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

[Schlosser85]

My ***1/2 out of **** review:

The Dark Knight remains a ballsier and edgier film with a more thrilling pace and a more impressive villain, but The Dark Knight Rises is no slouch, and brings arguably the most impressive comic book superhero movie series ever made to a fitting, satisfying, and worthy conclusion. Well-done.

http://www.jestersreviews.com/reviews/1471

 

[Midnight Black]

No that's not the case, I saw the leaked photos and listened to a couple weekly non-real spoiler pod casts. I did read somewhere though that Blake's name was actually Robin, and I remember the guy who posted it was having a good laugh saying its a load of garbage and Nolan would never do something like that - guess the joke was on that guy and me, I thought the same thing. To be honest that was the only time I had a lump in my throat - when Blake said check under his legal name - I thought this couldn't possibly be happening - so now that I think about it I guess in that respect it lived up to the lump-in-throat hype that Goyer mentioned in his last interview.

Um...yeah, that's quite of bit of pre-knowledge to have before the movie hit. I only saw a few production photos mainly setting photos. I thought that JGL could be Robin, and I speculated, but I read nothing and followed nothing.

Sounds like you had some disappointment before ever stepping in the theatre.

 

[The Guardian]

Just got back from the Imax, I'm revising my score from a 9 to a 9.5/10, just an awesome end to one of the greatest trilogies of all time!

 

[BobbyCorwin88]

Saw it in IMAX Friday night, and I'm giving it a solid 9/10.

3 complaints, and that's it from me:

Spoiler

-Not sure why Bane didn't just destroy the containment unit for the reactor in the first place.
-Would have preferred Dick Grayson, but the feel of it all was still there.
-Alfred probably shouldn't have been absent for that long.

That's really it. I may see something else after another viewing, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

I read a good couple of reviews before I saw it and I have to say, I really can't understand some of the criticisms leveled against the film. Namely some who say the editing was questionable and that it was strewn with plot holes. Didn't see it. Everything made sense to me. I could barely tell that nearly 3 hours had passed since the film started. Every scene was compelling and interesting and they were constructed expertly. Anyone who has heard criticisms such as these shouldn't worry at all. Never at one time was I waiting for a scene to end so it could get to the next plot point and nothing was too quick that it didn't make sense. I'm convinced that in today's world of wanting to have the best review the fastest, reviewers simply say things about a film that aren't necessarily true to make them sound more legitimate as critics. In my opinion, the best critics are the one's who can admit that they were blown away by a film and still be able to point out it's flaws here and there. Just my observation.

That said, I really was blown away. And IMAX absolutely helped! I've been rooting for films shot in IMAX over 3D for a long while now and I was just really happy to see my desires met in this film. After all, if you have the ability to project 70mm, why in the world would you not shoot in it? It's a cinematographers dream to have more frame space and I have to say, this film proves that notion. I was even surprised to see certain interior car scenes shot in the format. You'd think that those more intimate looking scenes would only require 35mm, but I think it was cool to pull out the IMAX camera for those kind of shots. I'm really happy that Nolan sees the merits of using IMAX and I hope more film makers follow his lead and break away from 3D. One thing I was really happy I didn't hear from my audience was "why wasn't it in 3D?" Because it's not necessary!

Added to the great cinematography are the expertly made action and set pieces. When I learned that the opening plane hijack scene was shot practically I was stunned. Further learning that they finished it in 2 days when they had 6 was even more impressive. Hats off to the stunt crew and the effects crew.

The cast couldn't have been better. I will definitely say that Hathaway steals the show as Catwoman. And that's something because she was the one I was most worried about beforehand. She's very good in the femme-fatale role and I don't think I would have done it any other way.

Bane had a hard act to follow in Heath Ledger's Joker, and I can definitely say that Heath still holds the "best villain" title. You simply can't beat that intro no matter how hard you try, but in his respective role, Bane is very very good. He's cold and calculating and has the grit to match it all. I enjoyed his back-story and I just loved seeing how in control he was throughout. His fight with Batman in the sewers absolutely ranks as one of my favorite in the whole film. Tom Hardy deserves a big hand for his achievement here.

