film, what can I say but that it is truly amazing. The closest movie ending I can think that compares is the end to Cannonball Run when Captain America/Captain Chaos rescues a woman's dog and he and Burt Reynolds lose the race, but win the moral victory. The parallels are indeed almost frightening and I wouldn't be surprised if Christopher Nolan eventually reveals that Cannonball Run (and its precursor, Smokey and the Bandit) was his template for this movie. A solid film that stands alone as a pretty decent film, but is lacking in that Burt Reynoldsesque/Don Knotts levity that a dark movie like this sorely needs.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Chris Nolan did it again. The dark knight rises topped the the dark knight. Rises had the best cast and best plot making for a entertaining edge of your seat summer block busting box office hit. I would recommend seeing it and i will see it again.
Aug 1, 2012"The Dark Knight Rises" is a brilliant summer blockbuster that succeeds responding its massive hype by gloriously ending The Dark Knight Trilogy. Despite some stretched-out plot holes and cliches the movie's story-line is tight and packed with visual eye candy, stuff that you gotta watch in IMAX. Most of the actors from "Inception" are brought down into the film and they boast solid performances. The tone of the movie isn't as dark as "The Dark Knight", but it still is mature and realistic (in a sense...). However what Christopher Nolan hit dead right was, in my opinion. the ending. I won't spoil anything but I can say that the ending is very refreshing and interesting; it's different from the usual linear endings brainless Hollywood blockbuster directors/producers think of. Long story short, WATCH IT. It's not quite the same level as of "The Dark Knight", but it has big scope visual eye-pleasers as well as a somewhat sensational and wise ending; a finishing touch for director Nolan's epic trilogy of the lonesome dark knight.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Now I see it, it sounds like batman's struggle against the Avengers. but there is no point of comparison, because batman does not compare to the movie of the advengers child.
Jul 20, 2012Incredible and satisfying end to the Dark Knight trilogy. This is as good or better than the previous movie, and it is probably the best way they could have ended the series. The acting is great, the action scenes are amazing, the music is epic, and the story is very well executed. Highly recommended. The best superhero movie since the Dark Knight, and perhaps the best of all time.
Jul 20, 2012Just when i didn't think it was possible, i was proven wrong. "The Dark Knight Rises" tops "The Dark Knight". Wow, talk about an amazing film. Amazing performances all around. Definitely the best goes to Tom Hardy and his exceptional work as Bane, while being excellent, he still wasn't as good as Heath Ledgers job as "The Joker" though, but Bane was still bada$$. Christopher Nolan is a genius and a mastermind. He has just created the best trilogy ever! I'm sad to see it end but at the same time i have to give a hand for Mr. Nolan and the amazing work he has done and its a good thing he doesn't overdo it and he knows that, one of the reasons why he "ends" it with "The Dark Knight Rises". Whether you're a Batman fan or not, you simply must enjoy this film because it is a pure stroke of genius. Everybody needs to witness this awesome, pulse-pounding, heartracing, and exciting film. Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon Levitt (who was amazing especially) Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine all had outstanding performances in this movie. This movie in every sense of a way deserves a 10/10. The Dark Knight Rises will leave you with your mind completely blown, and the people who have already seen it know exactly why i say this. Now stop reading this review and go witness Christopher Nolans latest and last Masterpiece of our favorite vigilante "The Batman".… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Underwhelming. The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to with the superb previous two movies and it simply doesn't. I don't want to knock this film for not being the previous two though, that'd be hard given how staggering the Joker was in the last movie, but as a film in itself it just isn't that spectacular. First the good; some of the characters are excellently portrayed. Bane in particular was fantastic, both built like the proverbial brick privvy but educated sounding and melancholy, although it's hard as hell to hear him at times. Catwoman was also very good and most of the regulars in general, though this in itself seemed to make Bruce Wayne/Batman seem somewhat sidelined. The visual were good and clear with nice scenery and the like, special effects not being too over the top and so forth. The ending (what we've all realistically been yearning for) was a mixed bag and that leads me onto the weaker aspects. The road to the ending was ridiculously convoluted. The plot is jarring and it felt at points that my suspended disbelieve had been hanged from the neck until dead and hung from a skyscapper. Gaping plot holes present themselves as the story weaves and back tracks and slides from here to there with a few unsubtly placed references that will no doubt crop up later in some significant way. Hey! Hey! You see this thing? Notice how we are mentioning it now?!
So convoluted is the plot that it makes a review hard because I don't want to give much away for the folks who want to see this movie. Allegiances change and new villians crop up so much I gave up trying to understand their motives and just waited for the finale. The final twist regarding characters almost made me facepalm and mutter to myself 'seriously?'. In short, with out giving it away, Bane is the big villian who wants to use a doomsday weapon on Gotham (you've all seen the trailer with the stadium, don't pretend you haven't). But the way he goes about this evil genius plan is just bizarre and left me questioning who the hell is actually running Gotham? From bizarre police tactics, to a lack of massive fire outbreaks (earthquakes = gas line ruptures) to the outside world just going 'meh' at tense situation, plus a utterly weird mechanic for forcing the plot resolution, the film veers from silly to stupid amidst long stretches of not really very much happening. I was actually a tad bored about an hour in for a few minutes and when the action did resume my brow was knotted with disbelieve. I think in particular to a scene with police versus baddies in a scene not unlike the film Zulu with regards to firepower. What ensues just doesn't make sense but provides a wonderful showdown for the heroes/villains. And while the acting is one of the strongest ponits of the film (with a genuinely touching scene with alfred and bruce wayne) some of it is just hacky and truly 2D. There's even some special cameo's which instead of making me more excited, as they should, actually gave me the impression the film was just trying to hard to fit every significant character in. Appart from the tragically dead ones, of course. And then there was the ending. I can't say a great deal without spoiling this and I wouldn't want to do that, but then that's the point. Put it like this; a film is about the journey, not the ending. If I spoilt the ending the film wouldn't seem that worth it. The sixth sense, by comparison, you might think that the progression of the story was enough that even knowing the ending (he's dead. If you didn't know it by now, shame on you), you still were taken on a journey by the film. The DKR didn't feel like that. At first I was angry (Batman being my favourite superhero), but then I thought, no, it's a brave way to end things that Mr Nolan's done and I respect that, I respect that he's taken this, probably unpopular, path to conculude the story and that he's- on now wait he hasn't after all. Hey!! Remember that thing we kept shoving in your face!!! Surprise! Even the tying up of the loose ends sadly seemed a little forced and unsubtly, leaving an overall bad feeling in my mouth, washed down with now flat cola. Pros: Some excellent actors for roles of Bane, Catwoman, Alfred, Blake and Gordon.
Good special effects.
Good scenery and cinemtography.
An attempt at a unique and unorthodox ending to a superhero trilogy.
Some dodgy acting and bad voice work, especially for mumble mumble Bane.
Ridiculously convoluted plot.
Gaping and fatal plot holes (five month old sweaty cops anyone?)
Not enough balls to go through with the supposed ending to make a unique film.
Overal a rather sad 5/10 (would be 6, but I don't want this showing up as a green).
P.S. To those that have seen this and are reading reviews to justify their own opinions (we all do it), speeds of over 360 mph would be needed for the ending, right? Yeah, right.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While not the worst film ever made, The Dark Knight Rises is certainly a major letdown. The film is mired by numerous plot holes, logic errors, jarred storytelling, amateurish editing, bad pacing and transitions, and lack of explanation as to who the new comers are and why we should care. Not to mention the plot twist after plot twist that is thrown at the audience during the dull 2 1/2 hours you'll spend watching the movie. There are numerous things touched on in the beginning that are ultimately thrown to the wayside (see: Bruce's "brace") that distracts from the viewing experience and breaks the immersion of the film. There are also problems with the voice acting given during this movie; Bane is the primary culprit, but even Bruce, Alfred, and of all things Batman have issues with clarity and not sounding ridiculous. The logic of some of the characters in the movie is absolutely stupid as well (see: acting police chief when Bane makes his move). I just want to conclude by saying that "Auto-Pilot" doesn't mean "magical plot transporter". You'll see what I mean when you watch the film to it's non-nonsensical conclusion.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Unfortunately the benefit I thought I'd get by seeing the entire Trilogy tonight of Christopher Nolan's brilliant Batman world actually worked against me. Seeing Batman Begins, by far the best of the three, again had just as much of the magic as my first opening night screening. The Dark Knight, too, continued to set the GOLD standard for superhero filmmaking. That is why seeing those two masterpieces bumped up against this awful excuse for a Batman and an even worse excuse for a Christopher Nolan film, made the evening purely miserable. First, the opening scene introducing Bane and the ending wrapping up the Trilogy We're the best 20 total minutes of the movie. That, and a fantastic, yet not-used-as-much-as-she-should-have-been Catwoman portrayal by a very sexy Anne Hathaway, pretty much summed up what was worth seeing in this clumsy, poorly written, poorly acted travesty of a sequel. The vast majority of its 2:45 running time resembled not one ounce of a Christopher Nolan film, save for the above caveats. Christian Bale even appears to have forgotten how to play Batman and Bruce Wayne. The cast was almost unrecognizable, and for that I blame the script. Color me disappointed.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises was slow, often boring. It makes a few assaults to the audience's intelligence. Implausible, convoluted, often predictable, and cliched. The worst parts were the boring and convoluted.
