User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 2571 Ratings

User score distribution:

Review this movie

  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    The Dark Knight Rises was gloriously the best moment of my life in a movie theatre. It stands alone, peerless in the pantheon of superhero movies. There will be no spoilers here and if the impulse to spoil yourself before watching the film is too excruciating to bear, remember this, it'll be the equivalent of Selina Kyle robbing you blind. When Batman Begins came out, I was very sceptical about watching another one of those Batman flicks, such is the enduring traumatic impression Joel Schumacher's films left me. Thank goodness I did and from that point on there's no turning back. Christopher Nolan's finale made all the recently released superhero movies look like child's play to be honest, it is the appetizer to the main course that is the final chapter of The Dark Knight trilogy. The typical critique of Chris Nolan's movies is that it might be too cerebral for the casual moviegoer, no it's not. His films are universal, it's so well-layered, directed towards everyone. If you're more of the "intellectual genre" you'll notice the political undertones and social commentaries and what have you, but even if it goes over your head, it doesn't detract your experience from the film. Fanatic fans of the Batman comics will love all the little nods and references, even the major ones from the comic books thoughtfully implemented throughout the film.
    Christian Bale is just magnificent, as he puts it he plays three characters, the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, the true persona of Bruce Wayne still grieving the lost of his parents and the Batman. He's the defining actor of The Dark Knight, his portrayal of all these characters are just perfect and even though he's a man dressing up at night as a bat beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, we empathise with him. Returning inhabitants of Gotham and Bruce's fundamental foundation of his lifestyle is Gary Oldman's aged and weary morally-strayed Commissioner Jim Gordon, the Q to Batman's James Bond, Lucius Fox and possibly a Best Supporting Actor nominee perhaps, the closest thing to a father figure Bruce can get, his moral compass, oozing with words of wisdom, Michael Caine's Alfred Pennyworth. Scenes between the trio are so poignant, beautifully crafted and presented, it's so hard to watch without getting a lump in your throat, to describe it as tear-jerking ia an understatement. One of the newcomers is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's solid portrayal of beat cop John Blake and Marion Cotillard's enviromentalist Miranda Tate. The chief antagonist is Tom Hardy's full time terrorist Bane, He's frightening to watch, Tom embodies and embraces the sheer brutality and monstrosity of "the mercenary" flawlessly with half his face covered up, the way he conveys his emotions with only his eyes is amazing. Anne Hathaway's morally ambiguous Selina Kyle is a wild card, it's really fun to watch the development and chemistry between Bruce/Selina and Batman/the cat burglar. The 2 hours and 44 minutes running time didn't feel long at all, the story flows seamlessly as it comes full circle with flashbacks from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, it's all beautifully balanced between the intimate moments of character development that's unusual in a summer blockbuster film and the really elaborate and simply put awesome all-out war action sequences and the choreography of the brawls between Batman and Bane is much improved than the previous films. The most important element of The Dark Knight Rises however and what makes it a gem is that it manages to amp up the suspense and anxiety to incredible heights knowing that every single character is dispensable including the Batman. When was the last time you watched a superhero film and feel a genuine concern that our hero is not going to come out alive? Exactly.
    Thank you Christopher Nolan for not giving in to the public and I'm assuming studio demands to continue this magnificent 7-year journey we have all been through together, to truly end this great vision of the legend with integrity, to give this great story a great and true conclusion to let the Batman ride off into the sunset if you will. It was the ending this iconic character deserved. And to anyone who thinks the Rises in The Dark Knight Rises is just a convenient way to name the film, it makes complete sense, it
    Expand
  2. Jul 25, 2012
    5
    I liked this movie. But the problem is I really wanted to LOVE this movie. There were just so many small plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the film that kept creeping in and jarring me out of the experience as well as several secondary characters that really served no purpose at all. I would list them out but I won't to avoid spoilers. All in all, this felt kind of sloppy for a Christopher Nolan movie. Collapse
  3. Jul 23, 2012
    3
    It is not our own fault, as a collective audience, that the third film in the trilogy is often so pressurised into being a fantastic, ugly and plot-less mess. We get overexcited and speculate endlessly and wildly about the plot and twists of the film to the extent where the creators are left with no option but to go hell for leather and overload, over-complicate and overextend themselves when it comes to actually making the damned thing! Nolan has in the past provided massively entertaining well written, scripted and directed works of cinema, (TDK, Inception and YES prestige) I do not doubt his talent.