John Blake was a great addition. He was very straight-forward, but he provided a great supporting role and I loved the passing of the torch that was hinted to him throughout the entirety of the film. There was no doubt in my mind toward the end as to who he really was/would be.

Spoiler

I know I said above that I would have preferred Dick Grayson as his real name, but I understand the decision to call him Robin. Overall, I would imagine the GA wouldn't know who Dick Grayson is, but they would recognize Robin when the heard it. And thinking further into Nolan's Batman-verse, I'm not so sure that a young guy seeking to follow after Batman's legacy would find inspiration in a small bird. I could have seen him becoming Nightwing, and I kind of hope he still does!

The rest of the reprising roles were excellent and I'll tip my hat to Bale for the range he was able to portray in his Bruce Wayne. That's all I really have to say about them.

Another tip of my hat to Christopher Nolan for doing exactly what he set out to do and making it enthralling and captivating all at the same time. I'll hold that he's been the most successful at making superheroes something people actually care about and less about something people want to see just for action and people punching each other. He's a true pioneer in the industry and I hope to see more great things from him in the future. Giving Batman a clear ending was the best thing he could have done for the character and I applaud him for doing so.

Can't wait to see this film again!

Spoiler

I have never joined in during audience applause in a film before, but when Batman came back from the pit and had Gordon light the flaming Bat-signal on the bridge, I sure as heck clapped. It was truly deserving of the moment.

 

[Schlosser85]

I actually LOVED the ending. Everything about it.

 

[Denver]

Um...yeah, that's quite of bit of pre-knowledge to have before the movie hit. I only saw a few production photos mainly setting photos. I thought that JGL could be Robin, and I speculated, but I read nothing and followed nothing.

Sounds like you had some disappointment before ever stepping in the theatre.

No I didn't actually, I went in expecting this to blow me away - I remember when my wife and I went to see the prologue after i won a screening through the operation early bird, I thought this would be the best movie I saw period. And for the first hr of the movie I thought that's what I was seeing, and the came the 60:01 mark and I began to realize that the Dark Knight was not really rising...
The trilogy is still great to me as a whole, I would say BB = 10/10, TDK 9.5/10 (I thought some of the scenes were rather long-winded in that, but the character development was better than BB), and I am giving TDKR 7/10 after seeing it once in a regular theater and once in an Imax theater. I think I will see it at least once more at the theater, but I doubt I will ever give it more than a 7.
I actually read a spoiler-filled review of the Avengers before I saw that and I enjoyed it immensely anyway. I didn't even read the critics rating for TDKR because I didn't want my opinion to be swayed at all, but now I wish I had - there were quite a few unbiased reviews online before the movie and it would probably have served to bring my own expectations in line.

 

[diggler19]

Saw it in IMAX Friday night, and I'm giving it a solid 9/10.

3 complaints, and that's it from me:

Spoiler

-Not sure why Bane didn't just destroy the containment unit for the reactor in the first place.
-Would have preferred Dick Grayson, but the feel of it all was still there.
-Alfred probably shouldn't have been absent for that long.

That's really it. I may see something else after another viewing, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

I read a good couple of reviews before I saw it and I have to say, I really can't understand some of the criticisms leveled against the film. Namely some who say the editing was questionable and that it was strewn with plot holes. Didn't see it. Everything made sense to me. I could barely tell that nearly 3 hours had passed since the film started. Every scene was compelling and interesting and they were constructed expertly. Anyone who has heard criticisms such as these shouldn't worry at all. Never at one time was I waiting for a scene to end so it could get to the next plot point and nothing was too quick that it didn't make sense. I'm convinced that in today's world of wanting to have the best review the fastest, reviewers simply say things about a film that aren't necessarily true to make them sound more legitimate as critics. In my opinion, the best critics are the one's who can admit that they were blown away by a film and still be able to point out it's flaws here and there. Just my observation.

