The Dark Knight Rises (2012) User Reviews (3,807)

A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.

[Geeky Randy · 9/10 · 1 January 2013]

After eight years in seclusion, Batman resurfaces to face Bane, a mastermind bent on destroying Gotham and has ties to Bruce Wayne's past. Christopher Nolan's conclusion to his Dark Knight trilogy should be treated as a wrap up rather than a third installment. Despite many new characters being introduced, even their conflicts and motives are derived from events that occurred in the previous two films. Such an approach could be seen as a weakness, since the conflict could just end up being sort of a rematch rather than moving the story forward; however, Nolan's approach works terrificly. Over an hour is shot in stunning IMAX, but the film is more touching than it is intense… and that's its best quality. Hardy steps in as the genius mercenary Bane, who is slightly bigger, slightly stronger and slightly smarter than Batman, thus making him a challenge best suited for the grand finale. The Joker works best as Batman's arch-nemesis since they are polar opposites, with The Joker standing for everything Batman stands against. Two-Face works best as Batman's most tragic enemy because Harvey Dent is very much like Bruce Wayne… the only difference is: Dent copes with his tragedy through revenge rather than seeking justice as Wayne did. Bane works best as Batman's most challenging villain because of his physical and mental superiority—forget the Bane you saw in "BATMAN & ROBIN". Nolan carefully chose all his villains in the series wisely and executed them perfectly. Hardy had big shoes to fill following Ledger's posthumous Oscar winning performance; while Bane is no Joker, Hardy does a satisfying job and should not be compared to Ledger's performance as they are completely different roles. It is Michael Caine, however, that delivers the most memorable and touching performance of the entire film. A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.

**** (out of four)

Epic

[CaptKeshav · 9/10 · 2 June 2013]

The Dark Knight Rises was a perfect sequel to a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan took a different direction and focused more on Bruce Wayne/Batman. This movie is filled with lots of emotions. It has such great characters and of course the dialogs is so good. The performances are incredible. It was my most anticipated movie of the century. The more I watch it, The more epic it gets. Personally, I think The Dark Knight Trilogy is the greatest Trilogy of all time and this movie gives the greatest ending of all time in the movie history. I remember seeing it thrice and the more I watched It the more respect it earns. Thank you Christopher Nolan, You Sir Are A Master.

Astounding

[bowwowwowyippy · 9/10 · 13 November 2019]

Bane is a more terrifying nemesis than the Joker. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer was booming. An unforgettable end to the trilogy

As of 2023, still the standout Batman movie.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 16 June 2023]

There's a storm coming .....

Years after being villified, Batman is encouraged once again to come Gotham's aid, as it's in the grip of a group of mercenaries run by the villainous Bane.

First of all, you don't have to be a superhero fan to enjoy this great movie, it truly does have the most broad appeal, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. If you liked the two preceding films, I figure you'll love this one, I'm a fan of all three, this is my personal favourite.

It's a long movie, but it flies by at a canter, no single frame is wasted, it moves by at a terrific pace, it has incredible action sequences, but the story is terrific.

It's really interesting to see Batman coming in from a position where he's decided and feared, he's no longer accepted as Gotham's hero and saviour.

Christian Bale is the perfect Batman, and he is matched every step of the way by Tom Hardy. Hardy is off the charts as Bane, the last time we saw the character was back in The Batman and Robin film, perhaps best forgotten, here though he's an iconic villain.

I can't speak highly enough of Bale and Hardy, but this is also, I think the best of Anne Hathaway, she is excellent here.

A decade on, and this film is still fabulous.

10/10.

Batman

[0U · 12 February 2020]

Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy concludes in glorious fashion and gives us a thought provoking and suitably satisfying conclusion to an epic saga. It's emotional, intense and has a great villain in Tom Hardy.

Best comic movie trilogy ever

[Maniac-9 · 10/10 · 19 January 2013]

The Dark Knight Rises capped off what is probably the best comic book related trilogy of movies of all time. Earlier in the series you had Batman Begins and The Dark Knight with this just being the perfect way to finish off the series.

Since the last movie it's been 7 years and Batman has been in seclusion since then. Christian Bale returns as Batman/Bruce Wayne. A new villain has emerged that being the menacing Bane played by the great Tom Hardy.

The supporting cast has returning members like Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine in addition to new members like Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway.

The movie has a running time of about 2 hours and 45 minutes but it doesn't seem like it at all, the movie flows like a 2 hour movie.

