The Dark Knight Rises The Official Rate/Review Thread for TDKR (TAG SPOILERS!!!) - Part 1

[BuddhaWasABat]

It's funny... everyone I know (None of whom are Batman/Comic Book fans) are RAVING about this film.

People are going nuts on Facebook for it and having alot of fun discussing the ending.

I mean, just look at this poll as a small example:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/...t-rises-poll-what-did-you-think-spoilers.html

The general public seems to be loving it and it has great word of mouth. Even some of my friends who HATED The Dark Knight (calling it boring minus Ledger) can not get enough of this film.

I just... I don't get it. How do people love it so much? Am I just completely insane? Is it my fault? I am so confused. I thought I would come out of this film in awe but some of the decisions Nolan and co. made I just can't get over. Maybe I'm just completely insane. AAAHHHHH!

 

[jmc]

It's funny... everyone I know (None of whom are Batman/Comic Book fans) are RAVING about this film.

People are going nuts on Facebook for it and having alot of fun discussing the ending.

I mean, just look at this poll as a small example:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/...t-rises-poll-what-did-you-think-spoilers.html

The general public seems to be loving it and it has great word of mouth. Even some of my friends who HATED The Dark Knight (calling it boring minus Ledger) can not get enough of this film.

My sister loves it, she seemed shocked that I didn't first time around.

 

[jmc]

I just... I don't get it. How do people love it so much? Am I just completely insane? Is it my fault? I am so confused. I thought I would come out of this film in awe but some of the decisions Nolan and co. made I just can't get over. Maybe I'm just completely insane. AAAHHHHH!

Mate, I've been exactly where you are, I spent 4 days scratching my head thinking there was something wrong with me. I watched it again not more than an hour and a half ago. It's still not perfect but it's better second time around.

 

[Batman jr.]

Some people should cool off with the TDK obsession for a while. Just because that was a very good movie, it means that TDKR is a piece of crap?

Sorry, don't buy that. And no, not only Ledger made TDK what it was.

 

[Micromind]

Many problems this movie has stem from the run time cut short, I said this a few months ago, that this was a huge script and it needed to be split into two parts, like Harry Potter's final book adaptation.

So many plot points, so many characters needed more time. Oh well.

 

[BuddhaWasABat]

Mate, I've been exactly where you are, I spent 4 days scratching my head thinking there was something wrong with me. I watched it again not more than an hour and a half ago. It's still not perfect but it's better second time around.

That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to see it again. Not right away. I need a few days to cool down and kind of get over this. I will be checking it out again though. Until then... I need to clear my mind.

 

[jmc]

Many problems this movie has stem from the run time cut short, I said this a few months ago, that this was a huge script and it needed to be split into two parts, like Harry Potter's final book adaptation.

So many plot points, so many characters needed more time. Oh well.

I maintain it needed an extra half an hour, maybe even an hour to fully tell this story. It's almost too ambitious for its own good.

 

[BuddhaWasABat]

I maintain it needed an extra half an hour, maybe even an hour to fully tell this story. It's almost too ambitious for its own good.

30 minutes would help tremendously but I agree it would need another hour or maybe 45 minutes. It needs an extended cut but I also think it needs to change a few of the events and how they happened like

Spoiler

Banes death and probably Talia's too.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Another thing highlighted earlier...

[BLACKOUT]Surely I wasn't the only one who thought Marion's death as Tailia was a little poorly done. Even my friend said, she could have died better than that[/BLACKOUT].

 

[jmc]

Another thing highlighted earlier...

[BLACKOUT]Surely I wasn't the only one who thought Marion's death as Tailia was a little poorly done. Even my friend said, she could have died better than that[/BLACKOUT].

Yeah it was a little melodramatic.

 

[tek]

enjoed this film. imo, it is the best of the 3. ledger's performance is still far superior to any other in the trilogy.

 

[BuddhaWasABat]

Another thing highlighted earlier...

[BLACKOUT]Surely I wasn't the only one who thought Marion's death as Tailia was a little poorly done. Even my friend said, she could have died better than that[/BLACKOUT].

