Read Mixed User Reviews for The Dark Knight Rises

5

DoxideJul 25, 2012

I liked this movie. But the problem is I really wanted to LOVE this movie. There were just so many small plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the film that kept creeping in and jarring me out of the experience as well as severalI liked this movie. But the problem is I really wanted to LOVE this movie. There were just so many small plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the film that kept creeping in and jarring me out of the experience as well as several secondary characters that really served no purpose at all. I would list them out but I won't to avoid spoilers. All in all, this felt kind of sloppy for a Christopher Nolan movie.… Expand

57 of 109 users found this helpful5752

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4

Evis03Jul 22, 2012

It's not a bad movie, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's certainly superior to Prometheus. However it lacks any impact. There are no memorable performances, ideas, moments, scenes or effects- good or bad. I didn't walk out angry butIt's not a bad movie, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's certainly superior to Prometheus. However it lacks any impact. There are no memorable performances, ideas, moments, scenes or effects- good or bad. I didn't walk out angry but I was certainly disappointed.
Bane was horribly realized. I'm sure the mask was a severe burden on Hardy's acting but I never connected with Bane the same way I did with the Joker, or even Ras. And given that he is probably my favourite Batman villain, that was a severe disappointment too. The voice is also frankly atrocious. It sounds like a stereotypical old man but through a Darth Vader filter. Half of his lines were unintelligible and the rest had any menace robbed from them thanks to the ridiculous tambre. The more we learn about him, the less sense he can his motivations make. Apart from that, the rest of the movie was just... just there. Anne Hathway made a pretty decent Femme Fatale, but the role never really evolved beyond that. I think there were just too many characters and development was spread too thin. I never got emotionally invested in any of the characters, and consequently the action and drama just didn't carry much weight.
Speaking of spreading too thin, for a Batman film we see very little of Batman, and only marginally more of Bruce. He spends the entire first act hobbling around and then after two or so action scenes he spend most of the second act wallowing in a cell while what can only be described as 'Stuff' happens.
The take home message of the film is shocking. Apart from pissing all over the 'people are essentially good' message of the second film, it also seems to be giving a great big middle finger to the idea of socialism and the Occupy movement. There's also a big thumbs up for authoritarianism. Did Frank Miller write this? Not to mention another subtext which seems to infer you should be grateful if you grow up in poverty or hardship as it will give you strength.
All in all it's a deeply flawed film in its conception and execution. It's crime isn't so much that it does things badly (not to say that it doesn't do things badly), but that it doesn't really do anything well. It's the epitome of 'meh', neither good nor bad, but with some shoddy characterization and ideas. A plain cheese sandwich made with slightly stale bread.
I think Nolan was too focused on referencing and drawing from comic source material and desperately trying to create a historical parallel, and not paying enough intention to just making a good film off his own talents. All in all, it's a big step back from The Dark Knight, and an unworthy ending. It's worth a look simply for closure, but probably as a rental.… Expand

25 of 58 users found this helpful2533

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4

RedxLeaderJul 22, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching The Dark Knight, I knew right away that Rises wasn't going to top it. That was the mentality that I had going into the theater, hoping to be pleasantly surprised, yet expecting, at the very least, a satisfying conclusion. I got neither. To put it simply, this was both underwhelming and dumb. The movie opens with an entirely too elaborate plane heist for what amounted to the abduction of some arbitrary nuclear physicist that doesn't become relevant again until halfway in, only to be killed off just as soon as his importance is explained. If you really think about it, he wasn't necessary. All it really amounts to is some pithy moment at the football stadium where Bane establishes that the physicist was the only person capable of decommissioning a bomb, then kills him immediately to shock everyone. That was **** stupid because he wasn't even in Gotham before he was abducted, but I know everyone else in the audience was mesmerized and got chills. Idiots. Speaking of which, Bane's voice was impossible to understand and surprisingly wimpy sounding behind that mask. Maybe it's just me, but I seriously had no clue what he was saying when he talked in the microphone, further distorting his already hard to comprehend voice. Honestly, the movie jumps from plot point to plot point so quickly that you barely get the gist of what is going on before the shot changes again. Something else that was noticeably absent was the grittiness of the first movies. The emotions felt more genuine in the first two movies, whereas the acting in Rises felt phoned in. No one character really gets a whole lot of screen time. You don't get a chance to give a damn about them before the scene ends. Lotta plot holes in this movie, too. First, the movie establishes that Bruce Wayne has no cartilage in his knees any longer for some reason, forcing him to walk around with a cane. That's remedied by a quick scene showing him using high tech joint support devices that solve this problem while also enhancing his strength to the point that he can break through stone without effort, but then as Batman, he gets the case of the stupids and gets his dumb bat ass kicked by Bane, captured and stripped of his Bat Suit as well as joint support gadgetry, and abandoned in some underground prison. Not only that, his back is broken. So, magically, he's cured of his joint problems with absolutely no explanation, and being hung by a rope fixes his broken back. Dumb. Catwoman barely has any screen time, and arbitrarily wears a fetish leather suit with goggles later in the movie. Also she is an implied lesbian/bisexual with the scant couple of scenes and dialogue with her blonde friend or perhaps roommate. It's not really explained or necessary, but does it really matter? You're not doing the math when all you can think about is sex, are you stupid? Robin is a cop who actually doesn't help the situation even one god damn time. Nothing he does actually affects anything, so I have no clue why he's in the movie other than for the one line where someone tells him he should use his full name, "Robin." Wow, was that supposed to shock me? You think I didn't know who he was supposed to be? Oh, and somehow Batman is able to fly a nuclear bomb out to sea with his Bat copter thing with only 40 seconds left on the timer, then escapes from a 6 mile blast radius, when just two scenes before we see him just barely outflying tank missiles inside the city. The movie even confirms he somehow did this by indicating that he flew his copter back to Luscious' weapons depot without being noticed. I found this movie very hard to watch because of how brain-dead it was. This movie obviously wasn't meant for me. It was meant for morons with 3 second attention spans. Frankly, I'm shocked more people aren't pissed.… Expand

24 of 56 users found this helpful2432

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4

keltariJul 20, 2012

The Dark Knight was the best superhero film to date. However, TDKR was not. It wasnt even good. The entire movie was slow, boring, preachy, pandering, and had practically no action. If you know Batman lore, you know who Miranda Tate is,The Dark Knight was the best superhero film to date. However, TDKR was not. It wasnt even good. The entire movie was slow, boring, preachy, pandering, and had practically no action. If you know Batman lore, you know who Miranda Tate is, so the "surprise" at the end, wasnt a surprise. And even if you dont know the lore, it still wasnt all that much of a twist. It felt like an afterthought to throw into the movie. All the people who say TDKR was the best movie ever and gave it a 10, have not seen the movie yet, or are just insane fanboys that will love anything with a bat symbol on it.… Expand

18 of 47 users found this helpful1829

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5

ravenscarJul 20, 2012

Underwhelming. The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to with the superb previous two movies and it simply doesn't. I don't want to knock this film for not being the previous two though, that'd be hard given how staggering the Joker wasUnderwhelming. The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to with the superb previous two movies and it simply doesn't. I don't want to knock this film for not being the previous two though, that'd be hard given how staggering the Joker was in the last movie, but as a film in itself it just isn't that spectacular. First the good; some of the characters are excellently portrayed. Bane in particular was fantastic, both built like the proverbial brick privvy but educated sounding and melancholy, although it's hard as hell to hear him at times. Catwoman was also very good and most of the regulars in general, though this in itself seemed to make Bruce Wayne/Batman seem somewhat sidelined. The visual were good and clear with nice scenery and the like, special effects not being too over the top and so forth. The ending (what we've all realistically been yearning for) was a mixed bag and that leads me onto the weaker aspects. The road to the ending was ridiculously convoluted. The plot is jarring and it felt at points that my suspended disbelieve had been hanged from the neck until dead and hung from a skyscapper. Gaping plot holes present themselves as the story weaves and back tracks and slides from here to there with a few unsubtly placed references that will no doubt crop up later in some significant way. Hey! Hey! You see this thing? Notice how we are mentioning it now?!

So convoluted is the plot that it makes a review hard because I don't want to give much away for the folks who want to see this movie. Allegiances change and new villians crop up so much I gave up trying to understand their motives and just waited for the finale. The final twist regarding characters almost made me facepalm and mutter to myself 'seriously?'. In short, with out giving it away, Bane is the big villian who wants to use a doomsday weapon on Gotham (you've all seen the trailer with the stadium, don't pretend you haven't). But the way he goes about this evil genius plan is just bizarre and left me questioning who the hell is actually running Gotham? From bizarre police tactics, to a lack of massive fire outbreaks (earthquakes = gas line ruptures) to the outside world just going 'meh' at tense situation, plus a utterly weird mechanic for forcing the plot resolution, the film veers from silly to stupid amidst long stretches of not really very much happening. I was actually a tad bored about an hour in for a few minutes and when the action did resume my brow was knotted with disbelieve. I think in particular to a scene with police versus baddies in a scene not unlike the film Zulu with regards to firepower. What ensues just doesn't make sense but provides a wonderful showdown for the heroes/villains. And while the acting is one of the strongest ponits of the film (with a genuinely touching scene with alfred and bruce wayne) some of it is just hacky and truly 2D. There's even some special cameo's which instead of making me more excited, as they should, actually gave me the impression the film was just trying to hard to fit every significant character in. Appart from the tragically dead ones, of course. And then there was the ending. I can't say a great deal without spoiling this and I wouldn't want to do that, but then that's the point. Put it like this; a film is about the journey, not the ending. If I spoilt the ending the film wouldn't seem that worth it. The sixth sense, by comparison, you might think that the progression of the story was enough that even knowing the ending (he's dead. If you didn't know it by now, shame on you), you still were taken on a journey by the film. The DKR didn't feel like that. At first I was angry (Batman being my favourite superhero), but then I thought, no, it's a brave way to end things that Mr Nolan's done and I respect that, I respect that he's taken this, probably unpopular, path to conculude the story and that he's- on now wait he hasn't after all. Hey!! Remember that thing we kept shoving in your face!!! Surprise! Even the tying up of the loose ends sadly seemed a little forced and unsubtly, leaving an overall bad feeling in my mouth, washed down with now flat cola. Pros: Some excellent actors for roles of Bane, Catwoman, Alfred, Blake and Gordon.
Good special effects.
Good scenery and cinemtography.
An attempt at a unique and unorthodox ending to a superhero trilogy.

Cons:
Some dodgy acting and bad voice work, especially for mumble mumble Bane.
Ridiculously convoluted plot.
Gaping and fatal plot holes (five month old sweaty cops anyone?)
Not enough balls to go through with the supposed ending to make a unique film.

Overal a rather sad 5/10 (would be 6, but I don't want this showing up as a green).