Few action scenes, waaay too many mopey emotional scenes. The bad-guy-plan, well it was like building a 100 part mouse trap to catch a fly you could swat with your hands. This was a long movie, but instead of reinforcing some of the more interesting plot points and developments they spend most of the time investigating and re-investigating Bruce-Wayne's **** attitude. There are many uninspired and uninteresting lines. Cliched phrases are tossed around without ever making real sense. Bane explains so many of his motivations, but they all somehow fail to make any sense as to why he's doing what he's doing. When you arrive near the end you find out that all Bane's talking was irrelevant anyhow. Some scenes, especially the ones with Alfred or flashbacks, were complete copies of scenes that had already appeared previously in the movie, with maybe a subtle difference. This made those scenes, boring and predictable.
So many flashbacks, but not to shed light on the story, but to misdirect you. The sad part is, even with the misdirection and the "twist", they hardly spent enough time on the character involving the "twist" to make you care, all this effort placing your attention on a plot point that ends up being irrelevant. 5 out of 10. If yer bored, watch it. I would have been more entertained doing something else.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight was the best superhero film to date. However, TDKR was not. It wasnt even good. The entire movie was slow, boring, preachy, pandering, and had practically no action. If you know Batman lore, you know who Miranda Tate is, so the "surprise" at the end, wasnt a surprise. And even if you dont know the lore, it still wasnt all that much of a twist. It felt like an afterthought to throw into the movie. All the people who say TDKR was the best movie ever and gave it a 10, have not seen the movie yet, or are just insane fanboys that will love anything with a bat symbol on it.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012This movie was an absolute perfect conclusion to the batman trilogy. It had action emotions effects and an incredible story. The acting and directing were captivating and harmonious and The fight scenes were thrilling. I could not have asked for a better conclusion.
Jul 20, 2012Okay, Marvel fanboy here, and I'm saying that the Avengers was just surpassed here. Let's be real, The Avengers was a cheesy explosion of special effects. A very good one, but it doesn't match the gripping emotions, the stellar acting, and grand directing of this film. The Avengers is great pop culture entertainment, Rises is simply great CINEMA.
Jul 21, 2012I don't usually review films but felt compelled to with this. I won't say much as it's all pretty much been said but it was the perfect to ending to a perfect trilogy & for me has sealed Nolan's place as one of Hollywood's greats.
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nolan was able to bring his Dark knight trilogy full circle with the dark night raises. You can not compare it to either of the other two films. Unlike the Joker from the dark knight.. Who was more crazy and just rolled with the punches. Bane is pure evil wanting to destroy everything or everyone in his path and he has a plan! Tom Hardy does a great job playing the villain with just his eyes and body language over all! Bale filled out the role of batman perfectly again. The effects were the best out of the 3 films. Just when you think, How can Nolan make this bigger or better. He does, dont doubt the man he is a genius at movie magic . He stays with his own story, yet still sticks well to batman lore. With sprinklings of a little modern day troubles within our own world. The one that was the best and only thing I will give you from the movie is Bane and his men Go into the Gotham stock exchange. One guy says "what do you think your going to steal this is the stock echange there is no Money here?!" Bane replies "If there is no money here then what are you doing here!" With Nolans Batman Trilogy to a satisfying close. The next person that tries to revive the batman series. I wish them the best of luck they will need it. Nolan has placed a big foot print in that department that I dont believe anyone can fill!… Expand
Jul 20, 2012An epic, visceral, emotional ride. A truly grand feat of filmmaking. Is it better than The Dark Knight? No. But then again, under the circumstances, there was no way it ever could be. What it IS however, is a fitting conclusion to Nolan's Batman saga, the best film he could have possibly made without Heath Ledger. Nolan has beaten the "superhero threequel curse" and delivered the second best Batman film ever made, and arguably, the second best comic-book movie too. A must see (but come on, you were going to see it anyway).… Expand
Jul 20, 2012SPOILER FREE REVIEW: There is no word grand enough to describe the closing film in the Dark Knight saga. Epic doesn't even come close. It is an experience that is truly transcendent for any big summer blockbuster, let alone a comic book adaptation. The movie is set 8 years after the previous film and in the new Gotham crime seems to no longer be the problem, however a new one has begun to grow from the depths of Gotham's sewers, as an increasingly corrupt and greedy 1% take and take and leave nothing for the rest. It is set in a world that so closely resembles our own world in so many ways and Nolan touches on this subject in a way that no other big time director would dare to fathom, nor accomplish with such precision. Some will say that this film is a scathing rejection of socialism, when in fact it shows us the danger of ignoring social and economic injustice, which is at it's extreme a Russian style revolution. But politics and economics aside, the film is still wholly carried by it's intensity and its action, and the action is simply breathtaking. Nolan seems to be the only big budget director left who uses CGI only when absolutely necessary and the effect is very real and impressive, especially during the jaw dropping last 45 minutes of the film. The cast of The Dark Knight Rises is, I think, the best ever assembled for a Batman movie and the surprise best performance comes from Anne Hathaway who is fierce as Catwoman, but also surprisingly human and genuine. She embodies the message of the movie, showing us that all people can change and everyone should have a second chance. Tom Hardy's Bane is perhaps the most fearsome villain I've ever seen on the screen, even if he lacks the electricity that made Heath Ledger's performance in the Dark Knight so monumental. And then there is Marion Cotillard who, even though she wasn't given enough screen time, still managed to steal many of the scenes she was in. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a good performance as well, though I don't think he was given enough of a chance to show off his skills. The returning cast was all great as well, particularly Michael Cain. It is inevitable that this film will be compared in every way to it's towering predecessor, and in many ways The Dark Knight Rises is better. For example, the Screenplay seemed much tighter for this film and was almost 100% devoid of cliches that somewhat dogged the first one, and the amazing score by Hans Zimmer seemed to be more thrilling in this film. However, as a whole I think audiences will respond less to this one because of it's much more pensive nature. It doesn't all fly at you with lightning speed like The Dark Knight does. To fully appreciate this movie you have to be fully engaged and you have to come at it with an open mind and a willingness to want more than just a lot of action and violence. My only big complaint about this movie is that even though it was 2 hrs and 45 min long, it still felt to short.… Expand
Jul 21, 2012A wonderful end to the finest superhero-themed trilogy one has ever seen. Every character is developed fantastically, from the villainous Bane to the ever loyal Alfred, the hardened Commissioner Gordon and finally the Caped Crusader himself. A must see for anyone who wants more than their admission ticket's worth.
