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2446 reviews in total

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1617 out of 2290 people found the following review useful:
Stunning Conclusion to an Epic Trilogy, 16 July 2012

Author: John from United States

Not being a huge fan of superhero movies, I didn't have much expectations for Batman Begins. However viewing the 2005 Christopher Nolan production, I was pleasantly shocked. Then after my huge expectations for, "The Dark Knight", Christopher Nolan blew my expectations to the dust. Will the same happen with the 3rd and last film, "The Dark Knight Rises"? Quite simply, Yes! My big expectations were once again, blown away. What a production! This is a true cinematic experience, to behold. The movie exceeded my expectations in terms of action, and entertainment. The editing, sound, score, visuals, direction and action are all top notch.

The film contains a fine cast of talented actors. Christian Bale, of course still makes is a great Batman. Michael Cain is fantastic, as he always is. He gives such a powerful performance, he really ought to be considered for an Oscar nomination. Tom Hardy as Bane is utterly terrifying, at times, and completely ominous. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle is a scene stealer. She is completely engrossing. Everyone is so great, the dynamic scenes between the actors are so well done, so well written, and so well directed. The Dark Knight Rises is is emotionally riveting and amazing to view.

At a running time of almost 3 hours, the film never becomes dull, which is pretty impressive. The movie's action sequences are spectacularly well created and very intense. The dialogue between the character's are intelligent and highly believable. The movie's soundtrack is terrific and really exemplify's many of the movie's scenes. Extremely well editing and sound use really develop many of the movie's action scenes, so it's not just explosions and visuals like in many other movies. Nolan creates a grand, dirty, engrossing world, and his action sequences just hum.

In conclusion, this film is a gorgeous reminder that great writing and direction can enhance any movie-going experience, even superhero movies, which are usually thought of as mindless entertainment. I am wholly satisfied with Christopher Nolan's vision and thank all who worked on this film for bringing such an intricate interpretation of its very famous literary source. I cannot recommend this film anymore than I have, I just have to say everyone and anyone should see it. 10/10"

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1207 out of 1910 people found the following review useful:
Nolan has outdone himself... again., 18 July 2012

Author: Greg Pryor from New Zealand

Christopher Nolan has outdone himself with this one. At 3.30 in the morning, I was tired. Just getting out of it, I've never been so awake.

Perhaps what set this film apart from his other films was that it had a genuine emotional heartbeat. I felt that this was a flaw of Nolan's other films - the vision of emotion was there, but it was hollow. In this I bought it. I felt it, hero and villain alike.

Christian Bale was typically brilliant as Batman, and I felt that Bruce Wayne was more heavily embraced in this final installment. Bale added emotional depth to the character - a plot point that I think went astray in The Dark Knight - picking up from the development made in Batman Begins.

Tom Hardy as Bane was quite simply, terrifying. No longer a dunderhead "enforcer", but one of the criminal masterminds behind "Gotham's Reckoning", coupled with a physical dominance strong enough to send shivers down your spine.

Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle defied my expectations. Hands up who was not entirely convinced that that girl from the Princess Diaries could handle an intensely physical role like Catwoman. But here I am, hugely impressed. She added immeasurably to the value of the film.

Marion Cotillard fulfilled the role of Miranda Tate admirably, though I suspect this was the most underdeveloped character of the film - though after watching, I can see why.

The unsung hero of The Dark Knight Rises is Michael Caine as Alfred. A heartfelt performance that helps drive the emotional content of the film, helping Nolan sell his most well-rounded film to date. Caine's performance in both presence and absence.

Special mention goes to Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is consistently proving himself to be a big player in the Hollywood game. His role as officer Blake felt like there could've been more, but it may just have come all a bit much. It was a great performance, and Levitt sunk his teeth into role.

If you can, go see this in IMAX. If any film was to sell the format to skeptics, The Dark Knight Rises would be IT. I'm happy Nolan stuck to his guns and shot in 2D. 3D would have been unnecessary.

I suppose at this point, I have to turn my focus on Nolan. If he ever reads this... aspiring filmmaker to filmmaker, I've never been so envious, jealous in all my life. It's a film that leaves me floundering, wondering what I could possibly do to get anywhere near this ballpark. Well done. I think an Oscar Nomination is in order.

From here, I'm not sure what to expect of the future. Does our imagination carry us forward, or do the studios? Time will tell.

