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What a way to end the trilogy!

Posted : 2 years ago on 2 March 2022 12:33

Possibly my personal favourite of the Nolan Batman films, and I do like Batman Begins and The Dark Knight very much. Is it perfect? For me, not quite, there are so many plot strand in a long running time that the film occasionally(and there is a big emphasis on that) sags in momentum and some of the strands in the ending could have done with more development. It is a brilliant film all the same, one of the highlights so far of the year. As to expect from Christopher Nolan, it is a visually audacious film, with gorgeous cinematography, a beautifully realised Gotham City and great special effects. Hans Zimmer's score is not one of his very best for me, but there is still an epic and haunting quality that is just perfect for this film. The dialogue provokes thought and makes an emotional impact, and a vast majority of the time The Dark Knight Rises is ambitious and gripping. I don't consider Christopher Nolan one of my favourites, this said he is a hugely impressive director who shows great ambition and a willingness to make his subject matters interesting. He does a really wonderful job here, as the set/action pieces including the plane hijack and Bane's assault on Gotham are enough to make the jaw drop. The performances are just terrific from all involved, Matthew Modine fares weakest but he is far from bad. Christian Bale is still a charismatic presence, Matthew Caine appropriately loyal and Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman subtly understated. Joseph Gordon Levitt captures his character's idealism wonderfully. Tom Hardy is in beefed-up terrifying mode as Bane, a worthy successor to Heath Ledger's iconic Joker. Anne Hathaway was a curious casting choice, but as Catwoman she is spot on, here is a Catwoman who actually does much more than acting sexy(which she still is), she is very ruthless and no-nonsense here. All in all, a hugely impressive film, the best of Nolan's Batman trilogy- though I'm prepared for any flaming I'll get for this opinion- and one of the highlights so far of 2012. 9/10 Bethany Cox


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The triumphant finale to an spectacular trilogy

Posted : 8 years ago on 2 March 2016 02:11

Listal hasn't been the only place where I've been posting reviews. There have been websites that I visited prior to discovering Listal where I decided to type out my thoughts on films that I had thoughts about. This is was an Blogger review of The Dark Knight Rises that was posted on December 31, 2012. While The Avengers certainly had a lot of hype behind it, this was truly one of the most anticipated films of 2012. It is the concluding chapter of Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking trilogy based on the famous comic-book superhero known as Batman. It is a film that managed to bring out a lot of large opinions and reactions from people, both positive and negative. So here are my thoughts about it from 2012, let’s get on to it...
 

Ever since being created by Bob Kane on May 1939, the character of Batman has gained people’s interests even to this day. After being orphaned by a run-off-the-mill crook when he was young, billionaire Bruce Wayne decides to spend the rest of his life fighting against the crime that lurks in the criminal-ridden streets of Gotham City. Not having any superpowers of his own, Bruce Wayne trains himself to reach psychical and intellectual peaks and takes the mantle to become everyone’s favorite bat-themed caped crusader. In his never-ending battle against crime and villainy, Batman has managed to be portrayed in an array of mediums through a variety of tones. One of the things that has made the character of Batman so interesting is that he can be portrayed as a light-hearted superhero going through colorful adventures against the forces of evil to a dark and mysterious figure that goes against disturbing threats while dealing with his own psyche. He could be portrayed in either tone and still manage to make it work (for the most part). This shows in his history with films as well. Batman was very popular during the 1960s because of the famous Batman television that took the light-hearted nature of the comics during that time period and humorously parodied it to present a campy yet clever take on the Caped Crusader as well as his friends and foes. It notably features Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder. During the height of the show’s popularity in 1966, a movie was produced based on the show and featuring a majority of the cast from the show. However, the tone of Batman in the media gradually changed from light to dark during the 70s-80s. This was signified in 1989 with the release of Tim Burton’s “Batman”. The film was positively received because of the dark atmosphere and great performances from Michael Keaton’s take on Batman and Jack Nicholson’s take on the Joker. It received a sequel in 1992 called “Batman Returns” with Tim Burton returning to direct. However “Batman Returns” was not nearly as critically or financially successful as its predecessor. It was probably due to being too dark and disturbing for younger audiences. In response to this, Warner Bros. decided to make the next Batman film more kid-friendly. So, they replaced Tim Burton as director with Joel Schumacher and with that brought a whole new approach to the Batman films. With the release of “Batman Forever” in 1995, the following Batman films changed from serious to goofy, dark atmosphere to neon-light scenery, serious storytelling to campy writing, etc. It ended up working with “Batman Forever” as it managed to be a financial success. However, with the release of “Batman & Robin” in 1997, the executes were not as lucky as the film was reviled by critics and audiences due to its ridiculous acting and casting, awful writing, and being overall too campy to be treated with any respect. The failure of “Batman & Robin” caused an 8-year hiatus for the Batman movie franchise. Many sequels, reboots, and adaptations were all planned to continue the franchise, however, none of those projects went past the idea phase. This all changed when Christopher Nolan decided to reboot the Batman franchise with a new darker and more realistic take on the Dark Knight. Thus, the world was exposed to a new era of Batman in 2005 with the release of “Batman Begins”. This film gained praise from a lot of critics and audiences, in-spite of some minor flaws with the plot and cinematography. Despite some flaws, audiences were just glad a new Batman was able to escape from the cinematic disaster that was “Batman & Robin” and knew it was only just the beginning of something more fantastic to come. After the success of “Batman Begins”, Christopher Nolan revealed his plans for a sequel called “The Dark Knight” and people were hyped for it. They wanted to see the next installment of Christopher Nolan’s great portrayal of the Batman mythos, especially knowing that this one would have Batman face off against his greatest nemesis, The Joker. So, when “The Dark Knight” was released in 2008, it received MASSIVE critical acclaim. Critics and audiences loved “The Dark Knight” because of its great storytelling, amazing characters and performances (especially Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker), and spectacular cinematography. It wasn’t just considered one of the best superheroes films ever, but one of the best films ever. Not only was the film critically successful, but it was MAJORLY successful financially as well. It managed to be the highest grossing film of 2008 making $1,004,558,444 in the box office. After releasing what a lot of people consider a modern-day “Citizen Kane”, Christopher Nolan planned on making a sequel to this massive hit called “The Dark Knight Rises” to serve as a finale installment to end an amazing trilogy of films. And even more hype arises...




