The Dark Knight Rises

[Shaka Khan]

jarosh went on a twitter rant about how awful this movie was.  oh jarosh 

He loathed TDK with a burning passion. Show of hands, who thought sexy hipster jarosh would love this movie?

[TakingBackSunday]

I love the guy but I don't think I've ever seen him enjoy a movie that wasn't "Panty-Wearing Swedes: Why Can't I Wear Skinny Jeans" indie films

[Shaka Khan]

He can easily articulate his reservations in a long honest review and pinpoint all the problems to back things up, so I'd never call him a counterculture contrarian. However our tastes in movies rarely align, and I can't remember the last time he liked a big budget action (superhero) blockbuster. I wonder if he had seen and enjoyed The Avengers, for example.

[Robo]

To be fair, his criticism of the pacing is legitimate.  Nolan has developed a very austere, utilitarian style of editing his recent films that gives the impression that he's put together a 5 hour film and hastily cut every spare moment and extraneous scene to whittle down to an acceptable run time, and the results are jittery and dispassionate.

[Human Snorenado]

...I actually like that, though.  Then again, I'm not your average filmgoer so whatever.

[cool breeze]

If he hates it, he hates it.  Lots of people down it; it's not a rare stance to take.  Although some people are disappointed coming off The Dark Knight high.  I like The Dark Knight more too, but I don't think Dark Knight Rises is disappointing at all. 

Now, going to see it in theaters after hating The Dark Knight is another thing entirely...unless you were dragged by friends or something.  I saw Transformers 2 as a social thing.  Wasn't having any of that shit when the third one came around.

edit:  I have no idea what sparked this but what Robo posted is more or less right.  The movie feels rushed at close to 3 hours.  It really doesn't hurt my enjoyment of the movie or anything.

[Robo]

...I actually like that, though.  Then again, I'm not your average filmgoer so whatever.

Yeah, I think it mostly works Nolan's favor because it compliments the stark tone of the film, along with Zimmer's score.  It's consistent, if nothing else.

[Himu]

TDKR is better than TDK and is better on rewatches

[Shaka Khan]

To be fair, his criticism of the pacing is legitimate. 

I just read his tweets and yeah, the pacing problems are a legitimate critique. The movie also felt jam packed all the way through without much time to take a breather and soak stuff in (re: it's a 10 hour movie edited to fit a 3 hour reel). That was my biggest issue as I stated before and why I feel I have to see it again, preferably in a theater with the caption turned on.

[cool breeze]

Zimmer's score is the only part of the movie I'd call disappointing.  There are only like two songs from the soundtrack I can use.  The trailers had some of the strongest music and those tracks aren't in the film.

[TakingBackSunday]

The music when Bruce was in the pit was awesome

[CajoleJuice]

I love the guy but I don't think I've ever seen him enjoy a movie that wasn't "Panty-Wearing Swedes: Why Can't I Wear Skinny Jeans" indie films

He loved Take Shelter (the right opinion).

[benjipwns]

I thought it fell apart when

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Bane took over the city

[close]

though I currently do find it to be my favorite in the Nolan series despite its spawl.

And I'm increasingly coming around to the idea that Bane and his plot should not have been in the film at all.

Disclosure: Batman Returns is still my ultimate favorite.

[Great Rumbler]

The music when Bruce was in the pit was awesome

So was Catwoman's theme:

[Human Snorenado]

TDKR is better than TDK and is better on rewatches

That was my initial take away, and probably will be my continued opinion as well.

[Great Rumbler]

I think my favorite scene in the movie is

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Selina Kyle is leading Batman down into the sewers, specifically the brief little clip where a guy starts shooting at Batman and in between the flashes Batman appears closer and closer to the camera. It's so deliciously weird.

Also, that one cop that doesn't even get a name in the movie but keeps getting these stupid lines and his acting is really terrible but somehow I kept laughing every time he spoke.

