As someone who adores Batman Begins and The Dark Knight I had high hopes for The Dark Knight Rises. Unfortunately, I found it very disappointing for several reasons. For one, Tom Hardy's Bane is largely inaudible throughout. Also, if I'm being honest, I think his voice sounds a bit camp at times too. He's a great actor and capable of playing brooding, menacing characters well (see Bronson if you don't believe me!), which makes his performance in TDKR all the more disappointing and frustrating in equal measure.
Secondly, this film is loaded with plot holes. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight have a fair few, but nowhere near as many as this one does. Furthermore, Hans Zimmer's score is incredibly irritating - it seems to be playing in the background of almost every scene and is increasingly distracting. Bane and Batman's one-on-one fights look, and feel, as if they have been choreographed by wrestlers from WWE. They lack any intensity or suspense. TDKR moves at such an unforgiving pace that it's hard to absorb everything that happens. Ultimately, as a result of this, the film lacks any emotional depth. We don't feel for Bruce Wayne here in the same way we do for him in BB or TDK.
Fortunately though, it isn't all bad. Anne Hathaway plays the role of Selina Kyle well enough, conveying a sense of playful mischief, and Michael Caine is excellent as Alfred.
But, I had been waiting years for this film and had been expecting an entertaining and enthralling conclusion to Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy, but left the movie theatre feeling exhausted and dejected by its failings.… Expand

A brilliant film overall, although quite slow in the beginning and was a little hard to hear Bane's voice throughout the film (this may be because i sat quite close to the screen in the cinema). A must watch for fans of Nolan's films and of Batman in general

This movie was absolutely great. It made me feel all good inside. OMG it was so good!!! Many parts were great in the movie giving an epic feel to the overall movie including the moment batman comes out once more and the final fight scene with bane and all the police. I also enjoyed the fact that in the end you are given a little awesome boost with robin!!!

Simply the best...better than all the rest!!! this movie right here had me on the edge of my seat the whole entire film..I was literally amazed at hw excellent The Dark Knight Rises is such an involving story of seeing our favorite hero rise..go see this as many times as u deem necessary lets all make this the biggest movie of all time!! i have already seen it twice and the 2nd time really let me know..this is the best movie of any kind i have ever seen and nw iam ready for my third viewing in the IMAX .Christopher Nolan u are a genius… Expand

A good ending for an excellent trilogy. But bear in mind, that you must of watch 1 and 2 to really enjoy this story and look at it from a real world perspective.

Outstanding movie! I was not expecting much, with the Joker gone, but it totally defeated my expectations. The villain was interesting, the back story was fascinating, and had some great new characters. The ending of this movie was AMAZING. I alternately cried, laughed and gaped in awe at the ending of this movie. The only downside (if it can be considered that), is how long the movie is, but it's worth it for the content. Don't get up partway through for the bathroom, you don't want to miss a thing.… Expand

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

This movie stands out as a great film, even with some plot holes and the bad guys in the film did have an absurd evil plan, but it does meshes well with the other two former movies to create a perfect trilogy.

Although it was a great movie, it could never live up to it's expectations. Very much on par with the second film though. Great completion to an awesome trilogy.

TDKR is an amazing movie even when compared with the first two. Although it lacks the depth that is expected from a Nolan film it ends the trilogy perfectly and ties up all three movies. TDKR gets even better the more that you watch it and you feel that you get more out of it when you do. By far the best movie I have seen since Dark Knight.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nolan opens a door on a new vision to realize in the cinema the Super-hero. A disturbing Trilogy, TDKR is already, according to me, the Cult movie. The most disturbing of the Trilogy, TDKR goes up in crescendo in one unprecedented finale in this genre.… Expand

To put it shortly; it's good, but not as good as people make it out to be. The plot is great, the score is superb, the action sequences are mostly top notch, and the actors deliver solid performances. Unfortunately, the movie also contains obvious flaws. It's got a fair few cliches, Bane is not that great of a villain, and the ending doesn't leave enough to the imagination.

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 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

It was a pretty damn good movie, it had a very strong plot and story, the acting was very good, although I can imagine the actor who played Bane was having fun walking around not saying anything. I can't help but say though, that 'The Dark Knight' was much better than the 3rd installment, without the Joker, no Batman film will ever be the same.

Being a big fan of Christopher Nolan's work and loving the other two Batman films, I was well and truly excited to see this one. Maybe a little too excited as I left the cinema knowing I had just witnessed an amazing film, but had mixed feelings about it probably because I was expecting too much after The Dark Knight. At the same time I felt gutted that this would be it as Nolan wouldn't be making any more.
After reading numerous reviews on here and in other places, I felt compelled to see it again.
So, last night I did. So glad I did. Even though I knew how the film ended it was still an exciting experience. My cinema ticket (which was in my hand), had been ripped to pieces towards the climax.
On second viewing you get a chance to take much more in.
The acting was superb across the board with Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle the best of the lot.
I never doubted for a minute she would be a great choice and she didn't let me down.
Can't wait for the DVD release which will hopefully have extended scenes. When that comes out I will watch the whole trilogy in it's entirety.
Brilliant ending to a brilliant Batman series beautifully directed by the master of modern film making.
Classic.… Expand

Extremely well done movie... Epic scenes....Tom Hardy did an amazing performance....It's a shame that the voice was very criticized. It's a great ending for this amazing and epic saga. Anne Hathaway...best Catwoman yet. Loved the great scale scenes. Powerful Ending

This movie is EPIC! Very ambitious for just one movie, but it was a hell of a movie. Intense action, drama, and suspense that puts you at the edge of your seat. Tom Hardy was amazing and frightening. Bale has given his BEST performance by far as Batman, very powerful. Hathaway!..... I really didn't saw this one coming!! She truly nailed it as catwoman!! The cast, the plot, the fxs, music, it was all amazing!! All of this batman films stand alone and they altogether establish one of the best trilogies of all time... and the fact that it deals with a superhero is impressive! Overall the movie is a glorious achievement for Nolan and the icing on the cake for this near perfect trilogy!! I recommend to see twice!!… Expand

Christopher Nolan's Batman triology is what spawned my love for Batman. From Batman Begins ive been always waiting for the next one and I'm pretty upset that the series is ending here because I believe that Christopher Nolan could have done so much more with characters such as the RIddler and the Penguin. But at the end of the movie I found my self content with the ending. I think the movie as a whole was great as the rest of the series and it ended things where you can wonder what happened after and where if thats it then you can be satisfied knowing things ended well.… Expand

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 the movie has written good and it's enought enjoyable. Sufficiency is deserved.

Very well done conclusion to the trilogy with enough plot to have easily made up two movies and taken up over four hours. As it stands, the plot was squeezed and rushed through an already long time frame, but the movie comes out aces due to great performances from Caine, Bale, and Hathaway.