It was horrible as was the entire execution of

Spoiler

her being revealed as Talia.

That scene didn't have time to breathe and this lessened any and all dramatic impact. It just happens so fast and all of her dialogue from that point is this incredibly laden exposition that's just there to tell the audience who she is instead of show it somehow.

That said,

Spoiler

Banes death bothered me much more

because [BLACKOUT]Miranda/ Talia[/BLACKOUT] was hardly in the movie at all. [BLACKOUT]Bane[/BLACKOUT] on the other hand had a much bigger role in the story (even if still underused and thrown aside) and so what happened there was just so anti climactic.

 

[craigdbfan]

Spoiler

Talia's death in a way was done to resemble Ra's. The way the truck falls through that highway gap is similar to how the train in BB falls into that lower parking lot and explodes.

Her final monologue was awkward though as Batman, Catwoman, and Gordon stared at her with this face .

 

[Batman jr.]

Spoiler

Talia's death in a way was done to resemble Ra's. The way the truck falls through that highway gap is similar to how the train in BB falls into that lower parking lot and explodes.

Her final monologue was awkward though as Batman, Catwoman, and Gordon stared at her with this face .

Spoiler

Probably because her bragging sounded like someone who will not accept that her reign is over?

 

[jmc]

Speaking of monologues, could she ramble on at the end there or what when she revealed her self to Batman? I'll quote The Incredibles - "She starts monologing!"

 

[Mister H.]

It's funny... everyone I know (None of whom are Batman/Comic Book fans) are RAVING about this film.

People are going nuts on Facebook for it and having alot of fun discussing the ending.

I mean, just look at this poll as a small example:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/...t-rises-poll-what-did-you-think-spoilers.html

The general public seems to be loving it and it has great word of mouth. Even some of my friends who HATED The Dark Knight (calling it boring minus Ledger) can not get enough of this film.

That's because its better than TDK in just about every facet.

I'm still seeing people complain about certain scenes not being very realistic. Of course, these same people put TDK on a pedestal...the movie that featured a man who was referred to as Two-Face behind his back who just happens to have EXACTLY half of his face melted off later on. He then proceeds to function as an expert criminal within days of his injury...all without any treatments for the pain! Then there's Batman and Rachel falling off of a penthouse and landing on the hood of a taxi without being injured, and the whole "every cell-phone in Gotham turned into a Joker trap" craziness.

As far as gripes about quick cuts and hyper-editing...fans have griped about that with all three Batman films. That's what Nolan and Lee Smith do. They don't do long static shots, and they don't linger on any given moment. The pacing is relentless, and there is a method to that madness. If you don't personally care for it, I can respect your opinion, but don't pretend like that's something that just popped up here with this latest Bat-flick.

Unneeded characters? Another Nolan quirk. Inception and all of his Batman films try to juggle too many characters, some of whom you could argue really do nothing to advance the narrative. He likes to work that way, he likes a big ensemble. Nothing wrong with having a beef with that approach, just don't pretend like it wasn't happening in BB and TDK.

Overly expository dialogue? As if that's something new to Nolan's bat trilogy. Folks complained about it in BB and TDK. Its at a ridiculous level in Inception. For some reason, Nolan isn't comfortable showing us things...he wants to tell us. That's a sign of a tad bit of incompetence as a screenwriter. The characters are always explaining their motives, their schemes, their methods, their technologies. Why wait till now to complain about it?

It just cracks me up to hear all of this complaining about things that one should have come to EXPECT from a Nolan film years ago. Its almost like the film didn't live up to certain expectations (I was there in 2008-- I know how it feels) so a person points out all of the weaknesses that have been recognized in Nolan's films for a long time now, as if they are unique to just this movie.

 

[Batman jr.]

That's because its better than TDK in just about every facet.

I'm still seeing people complain about certain scenes not being very realistic. Of course, these same people put TDK on a pedestal...the movie that featured a man who was referred to as Two-Face behind his back who just happens to have EXACTLY half of his face melted off later on. He then proceeds to function as an expert criminal within days of his injury...all without any treatments for the pain! Then there's Batman and Rachel falling off of a penthouse and landing on the hood of a taxi without being injured, and the whole "every cell-phone in Gotham turned into a Joker trap" craziness.

