The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises
Movie Blurb by Shale
July 21, 2012

I wasn't really planning to see this movie in theater, which is why I didn't go yesterday. There were two reasons. One is that I watched The Dark Knight again on Thursday and found it too depressing and not enjoyable. The other reason was when I read that this movie is 2 hours and 45 minutes long! I really hate sitting for more than 2 hours in a movie, and as usual, I could have edited and tightened this one up without any harm to the story. There are a few scenes that could have been played shorter.

But, aside from the positive buzz going around I noticed our local reviewer, Rene Rodriguez with The Miami Herald did a cover story on this movie and gave it 4 stars. So, had to go check it out. Glad I did.

This movie is tied to the other two in the trilogy and will flash back to the first. It opens 8 years after the second installment, with Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) giving accolades for the 'hero' District Attorney, Harvey Dent being on the anniversary of his death (supposedly by Batman).

Batman has been on the lam for this time and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a crippled recluse staying in his mansion and being watched over by his faithful servant and family friend Alfred (Michael Caine). Seems Gotham is doing quite nicely without the caped crusader.

Bruce & Alfred at the Mansion


The only crime lately is when Bruce encounters a very good cat burglar, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) in his mansion stealing his late mother's pearls. He tracks the pearls and discovers her motives are more than thievery, which they later discuss at a large social function.

Bruce & Selina Discuss "Her" Pearls


Then Bane (Tom Hardy) a mysterious new criminal wearing a mask for breathing starts taking over, messing with the stock exchange computers; attacking the 1% who have all the wealth (Mostly Bruce Wayne) and promising the 99% a new order - with him running it of course. Bane, it seems has been trained by the League of Shadow just as Bruce was.

And, you know this brings Bruce out of his funk and Batman out of retirement.

Bane & Batman Fight


I won't go more into the plot of this very long movie; just know that there are new toys put together for Batman by Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), there is a new cop with integrity, John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to fight on the side of good with Commissioner Gordon and that Catwoman is tenuously on Batman's side.

Catwoman on Batman's Bike


This movie was much more enjoyable than the previous in the trilogy and I recommend it, if you haven't already seen it.

 

Aurora Colorado Movie Shooting



Unfortunately the midnight opening of this anticipated blockbuster movie on Friday July 20th was marred by some nutcase shooting at ppl in a crowded theater in Aurora Colorado, killing 12 outright and wounding 50, some critically. One more died today, a 6-year-old girl. That outrageous tragedy has been the primary focus of the nightly news for the past two days and has overshadowed all other aspects of this movie.

My grandson, knowing that I would likely be going to this movie called to let me know, telling me not to go in case there was any terrorist pattern.

But this was just another nut with guns like so many others we have REPEATEDLY seen in our society, while the politicians, bought and paid for by the National Rifle Association, duck and cover until the national attention moves on to the next dire problem.

Meanwhile the cause of these murders, the easy access to military firearms and mass quantities of ammo, which has no other purpose but to kill ppl goes unchallenged. I won't get into the Second Amendment debate - it has been debated since all we had were flintlock muskets.

However, we need to get control of the rampant number of firearms that are in the hands of citizens, both sane and insane. The asswipe (I refuse to further give celebrity to his name) who did the latest killings got all his firepower legally in the past few months. Apparently no one saw it coming in this one. He was until yesterday totally law abiding.

It should give a lot of ppl pause to consider that such mass murder takes place so easily in so unexpected places, whether a high school, a political rally or sitting in a crowded theater as I was today.

 

Bane need to be bigger and juicier

Like I could have probly wrecked him

 

Compared to other comic book movies it was above average, it wasnt a bad movie

But the previous one with Heath Ledger shits all over this one.

The weak link was mainly Bane.

A) I dont understand why Hardy was cast in the first place, anyone thats seen Star Trek Nemesis knows he should have never been cast as a villan ever again

B) I dont understand why he had that thing over his face, in the Comics Bane either has a full mask or one where you can see his mouth. In this you couldnt see his mouth move which made it stupid, and you couldnt understand what he was saying half the time

C) Also in the Comics he's a lot bigger, bulkier and scarier looking


It seemed to me having some ridiculously huge wrestler play the part then another well known actor do a voice over Darth Vader style would have been a far better option


Anne Hathaway was a bit dull as Catwoman


Story was interesting and there were some great stunts in this, especially the opening plane hijack one.

But those two characters especially, a much edgier Catwoman and a far more scarier Bane and this would have been closer to the standard of the previous two movies.

The best part of it for me was I got to see the Trailer for Man of Steel, which gave me a woody

 

Looks like the typical multimillion blockbuster crap Hollywood churns out all the time. Think I'll pass.

 

Yeah. As is my habit before seeing a sequel is to watch the previous one. I was so unimpressed & depressed from that I decided not to bother with this one. Luckily I was persuaded otherwise.

OK, here is a point I often make. Don't compare one medium to another. I never read the comix, therefore I know not of what you speak. Just know what was put on the screen.

And in the medium of Cinema, I liked the design of the mask over the mouth. It looked quite dramatic & menacing (Hanibal Lector?). Tom Hardy also expressed a lot with his eyes to convey what he wanted.

Funny you should mention Vader. Again, that mask was a Cinematic menacing-looking mechanical breather to make the undefeatable wearer more ominous. As for the voice, at first I thot it was a Sean Connery voiceover.

I liked the way they toned down Catwoman. She could have gone camp like the other portrayals, but this gave her a little more credibility as a conflicted character with history.

Oh, Yeah - The TEASE! Have to wait 'til next year for that one. Oh well, another reason to survive a while longer.

 

Prolly gonna go check it out tonight!

I've heard great things, and I've heard some disappointing reviews as well... Guess the only way to decide for sure is to see it myself, and come to my own conclusions..