Its a really good movie and just what I expect from Christopher Nolan.its just like any other movies that Christopher Nolan makes it has a great plot and a good ending, but officer Blake should've been the kid that Bruce Wayne/batman gave one of his 'gadgets' to from batman:begins. Bruce Wayne has hidden his identity from the whole citizens of Gotham and for a mere kid to know he's batman is just impossible.… Expand

When I first saw this film, I stood up and said how lame it was. But after finding that so many other people liked it, I went back, and yeah, it worked much better for me. But I had to concentrate so hard. Medication side-effects means that short-term memory loss is going to hit me in this kind of situation, and the fact that there are so many new characters didn't always work in my favour. But there are good visual effects, Bane works well as an evil character, a certain naughty cat burglar wheres a lovely little outfit and I'll probably buy it on DVD to finish off my collection of the trilogy.… Expand

Muy buena película y muy buena trilogía. sinceramente no creo que alguien pueda hacer una mejor película con un mejor final sobre Batman. el villano Bane tal vez no sea mejor que el Joker de The Dark knight pero en términos generales la película cumple con lo esperado. muy buenas actuaciones e historia , totalmente recomendada.

Christopher Nolan returns to surprise us with their talent in this latest installment of the trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises. With a good cast, with a dash well structured, with shocking music, with a plot in constant suspense, with a good close, Nolan takes Batman another level. Darker, dramatic and shattering than any other film of a comic book superhero. Hopefully this great director back soon with another of his great movies.… Expand

A 2 hour and 45 minute movie that will span greatness to the world. The Dark Knight Rises is not only one of the BEST films I have ever seen, it is the BEST superhero film ever made. I have never shivered because of a villain in any movie. Bane made me shiver. Tom Hardy did an excellent job playing such an evil part. The twists were just as great. By far though, the star of the movie was Anne Hathaway for her stunning performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She played the role like she has been that person her whole life. Absolutely stunning. My only complaint was that they didn't include Bane's backstory, but other than that, this film was a site to behold. Christian Bale did his finest work as the playboy billionaire turned hero Bruce Wayne/Batman. David S. Goyer wrote a fantastic story as well. The end of the movie was a total cliffhanger also. Everybody in the theater thought this may actually be the end, but turns out, it may not be the end. Here comes sequels... Christopher Nolan, you have done it again.… Expand

This movie was awesome from the beginning to the end. I never enjoyed in a movie that good since The Dark Knight. The previous movie was way better. But this one was good too, it was exciting all the time. Anne Hathaway really surprised me with such performance. Also the ending was pretty amazing.
The only thing I didn't liked about the movie was the ending with Blake - this was unnecessary. But anyway, it's a good movie.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too long, too boring, too stupid, too predictable. When you watch first scene in airplane you think nice directing and action but the story behind it and Bane's plan was so stupid that it was too funny to watch. A plot where some body builder with mask lock all of city policeman's (smart guys!) in a subway under city and than announce it on some football game followed with unnecessary violence (trough all the scenes with Bane) to make some stupid point is rubbish. Complete and utter rubbish. Bane breaks Batman's back and he get miraculously cured hanging from a rope in a cave! He liberates all policemen ant they attack Bane's people in that legendary scene where 10 000 people is shooting on each other in 20m distance and 2 guys die! Than they drop their weapons and start to hit each other. If this were a comedy it would be much better. Who wrote that plot. Can they put at least some suspension or unpredictability in movie? I mean who didn't know Robin will be that policeman? I don't know what is worse in this move. Acting, dialog's or story.
Other reviewers say it's deep movie? On what drug are they on? They show cat women's character as good like this: She is walking down the street. Some guys are molesting a kid without any reason. She helps the kid, beating the guys. Omg how anyone come to idea to put that scene in move. And scenes like that just pops out everywhere. Batman is fighting on one part of town and in next scene he comes and helps cat women. I thought who cut the part between? What about that scene on wall street? Where those guys who act like janitors hide their motorcycles? Why did police made ramps for them to jump over the blockade? Why did they even attack wall street on that stupid way? It was so funny to see something that unrealistic and stupid in a movie. It's deep politically and social? Yes, if you are retard. It,s so superficial that you have to laugh. Avoid if you don't won to throw 3 hours of your life.
Only way to enjoy in this movie is to accept it's very expansively produced, good directed brainless action which will unintentionally make you laugh so many times...… Expand

With Batman Begins, Nolan set the benchmark for the superhero genre by showing us what it

Un film lleno de emoción , efectos visuales increíbles, una actuacion muy buena de parte de anne hat thaway.Sin embargo los errores notorios hacen que mi calificacion no sea perfecta. No obstante este film no deja de ser una obra maestra.

This was a really good movie. Now before I get ahead of myself I will start by saying that this was definitely not the best of the Nolan batman's but it was a really fun time. Although there were a few flaws near the end of the movie it did not make me look at the film in a different way.

At nearly 3 hours, one might be skeptical to find it zooming by. Luckily, it does just that. I don't believe that any part had deserved the right to be cut. It had quite a lot more action than its predecessor, but it was thoroughly enjoyed. I also found myself between the booming speakers, begging me to to stay on the edge of me seat. Tom Hardy had quite the seat to fill after Heath Ledger's Joker. Frankly, it wasn't as great, but his perception of Bane was quite good. The last ten minutes resolved the trilogy with great style. It wasn't THAT surprising, but its resolution was better than I could hoped for a trilogy of this caliber. DO NOT hesitate to watch this film!… Expand

It concludes this trilogy in such a great way that makes the three movies function as one piece of storytelling. Most importantly, it's an amazingly written and acted story that lives up to the hype generated by the previous ones and faithful and honest towards the comics that originally brought The Dark Knight to a legend status.

This film has seemed a lot better than the previous film.

This film is great, it doesn't quite live up to the incredible lofty heights of The Dark Knight (2008) but it's still a great watch, the set pieces are fantastic, the scale of the film is ginormous, technical codes are brilliant and to top it all off it's a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.

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

Shockingly inept storytelling, especially given how solid the first two Nolan Batman films were. The cinematography and direction are as gorgeous as they were in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but the story is a complete wreck. A bit of creative license is needed for even the grittiest superhero film, but TDKR treats viewers like their IQs top out at 68. Nothing makes a whit of sense, the pacing is terrible, and the movie wastes Tom Hardy behind and mask and a ridiculous voice. A few energetic action sequences and Anne Hathaway's fun performance (and amazing figure in that suit) keep it from being a complete failure, but it's terribly close. Even Alfred's speeches are tiresome in this one. I just watched it for a second time, and it somehow makes even less sense than the first time around. Nolan tried to dress up an incredibly weak screenplay with lots of bells and whistles, but it's all empty noise.… Expand

I know all \'Superhero\' movies are far-fetched, but come on, how could anyone believe the escaped convict from The Shawshank Redemption could become a high profile tech-wizard within just a few years.
He couldn\'t even fix that little wooden boat in Mexico, what? Now he\'s building Bat Mobiles?

I found this a very enjoyable movie and fitting ending to the trilogy. Despite the slow start it soon starts picking up pace and keeps your attention til the very end.

Joseph Gordon-Leavitt really "rises" here : You wonder what the heck HE is doing in a Batman movie, but he wins you over. Overall, a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, with lots of dark-and-doomy action, though they could have cut 30 mins. from the rather blah backstories. Also would have liked more of the always solid Christian Bale, but Anne Hathaway lit up every scene she was in. Must say "Bane" was a dull villain ... but having raised two sons, I'm sure he and his weird mask will make for a swell 8" action figure.… Expand

Sorry Avengers. But you just didn't have 70 minutes of IMAX-filmed fight scenes or set pieces, or an extremely intense script and epic story that made The Dark Knight Rises the equal best movie of 2012 so far, as well as Looper.