The movie takes place eight years after the events of “The Dark Knight”, Gotham City is in an era of peace. Bruce Wayne (played by Christian Bale) has given up the cape and cowl and become a recluse. But after an incident involving stolen fingerprints and a manipulative burglar (played by Anne Hathaway), Bruce Wayne decides to go back to fighting crime. However, a powerful mercenary and terrorist named Bane (played by Tom Hardy) is causing anarchy and destruction in Gotham. Batman must learn to resolve his inner conflicts to stop Bane’s tyranny and allow the hope to rise again in Gotham City. Now, I know judging by the summary I am giving it, it would seem like the plot of this movie isn’t that impressive. However, I found the plot of this movie to be extremely well-done. Christopher Nolan wanted to make a film that would end this magnificent trilogy of films on a grand note and does really succeed in that part. One of the main reasons that the previous two films were praised was because the writing showed a very dark and realistic side to the Batman mythos that was never as explored in other films. Christopher Nolan’s spectacular writing makes this different portrayal of the Batman universe work very well. They displayed the dilemmas and struggles that Batman faces with himself as well as with the villains he faces. A lot of praise was given to the villains of those films as well for taking these memorable and classic villains and adding some new elements to how they are portrayed without straying away from what made these villains so great to hate. Also, Christopher Nolan shows how much a true Batman fan he is but laying his stories with elements and homages to famous Batman comic-book storylines that the massive Batman geeks will get and enjoy without alienating the people who aren’t as knowledgeable about Batman and his history. I mention all of this because of all the things that made those films great return in “The Dark Knight Rises” to make an incredibly spectacular film. However, unlike the past two films, a lot of people felt the story to “The Dark Knight Rises” wasn’t as thought-out and tightly-written. Considering how critically acclaimed “The Dark Knight” was, people immediately predicted that its sequel would not live up to the predecessor’s greatness. This gave a lot of people a disappointed and negative reaction to the film when it was released in theaters. While I still consider the story of this film to be very well done, I do acknowledge that it is not as tightly-written as “The Dark Knight” and the plot is kind of cluttered when you start really thinking about it. In spite of some flaws with the story, Christopher Nolan still manages to get major themes from both “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” to play an important part in this film. These themes that were foreshadowed in those past films are further explored, so that the story is able to resolve those elements and able to end the trilogy feeling satisfied with ourselves. “The Dark Knight Rises” was created because Christopher Nolan wanted to create a triumphant finale to a spectacular trilogy of films and succeed through his amazing story and exploration with themes.