My personal favourite of the trilogy

[Morejambo54 · 10/10 · 20 February 2021]

I think as a film stand point, the dark knight is a better movie that is better acted and tense the whole way through. The dark knight rises to me is a more fun and action filled movie that you can sit back a bit more. The acting is still amazing and combined with the atmosphere/visuals of the movie creates a the sense of realism that the movie has. That realism is where the intensity stems from throughout the movie, the audience believing that something like this could actually happen makes it that much scarier. Bane is also an excellent villain, in the dark knight the joker challenges Batman mentally but Bane physically challenges him which is a completely new challenge for Batman. The plot is incredible, it it starts fast and instantly brings you into the action. It then takes a step back to develop the characters further and build up the challenge Batman has to face. Once one of the many challenges was overcome by Batman in launches the viewer straight back into action for one epic final battle that lasts almost an hour......and it is GLORIOUS! Not one second was I bored, it is truly incredible how each movie in the trilogy is this good, it shouldn't be possible. I've not even mentioned the incredible soundtrack to compliment the astounding yet grounded action. I can't compliment this movie enough. If you haven't someone seen this trilogy yet....watch it, you won't be disappointed.

Stunning Conclusion to an Epic Trilogy

[Joaquin_Collete · 10/10 · 16 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

End of a Trilogy and legend

[jeevan_97 · 10/10 · 5 December 2013]

The Dark Knight Rises was an outstanding end to what has been the best trilogy I have ever seen.

The film to me sums up what the batman stands for, the belief that someone can turn their leaf and become better, the belief that the fear that posses a person can be be destroyed or even help that person rise. what Christopher Nolan has given us in The Dark Knight Rises is not a lazy movie, it's a movie that makes the audience think because for me i had to watch the film many times until i have fully understand what has happened, and isn't that what makes a good movie when we have to watch it again and again and again.

lets move on to the acting and the star man Christian Bale who again amazes me with his portrayal of Bruce Wayne, because even though we don't see a lot of the dark knight i personally am okay with that because i like seeing the real Bruce Wayne dealing with problems without the batman costume. another star man was Tom Hardy as Bane, "scary" yes, "intimidating" yes, "witty" yes and this list can go on. the thing that tipped it was that we can only see his eyes, to me he was only acting with his menacing eyes that just captivates any audience. Anne Hathaway as catwomen was a perfect cast as she brings the zing to the film, she's elegant and yet sexy at the same time, which was perfect casting. perfect casting all round including obviously Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Blake (robin).

The Dark Knight Rises give audiences nearly three hours of pure excitement, for me i wanted it to continue for another three hours, the film was so good i had to watch the next day because it had every element of what makes a good batman film, such as the villain (bane) because he was the physical match for batman not like the other phenomenal batman films which was more psychotic villains. a good love story that doesn't bore the audience and a great ending.

overall this was the ultimate ending to an ultimate trilogy which is a must watch. once again Christopher Nolan has done something special.

No one wraps up a trilogy like Nolan.

[darkslash7 · 10/10 · 20 July 2012]

Wow. That's all I can say. I was freaked out about this movie, because I loved the first two. Too often have I gotten into a series, then been horribly disappointed by the last entry (e.g. the hunger games. I hated the third book). That being said, even though I was nervous, I still had high expectations. And it exceeded those. The acting was excellent, consistently to the previous movies. The action was good. The story was great. The characters were diverse and interesting, and despite the longevity of this film, it wasn't too slow at all.

This movie was a emotional roller coaster. The ending ( here's where the spoilers start) was extremely sad, but ironically, that was really good. One thing i was nervous about was that the ending would be a typical superhero movie ending: happy because the main bad guy dies or gets arrested or whatever. This wasn't that. Ask anyone who knows me well; I'm a very stoic guy, but this almost had me in tears. (Of course, it could have been the fact that this part came around at 3 AM and my mind wasn't working right.)

Basically, an awesome film. My sole complaint was ( another spoiler here ) Bane's death. I'll give it this: it was realistic. I expected his death to be a long, drawn out sentimental thing, but in reality, his head got blown off in a flash. At first, I thought it was stupid, but it's sorta more realistic. Considering it's a superhero movie, anyway.

If you're worried that this will ruin the series for you, don't be. I loved this movie. I don't know if it's as good as the Dark Knight, but if not, it's very, very close. Watch it. Do yourself a favor.

Dark Knight Rises - falls short of greatness

[amrndr_ · 6/10 · 20 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6/10.