    TDKR was not one of them, the dialogue lacked the wit and pithy impact of the previous film to the point where everything felt rushed and miscued. The plot 'twists' were obvious, unnecessary and entirely un-intriguing. The action scenes were fine, a little drab although I appreciate the 'broken Batman' concept. Bane was good and would have appeared better if the rest of the plot had stood well around him. A suitably frightening bad guy I loved the voice and the interactions between him and his army (although why they are so willing to die at his command is never fully explained). The prison scene could have worked in another film, similar to Batman Begins for example, but were an irritating and contrived side plot, especially the whole rock climbing bit (was this the key scene? Not sure). Give a director enough budget and he will drop your expectations through a trapdoor.
    Expand
  4. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    It is an amazing film.Although Tom Hardy as Bale isn't able to match the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, but he gives a very solid performance.The acting of Bale too is great along with a brilliant plot.I think it really is the epic conclusion to the Batman Trilogy.Thanks Nolan for this film:)
  5. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best Batman movie ever. The action, scale, and emotion involved is breathtaking. Bane rivals the Joker as one of the best villains I have ever seen. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat and keep you holding your breath the entire time.
  6. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    The movie is about equal to the dark knight, which is a superb thing. the start is kind of slow and there are a few minor unexplained things, but just an overall brilliant film. the ending is the best i have ever seen in a film!
  7. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    The production values are brilliant. Camera, costumes, sets, production design and the rest are superior and, with the roller coaster ride Nolan gives us, make the 164-minute film fly by. My Favorite batman Flim yes Better than TDK :)
  8. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    The movie content is fantastic. Must see,btw. It's one of a kind. Christian Bale did it again , hope it tops the charts yet again .Guys please try and give it a 10/10 rating , I just want this movie to break all records and set its position on cloud nine.
  9. Jul 22, 2012
    4
    It's not a bad movie, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's certainly superior to Prometheus. However it lacks any impact. There are no memorable performances, ideas, moments, scenes or effects- good or bad. I didn't walk out angry but I was certainly disappointed.
    Bane was horribly realized. I'm sure the mask was a severe burden on Hardy's acting but I never connected with Bane the
    same way I did with the Joker, or even Ras. And given that he is probably my favourite Batman villain, that was a severe disappointment too. The voice is also frankly atrocious. It sounds like a stereotypical old man but through a Darth Vader filter. Half of his lines were unintelligible and the rest had any menace robbed from them thanks to the ridiculous tambre. The more we learn about him, the less sense he can his motivations make. Apart from that, the rest of the movie was just... just there. Anne Hathway made a pretty decent Femme Fatale, but the role never really evolved beyond that. I think there were just too many characters and development was spread too thin. I never got emotionally invested in any of the characters, and consequently the action and drama just didn't carry much weight.
    Speaking of spreading too thin, for a Batman film we see very little of Batman, and only marginally more of Bruce. He spends the entire first act hobbling around and then after two or so action scenes he spend most of the second act wallowing in a cell while what can only be described as 'Stuff' happens.
    The take home message of the film is shocking. Apart from pissing all over the 'people are essentially good' message of the second film, it also seems to be giving a great big middle finger to the idea of socialism and the Occupy movement. There's also a big thumbs up for authoritarianism. Did Frank Miller write this? Not to mention another subtext which seems to infer you should be grateful if you grow up in poverty or hardship as it will give you strength.
    All in all it's a deeply flawed film in its conception and execution. It's crime isn't so much that it does things badly (not to say that it doesn't do things badly), but that it doesn't really do anything well. It's the epitome of 'meh', neither good nor bad, but with some shoddy characterization and ideas. A plain cheese sandwich made with slightly stale bread.
    I think Nolan was too focused on referencing and drawing from comic source material and desperately trying to create a historical parallel, and not paying enough intention to just making a good film off his own talents. All in all, it's a big step back from The Dark Knight, and an unworthy ending. It's worth a look simply for closure, but probably as a rental.
