The Dark Knight Rises Villains Announced (1 Viewer)

[Mario Kart]

Catwoman was good. Hathaway played it well and is, debatable, the best Catwoman.

Bane was good. The dialogue was tough at times but I think that was due to the music rather than his voice box. The music was too loud throughout the whole thing.

The ending was good but drawn out a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist with it as well.

The bad includes too many gadgets. Batman was never in his Batmobile in the whole movie. Instead he was on his bike and in the air. I get the connection but Batman and each Rachel Dawes had a better connection than he did was Catwoman. The main bad though is that the film takes place over a ~six month timeframe. That is difficult to do and I'm not sure it was done well enough here.

Bruce Wayne should sue the architects that rebuilt his mansion. They made a crappy Batcave that was just a garage. The Batcave was not done well at all.

I liked the lack of "special effects" during the fighting though. It was nice to see two people fight without some mythical hammer throwing them across the screen or people flying around. Fights could have been longer between Bane and Bat. Overall the plot was shaky. I followed it but seemed ou of place at times.

B-

Twist? As soon as Michael Cane told that story about him going to France every year Batman was away, you had to know you were being told the ending. I thought the ending was too predictable with that setup along with all the talk with him and the cop about how they have very feelings inside, etc.. Just got the feeling throughout the movie that Nolan was done this this franchise and probably didn't want a whole lot to do with this one. I'd bet if he had his way the ending wouldn't be so open for more movies.

No, the twist I was referring to was the friendship of Bain and the daughter as well as the identification of the daughter. That played well.I like the idea of the Riddler in the next movie as a passive character. He is the mind behind the tricks but a different enemy is the focus. Similar to how Raz was in movie one but the reveal that he was behind all that stuff is not found out till the end which leads into the next movie. As if the Joker was the mastermind behind everything in Begins instead of Raz. Would work for a two movie arc. Not sure how/if they would do three.

Levity would actually make a nice change to a new Batman. Stories are plentiful.

 

[Fensalk]

Saw it this afternoon and I thought it was great. I'm not a big Batman fan so less of the actual Batman stuff and more focus on Wayne's character made it better IMO.

Yah I think that's about where this film is.

 

[simsarge]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

 

[Fensalk]

Structurally the film is flawed in that the antagonists do not tear chunks out of Batman's life. That key element sets it apart from the first 2 films.

In the first film, Batman loses his parents, his home, and for a time nearly loses the company his father built. Those events showed us Wayne's character. In the second film, Batman loses his one true love. But in the third film, he doesn't suffer any catastrophic losses that were deep and personal to him. He loses Wayne Enterprises again, but it hardly seems personal to him by this point. He was not even paying attention to its finances, letting it wither and die. By the third film, we have gotten to a point where you almost have to kill off Commissioner Gordon to make Batman feel pain again, and really reveal his core nature. They've destroyed everything else in his life.

 

[Fensalk]

After thinking about it, they needed to do one of the following:

a. kill Gordon.

b. Have Lucius Fox turn and side with Bane.

c. Reveal Thomas Wayne never died, he faked his death and joined with the League of Shadows.

I know the last one would be highly controversial, but you need to create some horrible mental torture for Bruce Wayne to reveal his inner character. Its what proper storytelling is all about.

 

[fsufan]

good site if you are a die-hard batman fan

http://forums.superherohype.com/forumdisplay.php?f=218

 

[KarmaPolice]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

Spoiler

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

If I caught it right, they came out of the stock exchange in broad daylight, but when the chase started it was dead of night.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Catwoman was good. Hathaway played it well and is, debatable, the best Catwoman.

Bane was good. The dialogue was tough at times but I think that was due to the music rather than his voice box. The music was too loud throughout the whole thing.

The ending was good but drawn out a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist with it as well.

The bad includes too many gadgets. Batman was never in his Batmobile in the whole movie. Instead he was on his bike and in the air. I get the connection but Batman and each Rachel Dawes had a better connection than he did was Catwoman. The main bad though is that the film takes place over a ~six month timeframe. That is difficult to do and I'm not sure it was done well enough here.