Jul 24, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went into The Dark Knight Rises expecting that it would not be able to rival The Dark Knight, but hoping to be pleasantly surprised. And right off the bat (sorry for the pun) you get thrown into the movie full speed with Bane in an amazing "heist scene" that legitimately exceeds our introduction to Joker in Dark Knight. So far so good. As the story develops, certain things are thrown out of left field and never really get explained. Such as the knee brace that just magically appears out of nowhere. Some scenes that should have been given more time to develop weren't, but overall it didn't detract much from the movie in my opinion. As the story unfolds during the first hour, the character development of Bane was a fantastic build-up as he continued to draw me in as I yearned to find out who he was and what his motives were, and of course there was great anticipation of an epic final showdown between Batman and Bane. The writing in regards to Bane during the first hour of the film was brilliant. I couldn't have imagined that halfway through the film, I would honestly find myself thinking that Bane's character development not only was at least as good as Joker's, but possibly even better. I was absolutely hooked. After the epic build-up of the first half of the movie, I anticipated the second half of the film to wow me with what was building up to be possibly one of the most epic showdowns in recent memory. Then the first letdown, the "Flintstone's Prison" scenes were not only convoluted, but seemed like they were there for no reason other than to stretch out the running time. While I experienced a letdown during that point in the film, my excitement for what was sure to be a monumental ending overruled my increasing disappointment and at one point I found myself leaning in towards the IMAX screen as though if I actually sat on the edge of my seat that it would somehow get the movie back on track. I was wrong. Enter the cop versus mob showdown and probably the most anti-climactic scenes I can recall in a movie that had been building so feverishly toward what was set up to be a truly epic climax, but instead we get a plot twist with an assumingly innocent woman revealing herself to be the true mastermind behind a deviant plan to bring the people of Gotham to its-blah blah blah. This twist has been done before. It was called "The World Is Not Enough" and I remember it as being a very poorly constructed Bond movie with a very lame plot twist. Ok so Miranda is the bad guy and if you're a true comic buff, you already knew she was. That doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that Nolan decided to use the nearly identical plot twist structure from a Bond movie that was very much less than memorable as the vessel to reveal Miranda to the audience. Nearly unforgiveable, however nothing in this movie could be more unforgiveable than watching Selina ride in through the door on the bat bike and press a button, ending Bane's reign as one of the most memorable villains in movie history. A girl on a bike pressed a button and did what the Dark Knight couldn't do through an already two hour movie. She saved Gotham from the villainy of Bane. Unbelievable. No epic final showdown with Bane. No chance of Batman breaking his golden rule in order to beat the name of the trigger man out of Bane's dying mouth/mask. No chance of Batman being saved by Robin, excuse me Blake, at the last second. No final reveal of the inner workings of Bane's mask/prop by ripping it off of Bane's face to show the audience the true origin of Bane's pain and suffering and possibly his motives for turning Gotham into an occupied prison. No climax at all, just a used up plot twist and a girl on a bike pushing one little button. That was all it took to bring down one of the most ultimate bad guys of cinema, one press of a button. What a waste. What a waste of the entire first half of the movie building up the depth and character portrayal of Bane. What a waste of my anticipation for a truly climactic scene. What a waste of my time... After that I was so frustrated with the movie, that I had been ready to give a perfect 10 to no less, that for an instant I pondered actually getting up and walking out of the theater. I didn't, of course, but only because I had already sat through over two hours of the movie. Might as well see how it ended, which was very close to being brilliant... but that is honestly a whole different complaint. Suffice to say, by the end of the movie I had withdrawn my emotional interest in the outcome entirely. A girl on a bike ruined what could have been the greatest comic book film adaption of all time. And one little button.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Definitely, this movie has a 9.6, Nolan did what no one else was able to did before, to make the perfect trilogy, everyone has failed with the third movie, even Francis Ford Coppola failed with The Godfather III, but Nolan gave us a surprise,The Dark Knight Rises was the epic final, for the epic trilogy, as I said before, he did what no one else was able to do before, make the third movie better than the second, Batman Begins was really good, Batman The Dark Knight was better, but The Dark Knight Rises is even better, in so many ways, it is impossible to dislike this movie, if someone says that he or she doesn't like this movie, is lying, and is a hater, because it is impossible, this movie is epic, the end was just amazing, I almost had a heart attack, this final movie had everything, it touched my emotions to the very end, I just have to say that Nolan did an amazing work, and sorry to say this Francis Ford Coppola, but my new favorite trilogy is now directed by Nolan.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Honestly, I can say this movie kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time which is surprising considering I nearly fell asleep at the last movie I saw which was this length, which was the most recent remake of king kong...
Jul 20, 2012The critics picked this film apart, but it was a thoroughly satisfying end to the best trilogy of the past decade. 2.5 hours well spent by me thanks to 4 years well spent by Christopher Nolan and company.
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises had a lot of hype and high expectations to live up to after coming off of its acclaimed predecessor--The Dark Knight. Thus, inevitably, when going in to see the TDKR, TDK will be on the back of many peoples
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Dark Knight Rises concludes Christopher Nolan's dark and triumphant Batman trilogy. For seven years, Nolan's reboot has reached acclaim and this final Batman flick has easily been one of the most anticipated movies of all time.
After eight years of no Batman, a terrorizing masked pro-wrestler has come to burn Gotham to ashes with a master plan to overthrow the higher classes. After his stock market stunt he leaves Wayne Enterprises wiped out financially. Bruce Wayne reaches out to Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a millionaire who can help Wayne. Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar also known as Catwoman, comes across Wayne after steeling his mother's pearls but is also after a "clean slate", that Wayne can give her. John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a young cop who is nothing short of heroic. Nolan provides us with many new characters and manages to present them as fresh instead of overwhelming.
The Dark Knight set the bar very high for this movie and with the absence of the Joker, who Heath Ledger made one of his most memorable performances of, finding another villain who could top that brilliance was seen as almost impossible. Bane (Tom Hardy), a B-list villain was something of a genius idea. A villain who is as powerful as Batman and makes Batman's job nearly impossible. Although we didn't get the humor that we were left with by the Joker and still, Bane doesn't quite live up to the Joker's glory, Hardy did leave us with a great villain and Nolan succeeds at making this B-lister feel like an A-list villain. The mask does take away a bit of personality but Hardy does give an impressive performance only using his expressions with his eyes and body language. you will leave the theater withe the epic and evil voice that Bane provides us with, done so well, stuck in your head. The presence of the other new characters like Catwoman and Miranda Tate also help make up for the missing Joker.
Nolan's final Batman film doesn't fall short of it's predecessors. The legend ends with one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. We are left with a truly triumphant finale.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Technically very good, except for some inexplicably clunky storytelling in the first half. But just as soon as the story congeals, Batman and supporting characters are rather jarringly ripped from their context. I wasn't sure that I was watching a Batman movie, until the last fifteen minutes or so, when I became convinced of it. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is a more satisfying conclusion to Batman's character arc, because it bends where this movie has chosen to break.… Collapse
Jul 20, 2012Surpasses the Dark Knight, a movie that stood solely on the shoulders of Ledger and was great despite it. The few who do complain I will tell you are too thick to appreciate the intricate beauty of the plot and scope of the movie (or perhaps a bit too slow to fully comprehend it) or wanted another batman that was great simply because of a great villain. Bane was not as much the focus of this one as the joker was in the Dark Knight, and the movie is better for it. Bale, Hatheway and Levitt turn in great performances and Bane is a great foil that doesn't completely steal the show. Those familiar with Bane's origins will be pleased this is a great interpretation of the character that.... let's just say doesn't miss any notes :). There is one weird twist that I cannot discuss for the purposes of spoilers that felt rather unnecessary, but it was a real treat for viewers who tire of movies that treat them like idiots… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Modern day Citizen Kane. This is a fascistic look at revolt in a city of desperation. Nolan delivers with a grand slam. Epic conclusion to the most epic trilogy of all time.
Jul 21, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is without a doubt one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen. It was nothing like I expected and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I love how Nolan's Batman movies have evolved and feel so different than the ones before it because you do not get tired of them. The movie is different from The Dark Knight and Batman Begins because it is more grandoise and complex. There are several twists in The Dark Knight Rises that add a level of complexity that the previous two films did not have. That being said, The Dark Knight Rises is not better than The Dark Knight because of its muddled plot and rushed ending sequences.
The muddled plot comes from the fact that Nolan relies to heavily on the ending sequences to explain earlier events. For some that is good enough, but I expect more from Nolan. Also certain events in the film seem over the top and in some cases there is no explanation for how they came to be. Especially, the French Revolution like court scenes. There are many other examples, but I do not want to spoil the movie. Despite these flaws, The Dark Knight Rises manages to keep you engaged because of the wonderful characters and the outstanding perfomances from the actors. The newcomers, Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Joseph Gordon Levit as John Blake, and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate are all wonderful additions that add compexity to the film and some wicked twists at the end. So overall I think the film is good and worth seeing, but not a masterpiece like The Dark Knight was.… Expand
Dec 19, 2012I have no idea how so many people like this drag of a movie, there will little to none character development , there so much cliche stuff it was sadly predictable, the actions scenes were badly choreographed. there was NO chemistry between the actors. I love Nolan but this was just a waste, full of disjointed plot lines and lack of cohesion.