I agree with you though Shale... 2 hours and 45 minutes is a helluva long time to sit and watch a movie.. Unless this movie grabs my attention and NEVER lets go, I can foresee myself going back to the car to blaze a couple times during the film...

If I go tonight, I'll let you know what I thought..

 

It was great. I enjoyed it much more than the first two, and all three dark knight movies collectively much more than Any previous Batman movie besides Batman Returns.

 

but anyone whose seen bronson thinks he should be cast as EVERY villain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJ1c3qxOWc"]BRONSON - Theatrical Trailer - YouTube

seeing it tuesday, in IMAX, can't fucking wait

i always thought bale was the weak link in this franchise, but i wasn't blown away with the casting choice of Anne Hathaway, i've always thought she was very bland and she'll have to go a long way to top pfieffer, but i love to be surprised.

 

I loved it, and I really enjoyed Hathaway as Catwoman. Normally I can't stand her, but I thought she did a great job.

 

This was the best comic book movie ever; at least, as far as the modern era of comic books go. (Batman Forever might be the best as far as Silver age goes.) It was also possibly the best Batman movie ever (rivaling Batman Returns and Batman Begins)

Spoilers ahead:

Are you kidding? Look at the character development of Harvey Dent into Two-face; or lack thereof.
What's with that cheesy "Gordon is dead" subplot? It makes no fucking sense.
Batman chases after Maggie Gyllenhall in the famous "let her go" scene; and just leaves Joker in a roomful of rich people -- and we don't even see what happens!

In the comics, he barely even fought Batman, just ran him ragged with a bunch of other villains, then came in at the end to capitalize; and he had a fuck-up falconer for a partner named wait-for-it Hawk. Plus, he fully paralyzed Bruce Wayne, who was healed by the power of love.

The face-mask was anesthetic in the movie; which they made very clear towards the end (it's how Batman defeated him, remember?)

I disliked the voice too though; and refer to it as robotic Sean Connery.

She wasn't as fun as Michelle Pfiefer's but this one was a perfect counterpart for Nolan's Batman; and Anne Hathaway was smoking.

Not a plot guy, eh?
The story was amazing. It completely tied up the series, explored the themes of the first two again (yet in original ways), and completely explored the new theme of pain.

The prison was awesome; the "exile" scenes were clever as hell; the state of anarchy was done in an absolutely brilliant way.

 

WARNING!!!!!

SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!

seriously, dude. a warning would have been nice i do generally like to see a film without learning beforehand how it ends....

 

I said it wasnt a bad movie. These three from Nolan still way better than the vast majority of comic book movies out there. I loved the story, holding the city hostage in that way somewhat different, the twists at the end were not predictable

Just really those two characters I didnt want a more campy catwoman, wanted an edgier one, she was just kind of blah. And Bane just wasnt scary enough. I'd still give it 8/10, fix those two characters and I'd say 10/10


As for the last one, I just really love it, mainly due to Ledger, but I've seen it at least 30 times. These kind of movies work best with a really great bad guy.


I'm really looking forward to Man of Steel, since Nolan wrote it. And the guy thats playing General Zod is a really good choice. But Im biased. anything Superman I'll lap up, I even watched most Smallville episodes more than once

 

I never read the batman comics but as far as a movie goes when i saw The Dark Knight the first time vs Rises i enjoyed TDK a lot more.

Sometimes when Bane was talking a lot with certain emotions his voice got really high pitched. It made him sound really bad..didn't like that at all. It only happened a few times but it was kinda like wow wtf lol.

I give it 7/10 but i want to see again.



SPOILER!!!!

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I really wished catwoman and batman didn't kiss when they were both in their outfit...........i was like NOOOOOOO omg wtf god dammet,,,,just walk away bitch, walk away batman. Fucking typical hollywood, BAH we didnt need to see that.

At the end when they were sitting at the table and we saw bruce then she turned her head that is all we needed to know..

 

1) there was a warning
2) this is a thread about the movie...

 

spoiler. he dies

bane looked like a chump, the voice sound effects sucked but catwoman looked hot, would bang

 

That kinda thing is both common in the comics, and they actually made out during their first meeting in the 90s cartoon.

That being said; I thought it fit the characters and the moment well; but coulda been a little more... domineering on Catwoman's part. Was too respectful/lovey for her character at that point in the story..

 

Duck, I couldn't agree more, on every point you made.

 

Apparently you missed the scene at the end? And that discussion about fixing the auto-pilot on The Bat?

I definitely enjoyed it, and it held my attention throughout the whole movie, which was initially a concern of mine considering it was pushing 3 hours long..

I think the second one was a little more memorable though... I feel like there is not too much in TDKR that has any real lasting value, aside from it wrapping up the trilogy.

Also, at least 50% of Bane's dialogue was inaudible to me... That is not an exaggeration either.. I could not hear literally at least 50% of his lines.. Which sucks because there were scenes (the opening plane hijack, for instance) which I REALLY wanted to be able to hear the dialogue and understand what was being said.. but regardless of how hard I strained my ears, I just couldn't make it out. I think a major contributing factor of this was the bass in the movie theater.. Tom Hardy has a deep voice (at least portrayed Bane with a deep voice) so naturally, the bass is going to "boom" a little bit when he talks.. throw into the mix the fact that he is wearing a mask that distorts his voice, and his dialogue becomes drown in a rumble of bass...

Hopefully that won't be such a problem when it comes out on DVD.

 

Still not sure what I think of this movie. I don't think either sequel was anywhere near as good as Batman Begins though.

I thought the Batman and Bane fight was really well done, and the finale was pretty epic. I bought it on BD, I'm going to watch it again and see if I can better make up my mind on it.