Bruce Wayne should sue the architects that rebuilt his mansion. They made a crappy Batcave that was just a garage. The Batcave was not done well at all.

I liked the lack of "special effects" during the fighting though. It was nice to see two people fight without some mythical hammer throwing them across the screen or people flying around. Fights could have been longer between Bane and Bat. Overall the plot was shaky. I followed it but seemed ou of place at times.

B-

Twist? As soon as Michael Cane told that story about him going to France every year Batman was away, you had to know you were being told the ending. I thought the ending was too predictable with that setup along with all the talk with him and the cop about how they have very feelings inside, etc.. Just got the feeling throughout the movie that Nolan was done this this franchise and probably didn't want a whole lot to do with this one. I'd bet if he had his way the ending wouldn't be so open for more movies.

No, the twist I was referring to was the friendship of Bain and the daughter as well as the identification of the daughter. That played well.I like the idea of the Riddler in the next movie as a passive character. He is the mind behind the tricks but a different enemy is the focus. Similar to how Raz was in movie one but the reveal that he was behind all that stuff is not found out till the end which leads into the next movie. As if the Joker was the mastermind behind everything in Begins instead of Raz. Would work for a two movie arc. Not sure how/if they would do three.

Levity would actually make a nice change to a new Batman. Stories are plentiful.

Gotcha. It was a surprise, but I guess I didn't like/care about her character enough for it to pack a punch for me. Sorry to go off on you - if you can't tell the last 5mins or so really rubbed me the wrong way.I would be very curious to see who could possibly take over any additional stories, director-wise. Of course people were saying that about the Burton Batmans, but there had been a lot of years in between and at least one in the series that might be one of the worst movies ever made in Batman & Robin. I can't think of a director out there that would do the dark side of the story as well - maybe somebody like Fincher or Aronofsky? so I cringe to think that it would go back to the lighthearted, campy tone of the other movies.

 

[Premier]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

Spoiler

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Spoiler

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

If I caught it right, they came out of the stock exchange in broad daylight, but when the chase started it was dead of night.How did Nolan miss that? Like 9 people around me said at one time "wasn't it just daylight?"

 

[Pick]

Kill Gordon and paralyze Batman.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

Batman movie trivia

 

[Mario Kart]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

Spoiler

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Spoiler

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

Spoiler

If I caught it right, they came out of the stock exchange in broad daylight, but when the chase started it was dead of night.

How did Nolan miss that? Like 9 people around me said at one time "wasn't it just daylight?"I thought the same thing but when Batman showed up they were under ground in some kind of tunnel which was dark with lights flickering.

 

[Fensalk]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

Spoiler

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Spoiler

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

Spoiler

If I caught it right, they came out of the stock exchange in broad daylight, but when the chase started it was dead of night.

Spoiler

How did Nolan miss that? Like 9 people around me said at one time "wasn't it just daylight?"

I thought the same thing but when Batman showed up they were under ground in some kind of tunnel which was dark with lights flickering.There was snow on the ground 3 months later. Let's say that was February. The stock market event could have been in November. Sunset in November in New York is about 4:40 PM. Stock market is open until 4 PM. So if they attacked the stock market towards the end of the trading day, it would actually get dark shortly after the stock market closes, so it would go from light to dark very fast.

 

[Sheriff66]

Took the kids to see it yesterday, felt nervous just being there at first, but relaxed and enjoyed the movie, I think the last one was better to be honest, but really liked this one too.

 

[cstu]

Structurally the film is flawed in that the antagonists do not tear chunks out of Batman's life. That key element sets it apart from the first 2 films. In the first film, Batman loses his parents, his home, and for a time nearly loses the company his father built. Those events showed us Wayne's character. In the second film, Batman loses his one true love. But in the third film, he doesn't suffer any catastrophic losses that were deep and personal to him. He loses Wayne Enterprises again, but it hardly seems personal to him by this point. He was not even paying attention to its finances, letting it wither and die. By the third film, we have gotten to a point where you almost have to kill off Commissioner Gordon to make Batman feel pain again, and really reveal his core nature. They've destroyed everything else in his life.