However, the strengths of “The Dark Knight Saga” didn’t just lies in its amazing story, it also contained some amazing performances from some truly talented actors. Many of whom return in this film to give some noteworthy performances. Christian Bale returns to his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Now, I think Christian Bale is a spectacular actor and has done some very great roles in the past and I think he does a very good performance as Bruce Wayne. However, his performance as Batman is rather lackluster; it seems like the man is trying way too hard to be deep and brooding but most of the time, he sounds forced. Especially when it comes to that ridiculous overly-raspy Batman voice that he keeps using throughout all of Nolan’s Batman films, it is just such a silly element that sticks out like a sore thumb because of the dark and realistic tone that the films are setting. Luckily, the rest of the acting in this movie is phenomenally good. Michael Caine does a wonderful performance returning as Alfred. While his time in the movie is shorter than in the past films, he manages to give a truly magnificent and sometimes even tear-jerking performance. Gary Oldman returns to the role as Commissioner James Gordon. He really doesn’t change anything in terms of performance from the last films. He does a fantastic job portraying James Gordon in those past films and the same applies to this film. However, the character of James Gordon has changed and goes through some interesting development, dealing with him becoming older and possibly retiring and with him working through the events from “The Dark Knight” and adjusting to the consequences of it. This doesn’t really sidetrack from the main story but it was definitely a nice touch to make the character more interesting and three-dimensional. Also, Morgan Freeman does a wonderful performance (as always) returning as Lucius Fox. His importance to the story is pretty much to create a new vehicle to the series, the epic flying aircraft known as The Bat. It is a very cool vehicle and does some very awesome things in the film... although, I do wonder how they manage to leave the thing around Gotham without anyone noticing. Now, let’s talk about the new characters starting with the villain of the movie, Bane played by Tom Hardy. A lot of people complained about Bane’s dubbed voice as being ridiculous and hard to listen to. However, I wasn’t really bothered by the voice as most were and only needed a slight adjustment in hearing to understand what he is saying. I think it is less silly compared to the Christian’s Batman voice. I actually consider Tom Hardy’s performance to be rather chilling. He doesn’t have the large impact and acclaim that responded from Heath Ledger’s phenomenal performance as the Joker but I think his portrayal of Bane really works. It works well because Bane manages to get an uncomfortable feeling for nearly every time he is on screen. He gets this uncomfortable reaction because of how big of a physical threat he is. He can just casually snap someone’s neck almost instantly and nonchalantly. However, the man is not just pure muscle and there is an actual brain under that mask that gives him a Russian Sean Connery  impression. Bane is just as cold and calculative as he is strong. He manages to calculate the steps that will bring out the complete destruction of the movie. Many other villains have done this before but unlike those villains, Bane manages to actually succeed in bringing out of Gotham’s reckoning for a large part of the movie. In fact, when I saw the whole plan lay out the first time I saw the film, I honestly had no idea how Batman going to be able to save the day. I honestly thought Gotham City was screwed and there was a high level of suspense that was going through to see if Batman could accomplish a victory. Bane manages to be portrayed an chilling, calculative, and incredibly strong. Most people just presume the character of Bane is the very latter but I am glad to see an more accurate portrayal of the character finally appearing on the silver screen. Anne Hathaway plays the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and I didn’t really know what to expect when I heard that she was going to play Catwoman in this movie. The only roles I’ve remember Anne Hathaway from was “The Princess Diaries” films (I’ve never seen them... just heard of them), so I didn’t know what to expect from her being cast as the femme fatale master thief. When watching her performance, I really thought she fit into the role rather well. She is shown very capable of flipping between feigning naivety and scheming criminal. Her character is interesting as well, she is a struggling citizen in Gotham whom is against the rich elitists members of society and gains a conflict/interest with Bruce Wayne. She is also a cunning thief with a record that is trying to wipe the past away and gain redemption for her acts and gaining a conflict/interest with Batman. Many people consider her character unnecessary to the story but I think she was needed to help Bruce resolves some of his conflicts while he helped her find solutions to her problems as well. They gained an interesting chemistry/relationship that by the end, allows both of them to resolve their hardships to live their own lives happily. Marion Cotillard playing the role of Miranda Tate, a member of the Wayne Enterprises board whom was working on an alternative energy program that Bruce Wayne that disclosed because it could be possibly used as a weapon. This element to her character becomes very important later in the film. Heck, her character becomes even more important even later in the film but I’m not going to spoil it for those whom haven’t seen the film yet. Anyway, she does a good performance in the film acting as an act of hope for the reclusive Bruce Wayne but the performance does change to something melodramatic near the end. However, the interesting twist they take with the character makes the melodramatic of her performance make a little bit more sense. Finally, there is Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing the role of John Blake, a young optimistic policeman whom James Gordon takes under his wing and has a positive outlook on the Batman. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a very good performance and like Miranda Tate, his character provides a sense of hope in this rather cynical world. He does some very important things in the movie and develops into a really interesting character at the very end. Also like Miranda Tate, his character plays a very important part in the very end of the film. Overall, the cast was not spotless but still the performances in the movie are top-notch and make the film even more interesting to watch.    