[close]

[Himu]

I think my favorite scene in the movie is

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Selina Kyle is leading Batman down into the sewers, specifically the brief little clip where a guy starts shooting at Batman and in between the flashes Batman appears closer and closer to the camera. It's so deliciously weird.

Also, that one cop that doesn't even get a name in the movie but keeps getting these stupid lines and his acting is really terrible but somehow I kept laughing every time he spoke.

[close]

that shot is so crazy. it's like, holy shit there's a weird guy in a bat suit running at me dodging bullets.

it looked right out of this video:

[Himu]

holy shit that max kid grew up and makes awesome videos now

[fistfulofmetal]

TDKR > TDK

[Great Rumbler]

That was hardly a rant. I could go on one, but what's the point?

Speak of the devil and he shall appear!

Another scene I liked:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Batman beats Bane and then starts yelling at him about the location of the detonator. He sounded EXACTLY like all those parody videos where Batman just yells/growls incoherently at everyone.

[close]

[Himu]

[Robo]

That was hardly a rant. I could go on one, but what's the point?

Speak of the devil and he shall appear!

Another scene I liked:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Batman beats Bane and then starts yelling at him about the location of the detonator. He sounded EXACTLY like all those parody videos where Batman just yells/growls incoherently at everyone.

[close]

I was thinking the exact same thing during that scene.    It's just like that little kid's video Himu posted.

[cloudwalking]

cloud told me about this thread 

i thought TDKR blew. this was a batman movie? okay so where the fuck was batman? seriously how much screen time did batman actually have in a 3-hour long batman movie... 10 minutes? because that's what it felt like.

i like the previous two films, but this movie was a hot mess. the pacing was so fucked up it was jarring at times. the plot was weak. the exposition was clumsy as fuck. bane was lame as shit as a villain, Joker in the last film completely annihilates him in that respect. batman was barely ever on screen.

i liked hathaway as catwoman, though, she pulled it off much better than expected. joseph gordon levitt was good too. that's about it.

amazing spider man was way better than this crap.

[cool breeze]

Another scene I liked:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Batman beats Bane and then starts yelling at him about the location of the detonator. He sounded EXACTLY like all those parody videos where Batman just yells/growls incoherently at everyone.

[close]

I laughed during that scene.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

It's not the voice.  It's how Batman just kept yelling "WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS THE TRIGGER! WHERE IS IT! WHERE IS IT!?" Bane didn't have a chance to answer.

In The Dark Knight, the Joker was baiting Batman the entire time.  It didn't make Batman look like a simpleton.

Again, I was thoroughly entertained when it happened.

[close]

[Himu]

Every discussion for TDK I saw was "what was your favorite scene?". For TDKR, discussion is much, much more diverse. The villains are more menacing, the story tells a great tale of Bruce/Batman's fall and rebirth, while simultaneously tying a neat little bow to the trilogy. How TDKR connected and ended BB and TDk was nothing short of spectacular and the final few minutes are so choice.

People keep talking about TDKR's pacing, but I don't know what they're talking about because TDK had pacing issues galore, and TDKR is more along the lines of BB.

I think a lot of people have rose tinted goggles in regards to TDK. It's a great movie, but putting it on a pedastal like it's somehow better than TDKR makes little sense to me.

[Himu]

cloud told me about this thread 

i thought TDKR blew. this was a batman movie? okay so where the fuck was batman? seriously how much screen time did batman actually have in a 3-hour long batman movie... 10 minutes? because that's what it felt like.

i like the previous two films, but this movie was a hot mess. the pacing was so fucked up it was jarring at times. the plot was weak. the exposition was clumsy as fuck. bane was lame as shit as a villain, Joker in the last film completely annihilates him in that respect. batman was barely ever on screen.

i liked hathaway as catwoman, though, she pulled it off much better than expected. joseph gordon levitt was good too. that's about it.

amazing spider man was way better than this crap.

It has a lot of Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne IS Batman. Batman Begins didn't have much Batman either.