What I liked about the movie was it was the inevitable end to his story. Being Batman was Wayne's way to cause his self-destruction. It wasn't until Wayne in the hole that he finally realizes that he wants to live (and therefore stop being Batman).

 

[cstu]

A less than flattering review...

Spoiler

Review: Batman series ends as epic letdown

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy in typically spectacular, ambitious fashion with "The Dark Knight Rises," but the feeling of frustration and disappointment is unshakable.

Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe nothing could have met the expectations established by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which revolutionized and set the standard for films based on comic books by being both high-minded and crowd-pleasing. With Christian Bale as his tortured superhero starting from 2005's "Batman Begins," Nolan has explored the complicated and conflicting motivations of man as well as the possibility of greatness and redemption within society.

Here, as director and co-writer, he's unrelenting in hammering home the dread, the sorrow, the sense of detachment and futility of a city on the brink of collapse with no savior in sight. Gotham is under siege in ways that tonally and visually recall 9/11; what is obviously the island of Manhattan gets cut off from the outside world at one point. Rather than seeming exploitative, it's just one of many examples of the script from Nolan and his usual collaborator, his brother Jonathan, making the franchise feel like a relevant reflection of our times. Identity theft, economic collapse and an uprising of the disgruntled, disenfranchised have-nots against the smug, comfy haves also come into play.

There's so much going on here, though, with so many new characters who are all meant to function in significant ways that "The Dark Knight Rises" feels overloaded, and sadly lacking the spark that gave 2008's "The Dark Knight" such vibrancy. The absence of Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the anarchic and truly frightening Joker, is really obvious here. It retrospect, it makes you realize how crucial Ledger's performance was in making that Batman movie fly.

By comparison, "The Dark Knight Rises" is plot-heavy, obsessed with process, laden with expository dialogue and flashbacks that bog down the momentum and — dare I say it? — just flat-out boring at times. Yes, the Batman world through Nolan's eyes is supposed to be moody and introspective; you've got to admire the fact that he is willing to challenge us this way when summer blockbusters so often feel flashy and hollow. And yet at the same time, it takes some giant leaps with its characters which either make no sense, haven't earned the emotions they're seeking, or both.

"The Dark Knight Rises" does feature the kind of impeccable production values we've come to expect from Nolan's films; many members of his core team are back, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, editor Lee Smith and production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh. "The Dark Knight Rises" feels weighty and substantive — and, thankfully, isn't in 3-D — but it takes on an even grittier look than its predecessors as Gotham City devolves into desperation and ruin.

But Nolan's approach is so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters, who function more as cogs in an elaborate, chaotic machine than as real people whose souls are at stake.

It's been four years since "The Dark Knight" came out but eight years have passed in terms of story. Bale's Bruce Wayne suffers in self-imposed exile, sulking about Wayne Manor, mourning the loss of his darling Rachel and carrying the burden of blame for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent. His goal of a peaceful Gotham has been achieved, but he's left as a man without a purpose. Michael Caine, as the ever-loyal valet Alfred, brings dignity and eloquence to the film as he begs Bruce to carve out his own form of happiness. Fellow veterans Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox are their usual dignified selves, but they don't register the way they should because the film is so overstuffed.

Several new characters manage to draw Bruce out of his funk in various ways. Anne Hathaway brings some much needed zest to the proceedings as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman in the Batman universe, a slinky thief who punctures Bruce's bubble when she lifts his fingerprints from his safe, along with a beloved pearl necklace. She's selfish and cynical, only looking out for herself, but at least she goes about her crimes with some verve and style. They never call her Catwoman by name, and she's never as campy as Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry were in previous film incarnations of the role, but she's always fun to watch.