That said, I really was blown away. And IMAX absolutely helped! I've been rooting for films shot in IMAX over 3D for a long while now and I was just really happy to see my desires met in this film. After all, if you have the ability to project 70mm, why in the world would you not shoot in it? It's a cinematographers dream to have more frame space and I have to say, this film proves that notion. I was even surprised to see certain interior car scenes shot in the format. You'd think that those more intimate looking scenes would only require 35mm, but I think it was cool to pull out the IMAX camera for those kind of shots. I'm really happy that Nolan sees the merits of using IMAX and I hope more film makers follow his lead and break away from 3D. One thing I was really happy I didn't hear from my audience was "why wasn't it in 3D?" Because it's not necessary!

Added to the great cinematography are the expertly made action and set pieces. When I learned that the opening plane hijack scene was shot practically I was stunned. Further learning that they finished it in 2 days when they had 6 was even more impressive. Hats off to the stunt crew and the effects crew.

The cast couldn't have been better. I will definitely say that Hathaway steals the show as Catwoman. And that's something because she was the one I was most worried about beforehand. She's very good in the femme-fatale role and I don't think I would have done it any other way.

Bane had a hard act to follow in Heath Ledger's Joker, and I can definitely say that Heath still holds the "best villain" title. You simply can't beat that intro no matter how hard you try, but in his respective role, Bane is very very good. He's cold and calculating and has the grit to match it all. I enjoyed his back-story and I just loved seeing how in control he was throughout. His fight with Batman in the sewers absolutely ranks as one of my favorite in the whole film. Tom Hardy deserves a big hand for his achievement here.

John Blake was a great addition. He was very straight-forward, but he provided a great supporting role and I loved the passing of the torch that was hinted to him throughout the entirety of the film. There was no doubt in my mind toward the end as to who he really was/would be.

Spoiler

I know I said above that I would have preferred Dick Grayson as his real name, but I understand the decision to call him Robin. Overall, I would imagine the GA wouldn't know who Dick Grayson is, but they would recognize Robin when the heard it. And thinking further into Nolan's Batman-verse, I'm not so sure that a young guy seeking to follow after Batman's legacy would find inspiration in a small bird. I could have seen him becoming Nightwing, and I kind of hope he still does!

The rest of the reprising roles were excellent and I'll tip my hat to Bale for the range he was able to portray in his Bruce Wayne. That's all I really have to say about them.

Another tip of my hat to Christopher Nolan for doing exactly what he set out to do and making it enthralling and captivating all at the same time. I'll hold that he's been the most successful at making superheroes something people actually care about and less about something people want to see just for action and people punching each other. He's a true pioneer in the industry and I hope to see more great things from him in the future. Giving Batman a clear ending was the best thing he could have done for the character and I applaud him for doing so.

Can't wait to see this film again!

Spoiler

I have never joined in during audience applause in a film before, but when Batman came back from the pit and had Gordon light the flaming Bat-signal on the bridge, I sure as heck clapped. It was truly deserving of the moment.

Yea dude. 3D as a gimmick sucks. Avatar was incredible and Jackass 3D was cool...other than that.....

I hate wearing those glasses causes the lenses never cover the entire screen. Someone should make 3D googles. Fidgeting with the glasses take away from the movie.

TDKR in IMAX was sick

 

[The Apocalypse]

I think Blake would make a better Batman Beyond than Robin anyway....

 

[Voyeur]

Edited: What Orange said above.

I have no problem with the name, I just dont understand what makes Blake deserving of taking over the mantle of Batman.

He was a believer when nobody else was.

 

[Zatanna]

8/10.

I'll have a more thoughtful post available later, but Batman Begins remains my favorite of the three, and I think, even with all of the problems this film had, and there were A LOT, I actually enjoyed it even more than I enjoyed The Dark Knight, which I wasn't sure would be possible, but I was hoping.