P.S. Bane is a badass bad guy.

I seem to have trouble placing this flick into a proper genre. Surely, it can't be called a superhero movie since (costumed) Batman appears for only 20 or so minutes of the total 165 of running time (I'm afraid that more adequate title would be 'Bruce Wayne Rises'). That's just one of the many flaws of this pompous project, but let's start from the beginning...
First and most important: the film is BORING! Yes, that's right. It's not about how long it is, but about the dull plot infested with holes and unconvincing performances... which brings us to second...
The entire cast is ill chosen! Tom Hardy as Bane?! Bane is supposed to be a massive powerhouse, not a bloated dwarf! Although Hardy is a great actor, this role does not suit him. Even with all cinematic tricks used to make him look bigger it's painfully obvious that he's average size at best. Furthermore, in order to make Bane look more intimidating, Bale was forced to lose a significant weight thus making Batman appear as if he would have a hard time taking out a strung-out junkie. In fact, with Gordon insufficiently developed (which was the case in all the previous installments as well) and Alfred reduced to a mere crybaby, most memorable performances are those of Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Three: Fights are very, VERY poorly choreographed! Each punch that Batman throws is telegraphed and looks like it's thrown by a person who never hit anything in his life. Bale could have really taken some fighting lessons prior to the filming, because this is so unconvincing that I can't even begin to describe it.
Four: Plot itself makes little to no sense. Subplots are actually far more intriguing (if anything about this film can be called intriguing, that is). Ending is both disappointing and ridiculous making you wonder why you wasted almost three hours of your life on this apparently rushed out and clunky flick.
Oh yeah... I still can't get over Batman's idiotic throat talk. The one who came up with that idea should be killed on spot!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Everything felt rushed, miscued & unexplained in the last 90 minutes. The last 30 minutes made generally no sense. After Batman 2 which was brilliant, this movie had me consistently asking why were most of the characters so idiotic in their thinking. A few bad actors in place as well; and the ending? Really? How could Batman survive that? Maybe if his batwing morphed int an amphibious craft. Just a LOT of unexplained holes that had you asking, how'd he get there?, why don't they just...? I really hate it when movie that supposed to be great, leaves you analyzing the direction job. The voice of Bane to me just didn't fit either, it sounded like a 70 year old college professor.… Expand

First and foremost, the sound quality in this film is one of the worse I have heard for a major motion picture, and I saw it in IMAX which has the best sound available. Overall, I would say I understood about 2/3 of the dialogue, and only about 1/3 of Bane's dialogue. Bane wears a mask and when he speaks, for no apparent reason, there is an amplified distorted voice. On top of that he has an accent making it even worse. When he spoke into a microphone on the football field you may as well forget trying to understand him. The rest of the movie had a VERY annoying loud cello playing in the background when people were speaking. There were no silent spots that I remember. There was even dialogue being spoken during the action scenes. My friend and I were constantly leaning over and saying "what did he say?". There is also absolutely NO humor in this film whatsoever, and in fact every person on the screen had the same angry, angst, cynical personality. As always, the special effects were superb which I would expect for a budget the size they had. There are numerous plot holes and ludicrous moments throughout. Michael Caine weeps in almost every scene. I'm a big fan of Anne Hathaway but she is a waste here. She is yet another angry kick-ass person on screen, when they could have used her for some MUCH needed humor in the film. Lastly, the movie was WAY too long. I was so relieved when it finally ended after the cacophony of noise I had to endure for 2 hours and 40 minutes.… Expand

Very dark as always, with a foreboding, apocalyptic feel about it. These Nolan films are intense. Good amounts of character development as always but at the expense of more action. For me Batman Begins was the only Nolan film that struck the right balance, especially with that truly epic ending on the train. This film just didn't climax for me. And Bale's Batman voice still bothers me. Give me Batman Returns any day. There I said it.… Expand

First, for the full review, including *hidden spoilers* go to this website- http://www.ign.com/blogs/bulltoad/?p=1454

THIS REVIEW IS FREE OF SPOILERS, BUT DOES REFERENCE THE LATTER PART OF THE BLOG IN WHICH PLOT IS DISCUSSED.

Let

It's a decent movie, but The Dark Knight surpasses it in every single way. It's arguable that Batman Begins is better also. A good end to the Nolan series, but not it's most glorious moment.

I think it was a superb movie. I was at the edge of my seat while watching it. So much action. It was a little slow at the beginning but at the end it was excellant. I would deffinately buy this movie.

I'm a huge Batman fan, I've watched every movie so far and I have to admit this is not only one of the best Batman movies (I say one of the best because Batman Forever is my favorite, agree or disagree I don't care it's my favorite) but it's also one of the best superhero movies of all time. It's action packed, has a great story, outstanding acting, and some awesome comic tie-ins. An outstanding movie that I highly recommend watching.… Expand

batman is awful b/c he is predictably moral and thus just another boring super doofus of a hero. grow some balls marvel and show something dark and real.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the smartest Directors of our generation is about to conclude his famous saga. Oh yes, you should anticipate what is he going to do next. Christopher Nolan has built a superb franchise through two successful prequels BATMAN BEGINS (2005) and THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). No wonder everyone is hyped about it and the excitement is rising high. The Batman character has changed a lot over the years. The two most important influences are Frank Miller graphic novel BATMAN: YEAR ONE (1987) and Tim Burton movie BATMAN (1989), not just changing the image entirely but also affecting today superhero movies. What I am trying to say is you will soon witness a historic event as well. We are going to see the next phase of Batman transition. In thiz grand finale to an epic trilogy, Christopher Nolan definitely takes Batman to the whole new level. Christian Bale also deserves a credit for making Bruce Wayne character even more dynamic and attractive. Bale is certainly not just an ordinary Actor, he can play any character he wants, not just good, but great. I do not know why Nolan takes so many risks by changing the winning formula. Spoiler Alert! There are more day scenes than night scenes, Bruce Wayne becomes poor, firing Alfred and other radical changes. As a matter of fact, it was not Bat at all! I do not feel like I have been watching Batman movie, it was more like a typical Nolan movie that happens to be Batman in it. There is no doubt that the Joker was potrayed amazingly by the late Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). Christopher Nolan himself knows very well that he should find something new, something phenomenal enough to replace it. Well, at least he has done half of his homework. Although the merciless masked villain Bane (Tom Hardy) is very terrifying, especially through his monstrous voice and intimidating appearance, but it is lack of character. Catwoman does not leave any impression. Yes, she is still sexy but only physically. I can hardly remember anything besides Catwoman becomes Anne Hathaway, instead of the other way around. Better performances come from two Cast members of INCEPTION (2010), Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It makes five of them, the others are Tom Hardy, Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy. The other regular Cast members are Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox. In fact, in the middle of the story, the movie loses its track, too many unnecessary scenes, sometimes too wordy and almost flat out boring. Even worse, it is compounded by one-dimensional fight choreography. Everytime Batman and Bane fight, it looks like B-Class movie. But I still think The Bike Chase Scene is spectacular. In the end, hey it is Christopher Nolan! Of course, he saves something for the ending. Finally, I can say the epic concludes with a very classy way, typical Nolan twists and turns. It is another ambiguous ending from him. Dont you ever discuss it or you will find yourself in the middle of never-ending debate about what really happened at the end of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. No more spoilers, find your own hints. Have a nice Bat!