The other woman in Bruce's life, however, is woefully underdeveloped — which is a real problem because she plays a key role in the film's climactic revelations. Marion Cotillard (one of many alumni from Nolan's "Inception") co-stars as Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist who hopes to work with Wayne Enterprises on developing clean, sustainable energy. The romance that develops between her and Bruce is utterly unbelievable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a youthful presence as John Blake, an up-and-coming member of the police force who inspires Bruce to revisit his own childhood as an orphan. Gordon-Levitt as solid as always but there's not much to his character aside from earnestness.

Then there's Bane, a muscular mass of pure evil who orchestrates an elaborate takeover of Gotham City. The role is a huge waste of what Tom Hardy can do; his character is so one-dimensional and poorly defined, he's never so much a fearsome figure as a large and hulking one. It doesn't help matters that it's often difficult to make out what he's saying beneath the cage-like muzzle that covers his nose and mouth and alters his voice. Hardy can be sexy and charismatic (as he proved in "Inception") but also a dangerous and unpredictable figure. None of that is on display here. He's all brute force.

But he is the instigator of the film's dazzling opening sequence, worthy of the best of James Bond: a daring aerial maneuver in which Bane kidnaps a scientist by hijacking his plane from the skies above. That's probably the most effective of the many set pieces Nolan stages here, although the collapse of Heinz Field during a packed football game also has an urgent, visceral quality, with thrills that recall the most imaginative moments of "Inception."

This is the problem when you're an exceptional, visionary filmmaker. When you give people something extraordinary, they expect it every time. Anything short of that feels like a letdown.

Spoiler

This review is on the Still an entertaining flick I would recommend as a matinee or wait for DVD.

However, Dark Knight Rises is to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as Spiderman 3 was to the first two Tobey MaGuire Spiderman films. The bar has been set way too high in the first two films, and the third film is way too busy, ambitious, tries to cram too much into too little space, and just never quite reaches the same heights and emotional depths as the first two films in the trilogy.

Spoiler

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?

I could go on & on.

I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.

C+ for me

Spoiler

If I caught it right, they came out of the stock exchange in broad daylight, but when the chase started it was dead of night.

Spoiler

How did Nolan miss that? Like 9 people around me said at one time "wasn't it just daylight?"

Spoiler

I thought the same thing but when Batman showed up they were under ground in some kind of tunnel which was dark with lights flickering.

There was snow on the ground 3 months later. Let's say that was February. The stock market event could have been in November. Sunset in November in New York is about 4:40 PM. Stock market is open until 4 PM. So if they attacked the stock market towards the end of the trading day, it would actually get dark shortly after the stock market closes, so it would go from light to dark very fast. It's also a Batman movie.

 

[The Dude]

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?I could go on & on.I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.C+ for me

I enjoy people playing the critic without merit. Not sure about your plot holes.The love interest - he has known her for a while which was mentioned in the movie - and she is the daughter of the enemy - so while it appears out of left field when it happens - I think it fits in retrospect - it was part of the breaking of Bruce Wayne.Not sure what you want the army to due when the guy is sitting on a nuclear explosion with his own army at his disposal.The shave thing - you maybe right but it's trivial. The back thing - easily explained away by the new suit - plus Bane already stated he didn't want to kill the guy. So did you want him to break his back?

 

[The Dude]

All in all, I thought it was pretty good (and Kart will probably call me a fan boy). It was better than the Avengers - which I thought was great within it's parameters - but those parameters were a much weaker story and a forgettable villian.

I liked how it closed the trilogy - taking things from part 1 and coming full circle in III.

 

[Mario Kart]

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?I could go on & on.I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.C+ for me

I enjoy people playing the critic without merit. Not sure about your plot holes.The love interest - he has known her for a while which was mentioned in the movie - and she is the daughter of the enemy - so while it appears out of left field when it happens - I think it fits in retrospect - it was part of the breaking of Bruce Wayne.Not sure what you want the army to due when the guy is sitting on a nuclear explosion with his own army at his disposal.The shave thing - you maybe right but it's trivial. The back thing - easily explained away by the new suit - plus Bane already stated he didn't want to kill the guy. So did you want him to break his back?