Head to head with Dark Knight

[the-saboteur-200-676519 · 10/10 · 28 March 2014]

After watching Dark Knight Rises I concluded that if there is anybody who can make kick-ass sequels its Nolan. The film contains everything, from brilliant acting, raw action, out of the world one-liners and amazing cinematography. It is already very hard to make a sequel for a film which was just good enough hit but to make a sequel for a film which will always be remembered as the best you have to do a very impeccable job and that is what is done in this movie. From the beginning to the end you have some very beautiful and emotional scenes like the mob fight between the police and the thugs, the rise of the Batman from the prison and the chants "Deshi Deshi Basura Basura" towards the end where Alfred and Bruce see each other for probably the last time and both know that he has made it.

The Rise and Fall of the Dark Knight

[rjbld · 6/10 · 8 August 2012]

Well, I had the highest hopes when I headed to the cinema. I loved, I really loved The Dark Knight, thought it was the best hero/comics movie ever made. So you can imagine I would like to see something that at least compares with that. Boy was I wrong... my disbelief was growing as the movie passed on.

So, I'm not telling you the story, you can see it on every other post. I will tell what did not make sense on the movie:

• the entrance scene, although visually stunning, makes absolutely no sense. - officer Blake has a pointless role, that should have been done by Gordon. - The script is full of holes and inconsistencies like shifting from day to night in minutes or motives for the villains... - the prison is ridiculous. - the plot itself is not very fresh - a bomb with a timer.. common. - Bane's fights were so badly acted, and the villain's deaths just stupid. - Batman itself hardly appears. - The music, from the great Hans Zimmer, actually got annoying on this movie, it was overly used, no time to breath.

What I liked about it: - visually still very very good; - Michael Caine amazing as ever; - Anne Hathaway was actually very good for her part; - the stock market scene was well done, and I liked the trials; - the ending after the climax, was pretty good.

In conclusion, Nolan failed on the script on which he actually tends to be very good. It seemed sloppy, and sometimes the characters were doing stuff with no point what so ever. The story itself is predictable and the only twist that was put there, actually did worse the better to the movie.

I would have given 7.6 to Batman Begins, 9.1 to The Dark Knight and this one a 6.2 at most. It actually ruined a bit the trilogy that was very good.

Hope Nolan gets back on his feet and writes like his other movies, because this is surely not the way to go. I also cannot believe how this movie is rated as 8.9. People expect too little these days.

Lazy, incoherent, and unsatisfying on nearly every level.

[seniorlimpio · 1/10 · 26 July 2012]

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

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

As for more heavily SPOILERY observations...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nolan has outdone himself... again.

[GregoryPryor · 10/10 · 18 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10/10

Best Film of 2012, so far!

[Loving_Silence · 10/10 · 16 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

A superhero movie which shows the limitations of the superhero

[hhkelaiya · 10/10 · 20 September 2023]

Bane, who sounds like modern day activists who claims to give authority to everyone, wants to distribute everything to everyone and ends up making them indirectly slaves of the authority. On the other hand it shows Bruce really becoming the hero without mask, he learns that fear is good to have as it makes one stronger and vigilant. The way this story is narrated is surreal. For me this is the peak Batman. The character arcs are shown in way, where you can connect with them, the way it shows that all you need is courage to fight the tyranny and heroes do have flaws too. Such superhero movies are gone now in the era of over preaching content and heavy visuals.

The Unsung Hero

[firetank · 10/10 · 21 March 2013]

The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final installment in director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. The story takes places eight years after the events of the last film, eight years since Batman vanished into the night and assumed responsibility for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent in the hopes that it would benefit the greater good. But when a new villain threatens to destroy Gotham City and cannot be stopped by law enforcement alone, Bruce Wayne is forced to adorn the black armor once again.

The film introduces several new characters: John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young police officer whose loyalty lies in doing what is right and not blindly following his superiors. Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar working for Bane in hopes of obtaining a device that will erase a person's criminal history and giving her the chance to start a new life. Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), who encourages Bruce Wayne to rejoin the rest of the world and continue his father's philanthropic work. Loyal butler, Alfred (Sir Michael Caine), Commissioner of the Gotham Police, James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and genius inventor, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), also make a return to help Bruce Wayne become the Dark Knight once more. A new villain also enters the fray that is just as intelligent, resourceful and a better combatant than Batman (even breaking Batman's back at one point, depicting a classic scene from the comic series) – Bane (Tom Hardy), a terrorist portraying himself as a liberator of the people.