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Now that I've seen The Dark Knight Rises.... where do I begin. In no way/shape/form is this a knock at Batman. Im sure theres great and good material and media for Batman over the years. I'm not a batman fan of any sort, but I thought the 2008 Dark knight was OK, as well as some of the other Batman material. If I were a fan, I would be insulted and furious of the movie I just watched. It was nearly complete garbage. It's obvious that Christopher Nolan doesn't want to do them anymore... it felt more like a obligation to Warner Bros. than any real interest. If he wants to do a Inception sequel... thats fine. Do an Inception sequel... but dont do a half ass batman movie just because your studio and production companies want to profit from the name. And, there was a huge Inception-like feel to this Batman. Actors, music, atmosphere, etc. So it's apparent he cant get Inception off his mind long enough to worry about making anything but. The entire movie was a cluster **** Disorganized, hard to follow, a plot that had holes as big as atomic explosions, downright laughable acting and character voices. Trying to be intimidated by Banes voice was like try to be scared of Barney the dinosaur. Batman still sounded like he sucked a big ole BBC the night before or had throat cancer. Even the combat and fight scenes felt cheaply done and over-the-top. The movie felt like it was done on a low budget... the sequences slapped together, in no real fashionable order, and the story made you scratch your head (Batman is in New York in the middle of a brawl in one scene, and then wakes up in a prison in the middle east... are you kidding me?). The entire threat felt unrealistic and batman was a sissy. The only real reason to watch this, ironcally, was for Cat woman. She was the real anti-Hero of the show, and a suprsingly great performance by Anne Hathway (and a down right sexy one too). But you could even sense her frustation on screen having to act along side such goofy characters. I'll have to admit, the last 30 minutes were the best. Sadly, myself and 2 friends nearly walked out before that.. and it wouldn't have been a great lost of any movie memories even if we had. We decided to stay more for the humor of such a poorly done film. Sadly, it appears the popularity of this movie has become the pinnacle of American filmography.... I was sickened to see the level of popularity such a crap movie has gained. I really have no faith in society if this is what they deem a 'great american classic". I'll give it 5/10 stars simply because the ending was mediocre and Hathways stealthy performance.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012This was not a Batman movie, this "Batman & Catwoman". The plot is slow poorly developed and you just don't care about anyone in the movie. Batman is shown as broken emotionally & physically but from the events of eight years ago. All of his great resources are gone, his physical advantage is gone, and he is outsmarted by EVERYONE in the movie. Fanboys will tell you its great but its just long and boring. They should have followed the story in the comic book or came up with something new. You never really understand why Bane is winning. In the DK The Joker is shown as Batmans equal on an intellectual level this is why Batman struggles with him, but Bane doesn't show this, he just pops up in GC and Batman can't handle him on any level. Then Bane is killed by CATWOMAN. The movie sucked.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Overall The Dark Knight Rises comes close to the greatness of its predecessor but loses all charm and focus in the process. TDKR is heavy with gloom and despair. It very quickly becomes less a superhero movie and more a Red Dawn / resistance film. The plot feels like it came straight out of '24'. There is little fun to be had.
That said, brilliant acting by the whole cast. Beautiful visuals. An intensity sequesters your attention and doesn't let it go. Excellent attention to detail, especially in regards to faithfulness to the comics, and a great ending. The movie felt a bit too long but overall it didn't disappoint.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012An absolutely breathtaking end to an amazing trilogy. Without spoiling anything, I was left with a tear in my eye, lump in my throat and goose bumps all over towards the final scenes in this movie. Ignore the negative reviews, there are faults with everything if you look for them hard enough. Go and see this movie and make up your own conclusion, you owe it to yourself.
Jul 20, 2012why SO SERIOUS ........................................ stupid marvel dumb asses giveing bad review
way better that DISNEY'S avanger ****
Sep 3, 2012Nolan's movies show off the unattractive bighead he really is. While busy pretending to be intelligent and dark he forgets to put in realistic, "human" behavior. This results in very sober movies that are not attractive in any way. His movies f.e. are lacking humor of any kind...hardly ever a smile is shown and often the plot is just so artificial it can't seriously be what normal thinking people like to see. I much more prefer the human kind of behaviour from actors in movies...The dark knight once again fails the "reality"test...which makes it an annoying waste of time. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!… Expand
Sep 9, 2012All the suspense and action we have come to expect from Nolan, a great film and certainly a worthy ending to such a successful franchise.
Jul 20, 2012Decent movie. But nothing compared to the Dark Knight and I even liked Batman Begins better. Bane was a great villain but I felt the theme and story were muddled and the pacing was a bit off. I never felt really drawn in.
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight was my favourite film, and it was because of this I feared that The Dark Knight Rises would be a disappointment. At no point during the entirety of the film did I feel in any way disappointed by the film. TDKR ends the trilogy in truly style, capturing a scale never managed by Batman Begins or The Dark Knight. A must see film.
Jul 22, 2012The Dark Knight Rises and there's a whole lot of talkin' goin' on. Admittedly, nothing could live up to the hype this things gotten so I tried - I really tried - to put all that aside. But the sad fact is this thing is a snooze.
There is back story after back story in this movie as you learn and re-learn the histories of each character. And, while I promise you no spoilers, what really gets me is , if any of the so-called twists in the plot come as a surprise to you this must be the first movie you've ever seen. I'm not a fan boy and I don't demand fealty to the Holy Writ of the comic book origins, so I'll say making Bane wear that stupid mask was, well, stupid. This is a movie, he's an actor, you need to see his face!
Anne Hathaway and Marion Cotilard are classic beauties and just watching them on screen is a pleasure just not worth all this hyperbole. The rest of the cast are very talented actors as well.
So why a low rating? Well, I can't really tell you without giving spoilers and I promise not to do that. So let me just say if you must see this movie, wait a week or two for the lines to die down and go in promising yourself you ask no logical questions at all. None. Zip. Zilch.
Just sit, eat your popcorn, slurp your cola and let the illogical, predictable plot flow over you.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012I do NOT like the 100% or out of ten scores... but I need to anyways. I give this a 9 because it was a terrific film just like the prev two but with some flaws. It was rushed in the first hour, probs cus the original cut is too long for a theatrical release. I'm now excited to get the blu ray version...
I say check this movie out because it's a great movie on its own. The narrative is the best one in the series since BB. All the actors were great in it (especially Hathaway, Bale, and Caine), the filmmaking was fantastic (glorious in IMAX. Cinematography is easily the best in years. Nolan's vision and scope is well put on screen. Very epic) and the script was well written (although it has some plot holes)
I do not understand the 70 ish score from the critics. I love Ebert and I was put down by his score, it did not match with his review at all. What the critics and Nolan haters are doing is nit picking, extreme nit picking at that. Nolan concludes this trilogy in honorable fashion and I loved it. My favorite Batman movie, although TDK is a better film. The trilogy is just an engrossing epic itself... I love how the three films are all completely different in tone and style.
BUT the movie can make the audience feel uncomfortable, it's almost 3 hours long and it's very much like a war drama and epic. I do not think people like disturbing and unfamiliar epics so that's probably a big factor to why so many critics did not like it. Bane is also a different villain, he is the embodiment of terrorism and revolutionaries. He's very menacing with his eyes and body movement but many ppl will probably dislike him because he isn't as memorable as Ledger's and Nolan's Joker.
This movie is VERY unique guys, and I really mean unique. It's not even a popcorn flick anymore, it srsly is a war epic with very unfamiliar and confusing style. I love these kind of films but most people do not. PS there isn't a lot of Batman in this movie, which I think is a positive, then again ppl want more Batman...
So to conclude this messy review (lol) I admire Nolan for really making an unique film and truly making a TRUE TO THE CORE Batman movie. It felt like Returns, Knightfall, and Dark Victory. I truly love Nolan for making it so different and unexpected, that even critics had a hard time watching this! I truly admire Nolan. He is a genius of a kind. He will be remembered for this trilogy and TDK trilogy has the biggest impact on me as trilogies and series go.
So don't go in expecting Avengers. This is a true and real movie, in time people will see this as a classic
PPS (jesus, I need to organise my writing!) Now I can't see Mr Ebert the same way as before... he gave Spidey 3.5/4, Avengers 3/4 and TDKR 3/4.... how is TDKR in the same league as the first two :( I liked them all but c'mmon man... I am a huge fan of Ebert but he just ruined it now. His review... and that score.. They both don't match! Now, as I said I hate the 10/10 or 100% type of scoring so I'll give a more accurate score: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
(btw that's ★★★★1/2 couldn't find any half stars so that's its… Expand
Jul 30, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! I finally saw The Dark Knight Rises last night. Wow, what a disappointment. Chris Nolan needs to come up with a better plot. He used the same one for all three movies. Build up the character, knock him down, build him back up. After this movie, they can never make another Batman without starting all over again. Do you REALLY want to see Batman's origin again? Also, why is it that so many people figured out who Batman was so easily? They could have have had the same movie without that. Also, Bane. First his voice was poorly dubbed. No matter where he was what kind of room he was in his voice sounded the same. It sounded like it was pasted in. Why is it that Bane could break granite with his fists, but not cave in Batman's face? On Batman himself: why is it he could break rock with his FOOT just because he was wearing a automated knee brace? On SPOILER: Robin. I figured out who the young cop was right away. Again, even he figured out who Batman was, who didn't know? Not only was the whole nuclear bomb plot cut and paste, but poor. He takes the bomb over the ocean, and he's a hero? So much for radiation poisoning in the ENTIRE OCEAN! As soon as Alfred told Bruce the story about finding him Italy living his life you KNEW right then how the movie was going to end. When I heard that Anne Hathaway was playing Catwoman, I was like: "she weights 110 lbs and looks like she couldn't hurt a fly." But she pulled it off. She was the best part of the movie. Bruce being crippled was again, giving an early end to the character. He's supposed to be better than a normal person. Also, him "breaking" his back and FIXING it in prison was the laziest/crappiest part of the whole movie. Batman has an incredible line of characters (heroes, villains, and regular people in all of comicdom not sure why that just had to pin the entire series on Ra's Al Ghul.''
