Christopher Nolan returns with the final Batman movie in his much loved trilogy and it doesn’t fail to deliver – despite the huge hype. It is both gripping and emotional, a movie that is sure to have your eyes glued to the screen for it’s 164 minute runtime, which flies by and leaves you ultimately satisfied.
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Where to begin in complimenting this awesome cinematic experience? The soundtrack is incredible, as is it’s mammoth cast. Just beginning to name them would consume paragraphs but I particularly enjoyed newcomer Tom Hardy as new villain Bane, as well as Joseph Gordon Lovett. Bruce Wayne himself (Christian Bale) puts in another great acting performance, as does Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. In fact, all the performances just fit so well, it’s as if the cast were born to play them.
Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack, which I did not listen to before the movie, engrossed me the whole time. For those that have seen the trailer, the Bane chant occurs multiple times throughout and is definitely a stand out in my mind. It sets the mood for multiple scenes perfectly, with it’s catchy but chilling tone. Other songs used in the movie are also close to faultless and it’s not often that I notice the soundtrack in a movie so much like I did with this one. It’s up there with TRON, American Beauty and Drive as my favourite.
The movie starts off with a bang, an opening scene that clearly stays with you, even after the winding journey director Nolan puts us through. The shots are so crisp and the IMAX screen that I saw it on amplifies them ten-fold, to an extent that you almost forget you are in a cinema at times. It really does take you out of your seat and into Gotham City.
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The story line is another win, with fans of the previous two movies sure to love the piecing together of the puzzle. The Dark Knight Rises intertwines very well with the earlier two movies, especially Batman Begins, with flashbacks at the perfect time to remind us of key memories. I loved how we felt the emotional pain of the characters in the movie rather than just observing. It really feels as if you have an emotional connection and understanding at times.
While the movie does have some very minor flaws, they are barely noticable and ultimately worth it at times. Yes, it is a bit long, but it only feels like a 130 minute movie instead of a 164 minute one. Yes, Bane is on rare occasions hard to hear or understand but his voice is one of my favourite attributes of the whole movie and if that means I occasionally don’t understand a word or two that doesn’t effect the movie’s plot then so be it.-
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I recently talked about how Christopher Nolan is the master of ‘movie endings’ and it is the pinnacle of The Dark Knight Rises. The ending takes it from a great movie I enjoyed to an incredible movie I appreciated so much. It wraps up everything so well, it surprises, it evokes so much emotion. It really is a thrilling experience. It reminded me of The Prestige’s ending in some ways, the way everything just made sense and felt right.
The Dark Knight Rises is a movie I loved and I am dying to see again. It has left an almost overwhelming feeling in me, one of strong respect and appreciation. It is dark at times and ultimately entertains, grips and takes you through a whirlwind of emotions. Nolan is not afraid to do it his way, and his way is just fine. A
Great review! I may catch it in the cinema to see what the hoopla is about, though I’m not really that into Nolan’s recent movies. I do fear the last scene may be spinoff-cliche as in most of such films. How was Hathaway? How does her work compare to Pfeiffer’s?
It’s definitely a must see! The last scene is perhaps slightly cliche but it’s so epic it probably makes up for it. A lot is revealed in the last 5-10 minutes as well and it gives you things to think about.
Hathaway is solid. Honestly I just thought she played the character well, I didn’t think she was outstanding as many have said and I would probably take Hardy and Caine’s performances over her first. I’ve never seen any of the Batman movies apart from Nolan’s (crazy, I know) so not sure on the comparison. She was good though!
Nice review Alex. This is probably one of the most epic films I’ve seen in a long, long time and with good reason, because Nolan has created such a great set of stories, that you honestly couldn’t have ended it any better. Perfect way to say bye-bye to Batty.
Cheers Dan. It’s not often I go back to see a movie twice in the first week, but I just had to for this one and it was just as amazing on 2nd watch.
Glad you liked it too – I love how the first two movies had little details that became so crucial in the last, it all intertwined so well!
Agree regarding Bane’s voice, I’ve spoken to a few people who thought it was inaudible, but excluding a word or two I understood it all and thought it really added to his character.
Yeah, I still find myself imitating it too – was an awesome trait!
It’s been over a week now, but I reckon maybe 10% of what Bane said was indistinguishable. Interesting to see if he’s more decipherable the second time around in those parts.
In terms of his overall voice, I can see the point of those who hated it and those who loved it. I’m on the fence on this one.
From an overall movie perspective, I thought it was the weakest of the three, which is not to say I didn’t like it. It was a 9/10, whereas the other two were probably 9.5′s. A phenomenal trilogy.
Hathaway was a high point for mine, and I had my reservations about her. Caine should be a lock for a Best Supporting nom come Oscar time. Thought the first half an hour or so was a bit clunky (unlike most, I wasn’t a fan of the opening plane sequence), I enjoyed JGL’s performance and character, but the part about him knowing Bruce Wayne was Batman wasn’t that well thought out.
Can’t wait to see it again, this time in IMAX, to see how it stands up. The running time flew by, which is a huge compliment for a movie of that length.
Can’t argue with any of that, I too see how some can hate Bane’s voice, it’s a shame parts were indistinguishable.
It’s probably my favourite trilogy of all time, just so well done. Caine should definitely get a Supporting Actor Nom.
Hope you enjoy it in IMAX, with it having the most IMAX footage ever in a movie I think I really appreciated how spectacular some of the visuals were. Most have seemed to love in the 2nd go, I certainly did!
Nice man, really happy that this one lived up to your expectations. It was just fuckin’ awesome, wasn’t it? And perfect. The ending was indeed perfect. Nolan did it.
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