    Expand
  10. Jul 28, 2012
    3
    Ultimately the problem with the movie is the plot makes no sense at all. As I'm endeavoring to not give away anything, so I'm going to be intentionally vague. There is no logical explanation for the actions of the villains in this movie. Nothing to justify why they are doing what they are doing, and even if you work past that and accept that they just are, what they end up doing doesn't even make sense in the context of their stated goals. Unlike the insane, but methodical plans of the Joker in the second movie, the bad guys in this are just plain insane, and yet they play it far more straight-faced than the aforementioned previous antagonist did.
    The next problem is the action. The whole "comic book movie" excuse that gets banded around so often can really only make up for so much. The core of the issue is that in Nolan's Batman universe, bullets seem to be more precious than diamonds. For some reason this did not feel quite as obvious in the previous two installments as it did in this one. Every action scene has mooks running up to Batman or other characters with guns in their hands to be easily disarmed. The frequency with which this happens in staggering. Barely anyone ever fires their guns throughout the movie and when they do, they make Stormtroopers look accurate. This culminates in a massive all out battle in which literally thousands of people suddenly forget the deadly projectile launching devices more or less all of them are holding and start laying into each other with whatever is available on hand. The sheer absurdity of the scene makes it impossible to ignore the issue even if you'd intentionally not payed attention everyone running up to martial arts specialists to be easily disarmed up to that point. All of this casts an absurd, practically silly light on the action that really detracts from the movies tone.
    Next problem: Exposition, exposition, exposition, exposition, exposition...you can see where I'm going with this. A character enters a plot important room and they start spouting exposition about it to people who quite obviously and unmistakable already have this knowledge beforehand, and nobody questions why they are being told something they already know. The sheer volume of exposition in this movie pushes the already ridiculous runtime past the point of tolerance.
    Honestly, I feel tired of this movie. I felt tired of it by the time it finally ended on it's awful cop-out ending, I felt tired thinking of all the things that really did not work in it, and I feel tired listing them here. I'm sorry, it just really isn't a good movie on almost any level, which is a crying shame seeing as it's predecessor is one of my personal favorites.
    Expand
  11. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    awsome movie. i was shocked at bane character ! nice plot. critical thinking. i love bruce wayne spirit. i can feel the pain.uhhh....anyway..4 years i wait for this sequel.....wow....i was so happy last nite..most of the audience clap hands at the end...thank you NOLAN..
  12. Jul 22, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching The Dark Knight, I knew right away that Rises wasn't going to top it. That was the mentality that I had going into the theater, hoping to be pleasantly surprised, yet expecting, at the very least, a satisfying conclusion. I got neither. To put it simply, this was both underwhelming and dumb. The movie opens with an entirely too elaborate plane heist for what amounted to the abduction of some arbitrary nuclear physicist that doesn't become relevant again until halfway in, only to be killed off just as soon as his importance is explained. If you really think about it, he wasn't necessary. All it really amounts to is some pithy moment at the football stadium where Bane establishes that the physicist was the only person capable of decommissioning a bomb, then kills him immediately to shock everyone. That was **** stupid because he wasn't even in Gotham before he was abducted, but I know everyone else in the audience was mesmerized and got chills. Idiots. Speaking of which, Bane's voice was impossible to understand and surprisingly wimpy sounding behind that mask. Maybe it's just me, but I seriously had no clue what he was saying when he talked in the microphone, further distorting his already hard to comprehend voice. Honestly, the movie jumps from plot point to plot point so quickly that you barely get the gist of what is going on before the shot changes again. Something else that was noticeably absent was the grittiness of the first movies. The emotions felt more genuine in the first two movies, whereas the acting in Rises felt phoned in. No one character really gets a whole lot of screen time. You don't get a chance to give a damn about them before the scene ends. Lotta plot holes in this movie, too. First, the movie establishes that Bruce Wayne has no cartilage in his knees any longer for some reason, forcing him to walk around with a cane. That's remedied by a quick scene showing him using high tech joint support devices that solve this problem while also enhancing his strength to the point that he can break through stone without effort, but then as Batman, he gets the case of the stupids and gets his dumb bat ass kicked by Bane, captured and stripped of his Bat Suit as well as joint support gadgetry, and abandoned in some underground prison. Not only that, his back is broken. So, magically, he's cured of his