This movie felt unnecessarily big, over produced and rushed. It felt like an afterthought and a contract obligation by Nolan. I wanted to love this movie, but I can just says it's okay. I mean stop pandering to the lowest common denominator and write a smart movie. 2 out of 5 stars.… Expand
Jul 24, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was not a good Batman movie, especially trying to stand next to Begins or Dark Knight. There's a lot for me to dislike, but I'll try to hit the key points only. The pacing is rotten; actors speak without pausing between lines like they're reading from a script as quickly as possible, and plot points whiz by faster than you can appreciate most of the time as more and more is crammed into the already beefy two and a half hours. If things are slowed down to the point of understanding, you realize that the plot makes no sense. Bane (though not really Bane as it turns out) wants to blow up the city because...well, you find out eventually its because Ra's Al Ghul wanted to, but Bane himself (or his benefactor) really has no motivation aside from being a bad guy. Worse still, Bane and company seem to be suicide agents for some reason, planning on going up in smoke along with the rest of the city when the bomb goes off. The entire plot seems to be dedicated to showing Bane rip the city apart and having character shout Occupy Wall Street lines, all the while showing us how bad Socialism actually is. "Now its everyone's house!" Anyway, I think most of the problems stem from those key points: bad pacing, bad plot, confused social message. The actors are great (if rushed), and the segments with Anne Hathaway felt like an entirely different (better) movie. She plays a great Catwoman, and I wish I could have seen her doing so in a better Batman movie. The Batman vs Bane sewer fight is also excellent, and could be transplanted entirely to a better movie as well (the epilogue isn't too bad either, so you can leave on a comparatively high note). Everything else though, from silly plane kidnapping intro to nuclear race against time climax, is rushed and gaudy. One last funny thing I noticed: The Joker is never mentioned, even in passing or in regards to Dent. Dent is talked about; Scarecrow is cameoed; Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows come up; never the Joker though, and he's technically alive in the Nolan-verse. Why? Personally, because I think Nolan and company recognized they weren't living up to the Dark Knight's quality, and they were trying to desperately avoid reminding the audience of that better movie. Don't say his name, and maybe everyone will forget. I'm not really sure, but if it was their way of dodging the challenge of living up to that movie, they failed miserably.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises was by far the best movie of the year. This was an incredible and well deserve ending to the Dark Knight Trilogy. There are so many details that make this movie well written. The production sets are amazing. What i love most is that Nolan use live action instead of CGI. The 164 minute film flew by fast. The action pack was outstanding. Tom Hardy as Bane gave a powerful performance. His expressions were the best. Christian Bale did an amazing job as Bruce/ Batman then before. Anne Hathaway stun with her character and Michael Caine as Alfed touched me. Overall the actors were great. There was so much surprising and shocking scences that kept me on the edge it was an emotional, breath taking film. Nolan has given us the best conclusion for the dark knight trilogy. This movie seriously made me cry. Thank you Nolan you have beaten the threequel curse and have given us the ending we deserve.… Expand
Jul 22, 2012TDKR was worth the wait and it met my ridiculously high standards. For starters, The Dark Knight is my favorite movie and what I consider to be an instant classic just four years after it's release. Also, Chris Nolan is my favorite director and he never disappoints me. That said, this delivers. The acting, action, cinematography, set designs, costumes, and music are all top notch, and will lead to at least 8 academy nominations come february. There are about 4 or 5 set pieces that are jaw-dropping. Bale and Caine give their best performances of the series and are the heart of the movie. New additions Hardy, Levitt, Hathaway, and Cortillard are all spectacular as you would expect. The main complaint this film has and will continue to receive is that it is "long" and "bloated". However, the long length and large number of characters gives it an epic and book-like feel. The film really takes its time in telling it's story, whereas some long movies start to rush to the end around the 2 hour mark. While there are a lot of things going on, the story is relatively simple and all of the characters have a good story arc that concludes in a great way. Ending a series is so hard because of the expectations fans build up, whether it is film, television, or books. But this film really does have an ending that should satisfy the majority of fans. This successfully earns the title of best trilogy of all time in my opinion with LOTR close behind. It is that good from beginning to end. Most of all, Nolan decided to take chances with this film when he could have played it too safe. Job well done by Nolan and company. Best Picture and Best Director nomination please.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. HANDS DOWN. THE BEST MOVIE EVER! Incredibly brilliant end to the batman series. Stunning on Epic Proportions. That's Batman for you! Mind-blowing. Thank you Christopher Nolan and Batman. Truly Inspiring.
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The conclusion to this cultural phenomenon of a series did not leave me disappointed in the slightest. Being a big movie fan, as well as having a pretty thorough knowledge of the history of the comic, I was very pleased with how Christopher Nolan handled the final installment of his trilogy. The story is great, the acting is great from every member of the main ensemble (Bale, Hardy, Hatheway, Caine, Oldman, Cotillard, Gordon-Levitt and Freeman all do excellent jobs) and the presentation is stunning as well. To ask this film to live up to the magnitude of it's predecessor is incredibly unfair and while it isn't a greater showing than thee last one it's still a high quality blockbuster, and very fitting conclusion to the series. Bane is, in my opinion, about the perfect villian to follow up The Joker and while I was skeptical initially, the inclusion of Selina Kyle definitely adds to the film. Again, I think the film was excellent. The characters, plot, visuals, and score were all fantastic and the film did I good job tying the evolution of Bruce Wayne throughout the films together. I do not want to (and won't) give much away but the only qualms I had with this movie were that, first,as others have said, the storytelling was a little messy until about half way through ( i might even say rushed even though half way is about 80 minutes in). Secondly, the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Miranda Tate develops suddenly without much foundation. Lastly and least importantly, I had trouble understanding Bane a couple times but this is really rather minimal as it only happened with two or three lines and I was still able to make out what he said. All in all I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it to anyone who likes movies or is even a lukewarm fan of the series.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Honestly, I;m soooo disappointed. Such a let down after the awesome first two from director Nolan. The film took far too long to warm up. Much too much story line, too much happening and you are left not really connecting with any of it. If youre looking for a dull, senseless action movie this will be youre cup of tea. If youre expecting a great epic story, great acting and the great Nolan touch you'll be, like me bitterly disappointed.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Dark Knight Rises was EPIC ! this is how you wrap up a trilogy. The film was intense and kept you invested all the way through.the character were well developed, believable and very well acted. The visual effects were stunning and complimented well by Zimmers rousing score. An almost 3 hour movie has never gone by so quickly for me and if there is a longer directors cut im buying it day one. The Superman teaser looked cool too. I guess Nolan is just gonna revamp the entire DC universe which would be amazing.… Expand
Jul 21, 2012A masterpiece of a film and hugely enjoyable. It's a fitting end to what is arguably one of the best superhero series. Nolan has consistently delivered dark, thrilling films, with the villains menacing. I personally preferred this over The Dark Knight simply because I felt Heath Ledger as the Joker was overpowering. His performance was amazing no doubt, but it just seemed to overshadow all of the other performances. In here, the film's roles were split almost evenly between Batman and Bane and there was surprising twists - usually such things are predictable but I didn't see them coming. Bane's great too, although I couldn't take him seriously with the way he spoke. It was apparent he wasn't one to mess with when you saw his superhuman strength. An amazing film, well worth a watch.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Sensationally concludes one of the greatest trilogies of modern cinema, and gives Bruce Wayne/Batman a satisfactory ending. Despite seeming muddled, flawed and overly complex at the beginning of the film the final act brings it's entirety together spectacularly and resolves questions that were asked even in the two prior films, bring the trilogy in a fulfilling circle.