We’ve been talking a lot about Christopher Nolan’s genius storytelling and direction but let’s shift the focus to someone who's helped make Nolan’s films so magnificent: Wally Pfister. Wally Pfister is the cinematographer behind Christopher Nolan’s films ever since “Memento”. While Christopher Nolan is the man making the orders in his director chair, Wally Pfister is the one that actually sets the cameras up to film the perfect shots on location. The combination of Christopher Nolan’s directing and Wally Pfister’s cinematography provides some truly amazing visuals often accompanied by a very well-thought script. The end result is a streak of amazing films starting with “Memento” that has not been broken by even a sub-par movie yet. Now, the cinematography for “The Dark Knight Rises” is spectacular. Christopher Nolan used IMAX cameras to film a majority of the movie and it provides a very crisp quality to the visuals. Everything shot in the movie looks amazing such as the various exotic locations, many of the action scenes, the very suspenseful scenes, and even the more mundane scenes. I really can’t say anything is wrong with the cinematography... it all just looks very amazing to the eyes. They even got the look right in making the film have this gritty and realistic tone that all the previous Nolan Batman films tried and succeed to present. Now, let’s recap on the decisions made under the direction of Christopher Nolan. The script was not as tightly-written as “The Dark Knight” but still managed to be a very well-written conclusion to the series that leaves people satisfied. The performances were all top-notch but they were some little hiccups in the cast (Batman’s ridiculous raspy voice, Bane’s weird Darth Connery voice, some ham being served with Miranda Tate) but overall, I thought everyone gave very solid performances. I thought the cinematography was perfect and all the visuals were pleasing to the eyes. All the scenes were filmed excellently and gave the film it’s right tone of gritty realism. Honestly, Christopher Nolan has done slightly better in his previous films but I do not think at all that Nolan did a bad job directing this project. He went into this project wanting to make a spectacular conclusion to his critically-acclaimed Batman films and he did indeed succeed at that goal.




Overall, I thought “The Dark Knight Rises” was a fantastic film. Many people consider this film to be a disappointment with more plot holes and ridiculous moments than what was expected and what expectations was set by “The Dark Knight”. However, I just cannot consider the words “The Dark Knight Rises” and “terrible movie” being used in the same sentence. I honestly think the acting is amazing, the story is well-done, and the cinematography just works great with the rest of the movie. Yeah, it has some flaws but I think the things that work in this film FAR exceed any flaws the film has. For a concluding chapter to a critically-acclaimed film trilogy, it ends the series on a grand and triumphant note. I really love this movie and no negativity will deviate from the fact that I think this film is truly amazing. If you are wondering whether you want to see this film or not, I really recommend you watch to get your own opinion on the matter. Whether you like it or not, I think “The Dark Knight Rises” is a cinematic experience like no other that many people should expose themselves to.



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Not as good as the first two but still very good

Posted : 9 years, 8 months ago on 12 July 2014 06:58

'The Dark Knight Rises' is the final movie in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy. It doesn't rise the 'Dark Knight' trilogy but I still think it is worth seeing.

The first 30 minutes are boring, the rest of it is brilliant! And the ending of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) being presumed dead is amazing and how Alfred (Michael Caine) witnesses him with Selina (Anne Hathaway)

The movie is however, not the same limit as 'Batman Begins' or 'The Dark Knight' and is slightly disappointing. Still the cast is amazing, the visual effects are cutting edge, etc.