10/10

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778 out of 1169 people found the following review useful:
Lazy, incoherent, and unsatisfying on nearly every level., 26 July 2012

Author: seniorlimpio

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What makes things worse, is that its predecessors were basically intricate works of genius, but TDKR lacks essentially everything that made The Dark Knight (particularly) one of the greatest superhero movies ever produced. On top of all this, everyone's bandwagoning on thinking it's great because it's "supposed" to be great, right?!?! How could Nolan's finale not be a masterpiece?! Well, I'll tell you...

Bruce Wayne acts out-of-character from not just the first two movies, but from the comic as well. Catwoman's motivation and place in the story is weak, flat, and forced. For a movie that's almost three hours long, you only get about 20 minutes of Batman in costume (if you're lucky). The movie jumps in weird time increments that are mildly confusing, but mostly forced to facilitate its wanna-be epic nature.

As for more heavily SPOILERY observations...

Commissioner Gordon is barely in the movie, spending most his time injured in a hospital, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character comes out of the blue and does what you'd expect the Commissioner to be doing... solution- COMBINE THE TWO CHARACTERS!!!

The two Batman vs. Bane fights are flat and boring as hell. Bane is a cardboard, unexplored (until a late-third act flashback... of all ridiculous cliché plot devices) character that reaches for sympathy in one of the most embarrassing, wanna-be-tender, totally out-of-place, extremely laughable scenes I've ever seen in my life- HE FRIGGIN' CRIES?!!?!?

Every single, yes EVERY SINGLE cop in Gotham marches down into the sewers on a tip that Bane's raising a secret army, only to have all the entrances blown up so they can be trapped down there... for like three months. Reread that last sentence and tell me what part of it makes sense.

Bane holds Gotham hostage with a 4 megaton nuclear device, after blowing up all but one bridge leading into and out of the city, for three months and the U.S. government does nothing. Seriously, nothing. It's said they negotiated a truce and had FEMA send in supplies for survival. Read that last paragraph and tell me what part of it makes sense.

The "real" villain reveals him/her self in an absurd Act 3 "twist" that's followed by a narrated flashback (the same one that leads to Bane CRYING), and throughout the entire monologue Batman sits there doing nothing after a knife has been thrust/held into his side.

After the 2nd lame Bats/Bane fight, the bulk of the late Act 3rd "action sequence" consists of little more than Batman flying around in that weird-looking clunky flying thing that supposed to be the Bat Plane- half of which is of him outmaneuvering missiles that the bulky "plane" couldn't have possibly eluded.

I really, really, really, really, really, really wanted to not just like this, but LOVE it, but as it progressed the enthusiasm cloud gradually cleared to the point of my being utterly flabberghasted in disappointment- mostly because I can't believe the director of The Dark Knight and the masterpiece that is Inception was responsible for this movie. It's lazy and uninspired to the point of being offensive to everyone who's ever been not just a Batman fan, but a fan of non- intelligence-insulting movies.

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1052 out of 1745 people found the following review useful:
Best Film of 2012, so far!, 16 July 2012

Author: Grey Gardens from United States

I had the honor of watching TDKR during a screening and was completely blown away! Christopher Nolan's third film in his Batman trilogy doesn't disappoint. The movie is incredibly well made, its huge production is quite breathtaking to view. This is a true cinematic experience, to behold. The movie exceeded my expectations in terms of action, and entertainment. The movie's score high-lites many of its incredible scenes, and at times, it takes your breath away.

The film featured excellent performances, by all the cast. Christian Bale, as always is great as Batman. Anne Hathaway was completely engrossing, she became "Catwoman", just like Michele Pfeiffer did, although their interpretations were very different, both were equally effective. Tom Hardy was the main villain "Bane" completely shattered my expectations. One of the best superhero movie villains, I've ever seen. The terror caused by him, is completely believable and quite menacing. Marlion Cotilliard, Michael Cane, Gary Oldman, and others all did well in their respective roles. Now I know most will miss Heath Ledger as the Joker.(I know I do) I hope people don't compare Tom Hardy's performance to Heath Ledger's, its completely unfair and the two characters are very different. Just read the comics.

The colossal size of the film is a spectacle to behold, but surprisingly you don't get lost with all the explosions and extravagant action scenes, like in other films,(AKA Transformers, or POTC.) If one were to gripe, and I suppose there will never be a film made that one cannot find a point at which to grip, it is painfully long running time here. I found myself more worried about the pain in my posterior than the emotional final minutes after almost 3 hours that I had spent in a cramped seat, but that's just how I am. However the ending is just fantastic, so emotional and bring the trilogy to a very satisfying end.