Jul 20, 2012absolutely amazing ok the best villain of the trilogy was heath ledger but tom hardy was amazing in his own right christian bale embodies batman and bruce wayne, christopher nolan deserves an oscar for this movie its that good just brilliant. beautifully shoot in imax great story and ann hathaway was unbelievable great she totally deserves her own catwoman movie can not recommend this seminal movie any higher GO AND SEE IT NOW… Expand
Jul 20, 2012What "The Dark Knight Rises" is missing is efficiency and clarity. "The Dark Knight" was a nearly perfect film marked by astounding character development and perfect pop utility - not a moment wasted. "The Dark Knight Rises" is a muddled mess, albeit a dazzling one. The visuals are stunning; but all of the rabbits in Nolan's hat cannot obscure the fact that the screenplay is simply not up to snuff.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Terrific piece of film making that stands out well beyond the whole "superhero" thing. The action is great and Nolan really brings the characters to life again. Hardy's Bane plays an extremely close second to Ledger's Joker. The real accomplishment here is the humanization of its characters. We see everyone at their most vulnerable, and that is what is so utterly chilling. Being a Bat-nut I saw the twists coming from a mile away, but those not well versed in the universe should be in for a pleasant surprise. Hardcore fans might gawk at the liberties Nolan takes with the mythos, but Nolan provides a new spin on a classic chapter that only he could pull off without me screaming "blasphemy." It really is a fitting end to an excellent trilogy.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The first thing that comes to mind when you leave the theater after watching the visually spellbinding,emotionally satisfying & the majestic storytelling spectacle named "The Dark Knight Rises",is that Christopher Nolan has cemented his place in the history of cinema for turning a cult comic book franchise into the most enthralling silver screen experience anyone can ever hope for.The dialogues are sure to resonate for ages;the performances,especially from Christian Bale & Tom Hardy,deserve every possible accolade & each scene simply exudes sheer brilliance.The literal & metaphorical rise of the Dark Knight is displayed with the utmost aplomb & the climax is,in my humble opinion,the greatest conclusion to a masterpiece ever witnessed on the silver screen.Watch the film not only for its magnitude,but for an unbelievably enriching cinematic experience & to be a part of Nolan,the magician's once in a lifetime extravaganza.… Expand
Jul 21, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is a near-perfect masterpiece, my favorite film of the year so far, one of the best superhero films ever made, and one of the most fitting conclusions to a film series ever. The cast is at its best here and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat when the amazing action scenes take place. The climax is one of the most breathtaking I've ever seen and the conclusion make the last couple of minutes of the film so satisfying and wrap the trilogy up nicely. Definitely go see it and keep the victims o the horrific Colorado shooting in hearts as well.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have no doubt that The Dark Knight rises was the most exhilarating cinematic experience of my life. The suspense was so effectively crafted that after selected scenes, I was shaking. The acting across the board was excellent, particularly Bale, Gordon-Levitt and Hathaway (in my opinion, her sexy, sassy performance was the stand-out). The supporting cast was wonderful as usual, with Caine harnessing some very powerful emotion. Hardy as Bane was very menacing and inspired, but perhaps not quite on par with Ledger's Joker. Also, Bane's voice wasn't perfect and the result of the effect was that it sounded like it was coming from... everywhere, and not his mouth. I thought Cotillard was a tad bland but her role was definitely interesting. The only other criticism I have is that it started a bit slow, and the plot in the beginning was a bit murky but once it took off, it skyrocketed - Bane and Batman's first encounter was electrifying and one of the scenes that left me shaking. Of the script, the dialogue was very good, and Bane's origins were a high point for me. I can't quite decide if it's better than The Dark Knight. I'm tempted to say not (nothing will top The Joker) but as an instalment of the series, it was immensely satisfying and the most enjoyable. I was incredibly pleased with the ending, as I think many fans will be. It ends with the faintest chance of a spin-off, but as it wouldn't be directed by Nolan, I don't think I want to see it happen. In conclusion, it lived up to the hype and even if it does fall slightly short of The Dark Knight, I don't think anyone minds and it was definitely a wonderful film and an excellent conclusion.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012Incredible film. Best movie of all-time. Action, dialogue, drama, emotion, hopelessness, resiliency, this movie had at all. Bale, Caine, Freeman, Hathaway, Oldman, Leavitt, Cotilliard, and Hardy all NAILED their parts. Fantastic ending that wrapped up the trilogy perfectly.
Jul 20, 2012Saw it last night. In a Marathon of the other two. One of the best movies that I have seen in a very, very long time. The words Masterpiece could pretty easily be used. I saw the entire trilogy back to back. As a whole, Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy is greater then the sum of its parts. It is the engrossing tragedy of Bruce Wayne. The last hour or so is just completely non-stop. Gut wrenching and emotional. I wont tell you what happens at the end, but I was damn near tears.
What everyone is wondering is whether it is better then The Dark Knight. There is no better or worse, it is just different. As a villain, the Joker represented unplanned, unhinged chaos. As he put it, he is a dog just chasing a car, with no thoughts of what will happen when he gets it. Bane represents the same evil, harnessed with a plan. He knows exactly what he is going to do. The best way that I could describe Bane is as a mix between Hannibal Lecter and the Hulk. On the outside, a complete and utter savage brute. But in his mind, he is incredibly crafty, witty, and cordial in an odd way.
My highest recommendations goes out for this film. It was an experience watching it, and it easily is the best film of the year.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012much better than The Dark Knight. Bane is a much more dangerous villain than Joker. watching batman being broken both in body and spirit by Bane, and then pick himself up again to fight for his beloved gotham is amazing to see. something the joker was unable to do. TDKR has a great storyline and was much more plausible than the dark knight where joker was a one man show with an unlimited amount of explosives he got from god knows where. to somehow plant it without anybody else knowing. and then somehow getting a whole city to play his game exactly the way he wants it.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I won't go into superlatives, simply pros and cons.
1) Performances all round are exceptional. Bale dials back the voice and portrays a broken Bruce/Batman very well, Oldman (Commissioner Gordon) and Caine (Alfred the Butler) are as strong and dependable as ever, and there are fantastic performances from newcomers Anne Hathaway (a revelation as Catwoman), Marion Cotillard (Miranda Tate), Tom Hardy (a physical beast as Bane) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in particular as city-cop John Blake. Well done to those who guessed where he ends up.
2) Action sequences are thrilling throughout (from opening plane-hijacking to city-wide end chase/brawl via brutal fight between our hero and villain), both in terms of effects, pacing and execution.
3) For me, the ending(s) were very nice indeed.
1) As has been much publicised by others, I had real trouble hearing some of the dialogue - particularly when Bane was speaking quietly. There was one conversation in the middle of the film where he and Batman were almost murmuring to each other under an ill-advised loud moment in the otherwise excellent score by Hans Zimmer.
2) Morgan Freeman doesn't get much to do, although adding time for him might have stretched the film a bit too far.
3) Whilst I don't necessarily agree, I can understand the small complaints that it takes a bit of time to get going.
The film would be great as a stand-alone film, but as a trilogy ender it's an absolute belter. There aren't many action trilogies to match it - including the original Star Wars trilogy in my opinion - and we are unlikely to see another superhero story like it for many, many years.… Expand
Jul 25, 2012The Dark Knight Rises has flaws, and it doesn't live up to the excitement of its predecessor. Yet, it has breathtaking action, dazzling visual effects, and is as emotionally powerful as the finale of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. It features incredible performances from Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotilliard, Michael Kane, and Tom Hardy who makes for a terrifying villain. With an amazing original score from Hans Zimmer and breathtaking,thrilling action; this makes for a satisfying and beautiful conclusion to one of the greatest trilogies ever put to film. I give this movie 98%.… Expand
Jul 22, 2012First, I must say that this is the best film I have ever seen produced for an IMAX screen. I went in with tentatively high expectations. I truly thought The Dark Knight was an excellent film, not just an excellent Super Hero flick. The Dark Knight Rises was as good if not better. Like most movies in the genre, the hero has to seem down and out only to make a heroic comeback. While you would expect the same here, the journey to a supremely climactic finish is anything but formulaic. This movie made me rethink my feelings about The Avengers (which I gave a 10) in that a super hero film need not be cheesy, childish, or humorous to be great. This truly was a dark night where glimmers of hope seem to evaporate with thunderous booms. Only to leave you applauding with everyone else as the credits roll.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012A Master Piece . That is how thing will end up if terrorist show up , A Legend will born Consist alot of fighting then Dark Knight And also more then Begin. This is how a movie should be! With a nice soundtrack and a Brilliant special effect. Rise contain about 9 TV SPOT ( Trailer ) but don worry to watch them! They are all in the beginning , like in the early 30 minute. Prepare to be AMAZED !