 

[BobbyCorwin88]

I think Blake would make a better Batman Beyond than Robin anyway....

He'd make a great Nightwing. Which I would much rather like to see than Robin. Makes more sense to me. Robin is a very important part of Batman and I fully understand that, but I don't see how a young man would draw inspiration from a small bird to fight crime. I think it's tougher to sell now than it was in the 90s.

 

[Voyeur]

I have been determined not to rank these Batman films because I enjoy them separately for what they are...but I will say this. Maybe The Dark Knight is the better film, but The Dark Knight Rises is quite possibly my favorite.

 

[Denver]

He was a believer when nobody else was.

No, the other orphan kid Mark was.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Okay after coming back from my second viewing i will say that despite this being my favorite movie of the year i still think TDK is ahead due to a more engaging mid point. However the ending climax of TDKR was phenomenal and both times i went the audience erupted in applause.

Also regardless about what fan boys think of the john blake revelation the audience ate that up. Some seople actually started clapping when they heard that comment.

If TDKR is the Godfather to TDK Godfather II i think that's still a great accomplishment.


Begins 8/10, TDK 10/10, TDKR 9/10

 

[StevieNicks1988]

I've thought about it all day and I simply do not think I'll ever be able to rank these films. Each one has flaws but minor ones at that. Each is unique in its own right, but fit together somehow. Even if you watch them as stand-alone films, you can enjoy them completely. I've never felt this way about any trilogy before, mainly because of the sequel curse, but I have to say in my eyes they are equally perfect to each other (and I never thought I'd say that about a film trilogy....ever....because I'll be the first to admit it, I'm picky as hell).

 

[Matt]

I didn't like it all that much to be honest. I know it is sacrilege to say that in these parts, but stylistically I felt it was all over the place, too many characters, a lot of unnecessary ones at that (did the minor cop character who wanted Gordon's job really need a character arc?). I dunno, I may post more thoughts tomorrow but I probably won't as the Bat-forums tend to be crazy so I'll just say this: I give it 3 of 5 stars. It is good, it isn't great.

 

[Ponyboy]

To all the know-it-alls who said that last bit was never gonna happen, you can suck it.

I just straight up wish they had

Spoiler

revealed his true name to be Dick Grayson, or even Tim Drake

.

 

[Midnight Black]

No I didn't actually, I went in expecting this to blow me away - I remember when my wife and I went to see the prologue after i won a screening through the operation early bird, I thought this would be the best movie I saw period. And for the first hr of the movie I thought that's what I was seeing, and the came the 60:01 mark and I began to realize that the Dark Knight was not really rising...
The trilogy is still great to me as a whole, I would say BB = 10/10, TDK 9.5/10 (I thought some of the scenes were rather long-winded in that, but the character development was better than BB), and I am giving TDKR 7/10 after seeing it once in a regular theater and once in an Imax theater. I think I will see it at least once more at the theater, but I doubt I will ever give it more than a 7.
I actually read a spoiler-filled review of the Avengers before I saw that and I enjoyed it immensely anyway. I didn't even read the critics rating for TDKR because I didn't want my opinion to be swayed at all, but now I wish I had - there were quite a few unbiased reviews online before the movie and it would probably have served to bring my own expectations in line.

Of course the 1st film would have more/better character development it was the first film an origin film, it's supposed to have better character development lol

Still sounds like you had to much expectations and knew too much going in.

 

[Voyeur]

No, the other orphan kid Mark was.

Yeah, but he was a tad young for the job.

 

[KalMart]

I didn't like it all that much to be honest. I know it is sacrilege to say that in these parts, but stylistically I felt it was all over the place, too many characters, a lot of unnecessary ones at that (did the minor cop character who wanted Gordon's job really need a character arc?). I dunno, I may post more thoughts tomorrow but I probably won't as the Bat-forums tend to be crazy so I'll just say this: I give it 3 of 5 stars. It is good, it isn't great.