Sorry if I'm being all fan-boyish and kissing this movie's behind, but I really admire it. It may not be among my personal favorites but generally this seems to be the movie event of this year. As a film though, this is amazing. A true lasting legacy in superhero story telling and summer-blockbusters.

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939 out of 1563 people found the following review useful:
Awful plot. People in this movie are sheep without character, 21 July 2012

Author: Srikanth Raju from Fremont, California

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I don't get what all the 10's are about. I don't see how this movie is a 10, or rather even an 8. There are so many plot holes, the characters are so one dimensional, action sequences OK at best.

Where do I even begin. Banes voice. I admit, I didn't get what he was saying more than half the time, and even then I had to strain really hard. It was just awful. There were jokes about not understanding Bales growling, but this, this is something else. The movie would have been better without him talking.

Catwoman! Suddenly she feels remorse and becomes goody goody at the end, Oh the lord, this was about as predictable as rain in Seattle(very, if you're unsure).

Talia, what a big face-palm. Might as well have made a movie when the Batman woke up from a dream at that point. Can the plot get ANY more clichéd? Thanks for popping up the MAIN criminal at the end of the movie, who apparently had the hots for Batman.

Batman, his screen time is mostly groaning and screaming and getting beaten around in boxing by Bane. He becomes a superior fighter by jumping across the ledge? I think that's not how the body works. There isn't any Batman stuff at all. Just punching and kicking. Muhammad Ali would have been a better hero to fit that role (Yay, incoming dislikes from people who don't know who that is). Also, big copter no one can find, yea right.

Sheep followers wanting to get blown up. Ya, because getting evaporated by a nuclear bomb is so awesome that every "mercenary" wants to do it. Oh, but they didn't know that they'd be blown up.

All policemen going underground like a herd of cows because they want to scout out the underground operations and therefore getting caught. Sigh.

Big fight scenes. Police officers don't walk in formation with guns against a bunch of mercenaries on higher ground and they all don't start shooting at point blank range. No. That's not how police work. Or any modern force with guns. That ONLY works in Lord of the Rings, because they had SWORDS! Who wrote this script?

The other batman movies were good. The first one was great. The second was good too. This one is ridiculous. I don't know how people can be so blind to so many obvious flaws. Even with that, the best moments in this film are...unimpressive. Did I go into the theater with high hopes. Not at all. I expected average, I was disappointed to not find even that.

Will be ever get another Prestige from these guys? I hope so.

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1056 out of 1808 people found the following review useful:
Beautiful. Immense. Spectacular. Perfect., 18 July 2012

Author: MattTheMovieMan from Australia

I just came out of watching this movie about 30 minutes ago. It was a midnight screening, and it is now 3:50 in the morning. I couldn't resist coming onto this website and telling everyone about the experience.

It was one of the greatest pieces of cinema I have ever seen. I'm not just saying this as a normal audience member who enjoys a good movie or two, but I am saying this as a man who has experienced the delights of hundreds of films. This movie was one of the best.

This movie relishes in the emotional journey presented, in conjunction with the various characters whom you just want to see more and more and develop whatever connection with them as possible. I personally want to possess the awesomeness that is Bane. The soundtrack definitely adds a very special...edge, you could say, to the total film experience. The "Bane chant" is definitely one that will always pump you up after watching this movie.

I could go on and on about how great this movie is, but I have limited space, and so will finish with this: This movie is absolutely fantastic. You will not be disappointed should you see this film. I had extremely high expectations and it delivered. While my optimistic approach to judging this movie may stem from it being brand new and fresh after what feels like a long 4 years since The Dark Knight, there is no denying that this movie will be one to remember for years to come. People worrying about it being overshadowed by the Dark Knight need not worry. This film delivers just as well.

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657 out of 1064 people found the following review useful:
A fulfilling end to a legendary trilogy!, 18 July 2012

Author: Akshit Markan from India

As this movie was the most awaited movie of the decade, I obviously wanted to watch it as soon as possible. My friend won some contest online and so, I got to watch it a few days earlier FOR FREE.

The movie is everything you want it to be. The story is very well told and there is enough of Nolan-kind twists. Tom Hardy has some powerful lines as Bane but the enhanced voice doesn't work at all. But, he still does his character justice and performs to his full potential. For the first time in the trilogy, Batman wasn't the strongest. This gave a chance to Christian Bale to show off his acting skills without the mask and he did a fine job. The veterans Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine went about their job as if it was just another day at the office. But, a major surprise was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who portrays an ordinary police officer and pulls of an unexpectedly awesome performance.