After watching it , Avenger kinda look like a teenage movie.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is centered around pain, and you can definitely feel it in this! Chris Nolan has done his job to perfection for his trilogy! TDKR ties more into Batman Begins than The Dark Knight and gets all the loose ends sewn up. It takes the elements of Begins and the lie in Dark Knight to make one helluva a trilogy finale. As a Batman and Chris Nolan fan, I think TDKR is the best of the three and possibly Nolan's best, but I can understand if anyone chooses any three as the best. This film has the action, destruction to feed those fans while also having the most emotion for a Nolan film. Nolan really does make you get sucked into the characters he has built over 3 movies. Tom Hardy's performance as Bane really does the character justice with eyes of different emotion and the physicality he brings on screen. Anne Hathaway has to be the breakthrough performance as Selina Kyle, because she brings sexiness, strength, and class to her character. Christian Bale becomes Batman for the last time and delivers his best performance as the character in the trilogy. Wally Pfister's cinematography is top notch and Oscar worthy for this movie of such grand scale. Chris Nolan should at least get his nomination for director for the Oscars this year but who knows. I won't give anything away, but the ending was a great way to end Bruce's story. As a trilogy I think it is right up their with some of the best, and it really is one whole story. The trilogy does circle around if Bruce can become the ideal to become the legend that Ra's al Ghul says in the first film. This truly is the greatest superhero/comic book trilogy/film.… Expand
Jul 21, 2012I'm having trouble thinking of something better to write about this movie than "I love it," but it's getting really hard. It's ingenious, tight, character-driven and raw. The reason I was so antsy to see it was because of Bane: one of my favorite villains played by one of my favorite actors. And he is a really really scary dude. Comparisons to Darth Vader are completely apt. Tom Hardy does so much with voice and body language that the character is endlessly expressive, despite his face being obscured. I love the way he's always resting his fists in his chest. It's also easy to assume that such a big bloke has porridge for brains, so the way he combines that vicious, brutal and graceful physicality with rather genteel hyper-articulation is really jarring. Bane's voice has a playful lilt to it, as though he's adding a little "isn't it obvious?" and "don't you agree?" to everything he says.… Expand
Jul 22, 2012"The Dark Knight Rises" is a bittersweet viewing experience, an exhilarating dramatic adventure so fully engaging that when it reaches it's powerful and emotional climax, you leave the theater feeling like you are saying goodbye to a dear friend you will never see again that makes this the crown jewel of superhero epics and one of the most satisfying and complete movie trilogies ever made. As much as I want to see another Batman movie, I can't imagine one without Christian Bale under the direction and talents of Christopher Nolan who so fully realized this character and the drama of the relationships and themes that make the Dark Knight legend so resonant and real. Thanks to Chris Nolan and company for presenting Bruce Wayne's journey in a way I don't see anyone ever surpassing. Bravo to series veterans Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and to new cast members Tom Hardy, Marion Cottilard and especially Anne Hathaway as the definitive Selina Kyle. It's been a hell of a 9 year ride getting here! The best of the trilogy.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012I don't know what is wrong with Christopher Nolan, he makes these great movies with awesome special effects, beautiful cinematography, and poignant dramatic moments and **** them up with convoluted plot twists, multiple story lines, and retiredly complicated scenarios. This movie could have been great, but it ended up being just ok. It was too long and too many things going on reminded me too much of inception. The ending was money, but it didn't make up for the rest of the movie being too long and boring, next time don't try to make 6 movies into one and it will be good.… Expand
Jul 24, 2012Christopher Nolan directs the third of his Batman Trilogy reuniting the series regulars and introducing others that worked with him on Inception. Nolan
Jul 31, 2012Totally enjoyable. I think people went to the cinema with way too many expectations and forgot to watch the movie for what it was worth. On it's own, people would have generally loved the film a lot more. I think one set went expecting The Dark Knight part 2 and the other went with crates of comics expecting something else. It was a brilliant movie with a worthy villain and I have nothing but praise for it… Expand
Jul 22, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is Dark Knight's equal. The production values are every bit as stellar, if not better for our time. The characters are very memorable and exciting. I was skeptical about the inclusion of Bane, but what a great and unique choice he ended up being. The soundtrack is the best in the series and the story might be too. I can't recommend this film enough and if you're remotely into movies you should see it.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012The Dark Knight is Risible.
Almost every scene was either utter nonsense or so boring that it felt like my entire day was being swallowed up in this mire.
A massive problem for me is Bane, not just that he's nothing like the comic-book character but his voice is even more comical than Batman's - he sounds exactly like the Narrator from Diablo!
Bane's fights with Batman are terrible because Nolan still cannot direct brawling scenes. He barely even tries this time and seems to have gone back to his original tactic of cutting away or just plain hiding the action behind intervening characters.
I can think of 2-3 decent moments but for the vasty majority of the film I was just hoping it would improve or just end. Nolan was obviously sick-to-death of the characters and seemed to want the audience to go out feeling the same way.… Expand
Jul 23, 2012the more i think about this movie, the more i like it. seeing it once is just an introduction to the story and the characters. the journey REALLY starts on viewing number 2, where you can piece together everything that this movie is doing. All of the shades of grey it tries to paint.
Jul 23, 2012After seeing the other brilliant films that Christopher Nolan has made, I knew that The Dark Knight Rises would be amazing. I knew it would be brilliant from the moment I found out that it was being made. But I never, ever anticipated the quality of this film.
I won't go into too much detail, but everything is perfect: the story, the effects, the acting...everything has been carefully considered and used to masterful effect.
The story is excellent, and culminates in one of the best, if not the best, film endings I've ever seen. Anne Hathaway is the perfect actress to portray Catwoman, and while Tom Hardy's performance doesn't match Heath Ledger's, it is nonetheless brilliant and his Bane is a very different villain from those previously seen in Batman films. It goes without saying that this intelligent, sinister Bane is hundreds of miles ahead of the stupid, emotionally soulless character featured in Joel Schumacher's....'Batman' film.
In conclusion, this is the greatest superhero film, let alone Batman film, ever created, and well up there with the all-time greatest films. This dark, exciting epic makes the recent Marvel films look silly and childish. Everyone should see this film, and will be celebrated by film critics and audiences alike as one of the greatest films ever made for years to come. A masterpiece.… Expand
Aug 4, 2012Great movie, one that if you feel mixed about it you should definitely watch it again, completely different from The Dark Knight (which I've seen so many times), it's really a great way to end the trilogy and together this really does make a great trilogy, can't wait to watch all of the movies together in one sitting
Jul 28, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is a surprisingly break-neck conclusion to Nolan's wistful Bat-trilogy, in that the bravado of the first two acts is largely overshadowed by the legacy that is (clears throat) THE BATMAN in his finest and final hour. While it's perfectly understandable that no one wants to see the Batman flutter into obscurity, least of all me, Christopher Nolan really has some balls for ending the vespertilian dream as no other would. I had the special joy of watching all three movies back-to-back, and I really think that fans of the series and the Batman universe alike who found this finale less than satisfactory might wish to consider taking a nice long walk in the opposite direction of the theatre instead of getting in line for something that they can't dignifiedly embrace. I look at The Dark Knight Rises, and I don't see the box-office behemoth of the summer or the cinematic main course of the year that ranters and ravers around the world are flocking to. I see the Dark Knight's bright conclusion, and that's really all that moviegoers ought to stomach. Flex your bat wings, moviegoers. Flex your bat wings.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012There is no other super hero film quite like it! Not only is it realistic but it becomes something more art. Under analysis this film does extremely well with allusions to the french revolution among other things. Nolan creates a mood of over arching dread and depression in a way I feel like I've never seen before. As pure entertainment it thrills. As a piece of art it engages with it's numerous techniques that create a feeling of dread as well as being much deeper than that. Nolan may have made the best trilogy of all time. Recently I was extremely big on the amazing spider man but this film does everything it did and so much more. You will not see a better film this year! I guarantee it.… Expand
Aug 3, 2012I felt compelled to write this review because of the overall positive score this piece of cr.. received. I had some issues with the two previous Batman movies, like the absence of the gothic ambiance - you can pound us endlessly with the claim that the scene is Gotham, but I can still tell it is New York, or poor action scene and the fact that in combat Batman looks like an ordinary bar fighter - hey this is a marshal arts master pushing the human limits of speed, quickness, strength, and agility, and in these movies he looks kind of slow. In this latest movie, for moments I though I was watching Rocky 6 or something. They were exchanging concrete shattering blows endlessly. is that supposed to be an action scene in a modern time action movie. But those are just lighthearted objections. Here comes the heavy stuff. This movies is soooo stupid, it may well have the dumbest and most inconsistent plot I have ever seen. From the little details to the overall plot line it reeks mind boggling thickness. And.... and it is 164 minutes long. Those were the most painful 164 minutes of my movie watching life. I see some people here are careful not to give out any spoilers. Here's a spoiler for you, give this movie the widest possible berth you can imagine, and spread the word before it's too late, and too many people are violated by this weapon of mass brain cell destruction.… Expand
Aug 5, 2012Fantastic Movie, The Dark Knight Rises ends the saga on a high note. The action was over the top and Bane was more fearless and intimidating then the joker, It was nice to see that the hero wasn't invincible for once. Bane literally made Batman beg for his life, yes they could of killed him. but what fun would that be , it was nice to see a realistic movie and a superhero cliche film
Jul 20, 2012Not all critics hailed it as good as its immediate predecessor, but in all honesty TDKR is as good as The Dark Knight. Yes no one can match a truly magnificent performance by the late H. Ledger which make his last made film truly legendary and makes this last installment of Nolan's Batman really hard to finish and above all else TDK has put this last sequel on pedestal of everyone's eye, expecting higher than the usual but Hardy's performance as Bane make it big for this movie and of course Nolan's grand finale has its ground-breaking spectacular and non-stop nail-biting climax that would put you on the edge of your seat gripping till the last scene.