P.S. To those that have seen this and are reading reviews to justify their own opinions (we all do it), speeds of over 360 mph would be needed for the ending, right? Yeah, right.… Expand

19 of 55 users found this helpful1936

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4

RadarE33Jul 20, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While not the worst film ever made, The Dark Knight Rises is certainly a major letdown. The film is mired by numerous plot holes, logic errors, jarred storytelling, amateurish editing, bad pacing and transitions, and lack of explanation as to who the new comers are and why we should care. Not to mention the plot twist after plot twist that is thrown at the audience during the dull 2 1/2 hours you'll spend watching the movie. There are numerous things touched on in the beginning that are ultimately thrown to the wayside (see: Bruce's "brace") that distracts from the viewing experience and breaks the immersion of the film. There are also problems with the voice acting given during this movie; Bane is the primary culprit, but even Bruce, Alfred, and of all things Batman have issues with clarity and not sounding ridiculous. The logic of some of the characters in the movie is absolutely stupid as well (see: acting police chief when Bane makes his move). I just want to conclude by saying that "Auto-Pilot" doesn't mean "magical plot transporter". You'll see what I mean when you watch the film to it's non-nonsensical conclusion.… Expand

18 of 54 users found this helpful1836

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5

HappyThugJul 20, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises was slow, often boring. It makes a few assaults to the audience's intelligence. Implausible, convoluted, often predictable, and cliched. The worst parts were the boring and convoluted.

Few action scenes, waaay tooThe Dark Knight Rises was slow, often boring. It makes a few assaults to the audience's intelligence. Implausible, convoluted, often predictable, and cliched. The worst parts were the boring and convoluted.

Few action scenes, waaay too many mopey emotional scenes. The bad-guy-plan, well it was like building a 100 part mouse trap to catch a fly you could swat with your hands. This was a long movie, but instead of reinforcing some of the more interesting plot points and developments they spend most of the time investigating and re-investigating Bruce-Wayne's **** attitude. There are many uninspired and uninteresting lines. Cliched phrases are tossed around without ever making real sense. Bane explains so many of his motivations, but they all somehow fail to make any sense as to why he's doing what he's doing. When you arrive near the end you find out that all Bane's talking was irrelevant anyhow. Some scenes, especially the ones with Alfred or flashbacks, were complete copies of scenes that had already appeared previously in the movie, with maybe a subtle difference. This made those scenes, boring and predictable.

So many flashbacks, but not to shed light on the story, but to misdirect you. The sad part is, even with the misdirection and the "twist", they hardly spent enough time on the character involving the "twist" to make you care, all this effort placing your attention on a plot point that ends up being irrelevant. 5 out of 10. If yer bored, watch it. I would have been more entertained doing something else.… Expand

18 of 56 users found this helpful1838

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5

Truth2PowerJul 20, 2012

This movie reminded me of a combination of Weekend at Bernies (especially part II) and the video game Burgertime. This becomes especially apparent toward the middle of the film. Toward the end, the film picks up speed and Hans Blix's scoreThis movie reminded me of a combination of Weekend at Bernies (especially part II) and the video game Burgertime. This becomes especially apparent toward the middle of the film. Toward the end, the film picks up speed and Hans Blix's score really helps keep you awake. I also suspect that that movie theater I was in was pumping in something more than oxygen to keep the audience beyond awake as I went to the 3 am viewing and by 3:30 am, people were clapping at scenes that did not seem to deserve clapping and at several points during the film the guy next to me stood up and yelled: "Go Batman, Go!" As to the end of the film, what can I say but that it is truly amazing. The closest movie ending I can think that compares is the end to Cannonball Run when Captain America/Captain Chaos rescues a woman's dog and he and Burt Reynolds lose the race, but win the moral victory. The parallels are indeed almost frightening and I wouldn't be surprised if Christopher Nolan eventually reveals that Cannonball Run (and its precursor, Smokey and the Bandit) was his template for this movie. A solid film that stands alone as a pretty decent film, but is lacking in that Burt Reynoldsesque/Don Knotts levity that a dark movie like this sorely needs.… Expand

23 of 88 users found this helpful2365

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6

Beyond1991Aug 9, 2012

A good film but not up to the prequels! Catwoman is poorly characterized, Batman seems kept in the background leaving space to Bane mostly and this film looks a TV detective series more than a movie inspired by Batman! Beyond this theA good film but not up to the prequels! Catwoman is poorly characterized, Batman seems kept in the background leaving space to Bane mostly and this film looks a TV detective series more than a movie inspired by Batman! Beyond this the movie has written good and it's enought enjoyable. Sufficiency is deserved.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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5

oliver1hFeb 12, 2013

I liked the previous two movies from the series, but this one did not live up to my expectations. Way too long, predictable and many times illogical (mostly the motivation behind certain characters). Also I think it was less mature than theI liked the previous two movies from the series, but this one did not live up to my expectations. Way too long, predictable and many times illogical (mostly the motivation behind certain characters). Also I think it was less mature than the previous movie, somehow I feel it was lacking the serious dramatic approach. The whole movie felt like Mr. Nolan had to make a movie, but he was lacking the great idea he had previously when making the first two movies....… Expand

6 of 11 users found this helpful65

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5

t-bombzJul 24, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went into The Dark Knight Rises expecting that it would not be able to rival The Dark Knight, but hoping to be pleasantly surprised. And right off the bat (sorry for the pun) you get thrown into the movie full speed with Bane in an amazing "heist scene" that legitimately exceeds our introduction to Joker in Dark Knight. So far so good. As the story develops, certain things are thrown out of left field and never really get explained. Such as the knee brace that just magically appears out of nowhere. Some scenes that should have been given more time to develop weren't, but overall it didn't detract much from the movie in my opinion. As the story unfolds during the first hour, the character development of Bane was a fantastic build-up as he continued to draw me in as I yearned to find out who he was and what his motives were, and of course there was great anticipation of an epic final showdown between Batman and Bane. The writing in regards to Bane during the first hour of the film was brilliant. I couldn't have imagined that halfway through the film, I would honestly find myself thinking that Bane's character development not only was at least as good as Joker's, but possibly even better. I was absolutely hooked. After the epic build-up of the first half of the movie, I anticipated the second half of the film to wow me with what was building up to be possibly one of the most epic showdowns in recent memory. Then the first letdown, the "Flintstone's Prison" scenes were not only convoluted, but seemed like they were there for no reason other than to stretch out the running time. While I experienced a letdown during that point in the film, my excitement for what was sure to be a monumental ending overruled my increasing disappointment and at one point I found myself leaning in towards the IMAX screen as though if I actually sat on the edge of my seat that it would somehow get the movie back on track. I was wrong. Enter the cop versus mob showdown and probably the most anti-climactic scenes I can recall in a movie that had been building so feverishly toward what was set up to be a truly epic climax, but instead we get a plot twist with an assumingly innocent woman revealing herself to be the true mastermind behind a deviant plan to bring the people of Gotham to its-blah blah blah. This twist has been done before. It was called "The World Is Not Enough" and I remember it as being a very poorly constructed Bond movie with a very lame plot twist. Ok so Miranda is the bad guy and if you're a true comic buff, you already knew she was. That doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that Nolan decided to use the nearly identical plot twist structure from a Bond movie that was very much less than memorable as the vessel to reveal Miranda to the audience. Nearly unforgiveable, however nothing in this movie could be more unforgiveable than watching Selina ride in through the door on the bat bike and press a button, ending Bane's reign as one of the most memorable villains in movie history. A girl on a bike pressed a button and did what the Dark Knight couldn't do through an already two hour movie. She saved Gotham from the villainy of Bane. Unbelievable. No epic final showdown with Bane. No chance of Batman breaking his golden rule in order to beat the name of the trigger man out of Bane's dying mouth/mask. No chance of Batman being saved by Robin, excuse me Blake, at the last second. No final reveal of the inner workings of Bane's mask/prop by ripping it off of Bane's face to show the audience the true origin of Bane's pain and suffering and possibly his motives for turning Gotham into an occupied prison. No climax at all, just a used up plot twist and a girl on a bike pushing one little button. That was all it took to bring down one of the most ultimate bad guys of cinema, one press of a button. What a waste. What a waste of the entire first half of the movie building up the depth and character portrayal of Bane. What a waste of my anticipation for a truly climactic scene. What a waste of my time... After that I was so frustrated with the movie, that I had been ready to give a perfect 10 to no less, that for an instant I pondered actually getting up and walking out of the theater. I didn't, of course, but only because I had already sat through over two hours of the movie. Might as well see how it ended, which was very close to being brilliant... but that is honestly a whole different complaint. Suffice to say, by the end of the movie I had withdrawn my emotional interest in the outcome entirely. A girl on a bike ruined what could have been the greatest comic book film adaption of all time. And one little button.… Expand

14 of 27 users found this helpful1413

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6

OMMJul 20, 2012

This was not a Batman movie, this "Batman & Catwoman". The plot is slow poorly developed and you just don't care about anyone in the movie. Batman is shown as broken emotionally & physically but from the events of eight years ago. All ofThis was not a Batman movie, this "Batman & Catwoman". The plot is slow poorly developed and you just don't care about anyone in the movie. Batman is shown as broken emotionally & physically but from the events of eight years ago. All of his great resources are gone, his physical advantage is gone, and he is outsmarted by EVERYONE in the movie. Fanboys will tell you its great but its just long and boring. They should have followed the story in the comic book or came up with something new. You never really understand why Bane is winning. In the DK The Joker is shown as Batmans equal on an intellectual level this is why Batman struggles with him, but Bane doesn't show this, he just pops up in GC and Batman can't handle him on any level. Then Bane is killed by CATWOMAN. The movie sucked.… Expand

11 of 22 users found this helpful1111

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5

BlackPhotonAug 23, 2012

I liked the previous two movies, but in a nutshell this movie was more of a political campaign than a Batman movie. The movie starts of right where the prequel ended. Awesome right? Wrong! New characters just pop in out of nowhere and theI liked the previous two movies, but in a nutshell this movie was more of a political campaign than a Batman movie. The movie starts of right where the prequel ended. Awesome right? Wrong! New characters just pop in out of nowhere and the worse part is that Batman knows them. The connection between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises is poor unlike Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. There are some ridiculous plot-holes and in some scenes the border of realism has been stepped over too far. Especially one scene that includes characters with no weapons just running at other characters fully armed with automatic weapons. Bane is the main villain in this movie and the characters suffers from more problems than being very inaccurately taken out from the originals. There is no sense why would anyone follow him even to death. Also Batman's voice hasn't been fixed especially when he interrogates a person. The worse part is that we barely get to see Batman, but all we get is Bruce Wayne in an annoying situation. Also the movie introduces a new character from the originals who dies immediately. Also Bane has no conclusion, he gets forgotten in the plot. Also the ending seems more like the beginning than the conclusion. The movie focuses on what would happen if ''the people'' get the authority and ''the people'' are shown as mindless thugs and the good guys are rich company and bank executives. The political message couldn't be made more obvious than this. This new way of advertisement for political parties has completely ruined the movie. This movie may be the best example of advertisements used in entertainment and then getting over-hyped.… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