You need some assistance with the quite feature. I didn't say any of the above.

 

[The Dude]

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?I could go on & on.I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.C+ for me

I enjoy people playing the critic without merit. Not sure about your plot holes.The love interest - he has known her for a while which was mentioned in the movie - and she is the daughter of the enemy - so while it appears out of left field when it happens - I think it fits in retrospect - it was part of the breaking of Bruce Wayne.Not sure what you want the army to due when the guy is sitting on a nuclear explosion with his own army at his disposal.The shave thing - you maybe right but it's trivial. The back thing - easily explained away by the new suit - plus Bane already stated he didn't want to kill the guy. So did you want him to break his back?

You need some assistance with the quite feature. I didn't say any of the above.

Sorry, Kart - it was simsarge

 

[Fensalk]

Clearly the Dent Act is meant to represent the Patriot Act. The heroes in this film defend it, with Mayor Alpert saying that people seek its repeal but not as long as he is in office. Bane is clearly a hybrid of terrorism and the anti-capitalist occupy Wall Street movement. In this case, he takes the occupy movement to its end, occupying Gotham and putting the 1%ers on mock trial.

Very political film, leaning to the right.

 

[cstu]

Clearly the Dent Act is meant to represent the Patriot Act. The heroes in this film defend it, with Mayor Alpert saying that people seek its repeal but not as long as he is in office. Bane is clearly a hybrid of terrorism and the anti-capitalist occupy Wall Street movement. In this case, he takes the occupy movement to its end, occupying Gotham and putting the 1%ers on mock trial.Very political film, leaning to the right.

Batman defended it but wasn't Fox against in the last movie? In this one the issue wasn't so much the 'right or wrong' of the Dent Act but really it was Gordon's lying (which he knew was wrong) in order to keep it from being repealed. I don't think the movie leaned left or right and instead showed out terrible either extreme (including Batman) can be.

 

[cstu]

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?I could go on & on.I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.C+ for me

I enjoy people playing the critic without merit. Not sure about your plot holes.The love interest - he has known her for a while which was mentioned in the movie - and she is the daughter of the enemy - so while it appears out of left field when it happens - I think it fits in retrospect - it was part of the breaking of Bruce Wayne.Not sure what you want the army to due when the guy is sitting on a nuclear explosion with his own army at his disposal.The shave thing - you maybe right but it's trivial. The back thing - easily explained away by the new suit - plus Bane already stated he didn't want to kill the guy. So did you want him to break his back?

If Gotham could have been blown up at any moment then what the purpose of waiting 5 months for the core to tick down?

 

[Mario Kart]

Clearly the Dent Act is meant to represent the Patriot Act. The heroes in this film defend it, with Mayor Alpert saying that people seek its repeal but not as long as he is in office. Bane is clearly a hybrid of terrorism and the anti-capitalist occupy Wall Street movement. In this case, he takes the occupy movement to its end, occupying Gotham and putting the 1%ers on mock trial.Very political film, leaning to the right.

Taking the crazy to a whole new level here. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[The Dude]

Don't usually aggree with her reviews. I always thought she was annoying when she was on the Ebert review show. But gotta say I think she's pretty spot on here. Bane was barely discernable throughout, Plot holes big enough to drive a bomb laden tractor trailer though, A totally "Huh? Wha?" Love interest. Waay, WAAY too much Gary Oldman (making like Indiana Jones at the end). A whole entire city of millions of people gets cut off and held for ransome by a ruthless wack job with a nuclear bomb, and the best the Army can send is a hugely overweight, 400 pound captain to head off the bad guys on the bridge? Three months trapped under the city and not one cop needed a shave? A prison chiropractor job fixes a super villian suplex?I could go on & on.I loved the first two, but maybe to wrap it all up was just a bridge too far.C+ for me

I enjoy people playing the critic without merit. Not sure about your plot holes.The love interest - he has known her for a while which was mentioned in the movie - and she is the daughter of the enemy - so while it appears out of left field when it happens - I think it fits in retrospect - it was part of the breaking of Bruce Wayne.Not sure what you want the army to due when the guy is sitting on a nuclear explosion with his own army at his disposal.The shave thing - you maybe right but it's trivial. The back thing - easily explained away by the new suit - plus Bane already stated he didn't want to kill the guy. So did you want him to break his back?