Production staff really outdid themselves in making this film superb in every detail. In regards to the dramatic aspect, filming took place in several different cities across the world including New York, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, London and Jodhpur. By amalgamating different cities, staff members helped to make his imagination of Gotham resemble the description of the city given in the comics. Costume specialists helped to give Bain the appearance of a lucha libre (masked wrestler), which coupled with his resourcefulness and intelligence helped to create the perfect villain.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place in an apocalyptic time with nuclear warfare threatening to destroy Gotham City. Cinematography experts helped to reinforce this doomsday ambiance by having Bane and his henchmen blow up all the bridges that lead out to the city, trapping the entire police force underground and unleashing the hooligans from the city jail in a scene that resembles the "Storming of the Bastille". The federal government also abandons Gotham, leaving the people of Gotham to fight the battle on their own. Even scenes that do not take place in the city show the helplessness of the times. When Bruce Wayne is imprisoned in foreign jail, Bane decides to "torture his soul" by having him watch the events unfold in Gotham on a television set while he is trapped in a virtually inescapable prison.

Director Christopher Nolan stated that this film would mark the end of his interpretation of the Batman trilogy. However, the end of the film leaves the viewer with a final surprise: John Blake's legal is revealed to be Robin John Blake, a reference to Batman's comic book sidekick, and inherits the Batcave after Batman's "demise". This leaves the possibility open to an additional installment in the Batman franchise, and with the critical and financial success of the series, it may be a smart move for Warner Brother's to make (copyright owner's to the series).

The film also leaves the viewers with a final message: a hero can be anyone. Whether it is placing a reassuring grasp on the shoulders friend, letting him know that things will get better, or helping a stranger on the side of the road who is having car troubles. Nolan's final episode is an earnest attempt to give a deserving end to a much-loved series. With cool gadgets, fast-paced chase and fight scenes, complex characters, and a story line that will keep you on the edge of your seat, fans of the Batman series will not be disappointed.

It was okay...

[Christopher_Reid · 10/10 · 18 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a way to end the trilogy!

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 2 November 2012]

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

I loved It

[tkubas1 · 7/10 · 19 January 2013]

I'm going to start off by saying that this was probably one of my most anticipated movies of all time. I went in the theater hoping for a masterpiece. I actually expected this movie to jump into my top five of all time. It didn't disappoint, I loved it.

The opening scene had me questioning what exactly was going on. Movies that make you think about the smallest details of the plot are my favorite. In the scene the audience is introduced to the new villain, Bane. As a kid watching cartoons I always thought that bane was a mindless hulk-like bad guy. In this movie he has a true to the comic's portrayal. He's smart, he has a plan, and he'll stop at nothing to put it into action. Much like Dark Knight, the Villain is a major standout. He has such an intimidating presence on screen. Tom Hardy put so much work into the physicality of the character. The first fight between Bane and Batman is one of the moments that they had to get right. Luckily it's one of my favorite moments in the entire film! In the scene they don't use too much sound, just Bane's taunts as he fights, truly frightening. His voice is so interesting. It's something you'll really remember about the film. After the film my friends and I couldn't help but do Bane impressions. He has so many quotable lines that he will probably be one of my favorite villains of all time. You might be wondering if he outperformed the Joker from Dark Knight. The answer is no, not quite. He's so different of a character it's hard to compare, but Joker was just too hard to beat. Christian Bale's performance as Batman and Bruce Wayne was amazing. This was easily his best performance as Batman. The story takes place eight years after the end of Dark Knight so Bruce is feeling the ill effects of being batman. He uses a cane now, and he has a little grey hair. This is a story about Bruce Wayne coming back, and doing anything he can for his city. Bruce and Alfred have some amazing scenes where you forget your watching acting. The emotion they both convey when they're together is stunning. Michel Cane doesn't have as much screen time as he does in the other movies, but he's so good in the ones he's in you won't forget his performance. Morgan Freeman is back. He has some particularly funny scenes with Bruce. They feel like old friends yet again. You really can't go wrong with any of the actors in this movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays young police officer Blake. He has some great character development during the course of the movie. I was cheering for him the whole time. If you come out of this movie saying "I just wish it had better acting" I'd question your sanity. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was one big worry I had about the movie going in. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. She did a great job of portraying the playful vigilante. She actually had okay chemistry with Christian Bale. Catwoman wasn't forced into the story, her character made sense within the plot. She didn't ruin the movie, which was all I was asking for. Plus, she actually looked like she could fight. She wasn't doing the "I'm a woman who can beat up ten men with one hand tied behind my back" routine. It was such a relief that they didn't try to do something annoying like Black Widow from Avengers.