joint problems with absolutely no explanation, and being hung by a rope fixes his broken back. Dumb. Catwoman barely has any screen time, and arbitrarily wears a fetish leather suit with goggles later in the movie. Also she is an implied lesbian/bisexual with the scant couple of scenes and dialogue with her blonde friend or perhaps roommate. It's not really explained or necessary, but does it really matter? You're not doing the math when all you can think about is sex, are you stupid? Robin is a cop who actually doesn't help the situation even one god damn time. Nothing he does actually affects anything, so I have no clue why he's in the movie other than for the one line where someone tells him he should use his full name, "Robin." Wow, was that supposed to shock me? You think I didn't know who he was supposed to be? Oh, and somehow Batman is able to fly a nuclear bomb out to sea with his Bat copter thing with only 40 seconds left on the timer, then escapes from a 6 mile blast radius, when just two scenes before we see him just barely outflying tank missiles inside the city. The movie even confirms he somehow did this by indicating that he flew his copter back to Luscious' weapons depot without being noticed. I found this movie very hard to watch because of how brain-dead it was. This movie obviously wasn't meant for me. It was meant for morons with 3 second attention spans. Frankly, I'm shocked more people aren't pissed. Expand
  13. Jul 20, 2012
    5
    This movie reminded me of a combination of Weekend at Bernies (especially part II) and the video game Burgertime. This becomes especially apparent toward the middle of the film. Toward the end, the film picks up speed and Hans Blix's score really helps keep you awake. I also suspect that that movie theater I was in was pumping in something more than oxygen to keep the audience beyond awake as I went to the 3 am viewing and by 3:30 am, people were clapping at scenes that did not seem to deserve clapping and at several points during the film the guy next to me stood up and yelled: "Go Batman, Go!" As to the end of the film, what can I say but that it is truly amazing. The closest movie ending I can think that compares is the end to Cannonball Run when Captain America/Captain Chaos rescues a woman's dog and he and Burt Reynolds lose the race, but win the moral victory. The parallels are indeed almost frightening and I wouldn't be surprised if Christopher Nolan eventually reveals that Cannonball Run (and its precursor, Smokey and the Bandit) was his template for this movie. A solid film that stands alone as a pretty decent film, but is lacking in that Burt Reynoldsesque/Don Knotts levity that a dark movie like this sorely needs. Expand
  14. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Chris Nolan did it again. The dark knight rises topped the the dark knight. Rises had the best cast and best plot making for a entertaining edge of your seat summer block busting box office hit. I would recommend seeing it and i will see it again.
  15. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Now I see it, it sounds like batman's struggle against the Avengers. but there is no point of comparison, because batman does not compare to the movie of the advengers child.
  16. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Incredible and satisfying end to the Dark Knight trilogy. This is as good or better than the previous movie, and it is probably the best way they could have ended the series. The acting is great, the action scenes are amazing, the music is epic, and the story is very well executed. Highly recommended. The best superhero movie since the Dark Knight, and perhaps the best of all time.
  17. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Just when i didn't think it was possible, i was proven wrong. "The Dark Knight Rises" tops "The Dark Knight". Wow, talk about an amazing film. Amazing performances all around. Definitely the best goes to Tom Hardy and his exceptional work as Bane, while being excellent, he still wasn't as good as Heath Ledgers job as "The Joker" though, but Bane was still bada$$. Christopher Nolan is a genius and a mastermind. He has just created the best trilogy ever! I'm sad to see it end but at the same time i have to give a hand for Mr. Nolan and the amazing work he has done and its a good thing he doesn't overdo it and he knows that, one of the reasons why he "ends" it with "The Dark Knight Rises". Whether you're a Batman fan or not, you simply must enjoy this film because it is a pure stroke of genius. Everybody needs to witness this awesome, pulse-pounding, heartracing, and exciting film. Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon Levitt (who was amazing especially) Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine all had outstanding performances in this movie. This movie in every sense of a way deserves a 10/10. The Dark Knight Rises will leave you with your mind completely blown, and the people who have already seen it know exactly why i say this. Now stop reading this review and go witness Christopher Nolans latest and last Masterpiece of our favorite vigilante "The Batman". Expand
  18. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    This movie was an absolute perfect conclusion to the batman trilogy. It had action emotions effects and an incredible story. The acting and directing were captivating and harmonious and The fight scenes were thrilling. I could not have asked for a better conclusion.