As far as gripes about quick cuts and hyper-editing...fans have griped about that with all three Batman films. That's what Nolan and Lee Smith do. They don't do long static shots, and they don't linger on any given moment. The pacing is relentless, and there is a method to that madness. If you don't personally care for it, I can respect your opinion, but don't pretend like that's something that just popped up here with this latest Bat-flick.

Unneeded characters? Another Nolan quirk. Inception and all of his Batman films try to juggle too many characters, some of whom you could argue really do nothing to advance the narrative. He likes to work that way, he likes a big ensemble. Nothing wrong with having a beef with that approach, just don't pretend like it wasn't happening in BB and TDK.

Well, like I said: the obsession with TDK by some people frightens me. I like that movie very much, but you are speaking the truth. 200%.

So, everything that Nolan does after this will be compared TDK?

 

[craigdbfan]

I've always liked Batman Begins more than TDK yet I still found some pretty big issues with TDKR. So there goes that idea of TDK somehow blurring one's judgement on TDKR. I will say that with time passing by I'm warming up to it a lot more.

I'll see if I can watch it again today in a regular theater. If I can't I'll definitely be watching it again next week on IMAX.

 

[Batman jr.]

I've always liked Batman Begins more than TDK yet I still found some pretty big issues with TDKR. So there goes that idea of TDK somehow blurring one's judgement on TDKR. I will say that with time passing by I'm warming up to it a lot more.

I'll see if I can watch it again today in a regular theater. If I can't I'll definitely be watching it again next week on IMAX.

Craig, you've been reasonable the whole time. I wish a lot of other posters were too.

 

[craigdbfan]

Craig, you've been reasonable the whole time. I wish a lot of other posters were too.

Thanks man.

 

[Micromind]

Well, like I said: the obsession with TDK by some people frightens me. I like that movie very much, but you are speaking the truth. 200%.

So, everything that Nolan does after this will be compared TDK?

TDK felt better as a well made movie to compared to TDKR as it had fewer plot lines, it told the story in a continuation without time jumps and it had fewer cast to balance the runtime.

But yes it was not very different fro TDKR.

 

[the amazing fro]

Mate, I've been exactly where you are, I spent 4 days scratching my head thinking there was something wrong with me. I watched it again not more than an hour and a half ago. It's still not perfect but it's better second time around.

Is that so? Hmm. I suppose I'll have to watch it again perhaps in IMAX. To what degree would you say it improves with a second viewing?

 

[jmc]

Is that so? Hmm. I suppose I'll have to watch it again perhaps in IMAX. To what degree would you say it improves with a second viewing?

I can only speak for myself but once the disappointment of where the story went settled down I was able to enjoy it more.

 

[aeioulul]

JMC and Craig, do you think this movie sucks? Just curious 'cause I know you didn't like the movie that much. And in my honest opinion I think TDKR is by far, one of the best movies of this summer.

 

[Frodo]

If people like the film that's fine. It doesn't change how I feel about the film, and truth be told, the film wasnt a very pleasant experience for me and I really don't wanna see it again anytime soon. Whether people don't like the fact that I wasn't crazy about the film really doesn't matter to me to tell you the truth . Like ive been saying, we all look at films pretty subjectively, so the fact the my tastes aren't the same as someone else's isnt gonna make me mad or question my own position anymore then I'll get mad if someone doesn't like Starbucks coffee as much I do. But going to the movies is about enjoying yourself , and if you liked the film and had a good time , then thats good.

My personal feelings towards the film are very similar to my feelings toward BR. It has some good moments, and there are parts were I was like Yeah , this is Batman.

But overall its too bleak for me, and the flaws are too big for me to say its anywhere near the other films. However, i've havent tried to disuaded my friends to see the film , and i've encorauged them to see it just because I don't wanna rob them of possibly enjoying just because I didn't.