If Gotham could have been blown up at any moment then what the purpose of waiting 5 months for the core to tick down?

Well since she had the trigger it could have been done at any time.The only reason not to was to break Gotham - and more importantly Bruce Wayne - down.

 

[The Dude]

Does anyone think they will do a Robin movie?

 

[bshell27]

I don't care what anyone on this board says. That movie was great. Forget politics an just go for entertainment. I am considering seeing it twice.

 

[cstu]

If Gotham could have been blown up at any moment then what the purpose of waiting 5 months for the core to tick down?

Well since she had the trigger it could have been done at any time.The only reason not to was to break Gotham - and more importantly Bruce Wayne - down.

Once she finds out Batman is back in the city with almost no time remaining why not blow it then? Either way the rest of the world got to see Gotham broken and Batman was going to die either way at that point. What difference did an extra few minutes make?

 

[The Dude]

If Gotham could have been blown up at any moment then what the purpose of waiting 5 months for the core to tick down?

Well since she had the trigger it could have been done at any time.The only reason not to was to break Gotham - and more importantly Bruce Wayne - down.

Once she finds out Batman is back in the city with almost no time remaining why not blow it then? Either way the rest of the world got to see Gotham broken and Batman was going to die either way at that point. What difference did an extra few minutes make?

I am not certain it's a weakness in the movie.I think an answer that works is she didn't know Bats was back until they broke through the doors to the place she was kept. And maybe she could have blown it then - but she also wanted Bats to know he was betrayed and ultimately her father won.

 

[Fensalk]

If Gotham could have been blown up at any moment then what the purpose of waiting 5 months for the core to tick down?

Well since she had the trigger it could have been done at any time.The only reason not to was to break Gotham - and more importantly Bruce Wayne - down.

Once she finds out Batman is back in the city with almost no time remaining why not blow it then? Either way the rest of the world got to see Gotham broken and Batman was going to die either way at that point. What difference did an extra few minutes make?

I am not certain it's a weakness in the movie.I think an answer that works is she didn't know Bats was back until they broke through the doors to the place she was kept. And maybe she could have blown it then - but she also wanted Bats to know he was betrayed and ultimately her father won.

I'm not sure if I would call Bane's group the League of Shadows. But they might be. I'm not sure if they ever officially took on that mantle. Maybe it was said and I missed it. This could be just personal revenge on the part of Talia.

 

[Fensalk]

Does anyone think they will do a Robin movie?

Warner Brothers has in development a Teen Titans movie. The only confirmed superhero is Robin. I'd guess that where this is going.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I don't care what anyone on this board says. That movie was great. Forget politics an just go for entertainment. I am considering seeing it twice.

What made it a great movie for you, and what did you think about the first 2 in the series?

 

[Usual21]

Liked the return of Scarecrow. Actually thought Anne Hathaway was really good as Catwoman. Bane kicking Batman's ### was really well done. Pacing issues throughout, especially in the first hour. I give it a solid B.

I rate the movies:

The Dark Knight>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Dark Knight Returns>>>Batman Begins

 

[Fensalk]

Seemed weird that Wayne rebuilt the manor and refurnished it, only to have most of it closed down and cover the new furniture with cloth. The exterior shots made Wayne Manor look very old. And if he hung up the costume after Dent died, why did he even need to bother rebuilding the Batcave, adding improvements, rebuilding the secret entrance, and installing new systems? He sure seemed like he was clearly intent on never staying retired.