Visit My Blog on JONNY… Expand

The Dark Knight Rises is a satisfying conclusion in Nolan's trilogy, but individually falls short of meeting the lofty expectations set by 2008's The Dark Knight. The musical score, acting (particularly by Bale, Hathaway, and Caine) and set design are top-notch. Bane is a terrifying villain of physical proportions, which really helps carry the pain theme of this third and final act. There are many individual scenes, particularly the opening airplane heist, that is breathtaking. There are many references to the first film, Batman Begins, that helps give closure to key characters - it is helpful to re-watch this first film prior to watching DKR.

This film, TDKR, is not without flaws. There is an unsatisfying, anti-climactic conclusion to a major character. The second half of this film, particularly the final 45 minutes, that feels rushed from an execution standpoint. There are various side characters and extras where you can't help wonder if the film would have been sharper and not sacrificed on plot development had they just cut out these scenes entirely.

Is this film worth the price of admission? Absolutely. Yet when the credits rolled, I couldn't help but feel that this film didn't give me that overwhelming awe that I felt from its predecessor.… Expand

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

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

Not so impressive like its predecessor, but this one is worth to buy: Every stage of the film is good, a good, tragic ending for batman and the rise of the Robin, and the hero is not only batman, but the hero will rise when it comes to its age. That's what the dark knight wants, what our hero will continue ...

This film is superb, all by itself. However, it pales in comparison to The Dark Knight. Nearly all performances are what they should be, but Tom Hardy unfortunately fails to satisfy the high expectations of Bane, all with that uncharacteristic over-the-top accent. Bane is indeed devastating, and never before have we seen a superhero beaten to a pulp, slammed to the ground, and kept there for such a long time. Bale continues to shine as Batman, and Michael Cain's Alfred is so heartbreakingly perfect. Yes, the film itself is awesome, but how can you not compare this one to the haunting echoes of it's predecessor? The Dark Knight was about an idea. The Dark Knight Rises is more about devastation, and that is accomplished here.… Expand

The filmmaking powerhouse that is Christopher Nolan has delivered a pretty satisfying final chapter of his Dark Knight trilogy. The plot of The Dark Knight Rises is a slow-burner, but the stockpiled tension you accumulate over the film well and truly explodes in an epic finale. This Batman series also, gratifyingly, feels like a complete story that brings you full circle rather than a succession of tacked-on sequels thanks to an extraordinary joint writing effort by the Nolan brothers and David S. Goyer. This is one of the most enjoyable of the Caped Crusader's screen outings, being dark, provocative and relevant to the modern world (perhaps slightly heavy-handedly) but also never forgets to be fun, and to be a genuine superhero film. Is Tom Hardy's Bane a more memorable villain than Heath Ledger's Joker? No, but he's an entertaining, distinctive antagonist with a wonderfully odd voice and some of the best eye-acting ever committed to screen from Hardy. Bane's introduction scene is arguably on par with the Joker's from the previous film - both are creative, thrilling heist scenes that are served beautifully by Nolan's love of IMAX. The old faithfuls of the franchise - Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are good as ever, and Christian Bale impresses as an older, creakier Batman. Series newcomer Anne Hathaway is mesmerising playing the manipulative and morally ambiguous Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman, who proves herself to be at least as formidable as her pointy-eared associate, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt manages to hold his own in a cast of big-hitters. The main crime The Dark Knight Rises commits is attempting to tackle too much. The plotting is a lot looser this time round, conveniently glossing over such narrative inconveniences as the passage of time and geography, and there are frequent references to things that supposedly happened between the last film and this one, often resulting in an information overload. A lot of narrative fat could have been cut at the beginning of the film, and a tweak in plotting in the first act would have certainly helped with the flow of the story. The Dark Knight Rises is still a hugely entertaining and handsome-looking film, but if the story had been stripped back a little, and been more focussed, then perhaps a more consistently enjoyable final product might have emerged.… Expand

The acting, writing, drama, and action are of a caliber with Nolan's other great works (The Dark Knight notwithstanding). The only genuine problem with this film is that it had to succeed a true masterpiece in The Dark Knight. Hardy is excellent as a villain (though not quite as chilling and nihilistic as Ledger's Joker) and Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt are both strong additions. Perhaps the weight of expectation led to some shortcomings but the final 30-40 minutes of the film are edge-of-your-seat compelling. The conclusion is so startlingly appropriate (read: vintage Nolan) fans should wonder why they thought the trilogy would end any other way. This film, and indeed the two which preceded it, is an absolute must-see. If not for the sake of great cinema, at least for the benefit of knowing how it all ends.… Expand

Boo Ya what an epic movie and what phenomenal way to end the dark knight trilogy.The story kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole 164 minutes.The action sequences was done perfectly.The story line was epic,the acting for every actor and actresses was done extremely well.Christopher Nolan does a phenomenel job directing this film. Every Batman movie directed was phenomenal and no wonder the films was a worldwide phenomenel.Unlike other films which had trilogy's and failed for example spider man 1,2 and 3 which truly sucked.But the dark knight trilogy's was the best epic and awesome.This time I did not read the other reviews posted by other users.Until I finished watching the film.And I'm glad to say I truly enjoyed this film.The dark knight rises is one of the best films I have ever seen.… Expand

How can you top the Dark Knight? You can't. The Nolans' wobbly script - although over-powering and wildly entertaining at times - suffers from plot holes, unnecessary dialogue, too many characters and an over-bearing sense of political morality that is channeled through by a ridiculous and incomprehensible villain. The inconsistencies are only shadowed by the film's action and editing. Nolan does a good job at directing but he suffers from a "forest-for-the-trees" mentality as the script doesn't hold up to all that Wayne/Batman has endured in his previous adventures because it throws away a great deal of Wayne's character for mere retribution. The performances are great, particularly Cain in the few key scenes he has. The third act is the most entertaining but the end sequence is unnecessary and patronizing removing all gravitas from the story it preceded. There are several elements that bugged me as a fan of the comics and animated show that make no sense in this incarnation of Batman but I guess that's just a personal bias. All selfish reasoning aside, it's a fun and visually brilliant ride as long as you don't bother trying to unravel the inconsistencies.… Expand

Its between The Dark Knight and Batman Begins. Better than Batman Begins but worse than the Dark Knight. I really liked the ending though.

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 seriously and is totally devoid of levity and brevity.

