It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.
But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
The Dark Knight Rises
Released: 2012
Runtime: 163 mins
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Buy: Not Available Yet
Released: 2012
Runtime: 163 mins
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Buy: Not Available Yet
REVIEW:
Only some nights ago we went to watch Dark Knight Rises (obviously)! I was a little late with my review mostly because i was researching and trying to decide my feelings about the movie. You see i haven't read any of the comics, haven't played the game and while i have watched 3-4 of the previous Batman movies in general it's been some time and i can't remember clearly. So now that i know what i wanna say let's begin...
To start with the story and Batman, as i understood Nolan tries to show how Batman was beat up after the 2nd movie of the trilogy and how did manage to change. I have to say the change was not that obvious, but if you came to think about it, Batman's story was mostly psychological. The change was fast, but was there. It's supposed to be around 3 months to get over his problems but we mostly watch it to happen in around a week or so? I'm not entirely sure how good or bad is that. I mean Thor changes literally in 1-2 days in his movie so i guess it's an improvement on the super hero movies.
Easily the best character is Bane. He is one of the most amazing villains i've ever seen. The thing is that when someone says part of the truth it's easier to believe him and follow him. So Bane was exactly that. His speech at the end of the movie, was surprisingly scary. He hit Gotham exactly where it had the problem. On the opposite Batman's speech was cheesy and lame :p
Catwoman was surprisingly good. I remember everyone saying that Anne Hathaway wasn't the right choice. For me she was perfect. I totally loved her, for both appearance and character. (And she was sexy without being blonde :p). Something that we really discussed after the movie was her appearance. She doesn't have the usual catwoman suit, neither her whip. So after searching and searching i can't seem to find a catwoman without a whip. So we got Nolan there. On the other hand Catwoman has indeed a costume like the one in the movie but in green instead of black. Can't say i'm mad about the color change.
I can't say anything about the acting, because i'm really satisfied with all of the actors. At some point at the movie there are some surprises on the story and some mix ups that i wasn't fan of, along with some big holes in the story. As i found out though, Nolan took parts of many Batman/Catwoman comics and combined them. Still, i'm not planning to read all the Batman comics just to find out how accurate the movie is.
Special effects and music were really really good. No question there. Now, the action scenes weren't as exciting but they were good enough. It was clear that Nolan was taking a less action way to present the movie. The final battle with Bane was way too fast. At least, how Bane was kicking Batman's ass was normal.
Overall, i enjoyed the movie and i can easily re-watch it too once or twice. I always liked Batman, but his movies never really made me excited as of other super heroes. Still the movie was good and satisfying. But, it didn't really seem as a "final" movie. More just, one more Batman movie. It was missing something. But hey! Go watch it at the cinemas! You won't regret it!
I think you went easy on this film. Let me stress that I agree on you in terms of Catwoman, acting, effects and music. Nolan has a good reputation on those things and its good to see that he kept some standards
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was dissapointed by this film, and I know it will sound extreme, but to me this movie is the worse Batman movie.
I say that because, every single batman movie had a message. It contemplated a rather serious question in each of them and although Nolan managed to make the previous ones perfect in those aspects the third one's first of many fails is to that.
Batman learns NOTHING new. You see NO character development whatsoever, batman doesnt figure out anything new, doesnt evolve as a character and quite frankly its pretty much the senario of the first film chewed up and splattered in a plate on you.
In every previous film, even that discusting toy promotion that was called "Batman 4" with George Clooney, had a sort of message in it. This one didnt.
Now you will think I am exagerating. Well think again:
1st Batman: It contemplates extraordinary gifts and how do we chose to use them. Batman and Joker are both brilliant intelligent and charismatic, but they chose to use their gift in completelly seperate ways
2nd Batman: It contemplates that appearances are not always what they seem. Penguin is a beast in both character and appearance, but Max, a wealthy bussinessman with respectable apperances turns out to be a beast in the way he acts. Then you have Batman and Catwoman, 2 people chosing to wear masks and costumes to fight for what they believe in, yet they are so different in their so many other similarities.
3rd Batman: It contemplates the masks we all wear, and the hidden identities we choose as well as the quest for Vengeance and wether or not it will lead to ones ruin. You see Batman plagued by nightmares and torn between Bruce Wein and Batman.
4th Toy prom..I mean Batman 4: It contemplates trust and companionship. Batman learns to respect and listen to his younger friend Robin and learns to eventually share the burden between other people that share the same vision he does. (It also is a blatant toy promotional fest. Everything in that film is made out to be a toy, i am sure of it)
5th Batman, Nolan's first. It contemplates fear and how one must fall in order to learn to rise. You have a broken Bruce Wein in the beggining, a shell of his former self and a fragment of what he could be. He is then taken by Raz Al Gul and he learns to fight his fears, and not only returns triumphantly to the place he is supposed to be, he also manages to take in the persona of Batman, and strike fear in the hearts of criminals, taking upon himself the burdens of an entire city.