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5

m_eldersJul 24, 2012

This movie has some really good scenes, some solid characters, and some interesting bits of plot. But in the end, it disappoints for many reasons. I'm going to mention the following problems in passing before reaching the main reason thisThis movie has some really good scenes, some solid characters, and some interesting bits of plot. But in the end, it disappoints for many reasons. I'm going to mention the following problems in passing before reaching the main reason this movie disappointed me: too much of it was spent building up a potential sequel, it had a lot of cliches and other bad writing, it had too much physical conflict (not enough emotional conflict), and the main villains had no motivation for the things they did. But none of those things bothered me as much as what follows. A very grand stage was set with The Dark Knight and Batman Begins. I never expected this movie to surpass the greatness of The Dark Knight, but when I found myself liking it less than Batman Begins, I was surprised. The first two movies weave an incredible tale about the people of Gotham. In the first movie, Batman fights Ra's al Ghul to prevent Gotham from being destroyed, because Batman believes that there are people in the city worth saving. The second movie carries this theme even more: the whole movie is ultimately about the people of Gotham proving their worth by resisting the Joker, about the people proving that they deserve Batman as a hero (even if he isn't the hero they need). The third movie carries this torch no further. In fact, it throws it on the ground and stamps it out. I left the movie feeling like Batman was the hero Gotham needed, but not the one they deserved. The Joker won.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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5

TheDiscernerAug 30, 2012

Whilst it's by no means a bad film, it does worry me that people regard this is as the pinnacle of mainstream entertainment. Some may praise its overbearing seriousness, but for me this feels like a lazy substitute for genuine screenwritingWhilst it's by no means a bad film, it does worry me that people regard this is as the pinnacle of mainstream entertainment. Some may praise its overbearing seriousness, but for me this feels like a lazy substitute for genuine screenwriting wit and imaginative storytelling. But I could excuse this if Nolan had a flair for action set-pieces. Blockbuster films like TDKR must thrill on the action level or they do not serve their purpose. The occasional IMAX shot of spectacle is not a substitute for a well choreographed and inventive action scenes such as most of those in Spielberg's films, Die Hard, or Children of Men - of which numerous spring memorably to mind. The same can't be said for TDKR - apart from the plane hijack, it all seemed a bit of a repetitive haze, and no particular scene had a strong impact. In place of any clever invention using props, environment, choreography and shot selection is a pounding, relentless score and endless punching.

In fact the whole film seems to mainly operate on one pitch, there is very little ebb and flow in the staging of scenes, only plot momentum. For example, when Bane takes Gotham, it is dealt with in a quick montage, so we never get a true sense of the atmosphere of this city overturned (think perhaps Escape from New York). The natural counter to this is to claim Nolan could not make such a scene longer and at the same time tell the story he wanted to in an acceptable timeframe. Therein lies Nolan's problem. He favours dense narratives with multiple characters and subplots over atmosphere and individual scene quality, leading to lots of short scenes, all of them a bit rushed and very few immersive. This would be more acceptable if it was an ensemble drama revealing some great insights into the human condition, but it isn't. It is a film about a man who fights crime in a bat suit. An action film. As such, Nolan's approach does not make for good entertainment.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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5

jimboesqAug 11, 2012

This movie is directed at 16 year old boys and folks with an IQ below 90. While I enjoyed the previous Dark Knight movies (Nolan has produced and directed well-written stories) the TDKR plot is absurd even for a comic book action movie. TheThis movie is directed at 16 year old boys and folks with an IQ below 90. While I enjoyed the previous Dark Knight movies (Nolan has produced and directed well-written stories) the TDKR plot is absurd even for a comic book action movie. The villain (Bane) is mostly masked and his voice was mostly unrecognizable: half-the time it was garbled; the other half is was drown out by the blood oozing from my ears for the sound shaking the theatre. The movie is a chaotic mess from poor character development, to poor writing, to sub-plots that should have been left on the cutting room floor (the prison scene-WTF?) to an ending that is farcical. In this movie I never really cared what happened to Batman (and some very bad things do happen to him) much less connect or identify in any way with any of the characters. Shockingly, the movie makes a half-assed attempt at a political statement when Bane parrots phrases most recently heard from the Occupy movement thereby intentionally or not associating evil with the forces that believe the wealthy and the corporations have screwed the middle and lower classes. Thank god the Police are there to save the day! This movie-and its entire team-is out of ideas and gas. Just like most athletes after signing their big contract, give a director too big a budget and too much praise and you can count on his next work being a POS.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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6

Trev29Dec 17, 2012

Even though I am not a huge Batman fan by any means, I could tell this was a disappointing end. It strayed too far away from its hugely bigger and better, The Dark Knight. As a movie by itself, It is good...but it didn't capture the uniqueEven though I am not a huge Batman fan by any means, I could tell this was a disappointing end. It strayed too far away from its hugely bigger and better, The Dark Knight. As a movie by itself, It is good...but it didn't capture the unique quality that made its predecessor far superior. It had an unnecessary complicated plot and felt rushed. This movie is not the height of the series, but it still well made(for the most part anyway).… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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5

WargateAug 20, 2012

To long for my taste. They could have made a better movie if they just cut the fat. I liked the ending but fond the plot abusrd and the twists where predicable.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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5

denverbronc7Aug 26, 2012

Failed to meet expectations. Christopher Nolan delivered in the beginning of this trilogy. Then he hit a home-run with THE DARK KNIGHT. I believe he failed to bring us along with BANE and develop his WHY factor. WHY was he after Batman. InFailed to meet expectations. Christopher Nolan delivered in the beginning of this trilogy. Then he hit a home-run with THE DARK KNIGHT. I believe he failed to bring us along with BANE and develop his WHY factor. WHY was he after Batman. In each of his first two movies, you get to appreciate the villain and understand their 'WHY-factor". WHY they are attacking Batman, WHY they are the way they are. This was a huge failure to me since I spent most of my time asking WHY certain scenes were occurring throughout the flick. You gain the understanding at the end, however it is the distraction of asking yourself WHY that ruined the movie for me. There are movies that you will watch over and over again to discover new things that you may have missed, and even though I am a HUGE Batman fan, this will not be one of them. I do firmly believe that all of the pieces of the puzzle were there, they were just not put into the correct order for you to enjoy them. Read up on some of BANE's Bio- there is some interesting reasoning and logic as to WHY he CHOSE Gotham and Batman........his Bio, unfortunately, was way more fun to read than the reasons he chose in the movie. I understand that you can't please everyone attending a movie, however, if you can not live up to the hype that you, yourself, have built up (like Christopher Nolan has) then the let down was that much worse. Do yourself a favor and watch it when it hits BluRay just to say that you watched it....but only rent it.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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6

franco214Nov 19, 2012

Another story that casts it's main character as an old cripple who overcomes that adversity to save the day....does this sound like the plot to skyfall for anyone??? Both Skyfall and TDKR have gone along this plot line and for me has servedAnother story that casts it's main character as an old cripple who overcomes that adversity to save the day....does this sound like the plot to skyfall for anyone??? Both Skyfall and TDKR have gone along this plot line and for me has served up an half assed, poorly exectuted plot and movie as a whole. With that said there were some excellent performaces in this movie with Tom Hardy doing a sterling job with Bane, even if his demise in the movie is sudden and dissapointing. It was almost like the screen writers had had enough of him and couldn't think of how to effetively write him out the movie. Back to performances; Joseph Gordon-Levitt provides a believable and likable performance which has thankfully been well written to enable the audience to understand and warm to his new role.

A poorly written but watchable movie which is made better by the cast performances.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

HenryZambranoDec 29, 2012

"The Dark Knight Rises" presents an incomprehensibly muddled story, a swarm of too many new characters, and a tediously spiritual journey of Batman

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

metalforbrainz1Apr 27, 2014

This movie was such as disappointment to me. I liked it, but I wanted to love it like I loved the original Dark Knight. Like I loved Batman Begins. But this film had so many issues. There were so many plot holes, Batman just wasn't there,This movie was such as disappointment to me. I liked it, but I wanted to love it like I loved the original Dark Knight. Like I loved Batman Begins. But this film had so many issues. There were so many plot holes, Batman just wasn't there, Bane never shut up and I saw the twist coming from a mile away. Also the ending as a slap in the face. But it wasn't all bad. The idea behind the story is great, the acting is awesome (even Tom Hardy did great as Bane, even though he monologued WAY too much), the fight scenes are pretty good and the music was amazing. But overall, I've never been this disappointed in a movie.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

chookalanaJul 30, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! I finally saw The Dark Knight Rises last night. Wow, what a disappointment. Chris Nolan needs to come up with a better plot. He used the same one for all three movies. Build up the character, knock him down, build him back up. After this movie, they can never make another Batman without starting all over again. Do you REALLY want to see Batman's origin again? Also, why is it that so many people figured out who Batman was so easily? They could have have had the same movie without that. Also, Bane. First his voice was poorly dubbed. No matter where he was what kind of room he was in his voice sounded the same. It sounded like it was pasted in. Why is it that Bane could break granite with his fists, but not cave in Batman's face? On Batman himself: why is it he could break rock with his FOOT just because he was wearing a automated knee brace? On SPOILER: Robin. I figured out who the young cop was right away. Again, even he figured out who Batman was, who didn't know? Not only was the whole nuclear bomb plot cut and paste, but poor. He takes the bomb over the ocean, and he's a hero? So much for radiation poisoning in the ENTIRE OCEAN! As soon as Alfred told Bruce the story about finding him Italy living his life you KNEW right then how the movie was going to end. When I heard that Anne Hathaway was playing Catwoman, I was like: "she weights 110 lbs and looks like she couldn't hurt a fly." But she pulled it off. She was the best part of the movie. Bruce being crippled was again, giving an early end to the character. He's supposed to be better than a normal person. Also, him "breaking" his back and FIXING it in prison was the laziest/crappiest part of the whole movie. Batman has an incredible line of characters (heroes, villains, and regular people in all of comicdom not sure why that just had to pin the entire series on Ra's Al Ghul.''