The special effects, sound and action were out of the world. Nolan spent a lot of money and he made it visible in the movie. The movie connects all the dots from the previous movies and provides a fitting end to the saga. Although, personally I liked The Dark Knight better. But, TDKR certainly came very close it.

Finally, I would like to thank Christopher Nolan for portraying Batman in a way no one ever thought was possible and for making one the best trilogy of all time.

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710 out of 1207 people found the following review useful:
It was okay..., 18 July 2012

Author: Christopher Reid from Australia

The best thing about this movie is how satisfying it is. It doesn't leave you frustrated or confused. You can't really complain that it didn't explore certain ideas or follow through. By deciding to have an official ending to this trilogy's story, the themes surrounding Batman are very fresh. We don't know where he'll end up. It's not the same old thing about whether he can continue to be Batman or not, which was already getting repetitive in Spider-man 2. The conclusions are not as important as the feelings they invoke as they come about. Nolan is especially good at capturing the complete tension of actually not knowing what will happen and deeply questioning what you *want* to happen and why.

This movie is bigger than the previous two, far more ambitious. There are no obvious annoying weaknesses that usually come with films in general, especially blockbuster action movies. All of Nolan's movies have deep psychological themes and this takes those in another new direction. I thought Inception was hugely original and insightful about the way people think. That level of abstraction and depth is present in this film. Bane bursts into it, his reputation is quickly established. Nolan uses people's expectations and anticipation to the fullest. We are left to wonder about what has happened in the 8 years since the events of The Dark Knight. Why have the characters become the way they are now?

In the latter half, it does seem like the movie is trying to pull off so many different plot points and connections, but they all work. The cast is very large and impressive. You don't see "good acting". You see fascinating characters. They're just playing their part in the grand story that's being crafted. There are many unfamiliar faces but they all have a strange, unique look to them. We often see a person's flaws and previous decisions coming back to haunt them. They find out the hard way what mistakes they have made. Where their limits are. Where they lose control.

The score is almost tribal, very raw and energetic. You don't get much chance to pay attention to it but many parts of the movie are pounding with excitement. There are countless quotable lines and disturbing slices of dialogue. They cut deep. The Joker was a great character and this is a very different movie but the themes are just as dark, only perhaps indirectly. Underneath, it's very sinister. Writing and efficiency appear to be among Nolan's greatest strengths. The story has many layers that interweave and apparently they came in under budget.

Perhaps the most important thing about Catwoman is that she's completely believable. When she beats up men, you don't roll your eyes. She's feminine and powerful in her own way. She fits into the world and we completely understand her motivations. She doesn't have a huge role but a very important one.

I didn't find myself moved but maybe I'm too cynical. I was more affected psychologically. Curious about humanity and all the different sides of it you see in this movie. It goes to many extremes. I felt humbled by my complete lack of life experience. What do I know about anything? How could I possibly understand half of the characters? I haven't been through anything or achieved anything compared to most of them. Michael Caine gets a bigger role this time. He was always critical but this time he's very much the emotional core.

I thought Christian Bale was overlooked in The Dark Knight especially. The movies hinge on him. Bruce Wayne's just a man but also incredibly inspirational. Bale's famous for completely committing to his roles and it pays off. Tom Hardy is impressive as Bane but I suppose that's no surprise. The rest of the leads are similarly awesome. There are many references to the earlier films. Very few questions are left unanswered. It's always nice when film-makers really think it through and make an actual decision and get all the details right.

So anyway, I'll miss Batman (since the trilogy has ended) but couldn't have hoped for a better, more epic and sincere finale to his story.

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427 out of 675 people found the following review useful:
3 Areas of Disappointment, 24 July 2012

Author: DAVID KIM from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

My areas of disappointment : 1) Bane, 2) the threat on the city (nuclear), and 3) the Mr. Nolan's surprising lack of storytelling and bleak cinematic visual (even though he seemingly had the best filming tools to deliver so.).

1) I only wished the Mr. Nolan did not abruptly reduce his newest villain, Bane, to something so insignificant and small. The menacing, intelligent, "brute force" was indeed a towering figure throughout the movie until he presents himself as secondary towards the end of the trilogy.

2) And the threat on Gotham City, a nuclear one, was surprisingly unoriginal considering how innovative the poisonous vapor threat was in "Batman Begins" or how chaos forced the protagonists of Gotham to make extremely troubling decisions in "The Dark Knight."