I really enjoyed this movie; it's one of the best in the Batman franchise. The movie is long, but you won't notice the time passing. Anne Hathaway was excellent as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a great addition to the plot. Sometimes the dialogue was a bit cheesy, and although I really liked Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, I found his Batman voice very distracting. Nevertheless, the movie is definitely a "must see" and I'm looking forward to another sequel.… Expand

Christopher Nolan has risen to the challenge to try to top his own success from Dark Knight, he may not get close to tying it but he gets close enough. Let's start with the bad.. In The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan has seemed so focused on creating such a in-reality gritty film that he forgot that he was making a Batman movie. The gritty real feeling of the movie was great in all, but at the end of the day, people want to see Batman's plethora of gadgets and stealth... none of which was fulfilled. This really makes you realize what Heath Ledger's Joker brought to the movie, his fun randomness and comedy left a huge hole in the movie and in it's place was another gritty straight forward villain that doesn't feel anywhere close to being fleshed out as the Joker. In this film, you only see about 30 minutes of Batman and only his first few scenes feel like Batman... the rest felt like a generic hero that dresses like Batman. Another fault of the movie is the fact that it spends way to much time developing its own plot. We're already in the finale of the trilogy, we didn't need 2/3 of the movie used for developing. You'll never truly feel bored watching it, but you'll definitely notice it dragging on and you'll just wish you could see more Batman and less of the drama. The last major fault is the fact that Bruce Wayne's new love interest felt extremely forced, before you even know who she is Bruce Wayne has already fell in love with her beyond a reasonable doubt and your expected to just accept it. Of course they're is some plot holes that will leave you scratching your head but they're never serious enough to break the movie. However, this movie also has a lot going for it. The art direction Nolan takes is breath taking, and the plot twists will make your jaw drop. They're are definitely a few slow parts that will make you check your watch here and there but this movie always keeps you interested in its plot. And although not as on par as the Joker, Tom Hardy's Bane is a great menacing villain who may seem ridiculous at first but will grow on you as the movie goes along. Another strength to the movie is the chemistry between the actors. Despite the movie's plot, the actors' definitely knew this was the finale and they all brought their A game. The interactions between the actors, particularly between Ann Hathaway and Christian Bale, were fantastic. And yes... Nolan does put a magnificent ending to such an overall amazing series. In The End: This is an amazing film, but its just not quite a great Batman adaptation. It worries so much about developing this gritty realistic tone that it forgets that its about a man dressed like a bat wearing a cape. You wish you would've seen more Batman action than this 3 hour long drama fest. 7.7/10… Expand

What a great movie. I loved it so much. Brilliant performances from every member of the cast and a fantastic storyline. It always helps a movie when the bad guy is good and Tom Hardy's Dane was fantastic. Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were all excellent in th film. One of my favourite films of all time.

Doesn't come close to the previous Batman. In fact its not a Batman period. They throw in the music of the first batman and some nice directing but that not a movie. If you want to enjoy this 'movie' go buy the soundtrack its about all there is to enjoy in it. The acting is good but because all the characters are recycled and pointless compared to the previous you can't say there is any real reason to wasting a persons time nor money on seeing the pile of **** endo! They didn't like my ip address because i gave it a rating of zero.… Expand

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 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

This film is extraordinary, if flawed. Much, much, much better than Dark Knight. The casting, story, direction, pacing and effects are the best of the trilogy. As someone who thought Batman Begins was the best superhero film yet made at the time of its release, but found The Dark Knight to be strangely boring and clunky, The Dark Knight Rises really surprised me with its energy and power. Christian Bale's performance in particular was masterful. I love Christopher Nolan's work but he makes frustrating choices, mostly having to do with dialogue being understandable. He blankets his films with wall-to-wall score that is mixed so prominently it often drowns out whole lines of dialogue. He also hires foreign actors with very thick accents, which can also occasionally come across exactly like what it is: an actor reciting words beyond their own English ability. In The Dark Knight Rises we almost escaped this factor because Marion Cotillard has the rare ability to speak with a thick accent and yet sound completely intelligible. But the fact is you simply can't hear or understand at least a third of Bane's lines. And since he's the antagonist, this is a maddening problem. And even when you can hear it, it's still distracting because it sounds overdubbed on top of the movie in post. Kind of like Optimus Prime in Transformers. If they mixed the score lower and found a way to make Bane's lines both intelligible and realistic in an acoustic sense this would be an untouchable masterpiece.… Expand

The Dark Knight Rises was truly an amazing film, the acting was top-notch and the climax was pretty amazing. Christopher Nolan managed to grasp desperation very well and the conclusion to the Dark Knight is just jaw-dropping and a good send-off to Batman. While TDKR is a great movie it is not as good as the predessor, the Dark Knight. TDKR's story is not as much in depth and morally challenging as TDK and TDKR's Bane, while indeed a good villain, is not as fun or gripping like TDK's Joker and the plot does does seem a little out of focus at times, especially in the beginning. Nonetheless, TDKR is still an Epic Conclusion that is well made and definately worth watching, Christopher Nolan has given Batman a epic sendoff, Batman goes out with a bang. Verdict: 79 out of 100… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie doesn't quite have the vigor of The Dark Night, but the action is unprecedented, as expected from the previous installments. The characters are mostly rounded, with the exception of Bane, who seemed relevant until it was revealed that he was just a lowly prisoner that helped the real escapee out. But man! That movie was so fun to watch!… Expand

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 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

Was it writing on the wall? Was it karma being a **** I mean i suppose we were never going to have two epic superhero films (the other being The Avengers) in the same year...but damn I wanted this movie to succeed in every way, shape and form that would throw at us...but it just didn't.
Trust me, this movie is fantastic, but its not a masterpiece, by no means flawless and certainly not the best entry into the series.
Set 8 years after the events of the Joker and Harvey Dent fiasco, we see Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) is a social recluse, shutting himself out to the rest of the world, until of course duty calls to get him back into the swing of the things.
We then see the appearance of Selina Kyle, dressed in a leather suit (lets not say Catwoman) who is arguably one of the standout performances of the film, Anne Hathaway's performance needs to be lauded for her dangerously enjoyable take on the cat burglar, sharp dialogue and not a dull moment with this one.
Tom hardy, as usual, throws himself into the character of Bane, a terrorist here to right the wrongs which he sees have taken over Gotham City, his voice behind the mask is quite chilling to listen to, and his sheer strength which Hardy built up is magnificent.
And yet... all this still couldn't satisfy my appetite for my ideal conclusive film.
Was it the plot holes that bothered me? No, they were the least of my nigglings with this film, i just hold the notion that it was too typical, let me explain.