This movie felt unnecessarily big, over produced and rushed. It felt like an afterthought and a contract obligation by Nolan. I wanted to love this movie, but I can just says it's okay. I mean stop pandering to the lowest common denominator and write a smart movie. 2 out of 5 stars.… Expand

9 of 19 users found this helpful910

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4

exsturminatorJul 24, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was not a good Batman movie, especially trying to stand next to Begins or Dark Knight. There's a lot for me to dislike, but I'll try to hit the key points only. The pacing is rotten; actors speak without pausing between lines like they're reading from a script as quickly as possible, and plot points whiz by faster than you can appreciate most of the time as more and more is crammed into the already beefy two and a half hours. If things are slowed down to the point of understanding, you realize that the plot makes no sense. Bane (though not really Bane as it turns out) wants to blow up the city because...well, you find out eventually its because Ra's Al Ghul wanted to, but Bane himself (or his benefactor) really has no motivation aside from being a bad guy. Worse still, Bane and company seem to be suicide agents for some reason, planning on going up in smoke along with the rest of the city when the bomb goes off. The entire plot seems to be dedicated to showing Bane rip the city apart and having character shout Occupy Wall Street lines, all the while showing us how bad Socialism actually is. "Now its everyone's house!" Anyway, I think most of the problems stem from those key points: bad pacing, bad plot, confused social message. The actors are great (if rushed), and the segments with Anne Hathaway felt like an entirely different (better) movie. She plays a great Catwoman, and I wish I could have seen her doing so in a better Batman movie. The Batman vs Bane sewer fight is also excellent, and could be transplanted entirely to a better movie as well (the epilogue isn't too bad either, so you can leave on a comparatively high note). Everything else though, from silly plane kidnapping intro to nuclear race against time climax, is rushed and gaudy. One last funny thing I noticed: The Joker is never mentioned, even in passing or in regards to Dent. Dent is talked about; Scarecrow is cameoed; Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows come up; never the Joker though, and he's technically alive in the Nolan-verse. Why? Personally, because I think Nolan and company recognized they weren't living up to the Dark Knight's quality, and they were trying to desperately avoid reminding the audience of that better movie. Don't say his name, and maybe everyone will forget. I'm not really sure, but if it was their way of dodging the challenge of living up to that movie, they failed miserably.… Expand

9 of 19 users found this helpful910

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5

ecsa0014Jul 23, 2012

I went and watched this yesterday and while not a bad movie, I found it to be extremely predictable (I saw the "plot-twists" coming from a mile away) and even somewhat boring. IMHO, Bane was also a very boring villain and I feel he could haveI went and watched this yesterday and while not a bad movie, I found it to be extremely predictable (I saw the "plot-twists" coming from a mile away) and even somewhat boring. IMHO, Bane was also a very boring villain and I feel he could have been portrayed so much better. The only part of the movie I found interesting was Anne Hathaway in the catsuit. Maybe if this movie weren't so dumbed-down, I would have found it more enjoyable.… Expand

6 of 13 users found this helpful67

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4

ngh2bJul 24, 2012

I had a much longer review, but metacritic wouldn't let me post it so I'll sum it up.

It has its moments, and the first half is better than the second half, but it is a mess and may very well be the weakest of the Trilogy.

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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5

Fuzi0nDec 7, 2012

I was rather surprised to see a Christopher Nolan Film full of plot holes, a horrible and uninspired story, ridiculous one liners that make you facepalm, uninteresting and bland characters, bad action scenes, some pretty bad camera work andI was rather surprised to see a Christopher Nolan Film full of plot holes, a horrible and uninspired story, ridiculous one liners that make you facepalm, uninteresting and bland characters, bad action scenes, some pretty bad camera work and most importantly, really really bad directing work. It seems like this film was whipped up as quickly and cheaply as possible, just to squeeze some more cash out of the batman franchise. I was completely surprised to see how bad this film was, seeing that the first 2 films were excellent.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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5

GesharJul 22, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Dark Knight Rises feels like a six year old retold what they remembered of Batman Begins with nothing of The Dark Knight aside from Harvey Dent to a screen writer, who then wrote a sequel. It feels like Inception without the concept of dreams. It flirts with greatness but never reaches it. It's not The Dark Knight. It's closer to X3 in the way that it marginalizes characters and fails to deliver the promise of the series as a whole. Viewed not as a sequel to one of the few (if not the only) comic book films to ever win an oscar? It still isn't very good. There are moments of brilliance, and moments of frustration. There are many plot threads that go nowhere. The scene in the prison between Ra's and Bruce is one of the most amazing scenes I've seen in a film in years. Yet other scenes that should have been just as amazing, such as Alfred and Bruce's goodbye ring hollow; as if the writers stopped caring about the characters, or never understood them in the first place. Within five minutes of one love interest being removed a second one crops up, ensuring the ending is a heart string tugging mess.

But rather than delve into all of that, let's just examine one of the final scenes: Batman in The Bat chasing down the truck. Talia and an unnamed man are in the cabin of the truck. Batman, after evading missiles, flies directly in front of said truck and opens fire. Right at the cabin. With two large guns. And the driver dies. Talia takes over, as if nothing has changed. But this, this massive flaw in internal logic, this glaring hole in the conceptualization of the film and it's protagonist exemplifies everything that is wrong with The Dark Knight Rises. Right at the end of the movie Batman breaks his "one rule" without a second's hesitation, and worse, without any moral debate about doing so. A flashback to the interrogation in The Dark Knight with the Joker stating that people drop their moral code at the first sign of trouble could have made this scene into something of undeniable power. But instead, nothing. He clearly was not willing to cross this line when he flew into the final battle between the police and the citizens, or in his final battle with Bane. It could easily be said that Batman has accidentally killed many people. The League of Shadows fire comes to mind, as does the crashing of the train, or the chase scene in Begins that Alfred hand waves away by saying "it's a miracle that no one was hurt.". These are leaps of faith or suspensions of disbelief: Batman is trying to do the right thing, and this sometimes has unforeseen consequences. But flying directly in front of a vehicle and opening fire on it's cabin, killing a man? This is not accidental. Even if the entire city was at risk, this does not justify ignoring Batman's moral compass by murdering a man without pause. Talia's death came from wounds suffered when the truck fell off of the road; a mirror of her father's death. It can be viewed as accidental. But the driver's cannot. In The Avengers Thor hits Captain America's shield with his hammer without any understanding of what the shield is made out of, and it's arguable that he tried to kill him with that attack. But that movie isn't built around heroes who never kill, it's built around fun. It's impossible to believe that Batman didn't know what could happen when he opened fire. A good comic book movie obscures these facts. X2 for example starts to falter when you realize how many people died when Xavier momentarily cripples every human on the planet. But it was not his intention. And therein lies the problem.

I enjoyed much of The Dark Knight Rises, but can't say it's a good film by any means. If it was made in a different country I would have felt like I simply didn't understand their culture and blown it off. And I am the kind of person who loves comic book movies, both realistic and campy. Despite this, I'm sure that most of my words will be ignored, and I'll be labeled a "hater" for not blindly loving the film.

I tried writing a full review of the film, in all of it's wonder and drudgery, but couldn't get it below 5000 characters. So I leave it with this one concept and it's obvious and massive flaw: Batman murders a man and the film doesn't blink an eye over it.… Expand

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

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4

jb4500Jul 23, 2012

I don't know what is wrong with Christopher Nolan, he makes these great movies with awesome special effects, beautiful cinematography, and poignant dramatic moments and **** them up with convoluted plot twists, multiple story lines, andI don't know what is wrong with Christopher Nolan, he makes these great movies with awesome special effects, beautiful cinematography, and poignant dramatic moments and **** them up with convoluted plot twists, multiple story lines, and retiredly complicated scenarios. This movie could have been great, but it ended up being just ok. It was too long and too many things going on reminded me too much of inception. The ending was money, but it didn't make up for the rest of the movie being too long and boring, next time don't try to make 6 movies into one and it will be good.… Expand

7 of 16 users found this helpful79

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4

jctejadaJul 25, 2012

The Dark knight Rises is too long for no reason (almost 3 hours long) There are some scenes where you feel the movie dragging on. It looks like the entire Gotham City was shot in the same 2 blocks of New York City... if it was shot in NYC atThe Dark knight Rises is too long for no reason (almost 3 hours long) There are some scenes where you feel the movie dragging on. It looks like the entire Gotham City was shot in the same 2 blocks of New York City... if it was shot in NYC at all. Plus Batman has become too soft. Wait for the DVD version... you won't be missing anything.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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4

JudgefredJul 24, 2012

I genuinely don't know where to start in describing how much of a let down this film was for me and my partner.

The film was badly written, poorly delivered, bizarrely directed and disjointedly edited. The whole feel of the film is of aI genuinely don't know where to start in describing how much of a let down this film was for me and my partner.

The film was badly written, poorly delivered, bizarrely directed and disjointedly edited.

The whole feel of the film is of a three part-er hacked down into a muddled trailer because of intellectually property issues or breached artiste/acting contracts.

The film draws upon the phenomenally successful "Knight Fall" comic trilogy but then dumps all of its good points in favor of a PC "let's make sure we've covered all of the minority groups in the casting even if we need to jettison the key points"

Bane sounds like an infant shouting through a kazoo, Hathaway manages to make wearing a cat suit look awkward to the point of puritanical, Gary Oldman looks like he's auditioning to replace David Jason as Frost, and Batman does nothing but whine.

Michael Caine struggles with difficult dialogue but nevertheless has us rummaging through girlfriends handbags for tissues as Batman declines into obscurity and Gordon-Levitt has us screaming at the screen to ditch the whine-y old fart and (as Michael Caine in his Harry Palmer days might have said) "get in the bladdy suit!"

This is a film aching to be remade and remade better, which is a shame because everything was already available to Nolan to get it right the first time.… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

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4

karma_karlJul 20, 2012

Honestly, I;m soooo disappointed. Such a let down after the awesome first two from director Nolan. The film took far too long to warm up. Much too much story line, too much happening and you are left not really connecting with any of it. IfHonestly, I;m soooo disappointed. Such a let down after the awesome first two from director Nolan. The film took far too long to warm up. Much too much story line, too much happening and you are left not really connecting with any of it. If youre looking for a dull, senseless action movie this will be youre cup of tea. If youre expecting a great epic story, great acting and the great Nolan touch you'll be, like me bitterly disappointed.… Expand

8 of 22 users found this helpful814

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4

billy12353Jul 21, 2012

The dark night rises can be summed up in one word. dissapointing. I am a big fan of the series prior to this but the bad combination of shaky characters, a copied plot line, and logic flaws made this movie two and a half hours ofThe dark night rises can be summed up in one word. dissapointing. I am a big fan of the series prior to this but the bad combination of shaky characters, a copied plot line, and logic flaws made this movie two and a half hours of dissapointment. the movies new characters have barely any explanation to them at all and the new thing about batman torn about weather he should retire or not goes against the fact that it is a batman movie (not to mention its very poorly scripted). the dark night does redeem itself alittle with anne hathaway playing a sexy well developed catwoman. when the movie first started and the very first action scene was done with i was excited and hopefull about this movie... but eventually it drug out drama with bruce wayne in a very dull segment of the movie and when the plot line actually starts to unfold i figured out that they had simply done the same basic thing in the first movie. the plit twists were not built up well and made the movie even worse... on top of all theses flaws pure logic flaws stop me from being emmersed into the dramatic critical point in the story like hundreds of people running at tanks and machine guns. ten men with assault rifles and cover could hold down the entire group of police officers. not to mention one of them could just toss a grenade at batman or bane and end the whole thing. cat woman seemed to be immune to bullet fire and the auto pilot was a poor excuse for the ending twist. and banes mask was explained horribly and an army of underground contractors with machine guns was never seen by anyone? all in all the movie does look epic and when it actually gets to a fight scene with bane and batman (theres only two and theyre not long) it does look awesome. although i love batman and i try to like this movie it has way to many shortcomings and outright stupidity for me to like it. stay safe and dont go to this movie… Expand

3 of 9 users found this helpful36

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6

bicmanJul 23, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There were several problems with this Batman, that being said, it is hard not to enjoy the eye candy and the epicness that is implied makes the movie very fun. My biggest caveat with the film was that Nolan created the most believable superhero and villains to date yet decides to go over the top in this one. There's a point in the movie where Bane takes a physicist to a 'fusion energy' something-or-other generator that Wayne Enterprises built and forces him to make it into a bomb. This takes the physicist about 15 seconds at which point he turns around a says something to the effect of "It's a 5 megaton nuclear bomb now with a blast radius of six miles" Okay fair enough. Unfortunately, I couldn't turn a blind eye to Bane's next action which lured 99% of the cops in Gotham underground at which point Bane blew up the tunnel entrances so they're trapped under the city. Oh yeah he also blows up all the bridges surrounding the city effectively cutting Gotham off from the rest of the world and holds it hostage with the nuke FOR THREE MONTHS! All the while Batman is in a pit somewhere in the Middle East fixing his broken back and trying to climb out of said pit. I think Nolan did himself a huge disservice with "the worst prison in all the world". Firstly, yes it looks pretty **** but then again, the prison Bale was in at the very beginning of Batman Begins looked worse. But worse than this is the climb out.