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The Dark Knight Rises review

Posted : 10 years ago on 27 March 2014 10:03

Worst movie I ever seen. Christopher Nolan is the new Ed Wood. The only difference is the budget :-S


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The Dark Knight Rises review

Posted : 10 years, 11 months ago on 9 April 2013 12:04

finally , the end of trilogy - but moulded to invincible perfection! Every single part of this trio is masterpiece ! This is superb end to unmatched direction, acting, n what not !
Its Masterpiece at best by master Nolan :-)


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The Dark Knight Rises review

Posted : 11 years ago on 18 March 2013 07:08

Definitely a tidy end to the Nolan Batman trilogy. This film kept up the same energy as "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". Special kudos to the character of Selina (Anne Hathaway) for carrying the emotional weight of the film. Otherwise, I found most all the characters fairly dry and uninteresting. I don't know if it's a coincidence that I found that a later 20-something hot, beautiful actress was the saving grace of the film. Maybe it's just my desire? I dunno. If you can stomach a 7+ hour movie marathon, the three films together would probably be the best way to enjoy the experience.


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The Dark Knight Rises review

Posted : 11 years, 2 months ago on 1 January 2013 01:15

It really is an amazing spectacle, so well put together, acted, everything. Not sure who steals the show for me, its a tough call between Bane and Catwoman. Such a good film, a great way to finish the trilogy, which I would recommend to anyone, (who somehow!), hasn't seen it! Packed full of action with a quality storyline!


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Why do we fall?

Posted : 11 years, 6 months ago on 10 September 2012 02:48

"I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne

The trader states, "This is a stock exchange. There's no money for you to steal!"
While Bane coolly, resolutely responds, "Brother. Then why are you people here?"
The beauty is we can relate to many of the issues and problems within the story and this complex reality mirroring our own.
The Dark Knight Rises from legendary visionary Christopher Nolan succeeds in being a multifaceted epic piece which isn't just a dark, gritty graphic novel in the same vein as Frank Miller's books. It is a reminder about the problems we face in our World ranging from class struggle, greed and money, economics, politics... while the innocent are tainted by these factors with the label: Criminality... Then how we live our lives is ultimately engulfed within lies and decadence that surmount to our system of bondage. Truth is sacrificed because it is easier and cleaner to live a lie. The Batman has become the true vigilante because he wants Gotham to survive, he chooses the lesser of two evils... But The Dark Knight Rises asks us: At what cost?



The cast from The Dark Knight Rises is a sublime assemble with a few particulars whom shine and stand out. We have the old favourites: Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman. Christian Bale as our dark vigilante and Bruce Wayne yet again.
Anne Hathaway as Selina with her Catwoman dual identity marks a memorable, sexy femme fatale professional thief. She perfectly captures and steals the audience with her curvy, seductive costume and her magnetic, unpredictable personality. Anne Hathaway makes her character truly believable and... adaptable indeed.
The antagonist of this piece Bane, played by an unrecognisable Tom Hardy, is another jewel in the crown. He is often seen as a stereotypical villain, yet also there are times where most of us can agree with his convictions and his views regarding the corruption and decadence which is spreading from a system and place rotten to the core in all fields: Whether it is a question of morality or economics, lies or truth.
His mask and physical appearance portray a powerful, muscular figure matched by an angry, extremely radical mentality wherein he knows what his goals are, he knows what his aims and objectives are... And he is the radical extremist whom is willing to carry out those revolutionary visions belonging to the group he is affiliated with.
As Bane makes his speech to the city we intently listen: "We take Gotham from the corrupt! The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you... the people. Gotham is yours. None shall interfere. Do as you please. Start by storming Blackgate, and freeing the oppressed! Step forward those who would serve. For and army will be raised. The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests, and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure. Courts will be convened. Spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed. The police will survive, as they learn to serve true justice. This great city... it will endure. Gotham will survive!" He is becoming a revolutionary propagandist setting up his own lie before destroying it all. As the plot progresses we are given another question: Who is serving whom?
Cleverly, Bane is a complex and epic character who emulates the perfect mysterious leader and prophet like character: Ra's Al Ghul. Played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins, he makes a welcome cameo in this third instalment.
Bane cannot be controlled by money, or intimidation, or anything or anyone: He is dedicated and driven. In those ways I find his character refreshing and inspirational.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
...The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!
...Ah, yes... I was wondering what would break first...
Your spirit, or your body?"

Upon reflection, and on a personal note, I found the love element, which presents a problem and conflict for Bruce Wayne to be distantly similar. I could relate to pain and suffering because some of us have had to deal with losing someone, with loss or heart ache. That point where we think we will never meet anyone else because that person we lost was the only person... That we would love for life. Like Bruce Wayne we cannot see at that point in time ever being able to establish that deeper connection ever again.
So when the audience, for example, sees that emotional scene with Alfred and Bruce having a heart felt conversation...