Felt basically the same, but gave it a little better 7.5/10.

 

[StevieNicks1988]

I didn't like it all that much to be honest. I know it is sacrilege to say that in these parts, but stylistically I felt it was all over the place, too many characters, a lot of unnecessary ones at that (did the minor cop character who wanted Gordon's job really need a character arc?). I dunno, I may post more thoughts tomorrow but I probably won't as the Bat-forums tend to be crazy so I'll just say this: I give it 3 of 5 stars. It is good, it isn't great.

A lot of people have been saying, in reviews at least, the film felt too long. I actually think this movie, to fully complete the trilogy, could use an extended edition (similar to LOTR). If there was any thing else filmed, I wouldn't mind at all having a longer cut to flesh more of the story out. I really, really loved it but the pacing near the end did get a little......"Quantum of Solace-ish."

 

[Matt]

Felt basically the same, but gave it a little better 7.5/10.

A lot of people have been saying, in reviews at least, the film felt too long. I actually think this movie, to fully complete the trilogy, could use an extended edition (similar to LOTR). If there was any thing else filmed, I wouldn't mind at all having a longer cut to flesh more of the story out. I really, really loved it but the pacing near the end did get a little......"Quantum of Solace-ish."

My biggest complaint comes from the style of the film more than the length. I think it was crowded to a fault, but I can deal with that. My bigger problem is that Nolan meshed two styles, that don't match. This movie is heavily inspired by No Man's Land (at least that is the vibe I got). My problem with this is, in the world that Nolan spent two films creating, you can't have No Man's Land. It is too out there for the world these movies take place in. It is like trying to recruit Harry Potter into The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The styles just don't mesh. A movie can be Oscar bait and a movie can be The Avengers, but it can't be both. This movie tries to be both. And therefore the serious moments lack levity and the more fantastic elements like the prison of wise, kindly old war criminals and the No Man's Land-esque plot of Bane feel silly and over the top.

 

[UaalaDan]

This movie was WAY too long. Had they cut 40 mins of BS, maybe I wouldn't feel that bad about it. In fact, i`m going to pretend this movie never existed and just think of TDK as the end.

 

[Midnight Black]

I hear some people saying that the film had to many characters.

However, I am happy that the film had other heroes besides batman. I mean if there were no other heroes, no one else to help batman, then he ultimately would have failed his job which was to inspire the people of gotham to stand up and fight corruption and be good.

I think if you look at what the film was trying to represent and what batman was trying to do in the movie and all three films and not look at it as just a batman comic film or whatever then it makes so much more sense.

Blake was deserving of discovering the secret, possibly taking up the mantle and fighting crime his own way. He new Bruce's secret and kept it, he did what he felt was right every time, he became a resource for many in the film.

He definitely deserved to enter the bat cave. How he uses it is anyone's guess. However, let's say he doesn't because I'm sure a 4th film won't be made and shouldn't be.

 

[Micromind]

I didn't like it all that much to be honest. I know it is sacrilege to say that in these parts, but stylistically I felt it was all over the place, too many characters, a lot of unnecessary ones at that (did the minor cop character who wanted Gordon's job really need a character arc?). I dunno, I may post more thoughts tomorrow but I probably won't as the Bat-forums tend to be crazy so I'll just say this: I give it 3 of 5 stars. It is good, it isn't great.

Let me ask you this, If this movie had a shorter run time say, 1 hour 50 minutes, Bat in self imposed exile just for One year, fewer characters think just Bane, No Selina, no Talia, no Blake, No Foley, No Dagget, No pit, No Bomb with the plot that Bane is now the leader of LOS that wants revenge on Batman (not Gotham) for killing Ras.

And just two fights between the two first one where Bane beats the Bat and the last one where Batman defeats Bane, with Bat not retiring at the end, would That have made the movie Batter ?