6th batman, Nolan's second. It contemplates justice and truth. You see that despite batman is being besieged by many different fronts, and even by the people he tries to protect, he still fights on because of his beliefs for justice. He even manages to sacrifice the love of his life for the greater good, and on top of that, agrees with lying in order to protect a symbol, when the alternative was a possibly destructive truth
The 7th film? The last film?...Nothing, it contemplates NOTHING. There are a few bits and pieces you can scrap around sure, but in the end you see that Batman learned nothing.
Even when everything is over it makes no sense. You dont see what happened to Bruce, and IF it ever happened at all, and in the end his choice is completelly against everything he has fought and build up in his character in the previous films.
ReplyDeleteAnd what makes this an even greater failure is of the potential that this movie had. You have Bein, one of the most amazing villains in a super hero movie I have ever seen. He is a mercenary, but you see that he is way different. He is smart, sophisticated, strong, his followers are not mindless goons but dangerous thinking fanatics. He seemed to have a plan that could be the basis to a very political and great batman film, the clash of the social structures. And oooh no, you had to ruin that by putting Raz Al Gul in the game didnt you? It was the first film ALL over again.
Sure, the impending doom feeling was more evident, and there were a few things worth mentioning, but other than that nothing else. I was greatly dissapointed by this film. I expected more from the name behind Inception.
I expected more from a Batman film than just another action cliche/patriotic end.
I am truly sad and dissapointed by this film. Although its one of the best films I have seen this year, i cant help but feel sad because another great trilogy has been tainted by the mediocricy that plagues movie theaters nowadays.
I am dissapointed mister Nolan. Very dissapointed
you say it is bad but yet you think it is one of the best film this year ?I disagree entirely I think the dark knight rises was a good conclusion to a good trilogy .
DeleteI can't agree about the movie not having any message. Maybe you didn't catch it?
ReplyDeleteYou see how a man can be if he lose everything. How that even you have already pass through some problems (1st movie) you can get even lower than that, but you can always get up and fight. You saw how Batman cared about Gotham no matter how they treated him. He would always be there for them.
You were seeing how much Batman was afraid. Afraid he will lose himself entirely if he lose Batman because it was all he knew his entirely life. That he was afraid to live, but in the end he found what he needed to get past that.
You can't say there is no message. It's failure. That both the top can get you down, and how even when you are in the worst condition you can always stand up if you want.
Plus, after some searching i found out that Raz Al Gul was indeed in league with Bane. But it was Talia(the daughter) that hate Bane and that Raz was helping Bane for a way to win Batman. So even, Raz's part is not entirely wrong. Just a slighty different aspect as it's normal.
I said it had the same message as the first, so I guess you did not understand why i was so upset. In every batman film Bruce Wein and Batman grows as a character finding out something new. If I wanted to get that same message I would go and rewatch Batman Begins, why bother going to see the 3rd movie message wise?
ReplyDeleteAs for the Raz Al Gul part with Bane, i have not researched it and it may be they were connected, but even so having the same plan exactly with the first movie was a dissapointment. Think of it, in the first film Raz Al Gul's plan was to steal a Wane corp weapon use it to blow up gotham by having its citizens tear each other apart. Bane does EXACTLY the same. True in the first there was the use of the chemical, true in this one the feel of doom and destruction are more apparent and evident, but its pretty much the same thing.
I did not pay to see a chewed up remake of the first film's message and senario in a "better" way. I paid to see something new
It's not the same message. At the first movie it was the start of his life. It's entirely different. This one was talking about Batman still having issues, still not be able to get past them, failing again. It's a process of a character. And it's something that happens in most people's lives.
DeleteThe reason why the Raz Al Gul plotline had problem was the fact the he killed Raz at the first movie. Because as i found at the comics, Raz did the thing with the chemical and Batman at some point found a way to win but he doesn't die. Instead next, allies with Bane so he can get the chemical virus out again.
And you didn't even payed a full ticket :p
Doesnt matter, i paid. And it was the same message yiota, wrapping it up in a different package doesnt mean anything
ReplyDeleteAfter all Bruce Wane didnt exactly learn anything. He just had to RE-learn the message from the first movie, "when we fall we learn to rise again". Sure he had fallen down in a way we have not seen before but, didnt Batman start in the exact same way? with a broken fallen Bruce Wane?
I see it as something entirely different. So let's agree we disagree.
DeleteMaybe someone else will reply and tell us their opinion :p
I agree with you on most of it but I think the joker was a better villain then bane he made me want to sleep with the lights on :o
ReplyDeletei absolutely loved this movie! i liked the plot, the acting, the special effects... a m a z i n g !
ReplyDeletei can't get out of my mind the phrase "Bruce, why do we fall?" by Thomas Wayne..