3) Something breathtaking was so suppose to happen in either the plot or in the IMAX grandeur. However, Mr. Nolan surprisingly failed to deliver in both areas. Mr. Nolan did not make us hold our breath like he did in the "Dark Knight" nor did he captivate our focus with his playful plots and mind bending cinematic visuals as he did in "Inception." In other words, I could not help but looking back at his past films while watching the "TDKR."

There were a few other things that caught my immediate, negative attention. But who cares. It is really over now. This was how Mr. Nolan decided to end this truly life defining story. With that said, I am simply stunned and truly hurt that the trilogy had to end . . . like this.

– davidwoongkim, Seoul

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401 out of 634 people found the following review useful:
Dark Knight Rises – falls short of greatness, 20 July 2012

Author: ammerender-singh from India

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I came out with slight disappointment after watching DKR for I had huge expectations from Nolan after an exceptional TDK.

I am huge fan of first two installment of Batman Trilogy and I liked DKR. It's a good movie but it could have been much better.

So rather than discussing its merit, which are many, I am pointing out its shortcomings.

It's the weaker than other movies of trilogy and simple reason being it lacks strong characters. DKR is all about storytelling – just like Nolan's Inception but not as efficient. And in doing so it fails where Batman Begins and The Dark Knight had succeeded.

Batman Begins was all about fear, doubt, self-realization and redemption where Bruce Wayne discovers his destiny as Batman. BB had a story arc which set background for main characters – Batman/ Wayne, Ra's al Ghul, Gordon (to some extent) and most importantly Gothom City and hence set stage for a fitting climax.

The Dark Knight explores the theme of chaos, morality and belief effortlessly and establishes characters of Joker, Harvey Dent/Two Face, Rachel etc. so effortlessly that people choose to ignore even some major plot holes. Heath Ledger's interpretation of Joker was so mesmerizing that it single handily carried TDK to path of greatness/ critical acclaim.

But Dark Knight Rises is all about story telling – efficient but not exceptional. Bane, Miranda Tate, John Blake, Peter Folly (Deputy Commissioner), Selina Kyle – characters are introduced but never explored/ expanded - they just start working on their part - just like cogs in the wheel. They are not so much part of the story itself but just the agents which move the story forward.

Bane's character is dull and single dimensional and do not evoke any fear or awe. He's meticulous, intelligent and strong and this is established quickly in movie but after that he slumps into a just another movie villain. Taila / Miranda character is never fully explored. Even Wayne/Batman is devoid of any emotions in this one and he feels so sure of himself that I start wondering if it's the same Batman that I saw in first two installments. Only new character which had some shades was that of Selina Kyle and Anne Hathaway did justice to it. Add to that helplessness of Alfred portrayed superbly by Caine. Other actors are good but there's not much for them to do.

There's no dilemma,doubt, love, choices, moral battles, hope, even no chaos/fear- things which make characters and plot interesting ( at least for me) and which made Batman Begins and The Dark Knight really good movies. Even the theme of "Occupy Wallstreet" is very weak and at best it's closer to London riots with its loot and arsoning. There's even perfect order in Bane's revolution. Movie moves effortlessly from one plot to another and to climax that it become at times predictable.

But maybe Dark Knight Rises was supposed to be like that only and Nolan had too much to deal with in 2.5 hours. And maybe that's the main problem with DKR – too much is going on in the story that it seems crammed at times. And when there are too many characters and so many story arcs and it's tough to do justice to characters and story telling at the same time. And this is when you start looking for plot holes, slackness, predictability et al.

-----------------some spoilers-----------------------

Such as Bane's plan –cement/explosive, Wayne- Miranda's romance, Blake guessing Wayne's personality, Miranda-Talia twist, Batman doing Angels & Demons stunt,Batman's escape from death, Blake as Robin (LOL) and Alfred in last scene.

------------------spoilers end -------------------------

All movies have a style which depends on story and its story teller. And there' no point of comparing different styles, say that of Starwars, Godfather, Transformers or story tellers say Tarantino, Cameron etc. Whatever maybe the style, good movies play to its strengths – story/screenplay, characters, style, pace or all. Try to recall some good movies and think what you like the most.

Dark Knight Rises have a good story but lacks strong characters and relies Inception's style which incidentally differs from style of first two installments of Batman Trilogy.

And for me, soul of Nolan's Batman Series is its strong characters, their underlying emotions and a theme which is much deeper and meaningful than all fight, gadgetry and style. And this is where DKR fails.

7/10

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