Alfred: [about Selina Kyle] You two should exchange notes over coffee.
Bruce Wayne: So now you're trying to set me up with a jewel thief?
Alfred: At this point, I'd set you up with a chimpanzee if it'd brought you back to the world!
Bruce Wayne: There's nothing out there for me.
Alfred: And that's the problem. You hung up your cape and your cowl, but you didn't move on, you never went to find a life, to find someone...
Bruce Wayne: Alfred... I did find someone.
Alfred: I know, and you lost her. But that's all part of living, sir. But you're not living. You're just waiting, hoping for things to go bad again.

When I listened to that you realise some of us can relate to this in so many ways: It's a painful reminder yet it is a hard lesson for those of us who find it difficult to let go because something or someone meant so much to us it takes a long time for change to come, to adjust to a life without them there. How can we live if we can't move on? The answer is we can't function, we can't live... It is hell. But we can overcome this ourselves, on our own. Then we are stronger for it.

The Dark Knight Rises is another unique masterpiece birthed from one of my personal favourites: Christopher Nolan. The inspirational legendary director seems to tap into what life is about, everytime he constructs and unleashes a story or film it concludes in being a puzzle. A puzzle full of twists, turns and perfected storytelling, where we are not just entertained, not just stimulated but made to think and indeed, he cleverly gives the mind lots to be inspired by regarding intellectual nourishment.
When we arrive at the end of The Dark Knight Rises it isn't the same as when we begun, nor was it what we expected. It is a beautiful example of love, light and hope.
The end shows us one person can make a difference. That happy endings do exist. That truth can triumph over falseness. Where light can triumph over darkness and where good and evil are clearly defined.
The Batman is a symbol and idea which isn't just restricted to one man. Like the phoenix rising and being reborn from the ashes so is a new hero rising within the darkness with water falling. A rising sun showing light will have its day... Or indeed Knight.

"Not a lot of people know what it feels like to be angry, in your bones. I mean, they understand, foster parents, everybody understands, for awhile. Then they want the angry little kid to do something he knows he can't do, move on. So after awhile they stop understanding. They send the angry kid to a boys home. I figured it out too late. You gotta learn to hide the anger, practice smiling in the mirror. It's like putting on a mask."


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The Dark Knight Rises review

Posted : 11 years, 8 months ago on 3 August 2012 10:02

Went to see this wonderful movie two days ago and am still in awe of how brilliant it was. I did not get bored once. I spoke with someone about this a few days before going to see it and was told it dragged for a good half hour, but I failed to witness that. Every minute was epic to me. Great cast too, as always; Gary Oldman remains my favourite.


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An immensely satisfying conclusion

Posted : 11 years, 8 months ago on 2 August 2012 08:31

While not as deep as the previous movie, The Dark Knight Rises manages to be an immensely satisfying conclusion to this gritty trilogy. From the impressive opening scenes until the end, I was riveted, with director Christopher Nolan skillfully baiting me along not with plot points, but with interesting characters brought to life by an all-star cast that I actually felt invested in, and curious to know more about. This film seemed to be less about the Batman and more about Bruce Wayne (Bale) and how he tries to cope with his inner turmoil, aging body, and where this legacy he has created will go once he is gone. That last point eats away at him--being gone--and Alfred (Michael Caine) is keen to notice his focus. He worries about Bruce, worries that he is on a self-destructive path towards inevitable death. He doesn't want to bury another Wayne, but he is increasingly hopeless. That theme of hopelessness is a primary undercurrent throughout the movie, as things go from bad to worse when Bane arrives in Gotham.

"I will build you and Gotham up with hope and then destroy you. Hope is really the key to torture. Gotham will build to a point of joy and then be wiped from the map."

Tom Hardy plays the supervillain this time around, fulfilling the unenviable role of following Heath Ledger's notable turn as the Joker, and manages to put his own brand onto the legendary back-breaker, Bane. While the mask he wears looks awesome, it does block most of his face and distorts his voice. However, I liked the strangeness of his accent and delivery, and Bane's intensity comes through when the camera looks into his eyes. At times I thought the editing was a little abrupt and confusing--I honestly thought that they could have added about 15 more minutes to the run-time and let scenes play out a little slower. Minor quibbles aside, the final sequence is so fulfilling that I was almost brought to tears. This is not a stand-alone movie--it almost requires that you've seen the previous two movies for you to fully understand every moving part. So, if you were a fan of the previous two films, do not miss this final installment.


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