The script was greatly made by the Nolan brothers. There were a lot of new cast which you would think they're irrelevant but evidently it was a necessity to the climax. The acting was superb especially Hardy, Bale, Gordon-Levitte,and Caine. The plot and story and directing was amazing and real, I don't know how Nolan's brain works but it is amazingly effective.
TDKR is the very best finale sequel since LOTR: Return of the King. Of course it is way too better than the third sequel of Spider-Man, X-Men, Blade, even the third Star Wars.Overall TDKR is the best film of 2012 I've seen so far. It is definitely greater than to its competition. It has made The Avengers a child's play as said by TIME movie review. And definitely as great as The Dark Knight. Not all viewers will be pleased by this movie especially some critics, but in all honesty this is one of the greatest movie that has ever made (especially in our time).… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The Dark Knight Rises is THE best Batman film I have ever seen, I did see this movie at the premier session after watching both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and I thoroughly appreciated all the links and ties to both films especially to Batman Begins. This film does everything right a Batman film should, and other superhero films should aspire to be more like this film, with the story being influenced by graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns, Knightfall and No Mans Land. Any keen Batman fan will enjoy all the references, cameos and characters in this film and it lived up to all my expectations, this is definitely the best film of the trilogy, any batman film and is one of my favourite films of all time.… Expand
Jul 20, 2012The shortest 3 hours of my life was taken up by one of the most awesome cinema spectacles of all time. An amalgamation of the themes of Begins and Dark Knight coupled with the theme of pain makes for one of the most intense, emotional, harrowing and most of all - surprising films made, and arguably, the strongest in the franchise. Great performances all round, especially from Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Michael Caine.… Expand
Jul 21, 2012Okay, I get what they were aiming for...they just missed. Rather than tell a Batman story, the producers and writers told an elaborate and convoluted Death Wish story. The plot was overblown where it didn't need to be. Bane is goofy and inconsistent as a villain and there is no idealogical center to this picture. Considering the end of the film some of the histrionics that take place (Alfred, I'm talking about you) don't really make any sense. I feel like we've run around in endless circles in this movie just to go a very short distance. The movie just doesn't really get it right. It is still entertaining, it just isn't Batman. Even standing alone, not comparing otto Dark Knight is just isn't that good. Sorry.… Expand
Jul 22, 2012A powerhouse ending, beautiful story and thematic intensity make the final Dark Knight film a triumph. Nolan end his trilogy in grand fashion, taking heavy risks and succeeds in asking the audience to look at an apocalyptic threat to Gotham City. The film doesn't always have the crispness in dialogue, or tight packaging in the action sequences of its predecessors, but the emotional investment is far greater with Bruce Wayne's willingness to sacrifice himself to save Gotham, finally paying dividends in unexpected ways. It is awesome in IMAX… Expand
Jul 29, 2012This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Things I didn't like about this movie: ------------------------------------------------------- - The plot never seems to get traction. When you expect something smart, figurative, and metaphorical (like the brilliant Batman Begins) in the end its just a plain old "there's a bomb!" plot with nameless thugs running around. - Bane's character is not developed at all. Nor does his ramblings have an intellectual basis to make him interesting. The dubbed voice over for him was so much louder than the normal track it sounded fake. The overacted scottish accent was horrible. This is kind of sad because Batman comics are praised for the complex villians. Bane had no personality at all and you had no appreciation for his mission or thought process. - Batman is cool because he has gadgets, does awesome detective work in the batcave, invents things, outwits enemies, drives the batmobile, connects the dots where others cannot etc. and wins hand to hand fights. Sadly, none of those traits are portrayed in this movie. The seminal point in the movie where batman actually returns on the scene is a confusing sequence where it seems that he chases the badguys off and they get away. He's then sort of scolded for scaring them off by the police. Huh? Wtf? That's not the Batman we want to see.... - Fox's character is largely ignored in this movie. A shame. They could have done something interesting with him. - Catwoman had great potential to be interesting but they only scratched the surface with her and she had no integral purpose. - Much of the plot mirrors events in Batman Begins (the best of the 3). Batman is hurt, he is thrown in prison. League of Shadows is behind the turmoil and Wayne enterprises has another bad ceo. Batman overcomes his imprisonment, trains to magically heal his serious injuries, etc. - The dialogue between characters is mostly related to "this and that" such as "we have to stop him", "I'm on it!" etc. and nothing deep, revealing or interesting to hear. Sounds bad, and sadly it is. - There is a pointless "police march" that goes no where because the script meanders off elsewhere. - For some reason, people "just know" Bruce Wayne is Batman. Unfortunately, this revelation is just crammed into the script because the script needs it, not because events actually lead to it. - The "Inception" like ending is good cause for debate but also copied from Inception. - The fight scenes were a joke. Batman and Bane just whiffing at one another. Batman is a martial arts expert who can defeat many enemies at once. He also has cool gadgets to evade and surprise bad guys. None of that appears here. Let me be clear. Batman is a SUPERHERO. Not some average joe in a unitard. - Like Prometheus, the music was too loud, everpresent and contextually unrelated. - It was too long. Mostly for the above reasons. - Too much everyone else. Not enough BATMAN!! I mean c'mon!!! We hardly got to see batman at all....seriously. - Why is this movie called Dark Knight Rises? Ok, he quit and came back, then quit or died again. The title seems misplaced or redundant to the other movies. "Batman Begins", "Dark Knight Rises", sorta means the same thing with different words. Things I liked about this movie: ------------------------------------------------------ - Bat plane - Catwoman, although they didn't show her true abilities (9 lives, etc.)… Expand
Jul 23, 2012I went and watched this yesterday and while not a bad movie, I found it to be extremely predictable (I saw the "plot-twists" coming from a mile away) and even somewhat boring. IMHO, Bane was also a very boring villain and I feel he could have been portrayed so much better. The only part of the movie I found interesting was Anne Hathaway in the catsuit. Maybe if this movie weren't so dumbed-down, I would have found it more enjoyable.… Expand
Jul 24, 2012I had a much longer review, but metacritic wouldn't let me post it so I'll sum it up.
It has its moments, and the first half is better than the second half, but it is a mess and may very well be the weakest of the Trilogy.
Aug 2, 2012London IMAX viewing. Awesome soundtrack, solidly watchable new characters/baddies, plot inconsistencies barely noticeable, top-notch action elements and overall epic conclusion. Not disappointed one bit. And I thought Avengers Assemble was going to be the best flick this year .. hats off Mr Nolan and co.
A cinematic, cultural and personal triumph, The Dark Knight Rises is emotionally inspiring, aesthetically significant and critically important for America itself – as a mirror of both sober reflection and resilient hope.
Christopher Nolan, for all his visionary flair, wants to suck the comic out of comic books; Anne Hathaway wants to put it back in. Take your pick.
As you might expect from the creator of "Inception" and "Memento," there are surprises both in the story and in the storytelling. But the biggest surprise may just be how satisfying Nolan has made his farewell to a Dark Knight trilogy that many fans will wish he'd extend to a 10-part series, at least.