Too often is a bomb or some sort of 'destroy the whole city' type device is used to gain brownie points, i was so disappointed to see this used in TDKR, from a plot so simplistic yet brilliant in The Dark Knight, TDKR attempts to almost wipe any trace of the Joker ever existing, and replaced it with a corporate sequel, bad guys who are after Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne building something which in turn can be used as a nuclear bomb, these common devices to try and create a conclusive story just didn't suit the mood that Chris Nolan was trying to create.
The large fire-bat signal on the bridge was of particular annoyance to me, i felt it was too old school, it was a step back, it was unrealistic and rather cheesy. Too much time was wasted in the prison, (anyone could have guessed that he shouldn't have used the rope in the first place) and Bane was surprisingly under used in large portions of this film, he was the physical match to Batman and yet he seemed to be standing around for most of the film.
For these, this film doesnt get a 10, it was excellent, it had thrills, it had heart and it had thought, but not logical thought, falling into traps which big dumb blocker busters tend to do, but I didn't expect this normally straightforward thinking film to follow the same path.
Worthwhile performances of Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman, make this film hard to diss in terms of acting.
The set pieces are magnificent, but again, not as thought provoking and mental as TDK.
Very enjoyable, pulsating action and stellar performances, but The Dark Knight Rises just wasn't satisfying enough and made too many mistakes to have me straight thinking throughout its run.… Expand

The dark knight rises had high expectations due to the Success of the first two films(batman begins..8/10 and batman the dark knight 9/10) so i had an open mind when watching batman TDR because EVERYONE knows that the third movie in any series faces an uphill battle when put against the first two movies!! That being said...lets see how TDR faired! The good: the opening scene is incrediblele by showing how smart determined bane is. Afterward's the movies focuses on bruce wayne...commissioner gordon...selina kile alfred. People mentioned there's no character development but i disagree as bruce/batman both evolve throughout the movie each having their own agenda..bruce basiclly a hermitt trying to cope with the loss of rachel ends up losing everything he owns alfred desperately trying to stop bruce from becoming batman for fear of him WANTING to die! This wedge between them essentially destroys their friendship resulting in alfred's surprising departure. Catwoman was a great addition but i wished they did a little more with her story wise but her fight scenes motivations were great! Bane was a great villain for batman their first fight scene was awesome also the decision to not have music in the first fight between them made it more dramatic for me. The overall idea for gotham that bane had was good but this is where the flaws become apparent. The bad: although i do understand why bane's men were ready to die at his command(they were loyal to the league of shadows)i would never stay on an crashing plane because someone told me to nor would i follow someone's order when they said they would kill me RIGHT AFTER IM DONE doing what they asked! Seeing how smart bane was it seems clear that he was committing suicide in the end because he had no escape plan(i dont see bane as suicidal)to escape the nuclear blast! Guys with guns still cant aim sadly run towards batman catwoman with their guns the final fight between bane batman should have been much more dramatic as it ends rather quickly only to have catwman kill bane...which was anti-climactic for me...& how the hell did batman survive an atomic blast with a six mile radius? Josh gordon levett was great as robin(detective) All in all this movie was good but has flaws but its hard to follow heath ledger as the joker(not comparing..just saying)For its efforts I give it an 8/10… Expand

Most of the regular readers of this blog will know that I loath superheros, except for Batman. I've always felt there was so much more then meets the eye when it came to that character, but even I didn't see Batman's full potential until Christopher Nolan took the reigns. In all 3 of his Batman films, Nolan made the Dark Knight as realistic as possible, with characters we can relate to, real situations, and real dialogue, that's free of all the ridiculous puns it's predecessors loved so much. The third installment takes places eight years after the events of the Dark Knight, when Gotham has been safe, and the Batman wasn't needed. That is until the powerful Bane shows up. Unlike the first two, this script does not follow the original comic story and skews off in several different ways. Unless you're a longtime fan of the series, you won't realize it, but for us fans, there are some very unexpected developments, which I assume were thrown in to throw off even the most die-hard fans. As for the film, it was amazing in every way possible and was everything I expect from Christopher Nolan, but still, it lacked something and that something was an extraordinary villain. We were all spoiled in The Dark Knight with one of the best performances of all time, and while this film is remarkable, it's lacking a stand out performance from one of it's stars. I can find very little fault with this film other than the fact that no one character really stood out and made themselves as memorable as Heath Ledger did in the Dark Knight.… Expand

A big and solid thrillride. It is not perfect however and contains less depth and relevance than it claims to. I like Nolans firmly logical approach to film-making and his portrayal of rationality, but he misses some of the beauty of humanity and individuals, he misses grace and love and kindness in his protagonists, and the antagonists don't seem very deeply motivated, though they kind of get explained. In other words, Batman as seen by a great orchestrator but a less great psychologist and humanist. More so than in the previous movies of his trilogy. Recommended for the fun ride.… Expand

This movie is good, not great. It is fairly formulaic and simple minded compared to it's profound predecessor which included (Heath Ledger). I liked the movie, but I think if it stood alone .. It would be even less weighty of a flick, it's too dependent on past events for substance. I think it is weaker because of this.

Still for closure, and predictable end it was worth matinee price. And it had Batman, with a little too subtle cat woman appearance ...… Collapse

It was a great movie, but left a lot to be desired. Even with the unrealistic expectations set by the Dark Knight, this movie is barely a shadow to that. I wanted to enjoy the movie so much more than I did. It just felt very bland in several spots that I knew should be exciting. The first fight between Bane and Batman for example left me just wanting and wishing for something better. It was almost like the movie was just going through the motions at several points. Still, it's a solid conclusion to one of the best trilogies ever made.… Expand

There is nothing wrong with liking or loving a movie. And this does not change if that movie is critically amazing or horrible.

So love TDKR, but any critical and intelligence observation of TDKR will turn up that it fails on almost every level at be coherent, believable, and just all-round good. It has far to many faults for me to even start to outline them here, and others have already done this far better that I ever could. So all I will say is that it is an absolutely horrible film that manages to ruin everything that it had going for itself. What makes this so unbelievable and unforgivable is that the previous titles in the series were instant classics, and some of the best films of the last ten years.

Any review of this film over a 50% is undoubtedly either paid for (or other wise biased against the critics judgement) . Or was not actually written by a film critic, but simply a writer (paid or otherwise) to write a review (without any skill at actually critiquing a film).… Expand

Great way to end the trilogy. Amazing first 90 minutes of the movie, with a great villain and great setup. And even though last act is little bit weak (deaths of villains are VERY underwhelming), overall, a great conclusions to the trilogy.

Nolan done it again. TDKR is a triumph, held down by some minor niggles. Surprisingly, despite my initial negative view of Anne Hathaway as catwoman, I felt that Hathaway has done a terrific job being catwoman and really, this is her sexiest role yet. However, her screentime was a tad lacking and to be honest, her contribution to the actual plot is minor if not unecessary if taking a harsh stance. The brilliant plot, great combination of soundtrack and visual enticements as well as brilliant acting retains the excellent Nolan formula that everyone would enjoy. The fight scenes are genuine not cliche' or death-defyingly unrealistic. The twists in the film will get you, no matter how hard you think each time. And throw in a controversial, highly debatable, ambiguous-as-hell ending for good effect (as always). The chemistry just works and really does prove Nolan's prowess as a director and writer. Dont get me wrong, the movie's not perfect. There are so many plot elements there that can be debated for and many characters actually go against the batman canon (watch for the twist near the end. For avid batman fanboys out there and those who's played Batman: Arkham City, you'll be cutting yourself). Is this better than the Dark Knight? No, not really. Is it worse? No, definitely not. Sure Heath Ledger's joker was a sensation, take that away and apart from some thrills, the 2nd movie is definitely sub-par to TDKR by a cat's whisker. Ultimately, it does have some neglible flaws that you probably wont care if you're just watching the movie for fun. If you're a deep thinker and adopted an 'Inception'-esque mindset to the film, you will find many discrepancies in the plot flow. My money for Nolan's best film is still Inception but TDKR is without question THE best action/superhero film of the year. Sorry, Avengers. While I enjoy Avengers (a LOT to be honest), TDKR just tops the comedy-action formula the Avengers had and introduced the standard Nolan-excellence that we have all witnessed before. An intelligent film with class, brilliant execution and acting definitely tops an all-out action film reliant on CG-sequences/witty dialogue/a truckload of top-end, expensive Hollywood stars.… Expand

Not the best Nolan Batman film, due to a short-winded, scatter-brained feel with some of the movie. But an emotional ride putting the want to live into Batman again.