Different interpretations of Batman have different uses for the character. In some Batman stories, Batman is just another face of Bruce. In others, Batman is the main draw.

[fistfulofmetal]

TDKR > TDK

... why

I felt the story and the way it handled the specific themes brought up were more interesting than what it's TDK. Really the only aspect of TDK that *stood out* is The Joker. Everything else falls flat for me upon second, third, and fourth viewings. I think TDKR has a better caste of characters, and a better story.

[Himu]

And that means they're still not themes, how?

Every super hero film throws its themes in view. It is hardly a subtle genre, Jarosh.

[Mupepe]

ASM handled its themes even worse the TDKR.  Both are still awesome and you're all ninny babies.

[Himu]

Yup

[Himu]

Spider-Man was barely in ASM.

[Himu]

Eh. To me, I overlook stuff like that in a movie with a guy in a bat suit who can fight 20 guys at once.

[Beezy]

Another scene I liked:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

When Batman beats Bane and then starts yelling at him about the location of the detonator. He sounded EXACTLY like all those parody videos where Batman just yells/growls incoherently at everyone.

[close]

I was laughing hysterically during that scene for this exact reason.

[Himu]

You said "themes". Usually when someone uses quotation marks around a word, they're sarcastically denoting the word as exactly NOT that.

[fistfulofmetal]

The primary that made the movie work for me was how Bane's main plot mirror'd the struggle Batman was going through during the same period of time:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Bane created a situation in Gotham where the city feared the threat of annihilation but still had the hope that they would survive as long as rules were followed. They're trapped in this prison city essentially but the hope of getting through it was always in their head. Bane wanted to give them that hope so he could take it away when the bomb eventually exploded. Bane also created a similar situation for Batman whereas he is trapped in a prison with little hope of escape but the hole at the top of gives a little glimmer of it. Enough to keep you going even when it's ripped away when you fall.

[close]

 It's not necessarily subtle but it worked for me.

[TEEEPO]

i'm liking Eric's idea of Michael Henke directing a Batman film more and more, even if he said it as a joke.

[Trent Dole]

This film's fucking cool. People bitching about it should go watch Spidey 3 to be reminded of what a shit superhero movie really looks like.

[Van Cruncheon]

I don't think any of Nolan's Batman movies posess much character insight (there's a glimmer of it in the Joker character) or even actual character development. It's all just superficial make-believe: tedious exposition, trite, simplistic visual and spoken metaphors.

so what you're saying is that it's a comic book movie.

i coulda told you that because it stars a man who dresses like a nocturnal rodent and features an antagonist named "bane"

[Diunx]

Yep, you can tell that Nolan did the best he could with the generous amount of time the studio gave him.

Fan: but how did batman get back to gotham?

Nolan: who gives a shit? I need an extra minute of The Bat blowing shit up

If this was some oscar bait festival movie I would agree with most of the complaints but this is a superhero movie, I wanted action, cool chases, badass fistfights, crazy awesome villian and rocky style speeches and I fucking got it all

[cool breeze]

not just rocky style speeches

(real spoiler)

spoiler (click to show/hide)

It is Rocky 3--statue and all.

It's a good thing.

[close]

[MrAngryFace]

I loved this movie a lot- fuk off haters

Also I thought filmmaking was an art- who cares if he isnt doing it how people expect it to be done. blahhhh people need to just enjoy movies

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I loved this movie a lot- fuk off haters

Also I thought filmmaking was an art- who cares if he isnt doing it how people expect it to be done. blahhhh people need to just enjoy movies

Agreed.  Just a bunch of uptight, butthurt nerds sperging out over stupid shit.

[Himu]

I loved this movie a lot- fuk off haters

Also I thought filmmaking was an art- who cares if he isnt doing it how people expect it to be done. blahhhh people need to just enjoy movies

.