The story was fantastic. It's amazing that Christopher Nolan wasn't planning on doing this movie before he made Batman Begins. There are so many callbacks and references to that movie I would strongly recommend watching that one again before you see this one. I kept saying "Oh I remember when he said that!" or thinking "That ties in perfectly". This one had plenty of twists and turns. Multiple times I was questioning what was true and what was a clever ruse. If there are any negatives, you might say there are some plot leaps. Not holes mind you, but something upon thinking about it you might consider a little unbelievable. With such huge story and scope I'm surprised there aren't more mistakes. The scale of this movie is far bigger than in either of the first two Batman movies. Bane has a plan for all of Gotham and batman has to stop an entire city of villains. The entire trilogy comes to a very fitting finish. I absolutely loved the ending. I was very satisfied how everything tied together. I especially loved the conclusion of Bruce's story, perfect. When I came out of the theater I couldn't wait to discuss the amazing things that happened in the end. This is a movie where the more you watch it the more you'll understand and enjoy it.

Of course, in the conclusion to a trilogy like this one you would expect to be dazzled by the special effects. They were quite impressive. The new batwing has some pretty amazing aerial maneuvers. You definitely get your money's worth with the cinematography. The opening and ending scenes especially stand out. There was an extremely cool Bat Pod driving scene that, as soon as it was over, I wanted to watch it again.

It can't tell you enough that this was an amazing movie. It was certainly the best of the year. If you're wondering if it's better than The Dark Knight I honestly can't say. Time will tell. It could be better, and that's some of the highest praise I can give it.

tkubas1.wordpress.com

Tdkr

[eyjvhki · 10/10 · 14 January 2021]

This movie shows that despite failure, despite your fears, despite your enemies, you can be a hero. you can use all three of those things to your advantage and become something better than you were before you encountered them. it masterfully shows and tells that ANYONE can be a hero.

obviously on a technical level this film is perfect. almost the entirety of the third act is shot in beautiful imax, that's sadly only in 16:9 on 4K. just like with the previous transfers, sound and picture are great, but this is probably the best looking film to me.

it may not seem like it at first, but just like ra's and joker, bane is the opposite side of the same coin for batman. tom hardy perfectly embodies bane and the darkness, and obviously he's a downgrade from joker, but that doesn't mean he's not the perfect villain for a finale.

hans zimmer delivers probably my third favorite score from him, with an incredible theme for bane as well as many extensions of previous themes.

this is such an underrated finale. all three films mesh together so well, they feel like one. they mean so much to me, and i'll forever thank nolan for making these films.

Simply slacking off

[aloncorp · 7/10 · 20 July 2012]

Christopher Nolan did a great job on the two first films. His greatness came to be in combining a complex rich story with even more complex and interesting characters.

No doubt that this is an epic movie in a lot of ways. The score, the directing, the visual effects. Everything is done with utmost precision and thought, but, one thing is lacking - Plot and even more important is the Character motives.

There is no explanation to why so many people follow Bane (or why goddamn no one shot him down), or why bane himself is so devoted to the concept of the league of shadows. So is Miranda. Nor why exactly cat woman does what she does if it's helping batman or helping Bain. I wouldn't go about complaining about the love story between Batman and Catwoman which simply came to be without any explanations. There are many plot holes: mainly about the nuclear bomb (that came to be known by the bad guys after they kidnapped the nuclear physicist).

Well the whole story itself and many scenes were just really CHESSY; like the one that Catwoman fight off one of Bain Henchman so that the poor little kid could have his stolen shiny red apple, the anthem scene and many others. Watching this movie you feel as Nolan didn't have put much effort to write an interesting script.

In conclusion, just another breathtaking full of action and special effects summer movie, Nothing more.

Awful plot. People in this movie are sheep without character

[srikiraju · 1/10 · 21 July 2012]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dark knight rises

[sjwmsjw · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

There's a common misconception when it comes to The Dark Knight Rises especially regarding how it tackles it's themes and story: this film isn't trying to raise the stakes, it's trying to add to the story, in this case his loneliness, his sense of powerlessness.

Hans Zimmer's score is some of the best I've ever heard, Wally Pfister peaked, had the best choreographed action scenes out of the whole trilogy, had the most emotionally resonant story out of the trilogy for sure. A very well made and satisfying conclusion that makes this trilogy one of the best .. ever?

A perfect comic book movie, certainly one of my favourites of all time