"The Dark Knight" is the final story of Nolan's Batman and with the series there is a lot of lose ends to tie up and to my pleasure Nolan succeeds. He really brings the series full circle, reaching as far as the first movie. Even though the film doesn't mention the Joker, you can feel his presence through the earlier parts of the film. It feels complete and doesn't leave any loose ends, well non that I noticed.

The film is about fear and how we must overcome it. Even if we aren't afraid fear is what keeps us going. We need to not be afraid, but we embrace it to push forward. Another theme of the film is the symbol of heroism. It can come from anywhere, but it takes one icon to carry it forward. The last major theme of the film is Moving on. There is only so much one can do and they have to know when enough is enough. A lot of heavy themes, but handle with great care.

The film is very well written and directed. We get a lot of nice sweep through the city and some really heart pounding moments. The fight scenes are well choreographed and feel as if it too is telling a story. I really like how the movie weave in the cities inner politics with the action. Even the movie is near 3hrs long, it is packed with a lot of meat. There never seems to be a dull moment. It feels like you're getting your 3hr worth of entertainment. From a dialogue point it is great too. However, at time it can feel sort of cheese mainly towards the end when Wayne has to escape from somewhere.

The characters and acting are all great. I feel like Christian Bale has finally refined his role as Batman. I felt his emotions and his body language spoke volumes. The new entries are great from Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Marion Cotillard and the older characters are just as great. My two favorite stand outs are Michael Caine and Anne Hathaway. Caine, as Alfred, really gave a powerful performance, one I think is worthy of an Oscar nomination. One scene in particular is the confrontation between Albert and Wayne, some really powerful stuff. Hathaway, as Selina, is sly, sleek, and sexy. She stole almost every scene she was in. She's a strong character with a lot of depth. She's funny, emotional, and very smart. The only disappointment is Tom Hardy as Bane. Nothing wrong with his acting, he actually gave a great performance. My only problem is that Bane is such a intimidating character with a lot of layers, but his voice ruins his impact. The voice is so over the top and cartoony that it doesn't fit in the very grim and real world Nolan created. Almost every time he spoke I was slightly detracted from the film.

Overall "The Dark Knight" is a really good film with a lot of depth and fully realized characters. However, the final confrontation between Bane and Batman is incredibly lack luster and the plot twist is incredibly stupid and contrived. It not only ruins the credibility of Bane, but also makes certain motivations unclear. Fortunately the very last scenes make up for most of the fall that the plot twist brought. I give is a very very very high 4/5, a satisfying conclusion to one of the biggest trilogies of the past decade.

"Muy Caliente"… Expand

While probably not quite on a par with The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, bigger and darker than the previous instalments, is certainly worthy of being the closing chapter to Christopher Nolan excellent Dark Knight trilogy.

From the awesome opening plane hijack stunt that introduces Bane, the film is littered with action sequences and really is one huge spectacle. On top of the action, the film is balanced by the soul-searching and recovery of Bruce Wayne, not once but twice as well as reasonably well handled themes of social equality.

Tom Hardy brings an intensity to Bane, a different, more physically imposing intensity than Heath Ledger's Joker, and the character is certainly an improvement on the previous portrayal of Bane (Batman Robin!). He is given the best lines of the script to deliver through his menacing mask-affected voice. Anne Hathway plays Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman), and here is where I have an issue with the Nolan brothers. I was intrigued how they would adapt Catwoman into their Dark Knight universe, and for me it was a let down. She is not the true villain of the comics, instead she is pitched as an ambiguous distraction from the battle with Bane, chasing anonymity from her thieving background and willing to side with whoever can grant it to her.

At 165 minutes, TDKR is stretching the limits of an action film run time but managed to keep my attention. Some of the film's plot holes have earned some attention from critics, the only one I had a problem with was how Wayne got back to Gotham with no money, connections and with the city under lock-down. I imagine Christopher Nolan must have spent many night wondering how to conclude his trilogy. Leave it open ended? Retire Batman? Kill Batman? Anyway, his decision worked for me (despite the ending having remarkable parallels to 2011's Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows).… Expand

Christopher Nolan influenced a rare and astonishing phenomenon back in 2008: He united Critics and Fanboys in glorious, peaceful accordance. Few would argue with the notion that "The Dark Knight" is the greatest superhero movie ever made. No other comic book movie even comes close. None. To compare "The Dark Knight" with lesser films like "Thor", or "Captain America", or "The Amazing Spiderman", is like comparing Michael Jordan with Kobe Bryant. Why even bother?
But it seems that the overwhelming success of "The Dark Knight" has placed Nolan in an interesting position. His masterpiece left a hungry audience with rising expectations, which is reasonable effect. Wouldn't it be weird to walk in a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" and expect the second greatest superhero movie ever made?
Whether this closing chapter is better than its predecessors is not a major concern. All three Batman movies are exhilarating and memorable, and it can be said that they belong in a league of their own. As an artist who is constantly propelled to challenge our minds, Christopher Nolan adapts the superhero genre but does not conform to its traditions. He constructs a dark and ominous world that,s very close to our own, a world separated from the detached, happy-go-lucky playground occupied by the heroes of "The Avengers".

Read more here: http://localmoviereview.com/dark-knight-rises-review/… Expand

The best superhero movie ever. The hands down best movie of the year... 10/10. Bane is an awesome villain, the ending is the best I've ever seen, and this is hands down the best superhero movie ever.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Here there be SPOILERS.
Dark Knight Rises: too vehicletastic. He drives a batcycle, he flies a batcopter -- the real Batman is just a man, a man with hermetic assassin training and a utility belt, but a man. When Batman has to use his batcopter to haul a neutron bomb out "over the bay" away from the city I feel like I'm watching a James Bond movie, not Batman.

Batman is a detective. He uses his wits to catch these guys, not his expensive toys. This Batman farmed all his detecting out to Alfred. This Batman couldn't even figure out that Miranda Tate was not all she seemed! Never trust a French chanteuse. Who haunted the dreams of that boiled owl in Inception.

I'll meet halfway on suspension of disbelief. That's why I'm in the theatre. But the halfway part . . . If you don't show up at the meeting place, and I have to go across town and over to your house, and you don't answer the door, and I let myself in and there's some Hans Zimmer on the stereo and the bathroom window's open and you've written in steam on the mirror SCREW YOU . . . I don't know. Okay, so Bane broke Batman's back and had him shipped out to the Moorish prison hole of his past. But when a helpful fellow prisoner explains "You won't be able to move until I fix your back . . . Your vertebra is sticking out . . ." and punches it back into place . . . leading to a complete recovery . . . again, I don't know.