So this is pit is terrible because you can attempt to climb out seemingly any time you want and that hope creates more despair. The climb looks difficult and this is cool but where this gets so **** is how the prisoners can climb with a rope. When they fall, which they all do, it looks incredibly painful, but I believe without a doubt this would have been better if each person had to climb without the rope so they only had one chance to climb out. Bale falls twice before he's told to climb without the rope "so he feels fear again" which will help him make a difficult jump where everyone falls. Yeah that makes sense and is pretty cool but much of the 'terror' of this climb was already lost and the climax of THE Rise was simply not as powerful as i was hoping it would be. Oh and after this escape Bruce walks down a hill and then disapparates into Gotham to casually meet Hathaway on a street.

Bane critiques? Yes I will mention it, the voice is unacceptably unintelligible a times. That being said I thought the voice sounded so cool and menacing that I feel I broke even on this facet. And I'll state the obvious, he wasn't as good as the joker, no surprise there. And finally, the length and pacing of the movie just seemed...off. Wish I had taken a film class to better explain this but Nolan long windily tries to present to use social issues such as class warfare and Occupy sentiments along with the acute emotions and issues Bruce's vigilante lifestyle has brought forth. While these problems exist, some of which seriously bothered me after the movie (that I desperately wanted to succeed), I still thoroughly enjoyed it but was disappointed it did not meet the (very) high expectations.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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4

NKOASNov 17, 2012

I've spent years waiting for the third film in the Dark Knight trilogy to open, and then spent 2 and a half hours waiting for it to end. Sluggish, laborious and predictable, Nolan's third Batman film is a decent film but an extreme disserviceI've spent years waiting for the third film in the Dark Knight trilogy to open, and then spent 2 and a half hours waiting for it to end. Sluggish, laborious and predictable, Nolan's third Batman film is a decent film but an extreme disservice to the stellar franchise he started.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

Jraptor59Aug 4, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is about 50 minutes too long. My mind drifted during the long, cliche exposition. But the real fatal flaw is that Nolan takes all the magic out of Batman. Gone is the atmospheric Gotham, replaced by a shiny, normal, everyday modern city. Did you like the Bane story from the comics? It doesn't exist. Bane is a average terrorist. Gone is the Venom (NO VENOM?!?). The break out of all of Batman's former nemesis from Arkham Asylum doesn't happen. He just releases some regular prison inmates. The Bane story is one of my favorite stories in the Batman universe. I was totally disappointed with this film after imagining how cool it would be when Arkham fell and Bane pumped up with venom. Nolan shouldn't use the Batman name if he is going to ignore what Batman is all about.
If you compare this film to the Avengers, a great superhero movie from this summer, that stayed true to the comics and had great dialog and special effects, you can imagine how cool Batman could have been, and just how far Nolan took Batman down.
I just pray he doesn't destroy all the fun and "hero" aspect of Superman, but I am very worried.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

ZeTomesAug 10, 2012

Wannabe, wanna be, therefore it is. Let's face it: Dark Knight was good, a very good film, but frankly it was almost exclusively that good, because it was a sort of adaptation of Alan Moore's "Killing Joke" and because, despite the hysteriaWannabe, wanna be, therefore it is. Let's face it: Dark Knight was good, a very good film, but frankly it was almost exclusively that good, because it was a sort of adaptation of Alan Moore's "Killing Joke" and because, despite the hysteria of Heath Ledger's dramatic and unfortunate death, The Joker was a great one, a master villain. I will not compare it with Jack Nicholson's because that one was exceptional. Ledger's was very good, almost excellent. The residual memory emerges from this point; people want "The Dark Knight Rises" to be a sequel of that excellency, as I did, as Nolan forced us to believe so... as some kind of religious belief keeping us blindly seeing the way it was supposed to be, but it wasn't. It wasn't indeed, as the first of Nolan's trilogy it was a disbelief and a mime of the second. Without a matured anti-hero, this Batman collapses.

Somewhere somehow if not already at the plane, I started to feel I was being fooled by the Hollywood machine, again and again; my "want it to be as so" was there no more, vanishing, while I gradually started to notice the annoying, repeating and exaggerated soundtrack pushing me for a critical pause. Hans Zimmer made me seriously question about everything in this movie, existentially, if indeed I was facing the terrifying possibility of seeing another 2 hours of hollowed clichés noised by a syrupy music... another disappointment to add. You name it, Star Wars, Prometheus, Conan... I tried, I really did, I even said to myself to take it easy at my criticism and expectation, but there was no emotion to attach with, instead the music was continuously persisting in forcing the spectator to delude himself that indeed there was, like a crazy frantic miraged dance going to nowhere subliming the emptiness.

Simply put, the narrative didn't allow me to empathize with the characters, all of it was forced like an hyperactive quest to push the audience for an illusion of a final master piece, an idea that would be preferable not to be discarded, like a comfortable thought as nice as a wall separating the movie from the spectator. We were comfortably eating popcorns nicely throwing the bags to the floor.

I didn't like Bate's Bat forced voice, I don't like his costume, I haven't felt jubilated when he arose from the ashes, I kept wondering about Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns": what a pale reflex this film was revealing itself, bad omen I was getting bored, I wondered about the time of the intermezzo that would never come. I felt myself observing a hysterical sequence of forced dramatic situations, not realism, not Bat's Gothic existentialism. There was no voyeurism, there was no personal attachment, there was no time to feel emotionally connected... there was right in front of your nose... another banal Hollywood film using a Batman's stamp, a "Bruce Wayne's" costume fairy tail.

You have to be given compassed storyline hidden behind a door's hole, like preparing for the battle tasting a good cup of old wine expecting the confronting dilemma of mirroring yourself, like Alan Moore's and Frank Miller's Batman art of questioning... not this artificial and plastic speaking dolls acting for a spoiled audience, for statistics and budget and major gross openings! Michael Caine, I would punch your nose, how could you let this happen?

Everyone speaks about Bale's voice... heck with it! But of course it's strange, but of course, you just have to wonder you are a human being deprived from your childhood, although a noble guardian of a child's innocence... his own lost one... no? Great potential, great inner thought, great professional and passionate commitment and study, Tom Hardy's personification... but not properly explored by his director. You weren't given time or you weren't properly presented to his drama simply put. It was illustrated as just another sketched brute villain, with an Ah...! here he is, surpassed by the next one, Ah... here he is no more... and after a Oh...! a magical ethereal Batman is again, with his darn forced bad ass voice, right from the canonic pit of the survivors to smack the forces of evil.

I won't spoil the storytelling although I was spoiled by this film's lack of depth rich of busted expectations. Like every popcorn movie, this one innovates itself... it's Gothic an it has wings; obviously satisfies one's expectation behaving as just as commonly as a epidermic chain of pretentious tragic sensations, clichés, totally predicted and totally comfortable. And don't tell me this is just a comic movie, don't be so intellectual you say... Oh yes? Don't throw me that load of crap, because Nolan wanted this trilogy to surpass the previous ones using as trump two of the most darker comic book authors: Alan Moore and Frank Miller. If anything was to be expected, it was fulfilling expectations!… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

Edmundo6190Aug 13, 2012

The final installment in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman movies has a lot of things going for it. The usage of practical effects, the entertaining performances from Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy, and the sometimes brilliant actionThe final installment in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman movies has a lot of things going for it. The usage of practical effects, the entertaining performances from Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy, and the sometimes brilliant action sequences (particularly in the film's opening) can be exhilarating. However, the whole affair feels like a cobbled together mess with a script that never feels like it progressed beyond its first initial rough draft. The sound mixing is extremely wonky, the pacing is all over the place, and the story has way too many plot holes for the supposedly "realistic" world that Nolan is presenting. That's not to say the other films didn't, but the previous installments weren't heavily burdened with the hammy dialogue, inconsistent characters, and the hokey undeserved ending this movie had. Ultimately, this opinion is in the minority and people really seem to like this movie. That's great for them. But it in the opinion of this reviewer that the franchise deserved and needed a far better conclusion than this highly disappointing third act to an otherwise great series of movies.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

dysonluJul 31, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Most who rated this mixed have nailed it: it's a good movie in general but it is the worst movie of the Dark Knight trilogy.

The movie is very uneven. The first half was pretty intriguing with the introduction of the characters and the plot unfolding whereas the second half seemed rushed and rather unimaginative (oh! a nuclear bomb!), filled with plot holes and unecessary and uninteresting scenes. The movie is nearly 3 hours long but I didn't feel like there were much going on (not like in the case of The Dark Knight, for example). This is because of the lack of memorable moments in this movie -- there are lots of different stuff going on but nothing really important or intriguing. There is too superfluous characters: Robin shouldn't be in the movie; nor this lady who turned out to be the evil mastermind (I didn't even care enough to remember her name). The movie should have focused more on Bane, Catwomen and Batman. Robin took way too much screen time but didn't actually add true value to the story. (What's funny was that I was actually surprised that he was really Robin since I said to myself it can't be that obvious.) They put Robin in there obviously because they plan to make more Batman movies. I guess The Dark Knight Rises is victim of greed. Anothing thing superflous, boring and rather stupid: the entire time Bruce Wayne spent in that hole/prison. They should have completely eliminated that part of the story. That is precious screen time where we don't see Batman. Bruce fixing his broken back in prison was totally ridiculous. It is frustrating so little we are seeing of the Bat in this movie. Furthermore, aside from the first fight with Bane, the few other Batman presences were underwhelming, especially his final appearance. Most of the time, he's sitting in his flying machine or on his bike. Bane: another big disappointment. The voice was terrible. I thought it was just me but judging from the comments, I wasn't alone having difficulty understanding what Bane was saying. The development of the Bane character was a major element in the uneveness of this movie. Up until the first fight with Batman, I had this marvel towards the character. After that fight, it seems the development of the character just abruptly stopped. It's as if once he broke Batman, there's nothing left to be said about Bane. Bane was frustratingly under-developed and under-utilized. Also, the fact that that woman was actually the mastermind behind the evil plot and how Bane was dealt with contributed in significantly diminishing the super-villain's "character value".