 

[Fensalk]

Liked the return of Scarecrow. Actually thought Anne Hathaway was really good as Catwoman. Bane kicking Batman's ### was really well done. Pacing issues throughout, especially in the first hour. I give it a solid B.I rate the movies: The Dark Knight>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Dark Knight Returns>>>Batman Begins

I struggle determining whether I liked Batman Begins or the Dark Knight better. The story behind Batman Begins is vastly superior among the 3 films. I loved the dark portrayal of Gotham. Bruce Wayne had to overcome worthy obstacles and had multiple chunks torn out of his life. But the Dark Knight has the best villain in the Joker. That was an incredible performance by Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight Returns has the weakest story and weakest villains, imo.

 

[cstu]

On IMDB someone mentioned that Wayne was only actively Batman for a year or so in these movies. I haven't watched the other movies since they came out, does that sound right?

 

[cstu]

Liked the return of Scarecrow. Actually thought Anne Hathaway was really good as Catwoman. Bane kicking Batman's ### was really well done. Pacing issues throughout, especially in the first hour. I give it a solid B.I rate the movies: The Dark Knight>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Dark Knight Returns>>>Batman Begins

I struggle determining whether I liked Batman Begins or the Dark Knight better. The story behind Batman Begins is vastly superior among the 3 films. I loved the dark portrayal of Gotham. Bruce Wayne had to overcome worthy obstacles and had multiple chunks torn out of his life. But the Dark Knight has the best villain in the Joker. That was an incredible performance by Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight Returns has the weakest story and weakest villains, imo.

Weakest, yet most effective.

 

[Fensalk]

Its almost impossible to screw up the Batman origin story. Its a great, classic story. Little sheltered rich boy has to watch his parents gunned down and it warps him into something close to a vigilante.

 

[Fensalk]

On IMDB someone mentioned that Wayne was only actively Batman for a year or so in these movies. I haven't watched the other movies since they came out, does that sound right?

Hell no. I don't see how Wayne has zero cartilage in either knee, scar tissue on his kidneys, concussive damage to his brain, hobbling on a cane, all from just one year of crime fighting. Football players play for years and don't wind up that bad. What the hell was he doing? Repeatedly tackling every single criminal in the city for 8 hours every night?

 

[Fensalk]

It would also probably take at least 3 years for a municipal government bureaucracy to approve a customized searchlight on a rooftop. It was trashed 8 years ago prior to the third movie and the paperwork apparently hadn't even gone through to remove the thing. So he had to have been batman for at least 8 years, even equal amount of time to install as it was taking to remove the broken equipment.

 

[fsufan]

I don't care what anyone on this board says. That movie was great. Forget politics an just go for entertainment. I am considering seeing it twice.

 

[bshell27]

Liked the return of Scarecrow. Actually thought Anne Hathaway was really good as Catwoman. Bane kicking Batman's ### was really well done. Pacing issues throughout, especially in the first hour. I give it a solid B.I rate the movies: The Dark Knight>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Dark Knight Returns>>>Batman Begins

I struggle determining whether I liked Batman Begins or the Dark Knight better. The story behind Batman Begins is vastly superior among the 3 films. I loved the dark portrayal of Gotham. Bruce Wayne had to overcome worthy obstacles and had multiple chunks torn out of his life. But the Dark Knight has the best villain in the Joker. That was an incredible performance by Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight Returns has the weakest story and weakest villains, imo.

Weakest, yet most effective.

Weakest? Bane was smarter and stronger than the joker. The twist was well done and unexpected. I am not as well versed in the comics as most of the die-hards in here and forgot about Talia. A bigger story on bane would have been nice but ruined the ending they were going for. I think it was the perfect ending and perfect way to go out for Nolan, bale and the rest of the cast with the exception of Robin. Nolan has to come back for robin. I know he won't but I'm hoping enough money changes his mind. Shocked by the performances turned in by hathaway and Gordon levitt. They did a really good job in their roles. Who didn't know Wayne was batman in this movie? With that many people in on the secret the general population was bound to find out.