[Phoenix Dark]

but what about TEH THEMES in my comic book summer blockbuster filmz

[Great Rumbler]

TDKR looks like it's probably going to settle in somewhere around $450 million, quite a bit less than TDK but still a ton of money. The more interesting number right now is the overseas total, where Batman had traditionally not been as successful as other superhero movies. TDK actually made more money domestically than overseas, which is almost unheard of for modern blockbusters. Looking at the all-time chart, you'd have to go all the way down to the Hunger Games [at #50] to find another movie released within the past decade that did that. Anyway, TDKR's overseas number look really good so far and that's with only two major markets [UK and Australia].

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

TDKR looks like it's probably going to settle in somewhere around $450 million, quite a bit less than TDK but still a ton of money. The more interesting number right now is the overseas total, where Batman had traditionally not been as successful as other superhero movies. TDK actually made more money domestically than overseas, which is almost unheard of for modern blockbusters. Looking at the all-time chart, you'd have to go all the way down to the Hunger Games [at #50] to find another movie released within the past decade that did that. Anyway, TDKR's overseas number look really good so far and that's with only two major markets [UK and Australia].

I saw TDK three times (1 IMAX, 2 regular) in the theater but I will probably only see TDKR once.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I dug the hell out of the movie, but mostly, I was glad that after 10 years in Hollywood, Nolan finally figured out how to put together a coherent action scene*.  It was nice to see Batman kick ass, and actually see Batman kick ass.



*outside of car chases, all three films had pretty great vehicular setpieces.

[Great Rumbler]

Inception had some pretty good action scenes [thinking specifically about the hotel fight with JGL].

[Phoenix Dark]

So now we have definitive proof that TDK exploded at the BO because of Ledger's death

[Himu]

the marketing campaign, the fact it had joker in it;etc definitely had nothing to do with it

[CajoleJuice]

LEGIT CRITICISM = STOP THINKING, NERD

(I haven't seen the movie.)

[MrAngryFace]

i support stop thinking nerd

[CajoleJuice]

i support stop thinking nerd

this is shocking, considering the books you read

[TakingBackSunday]

I'll take legit criticism, but this:

I don't think any of Nolan's Batman movies posess much character insight (there's a glimmer of it in the Joker character) or even actual character development. It's all just superficial make-believe: tedious exposition, trite, simplistic visual and spoken metaphors.

so what you're saying is that it's a comic book movie.

i coulda told you that because it stars a man who dresses like a nocturnal rodent and features an antagonist named "bane"

Pretty much is what I think.  This isn't fucking Oscar-bait

[Himu]

legit criticism is fine, but it seems like jarosh's issues stem from the genre and not the film. the movie is a fucking super hero flick, probably the least subtle film genre out there next to hardcore porn and children television/films.

[MrAngryFace]

Even the character driven aspects of the movies are only as deep as the comic books themselves. People bitch and moan about story quality etc- but

i support stop thinking nerd

this is shocking, considering the books you read

Dont be butthurt, seriously. *goes back to 40k novels*

[CajoleJuice]

Yeah, I think jarosh's entire post is good and that quotes fits within his greater point well. But I haven't seen the movie so bye

i'm butthurt over a movie i haven't even seen, MAF? ok

legit criticism is fine, but it seems like jarosh's issues stem from the genre and not the film. the movie is a fucking super hero flick, probably the least subtle film genre out there next to hardcore porn and children television/films

i think jarosh made sure to say that this is a problem he finds with all of nolan's films

[MrAngryFace]

youre clearly butthurt about SOMETHIN!

[Phoenix Dark]

legit criticism is fine, but it seems like jarosh's issues stem from the genre and not the film. the movie is a fucking super hero flick, probably the least subtle film genre out there next to hardcore porn and children television/films.

but why does Bruce Wayne need to dress like a bat? That's too overt, and hits me in the head with its symbolism. A true auteur would decide to dress Mr. Wayne as a late shift janitor. Think of all the themes this could portray to viewers.

[Great Rumbler]

So now we have definitive proof that TDK exploded at the BO because of Ledger's death

Thanks for the insight there, MANABYTE.