Finally, a better ending would have Batman really sacrificing himself to save Gotham and have the young detective (Robin) become the new Batman. That would have given the movie a much needed and appropriate dark tint. But as usual with Hollywood, it prefers the perfect all is good and well ending.

All in all, Rises is a mediocre movie by Nolan's standard. He should have waited for a more polished script before working on this one but I can imagine he may be subject to pressure from the business people.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

DeuscideAug 1, 2012

I liked the first one, loved the second one, and was bored through this third installment in a what is now, in my opinion, mediocre trilogy.

The performances were well played. The cinematic grandeur was there. The pomp and style was pompy,I liked the first one, loved the second one, and was bored through this third installment in a what is now, in my opinion, mediocre trilogy.

The performances were well played. The cinematic grandeur was there. The pomp and style was pompy, and stylized. The plot, however, was a mix of rehashed sentiment from the first movie, and what I can only describe as random stuff. I wanted to like this film, but I didn't -get it-. I didn't know what the motivation was. Why so many characters knew so much about things they shouldn't have known about. Why there was so much drive, motivation, from certain characters. I saw the performance play out, I understood what had just happened, but I still never knew the why?

So much emotion wrapped unnecessarily in inexplicable actions. If I had missed this movie, I wouldn't have noticed.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

GreggerzAug 6, 2012

The dark Night rises was not worth the watch the lighting of my wallet was considerably noticeable after this film. Bruce Wayne does not lose cartilage, he doesn't allow a maid to rob him blind unnoticed and he certainly doesn't get thrown inThe dark Night rises was not worth the watch the lighting of my wallet was considerably noticeable after this film. Bruce Wayne does not lose cartilage, he doesn't allow a maid to rob him blind unnoticed and he certainly doesn't get thrown in a hole. Poor movie expected more the fact that there was only one point in the movie that actually caught me off guard means the dark night rises should have stayed in bed. Expected more.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

MeltedFab5Jul 21, 2012

Okay, I get what they were aiming for...they just missed. Rather than tell a Batman story, the producers and writers told an elaborate and convoluted Death Wish story. The plot was overblown where it didn't need to be. Bane is goofy andOkay, I get what they were aiming for...they just missed. Rather than tell a Batman story, the producers and writers told an elaborate and convoluted Death Wish story. The plot was overblown where it didn't need to be. Bane is goofy and inconsistent as a villain and there is no idealogical center to this picture. Considering the end of the film some of the histrionics that take place (Alfred, I'm talking about you) don't really make any sense. I feel like we've run around in endless circles in this movie just to go a very short distance. The movie just doesn't really get it right. It is still entertaining, it just isn't Batman. Even standing alone, not comparing otto Dark Knight is just isn't that good. Sorry.… Expand

6 of 19 users found this helpful613

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5

ExecutiveReviewJul 27, 2012

This movie was a huge let down and I am not sure why most critics are letting this movie slide and giving it epic status. There are some major problems. That's not to say this is a bad movie but it's not what we have come to expect from aThis movie was a huge let down and I am not sure why most critics are letting this movie slide and giving it epic status. There are some major problems. That's not to say this is a bad movie but it's not what we have come to expect from a film maker who prides himself on story and detail. I didn't need this to be Dark Knight and I don't need Heath Ledger for this movie to be excellent. What we got was subpar and frankly I can't believe more people aren't pissed. Besides the movie being all over the place here is a list of grievances:

1.In this universe Batman has only been Batman for 2-3 years max. Thus he is not Batman through his mid 30… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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5

beavermaticJul 20, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Now that I've seen The Dark Knight Rises.... where do I begin. In no way/shape/form is this a knock at Batman. Im sure theres great and good material and media for Batman over the years. I'm not a batman fan of any sort, but I thought the 2008 Dark knight was OK, as well as some of the other Batman material. If I were a fan, I would be insulted and furious of the movie I just watched. It was nearly complete garbage. It's obvious that Christopher Nolan doesn't want to do them anymore... it felt more like a obligation to Warner Bros. than any real interest. If he wants to do a Inception sequel... thats fine. Do an Inception sequel... but dont do a half ass batman movie just because your studio and production companies want to profit from the name. And, there was a huge Inception-like feel to this Batman. Actors, music, atmosphere, etc. So it's apparent he cant get Inception off his mind long enough to worry about making anything but. The entire movie was a cluster **** Disorganized, hard to follow, a plot that had holes as big as atomic explosions, downright laughable acting and character voices. Trying to be intimidated by Banes voice was like try to be scared of Barney the dinosaur. Batman still sounded like he sucked a big ole BBC the night before or had throat cancer. Even the combat and fight scenes felt cheaply done and over-the-top. The movie felt like it was done on a low budget... the sequences slapped together, in no real fashionable order, and the story made you scratch your head (Batman is in New York in the middle of a brawl in one scene, and then wakes up in a prison in the middle east... are you kidding me?). The entire threat felt unrealistic and batman was a sissy. The only real reason to watch this, ironcally, was for Cat woman. She was the real anti-Hero of the show, and a suprsingly great performance by Anne Hathway (and a down right sexy one too). But you could even sense her frustation on screen having to act along side such goofy characters. I'll have to admit, the last 30 minutes were the best. Sadly, myself and 2 friends nearly walked out before that.. and it wouldn't have been a great lost of any movie memories even if we had. We decided to stay more for the humor of such a poorly done film. Sadly, it appears the popularity of this movie has become the pinnacle of American filmography.... I was sickened to see the level of popularity such a crap movie has gained. I really have no faith in society if this is what they deem a 'great american classic". I'll give it 5/10 stars simply because the ending was mediocre and Hathways stealthy performance.… Expand

11 of 44 users found this helpful1133

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6

JamesLJul 23, 2012

This was the least enjoyable of the trilogy. It all starts with Baine. He is a villian that need to be in a slasher film not a comic book film. He is too grim with no personality that you desire to have much film time. The Joker was a villianThis was the least enjoyable of the trilogy. It all starts with Baine. He is a villian that need to be in a slasher film not a comic book film. He is too grim with no personality that you desire to have much film time. The Joker was a villian where you desired a lot of film time. One of my criticisms of the last film was that the lack of one on one time with Batman and the Joker. Too much of the action takes place in daylight or in grim settings. What happened to the extravagence of the world of Bruce Wayne? That is replaced by the sewer? One was always looking forward to the next scene in the other two movies but not here. One was also disappointed by the lack of freshness. The batmobile and the batcopter seemed worn out. The series seemed worn out. Nolan gets great credit for the trilogy but he runs out of gas here. This was a blue collar Batman.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

EmmeJul 29, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TDKR is even more of a bloated, over-confident and self-important piece than TDK. While BB introduced us to a darker, more grounded version of the comic character, the sequels more and more drifted towards a tone of drama and over-complicated storytelling that adds weblike structures without really needing them.
TDKR has a very simple story that is made up to look complex by shttering the movie into myriads of scenes, characters and events that all could be shown in a more simple and coherent fashion. Its Nolan's style You could say, and I would say "Right, but I am tired of it".
This Batman series said what it had to say with part one, the rest is just repetitive and less surprising, and, to my dismay, starts to show plotholes and irritating events to add fillers.
Batman himself was never stronger than in TDK, lets not forget that he is a detective, not a soldier or someone on a vendetta, his powers are the mind, the observation, the darkness. In this movie, he is just a bitter, lonely, old guy. He is lacking charisma and the detective part is very cut down. In itself, TDKR could have been an excellent one shot experience, hadnt it been part THREE of a series.
Storywise, its ok, but nothing special, the villain gets as villainous as we have seen them in Die Hard, nothing more.
The characters are generally the same and fulfill their function, with a brilliant Michael Caine as Alfred and a wisecracking artistic Hathaway as "Catwoman" (a name thats never really mentioned in the movie).
Conclusion: TDKR finally ends a trilogy of which I personally dont wanna see another part, as all the grandeur and coming of age was shown in part one, where it all should have remained.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

kane148Aug 1, 2012

This movie falls flat when it comes to the philosophical and psychological elements which made the first two movies so interesting. With that said, its plot and characters are reasonably good--taken on their own--and provide an interestingThis movie falls flat when it comes to the philosophical and psychological elements which made the first two movies so interesting. With that said, its plot and characters are reasonably good--taken on their own--and provide an interesting ride. The problem is that the movie's plot-holes, inconsistencies, and missed opportunities, and other flaws pile up throughout it's lengthy runtime such that they distract from what the movie does right. Ultimately its well worth seeing for the sheer spectacle of it all, but don't go into it expecting a film to top all others.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

KarthXLRJul 21, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises is unfortunately another not-so-strong end to a great series. It will hang among other threequels such as Back to the Future 3 and Spiderman 3 as disappointing, but not wholly bad. It is a bit unfair to compare to TheThe Dark Knight Rises is unfortunately another not-so-strong end to a great series. It will hang among other threequels such as Back to the Future 3 and Spiderman 3 as disappointing, but not wholly bad. It is a bit unfair to compare to The Dark Knight, which is easily his best film to-date. For positives, the film has great performances from most of its cast like Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and (for the first act) Anne Hathaway. There are a couple great action set-pieces as well as some well-shot action sequences. However, I'm very disappointed with how the story and writing was handled. It feels like Nolan was rushed to get a script out to Warner Bros. without getting a chance to polish it. The story feels unfinished (or at the very least, muddled) and many of the new characters don't get fleshed out enough to develop a personality. Anne Hathaway really grabbed my attention for the first 40 minutes or so, but after that she just wasn't given anything important to do. I, personally, thought Bane's voice was silly-sounding. I can't help it, it sounds like a drive-thru speaker!

I was really surprised to see that there was so much CG effects in this film. Nolan has been so dedicated to keeping it real, something which I loved in the last two movies, what with the miniatures, and the real explosions, and the flipping a truck and the like. This time around, a gigantic amount of computer effects have found their way onto the screen,which bugged me.

There were several scenes that broke my suspension of disbelief (which would go into spoiler territory) and I felt the music was definitely the weakest in the trilogy.