 

[The Dude]

Liked the return of Scarecrow. Actually thought Anne Hathaway was really good as Catwoman. Bane kicking Batman's ### was really well done. Pacing issues throughout, especially in the first hour. I give it a solid B.I rate the movies: The Dark Knight>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Dark Knight Returns>>>Batman Begins

I struggle determining whether I liked Batman Begins or the Dark Knight better. The story behind Batman Begins is vastly superior among the 3 films. I loved the dark portrayal of Gotham. Bruce Wayne had to overcome worthy obstacles and had multiple chunks torn out of his life. But the Dark Knight has the best villain in the Joker. That was an incredible performance by Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight Returns has the weakest story and weakest villains, imo.

Weakest, yet most effective.

Weakest? Bane was smarter and stronger than the joker. The twist was well done and unexpected. I am not as well versed in the comics as most of the die-hards in here and forgot about Talia. A bigger story on bane would have been nice but ruined the ending they were going for. I think it was the perfect ending and perfect way to go out for Nolan, bale and the rest of the cast with the exception of Robin. Nolan has to come back for robin. I know he won't but I'm hoping enough money changes his mind. Shocked by the performances turned in by hathaway and Gordon levitt. They did a really good job in their roles. Who didn't know Wayne was batman in this movie? With that many people in on the secret the general population was bound to find out.

Not sure how many people knew Bruce was Bats - those that knew it had a connection to Ras (Bane, Talia, Catwoman heard Bane call him Wayne) - unless I am forgetting someone

 

[Mario Kart]

Great point about people knowing Bat is Wayne. The secret was out. Too many people knew and more would find out. That is why the emergence of Robin as the new Batman would be cool to see. Wayne dead yet Batman lives. Robin has few people that pay attention to him and he has the inside track per the police. Nolan needs to finish this with another two movies or something.

 

[Insein]

Saw it last night at 10:40. Its a good movie. Not as good as the first two but it holds its own. There are a lot of slow scenes with people we don't know much about (J Gordon Levitt) but overall it was a good end. The 3rd film of a trilogy rarely lives up to expectations. Only one that came close was Return of the King. For an end to an epic Batman trilogy, this was fitting.

Joker was better than Bane though IMO. I don't know if that is how his voice was conceived to sound but I felt like Sean Connery was the villain at certain points because of that baffling accent. Was he Algerian, British or Scottish? I couldn't tell at times.

Tate I could feel was a villain just because of her interest in Bruce for the years preceding the movie. It was confirmed for me during the love scene when the camera briefly shows her scar. No idea what it symbolized but it was a dead give away she was with Bane. What I didn't know was that she was the mastermind. That was a nice twist.

Overall, good movie and solid wrap up but it's not nearly as good on its own as BB or TDK.

 

[Pick]

Nerds can confirm but I thought Bane's voice was supposed to be Carribean with a classical education twist or something, no? And it is Hardy's voice.

 

[Insein]

Seemed weird that Wayne rebuilt the manor and refurnished it, only to have most of it closed down and cover the new furniture with cloth. The exterior shots made Wayne Manor look very old. And if he hung up the costume after Dent died, why did he even need to bother rebuilding the Batcave, adding improvements, rebuilding the secret entrance, and installing new systems? He sure seemed like he was clearly intent on never staying retired.

I thought it was already in the works during TDK? He was just staying in his penthouse for the duration of the movie.

 

[Eviloutsider]

You know that Robin could come back for a movie, die in it and then Batman would have to come back for a 5th. A man can dream.

 

[anakin]

You know that Robin could come back for a movie, die in it and then Batman would have to come back for a 5th. A man can dream.

Or just have the Huntress appear (Bruce and Sela's daughter).

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

I thought it was okay. Batman Begins is still my personal favorite of the three, and this felt like a sizable step down from both of the predecessors. Too much transparent look we're wrapping up a trilogy in the script, which felt sloppy overall. Dark Knight had a fairly sloppy script also but I felt the story moved better and Ledger was so compelling as the villain it was easier to overlook. I feel like on the whole the series lost the essence of Batman with this film.