Nolan seems to have trouble structuring his stories. Toward the end of a long film is not where one wants a protagonist defeat-imprisonment-recovery-escape sequence. If you've gotta have that, it could come at the end of act one. Or, heaven forbid, defeat-imprisonment at the end of the film, and recovery-escape at the top of Dark Knight Rises: The Final Chapter. (Inception, too, seemed to stumble about like a drunk in the video store.)

Don't like Anne Hathaway and don't like Catwoman's mood-killing postmodern quips. Get Eartha Kitt to do it digitally like Brando in Superman Returns. In three of these Nolan Batmans there's never been a decent female character for Batman to play off of. The vanishing Katie Holmes, the game Maggie Gyllenhaal -- he just didn't write anything for em to do.

I must not have been completely under the spell of the film, because when the batcopter, on its way out to the bay, hoists that bomb over a school bus full of orphans (and the bland Joseph Gordon-Levitt) I was thinking "How great would it be if that bomb slammed into that bus like a wrecking ball?" Sadly, it was not to be.

The movie lurched up to the brink of an interesting idea -- what if Batman lost all his money -- and then wobbled away in some other narrative precession. Rather than showing us Batman surviving on his own, defeating Bane without his pricey hardware -- the real Batman -- Nolan hurriedly got him back into the copter. I would have liked to have seen that other movie, with broke street Batman.

I guess since losing his parents Bruce Wayne has used his money to insulate himself, with the suit, the copter -- but that would be a theme for a movie with something on its mind. Dark Knight Rises feints toward political content, but merely uses the motif of class uprising as another exotic/gritty backdrop in a bloated action movie. The film is uninterested in exploring any of the questions it raises. Hell, it's uninterested in raising any questions.

Of course this is the director who made a 148 minute film about dreams without a single memorable image or surreal moment. (It only felt like 192 minutes). In fact in Nolan's career I can remember exactly one image: Carrie Ann Moss' look of absolute evil, sitting in the car toward the end of Memento.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My god this movie was the worst i have seen in years,the first part was genius...but this,Bain...that voice really!!!! sooo annoying after 40 min i shut it off.....d^_^b it's the best you can do.... trust me and this movie was even movie of the year above Django HAHAHAHAHA not a good move Metacritic!!!… Expand

PPL gut shotted at movei theter so givng it on1 out ov 10 cus it sht nevr saw it cuz don wan 2 get shotted and get dedded so i giv it on1 cuz bad. cuz haz 2 be al lest 15ifty carakterz long i kep tiping k now im don pece out bishez

Nolan has, once again, managed to create that thing that made Batman Begins and The Dark Knight so special. I for instance can't name what that is, but I can say this, the movie feels as if every move of action was thought of, every part of speech read through at least a hundred times. The Dark Knight Rises is just one of those movies that leaves you thinking "Wow, I can't even... Wow!". I was speechless when the movie ended. The plot twisted and turned all the time, you could never expect anything or if you would, I bet the plot would turn the other way. Bane as the villain is just what a villain is supposed to be. The movie is extremely dark, and it lets you know that in a lot of its parts. I as a fan of The Dark Knight trilogy can say that this is my favorite movie in the saga, and it ends just as epic as it should. Epic end to an epic trilogy. I would also like to touch on the violence in this movie. It is in my opinion the most violent installment in this trilogy, there is a lot of crime shown and a lot of brutal fighting, but I think any kid 12 years and over should be fine with it. (Batman Begins: Introduction The Dark Knight: Most dramatic, most depressing, The Dark Knight Rises: Most brutal). Throughout the movie you can feel how this is the ending, it all ends here.… Expand

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 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

While not as good as its predecessor, The Dark Knight Rises still shows off the skills of all involved. It doesn't have anything like Heath Ledger's runaway performance as the Joker, but Tom Hardy's turn as Bane was pretty damn good, though his voice sounded slightly Connery-ish at times and could be hard to understand. Bale turned in another wonderful go at being the Bat, and Gary Oldman was magnificent as always as Commissioner James Gordon. However, I feel like the writing was a bit weaker this time around, with some out-of-character actions from some characters that spoiled parts, but the resolution and tension of the plot managed to keep me involved.… Expand

What I Like To Call
Movie Of The Year

Not as good as the Dark Knight, this epic by Nolan is still a masterpiece. Everything is glorious - the filming, the action, the acting, but this time plotholes are present, and if you think about them, they're somewhat big. But those don't spoil the impression of the movie, especially if it's viewed in IMAX. Besides, most of the plotholes can be answered by simple "Because he's Batman!". One of the strongest parts of the Batman stories is the villains. And Tom Hardy doesn't disappoint, his performance as Bane is amazing, considering he can't use his facial expressions due to the mask. I'm quite a fan of Nolan and his Dark Knight trilogy, so I might be exaggerating, but even though TDKR is worse than its predecessor, it is the best movie of summer 2012 and one of the best movies ever.… Expand

Insane film! But - nowhere near as good as Dark Knight. Sorry, and nostalgia out of the way, it's the truth. Also one thing I found this film was lacking was a sense of Gotham. The scale was so huge it just felt like Batman in New York/USA. And the very scene which was equally one of the best scenes of the whole film was the American Football scene. Why the boy sang the american national anthem in the fictional city is beyond me really. I know Gotham is meant to be an american city and all but it really took me out of the feeling that this is Gotham, the dark and dank, home of Batman. It made me feel - they've just filmed this in american cities posing as Gotham. THIS IS NOT GOTHAM. But apart from that - good film.… Expand

The expectations were overwhelmingly high by any standard and the expectations seemed very unrealistic and unfair. At least that's what I thought weeks before I saw it early in August. Back then, i actually felt sorry for Nolan and the huge amount of responsibility he has imposed on him self by making The Dark Knight. But saying that TDKR simply does not deliver is a lie and i've never been so disappointed in my life. What this film delivers is almost 3 hours long tedious and messy melodrama, full of standard cliches, traditional sentiment and clumsy characters.… Expand

After seeing "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight", the expectetions for this film are gigantic. Unfortunately, the film is not as good as the others, mostly because it has too many characters, and some of them aren't really important and don't have any purpose. This is the only problem of the film, everything else is fantastic! The script is greatly written, the new characters (Bane, Selina, Blake) are multidimensional, Tom Hardy in the role of Bane is great and the action scenes are memorable. The Dark Knight Rises has a fearless and beautiful ending, perfect to end the beloved Batman trilogy.… Expand

overall a bit disappointing and very confused in itself not as good or exciting as the previous movie and takes itself way too seriously.....
even the action sequences seemed a bit too staged for my liking

I saw this movie a couple of days ago, and in my opinion this movie met my expectations. There may have been a few little things that kind of bugged me but it was worth the money all the way.

The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting end to the trilogy. My expectations were pretty high going into the movie, and the movie did a good job of meeting my expectations. Personally, I like the Dark Knight and Batman Begins better than this movie. The DKR is definitely worth seeing, though. I would recommend watching the first two movies again before seeing this one. It will help you remember some of the characters and events in the previous movies that are important.… Expand