It's a good movie, if not a bit unmemorable, that I had a lot of problems with.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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5

TVJerryJul 30, 2012

The final film featuring the latest Batman incarnation (Christian Bale) picks up a few years after the second one. Bruce Wayne, who took the blame to protect his beloved Gotham, is living a secluded life. It takes a new villain to stir hisThe final film featuring the latest Batman incarnation (Christian Bale) picks up a few years after the second one. Bruce Wayne, who took the blame to protect his beloved Gotham, is living a secluded life. It takes a new villain to stir his Batspiration. Unfortunately, too many divergent plots keep him at bay and he spends too little time in his cape. There's way too much talk, much of it pretentious and philosophical. Some of the set pieces are big-budget impressive, but much of the action is mundane. Even though he looked ferocious (and over-pumped), Tom Hardy's Bane is hard to understand literally and figuratively. The only performances of any note: Anne Hathaway's sexy Catwoman and Michael Caine's teary emotional appeals. At 2:45, this film is simply too long and too chatty.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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6

blattodeaJul 26, 2012

I don't understand all the 10s given to this film. Yes, it's awesome to watch in iMAX. Yes, it's Batman. And yes, this is the last of the trilogy. But c'mon, there's just so many bad scenes in this film. And I have to agree with the othersI don't understand all the 10s given to this film. Yes, it's awesome to watch in iMAX. Yes, it's Batman. And yes, this is the last of the trilogy. But c'mon, there's just so many bad scenes in this film. And I have to agree with the others that many of the characters in this film is so unnecessary. In the end, the story (7) acting and dialogue (5) killed TDKR for me. I just couldn't give it a pass. And in my opinion (and I think everyone else who didn't give this film a 10), TDK is far superior with its better storyline and acting.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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6

CharlatanJul 20, 2012

Technically very good, except for some inexplicably clunky storytelling in the first half. But just as soon as the story congeals, Batman and supporting characters are rather jarringly ripped from their context. I wasn't sure that I wasTechnically very good, except for some inexplicably clunky storytelling in the first half. But just as soon as the story congeals, Batman and supporting characters are rather jarringly ripped from their context. I wasn't sure that I was watching a Batman movie, until the last fifteen minutes or so, when I became convinced of it. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is a more satisfying conclusion to Batman's character arc, because it bends where this movie has chosen to break.… Expand

12 of 63 users found this helpful1251

All this user's reviews

6

manwe7Jul 31, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Even though I like this movie, I don't think it was as good as the first Batman in this particular trilogy. For one thing he kept getting his ass whooped. I mean for Pete's sake He's a superhero. I kept saying as much as was going on that this is a job for Superman! The music was waaay too loud and sometimes it was hard to hear what they were saying. You could tell that Tom Hardy's was dubbed and was louder than everyone else. I like the Avengers better. Sometimes I think that people just jump on a bandwagon and just go along with the critics. Catwoman is a blonde with green eyes and looks nothing like Anne Hathaway, although she looked really hot and sexy. Talia has sandy blonde hair and in this movie she was a brunette and not as hot as the comic book Talia. What was up with the ending? Is it setting up for a Robin sequel?… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

wiggipopJul 31, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Admittedly this film had a lot to live up to, given the phenomenon that was The Dark Knight, as well as what Nolan achieved with Inception and what Joss Whedon was able to bring to The Avengers a few months earlier. But what surprised me was that apart from that, The Dark Knight Rises is simply not a very good film. It shocked me, how pedestrian it ends up being. The performances are excellent, Anne Hathaway rivals Michelle Pfieffer's Catwoman; livening things up whenever she's onscreen. And there's it was nice to see the excellent Ben Mendelsohn and Juno Temple pop up in colourful supporting roles, plus reappearances of Nestor Carbonell and Cillian Murphy (whose presence is welcome but never logically explained). Tom Hardy's Bane in the end pales in comparison to Heath Ledger's Joker, not his fault really, Ledger was a hard act to follow. The biggest problem is the script. While there is a nice through-line with elements of the previous films, some story decisions left me scratching my head. A neutron time-bomb? Really Nolan, that's the best you could come up with? Catwoman's storyline initially plays but ends up dissolving into nothing. The sub-plot with Joseph Gordon Levitt and the boy's home, while quite affecting, didn't really fit in comfortably (and the reveal as 'Robin' at the end of the film brought a wave of snickers and groans in the cinema) The 11th hour villain twist feels cheap; I was wondering why Cotillard had been so under-utilised for most of the film, but she deserved more than to become a B-movie-baddie. And given Nolan's opportunity to close out the trilogy, the film wimps out on a truly moving conclusion. However there are some story elements that do work: the plot twists quite effectively in places, the chemistry is there between Bale and Hathaway and Bruce and Alfred share some poignant moments. I desperately wanted to like this film but, in the end, found it very hard to… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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4

AlienSpaceBatsJan 5, 2013

A bloated, contrived and self-indulgent barrage of flat dialogue, juvenile characterisation and cliché action sequences. Nolan's post-modernist take on Batman is little more than a static metaphor that takes itself far too seriouslyA bloated, contrived and self-indulgent barrage of flat dialogue, juvenile characterisation and cliché action sequences. Nolan's post-modernist take on Batman is little more than a static metaphor that takes itself far too seriously and is totally devoid of levity and brevity.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

ClariseSamuelsDec 22, 2012

The comic-book nature of this film is inevitable, and there is an instinct not to take it too seriously as a grown-up movie. If it weren't for the constant flow of violence (bystanders get shot like cardboard ducks at a booth where you winThe comic-book nature of this film is inevitable, and there is an instinct not to take it too seriously as a grown-up movie. If it weren't for the constant flow of violence (bystanders get shot like cardboard ducks at a booth where you win stuffed animals), this film is perfect for ages 13-17. After 17, most high-schoolers will be too mature. Christian Bale is a serious Batman and a seriously handsome one, but his character is superficial. He's committed to justice, he's awfully rich, and he avoids romantic entanglements. He prizes the paternal loyalty of his butler, Alfred, played by Michael Caine. Caine reprises his role for the first act of the film, gets written out of the script for reasons that are too mundane to remember, and shows up at the very end to reassure viewers that he is still looking after his boy. Batman's nemesis is Catwoman, a thief played by Anne Hathaway, a sort of female Robin Hood, who steals from the rich to give to the only poor person she cares about, which is herself. Not quite as altruistic as one would hope for, but Hathaway does give Catwoman a new dimension heretofore unseen in comic books and previous feline versions of the character. She's a professional thief, desperate to support herself with her thieving skills, but also desperate to find a new identity so that she can start over without a criminal record and have a normal life. It's her fatal flaw; she'll agree to almost anything if someone can promise her a clean slate. Hathaway apparently did martial arts, yoga, and a lot of dieting and working out to prepare for this role and it shows--she's in good enough shape to be a kickboxing champion. She starts out as a bad guy, or girl, but mellows later in the film, mostly because she falls in love with Bruce Wayne. (Batman is a bit more vulnerable in this version because of his love for Catwoman, which is a softening touch in a film that badly needs one.) Batman has an unofficial partner, a rookie cop named John Blake played aptly by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is clever and inventive and often saves the day. In the end, we find out Blake doesn't like to use his real name, which is "Robin." (This is not a spoiler.) The real bad guy is a Darth Vader type named Bane. He is deadly, criminally insane, and beyond hope, but he does have a weak spot that shows he has a heart. The spot is so weak that it's not very believable, and his version of heart is a case of too little, too late. Bane is too evil and too predictable; his violent behavior is pure insanity, and he's in danger of being monotonous. Marion Cotillard as Miranda, who knows Wayne through high society and high funding circles, has to make an about-face at one point that, again, comes late in the film and without warning so that it looks like a plot twist written in at the last minute. The prison of the film is a Dantean hell with hope for redemption being only a hole in the ceiling that gives the prisoners a circular view of heaven--a visual symbolism that is almost brilliant but does not quite redeem the rest of the film. A surrealistic sham courtroom where everyone is sentenced to death or exile is right out of Kafka's The Trial. Despite these literary touches, the movie is too grim, violent and predictable, although Batman fans seem to love it anyway. Too many people seem to know that Wayne is Batman in this sequel, and you would think that it would be all over the Internet. The film is still visually entertaining with excellent actors and manages to hold your interest, although admittedly the next morning you won't remember what happened or why.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

PRADYJul 20, 2012

The film is made on epic scale. No doubt about it but it has been letdown by am amateurish editing and pacing. The plot is conjugated and I guess it was supposed to be a superrhero movie. It is definitely the weakest movie of Nolans careerThe film is made on epic scale. No doubt about it but it has been letdown by am amateurish editing and pacing. The plot is conjugated and I guess it was supposed to be a superrhero movie. It is definitely the weakest movie of Nolans career along with Prestige. Having said that, its not a bad movie. Its a good movie but Nolan had set up high level expectations afterr giving us movies like Insomnia. Memento, Innception and Dark knight. The length was also the culprit and what the hell Bane was trying to say??????… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

bigboss2014Jul 22, 2012

This film was a huge let down, it spends so much time developing characters, and a story and for the first 2 hours it builds up the film. But then as the plot twists come, and things are revealed, you realise most of the build up is nowThis film was a huge let down, it spends so much time developing characters, and a story and for the first 2 hours it builds up the film. But then as the plot twists come, and things are revealed, you realise most of the build up is now actually undone, and contradictory. the only good thing about this film is the acting and once again the realism brought to the world, but this time only to the characters and not to the city or gadgets. the film stands on the shoulders of the performance of tom hardy, micheal cane, anne hathaway, gary oldman and so on, but the terrible story, and the unjustifiable plot twists and continuity errors and even the lack of knowledge on the american governments abilities, make this a fall from grace of its prequels.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

glemonDec 28, 2012

Somewhat disappointed. I am in the minority I think, in that I rate Batman Begins as the best Superhero movie ever, it actually was a very good movie with a superhero. The Dark Knight Rises could have maybe surpassed it had it been oneSomewhat disappointed. I am in the minority I think, in that I rate Batman Begins as the best Superhero movie ever, it actually was a very good movie with a superhero. The Dark Knight Rises could have maybe surpassed it had it been one movie (beginning and ending with the joker) rather than meandering further along with the much less interesting "two face" story. But getting to The Dark Knight Rises, villain, OK, not great, catwomen, great, Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman, their usual able and likable selves, but nothing new added.

My main problem with the movie was this, I can buy into superheroes and supevillians in movies, but the world they function in still has to have a certain believability in terms of rules and logic. So a guy takes a whole city hostage, and the world just kind of steps back and watches because of the threat of blowing everybody up or whatever? Wouldn't there be some special ops or at least intelligence operations being undertaken by the US Govt? I know its a movie, but that part just seemed too goofy to get beyond to me, the whole city takeover and helpless for 60 days or whatever. The good, the beginning, most any scene with Anne Hathaway, the very end tied it all up pretty well and was pretty cool. The mediocre, pretty much the rest of the movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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5

Mazmorrero47Aug 23, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At first, I thought TDKR was an awesome movie, but I was still affected by the hype. As the excitement went down, I noticed several major flaws that affect the film as a whole. 1. What was the point of the blood transfusion at the beginning? 2. If Bane was so intelligent, why did he put Bruce Wayne right next to the guy that could heal his back? 3. The prison was supposed to be hell on Earth, but it was far from it. The inmates were pretty good fellows that for some reason, decide to cheer and help Bruce Wayne when he needs it. Why do they get so excited when Bruce Wayne escapes? 4. The inmates had the prison exit right in front of their faces and only a kid managed to get out? really? 5. If Batman is so intelligent, why did he end settling down with the woman that kept screwing him the entire movie? 6. Bane had the most lame conclusion the writers could come up with. It was so anticlimactic to see that Selina Kyle could do in one second what Batman couldn't do in the entire film 7. As Batman fans saw coming from a mile away, Miranda Tate was indeed Talia Al Ghul. Too bad she only has like 20 minutes of screen time and that one of the most memorable characters from the comics was reduced to a promiscuous megalomaniac. And just like Bane, she had a very poor conclusion 8. Regarding the ending, I have the impression Christopher Nolan wanted Batman to die but Warner Bros executives wouldn't let him, so he had no other choice but to go with a corny nonsensical conclusion 9. The part where TDKR resembles Batman and Robin is in how Bane is portrayed as the pawn of an evil crazy slut. 10. Why did Bruce Wayne had his leg wounded all that time when he could have easily fixed it in the beginning with that device he uses later? 11. The way John Blake deduces Batman's identity is too random and I never bought it. 12. The first 30 minutes of TKDR are just boring exposition which is quite hard to follow at times. 13. The fact that Joker is never mentioned in the movie. I know they didn't speak of him in respect to Heath Ledger, but at least they could have used an audio track of his laughter just to point out Joker is still hanging around. 14. There's no way in the real world a woman ends in a male prison. 15. The Robin twist at the ending was pointless keeping in mind TDKR is the last Nolan Batman movie so it will most likely go nowhere. It was only there for fanboys to say "wow! he's Robin, let's get excited!" They could have named the character Dick Grayson and it wouldn't have made any difference. Not to mention Joseph Gordon Levitt is too old to be Robin by now. In any case, he could be Nightwing.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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5

LordOfPitSep 10, 2012

I felt both Batman and Bruce Wayne were dumbed-down so the plot could work, which disappointed me so much so the entire movie wasn't enjoyable even when it should have been.

If I were watching Dark Knight Rises as just another actionI felt both Batman and Bruce Wayne were dumbed-down so the plot could work, which disappointed me so much so the entire movie wasn't enjoyable even when it should have been.

If I were watching Dark Knight Rises as just another action movie, without any prior knowledge of anything-Batman, I'd probably be happier with the movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

FrannieLWDec 4, 2012

Tom Hardy was amazing as Bane and I really enjoyed the dynamic that this new villain brought. Unfortunately, that was the only part that wowed me. The plot was ridden with goofs and errors and that's where it lost me a bit. Also, PhiladelphiaTom Hardy was amazing as Bane and I really enjoyed the dynamic that this new villain brought. Unfortunately, that was the only part that wowed me. The plot was ridden with goofs and errors and that's where it lost me a bit. Also, Philadelphia does not work as Gotham the way Chicago did. A for effort Nolan, but C for execution.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

EduardoLuizDec 18, 2012

The third film in the new trilogy of modern Batman loses mainly in verisimilitude in scenes that take clear sense of lack of creativity. Factor last quoted it is clear that the new design of Catwoman, as well as meeting all the villains aliveThe third film in the new trilogy of modern Batman loses mainly in verisimilitude in scenes that take clear sense of lack of creativity. Factor last quoted it is clear that the new design of Catwoman, as well as meeting all the villains alive the previous two chapters. Despite being cited as the last film of the hero, it is certain that closed the meeting Bale / Nolan, but opens the door for new directors and writers to create new angles of this fabulous saga.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

SummersausageJan 6, 2013

I wasn't impressed. The cinematography has always been fantastic and it was yet again but the rest wasn't that good. The second one is one of my favorite movies ever and the first one was really good but this... it was a good concept executedI wasn't impressed. The cinematography has always been fantastic and it was yet again but the rest wasn't that good. The second one is one of my favorite movies ever and the first one was really good but this... it was a good concept executed poorly. Anne Hathaway sucked and the rest were alright. Bane just sounded like a german prostitute and the cop war was almost cool until batman can just walk through it and fight bane with no one else intervening. It was cool and well done with effects and stuff but eh, not impressed… Expand

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5

grettaJan 11, 2013

The acting was fine, if not subpar at some times. The special effects were fine. The general premise of the movie was fine. However, upon watching this movie, I was waiting for the climax to happen for 3 hours, but then I realized it hadThe acting was fine, if not subpar at some times. The special effects were fine. The general premise of the movie was fine. However, upon watching this movie, I was waiting for the climax to happen for 3 hours, but then I realized it had already sort of happened. The whole cops-vs-robbers storyline went to an excess, and the fight scenes were poorly filmed. It was a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy.… Expand

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6

ExKingJun 3, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i actually felt manipulated after watching this movie because there is so little sense that this movie makes
and there is so many technical errors that leaves you scratching your head.
and i know that the music were good and there are some epic scenes like the one with kidnapping the scientist from the plane but these mistakes simply destroyed the movie entirely such as :
Wayne escape from a hole in Istanbul and next thing you know he show up at Gotham city with no torture remarks on his face or body.
the guy with the patch on his eye in the hole with Wayne never speaks English until the last scene
the fact that Wayne shows up at Gotham just when Selina was saving a kid and returning his apple AND WHY DID SHE BITE THAT APPLE BEFORE GIVING IT BACK
also the fight scene between Batman and Bane when they through all their weapons and start a hand fight REALLY ?
how come someone can steal a money from the stock exchange using an Ipad with an adapter
and the last scene when batman escaped from a nuclear holocaust makes the movie so much worse
also the fact that the bad guy was around you all the time shows a lack of imagination and destroyed the story for good.
so in the end i think that the only way that you can enjoy this movie is by being a die-hard fan to the series who don't pay attention to details or not trying to seek sense in the story.… Expand

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6

HJRodrigoDec 26, 2015

I found this movie to be fairly disappointing with sub-par writing. There are numerous glaring plot holes in this movie that just make no sense when closely analyzed.

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5

RobobobNov 28, 2015

First off, The original Dark Knight is one of my most favorite movies of all time of any genre. DC movies are lauded for being more "realistic" than other super hero movies but this movie left me shaking my head in too many ways. A group ofFirst off, The original Dark Knight is one of my most favorite movies of all time of any genre. DC movies are lauded for being more "realistic" than other super hero movies but this movie left me shaking my head in too many ways. A group of terrorist thugs could really hold an entire city while the world's best trained military does nothing? An entire police force can get "trapped" in the sewers? So I can fixed by slipped discs in my back by punching them back into place and climbing several stories weeks (months?) later? You can detonate a nuclear bomb a mile off shore without any negative affects and the pilot can easily survive? Other superhero movies don't claim to be realistic and The Dark Knight Rises shouldn't either. Overall an average movie, but what's with Bane's old-timey gold prospector voice?… Expand

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6

SrPepeNov 28, 2017

Se queda super mega chica al lado de la anterior. El villano es un idiota, mil oportunidades para matar a Batman y se la suda, se pone a dar su estúpido discurso.

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6

dashtagAug 16, 2017

I don't understand why this got amazing reviews. 88% Rotten Tomatoes, 8.5 IMDb, 78% Meteascore, and Jeremy Jahns on YouTube made it his Number 1 favorite of 2012. I honestly thought this movie was very confusing, and had WAY too many plotI don't understand why this got amazing reviews. 88% Rotten Tomatoes, 8.5 IMDb, 78% Meteascore, and Jeremy Jahns on YouTube made it his Number 1 favorite of 2012. I honestly thought this movie was very confusing, and had WAY too many plot holes and un answered questions. One big one is Does everyone know Bruce Wayne is Batman except for Lieutenant Gordon? Or Is it coincidence that in movies everyone goes a little crazy and druggy/drunk when they are dying? Are we expected to understand what Bane is saying? What's under Bane's mask? If Bane actually loved Miranda and had feelings for her, why didn't he show them earlier on in the movie? It's kinda weird for Miranda to be caring for a terrorist that is way older than her. Anyways, the movie is kinda weird because there is no reason why you couldn't let all of Gotham's citizens leave WAY in advance than before the bomb would go off. So if Bane is some crazy terrorist, is he on steroids or something to keep him really strong? Does he care that he is killing everyone in Gotham in front of millions? Also, why is it called "The Dark Knight Rises" when Bruce gets hurt a lot, it's mostly about Bane. I like how it is partially entertaining, and how it builds separately. But it's out of order a lot of times. The movie gets junky, like it gets really weird involving the deaths. They just wanna make it 3 hours long to keep us sitting and make a lot of money. I mean, it could have ended by the time you ate your first popcorn! Think about it. It's entertaining enough, but does this movie blow you away? Not for me. It's like an on-the-run movie like Cinderella. Christopher Nolan the director wanted to make millions of dollars by making a good trailer, and good ads to get it done. He knew himself everyone loved "The Dark Knight" and "Batman Begins" but not him. He loves this one, because there's a lot of violence. This is a really dumb movie.… Expand

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5

jfj5Feb 12, 2018

Maybe I walked into this film with too high expectations garnered from its predecessor, but I was somewhat let down. Nolan tried going out with a big bang, which resulted in a story that was too big for one sitting. What did this mean? ItMaybe I walked into this film with too high expectations garnered from its predecessor, but I was somewhat let down. Nolan tried going out with a big bang, which resulted in a story that was too big for one sitting. What did this mean? It meant that the film dragged in areas where it should have gone fast, and fast in areas where it should have dragged. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the film, it just wasn't what it was hyped up to be.… Expand

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5

Quiet_Spark87Sep 1, 2022

A decent Hollywood blockbuster but a terrible Batman film. Nolan’s Bane is reduced to a mustache twirling henchman and is a disservice to the character. Gotham is suddenly a different city entirely. The writing is just bad, like the previousA decent Hollywood blockbuster but a terrible Batman film. Nolan’s Bane is reduced to a mustache twirling henchman and is a disservice to the character. Gotham is suddenly a different city entirely. The writing is just bad, like the previous two films we are constantly TOLD things instead of SHOWN them(Nolan always has had a huge problem with fundamentals like this). As an example Nolan continuously tells us Gotham is a fallen city yet the city we are shown is just a normal real world city with a normal police force.… Expand

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5

YenAug 2, 2015

Ultimately, a let down. Bane was a great villain but the writing was weak and the pacing was off. Even for a super hero movie, I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. A disappointing end to what could have been a fantastic trilogy from myUltimately, a let down. Bane was a great villain but the writing was weak and the pacing was off. Even for a super hero movie, I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. A disappointing end to what could have been a fantastic trilogy from my favorite director.… Expand