  19. Jul 20, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While not the worst film ever made, The Dark Knight Rises is certainly a major letdown. The film is mired by numerous plot holes, logic errors, jarred storytelling, amateurish editing, bad pacing and transitions, and lack of explanation as to who the new comers are and why we should care. Not to mention the plot twist after plot twist that is thrown at the audience during the dull 2 1/2 hours you'll spend watching the movie. There are numerous things touched on in the beginning that are ultimately thrown to the wayside (see: Bruce's "brace") that distracts from the viewing experience and breaks the immersion of the film. There are also problems with the voice acting given during this movie; Bane is the primary culprit, but even Bruce, Alfred, and of all things Batman have issues with clarity and not sounding ridiculous. The logic of some of the characters in the movie is absolutely stupid as well (see: acting police chief when Bane makes his move). I just want to conclude by saying that "Auto-Pilot" doesn't mean "magical plot transporter". You'll see what I mean when you watch the film to it's non-nonsensical conclusion. Expand
  20. Jul 20, 2012
    5
    Underwhelming. The Dark Knight Rises had a lot to live up to with the superb previous two movies and it simply doesn't. I don't want to knock this film for not being the previous two though, that'd be hard given how staggering the Joker was in the last movie, but as a film in itself it just isn't that spectacular. First the good; some of the characters are excellently portrayed. Bane in particular was fantastic, both built like the proverbial brick privvy but educated sounding and melancholy, although it's hard as hell to hear him at times. Catwoman was also very good and most of the regulars in general, though this in itself seemed to make Bruce Wayne/Batman seem somewhat sidelined. The visual were good and clear with nice scenery and the like, special effects not being too over the top and so forth. The ending (what we've all realistically been yearning for) was a mixed bag and that leads me onto the weaker aspects. The road to the ending was ridiculously convoluted. The plot is jarring and it felt at points that my suspended disbelieve had been hanged from the neck until dead and hung from a skyscapper. Gaping plot holes present themselves as the story weaves and back tracks and slides from here to there with a few unsubtly placed references that will no doubt crop up later in some significant way. Hey! Hey! You see this thing? Notice how we are mentioning it now?!

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

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

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

    P.S. To those that have seen this and are reading reviews to justify their own opinions (we all do it), speeds of over 360 mph would be needed for the ending, right? Yeah, right.
    Expand
  21. Jul 21, 2012
    10
    I don't usually review films but felt compelled to with this. I won't say much as it's all pretty much been said but it was the perfect to ending to a perfect trilogy & for me has sealed Nolan's place as one of Hollywood's greats.
  22. Jul 20, 2012
    3
    Unfortunately the benefit I thought I'd get by seeing the entire Trilogy tonight of Christopher Nolan's brilliant Batman world actually worked against me. Seeing Batman Begins, by far the best of the three, again had just as much of the magic as my first opening night screening. The Dark Knight, too, continued to set the GOLD standard for superhero filmmaking. That is why seeing those two masterpieces bumped up against this awful excuse for a Batman and an even worse excuse for a Christopher Nolan film, made the evening purely miserable. First, the opening scene introducing Bane and the ending wrapping up the Trilogy We're the best 20 total minutes of the movie. That, and a fantastic, yet not-used-as-much-as-she-should-have-been Catwoman portrayal by a very sexy Anne Hathaway, pretty much summed up what was worth seeing in this clumsy, poorly written, poorly acted travesty of a sequel. The vast majority of its 2:45 running time resembled not one ounce of a Christopher Nolan film, save for the above caveats. Christian Bale even appears to have forgotten how to play Batman and Bruce Wayne. The cast was almost unrecognizable, and for that I blame the script. Color me disappointed. Expand
  23. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Okay, Marvel fanboy here, and I'm saying that the Avengers was just surpassed here. Let's be real, The Avengers was a cheesy explosion of special effects. A very good one, but it doesn't match the gripping emotions, the stellar acting, and grand directing of this film. The Avengers is great pop culture entertainment, Rises is simply great CINEMA.
  24. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nolan was able to bring his Dark knight trilogy full circle with the dark night raises. You can not compare it to either of the other two films. Unlike the Joker from the dark knight.. Who was more crazy and just rolled with the punches. Bane is pure evil wanting to destroy everything or everyone in his path and he has a plan! Tom Hardy does a great job playing the villain with just his eyes and body language over all! Bale filled out the role of batman perfectly again. The effects were the best out of the 3 films. Just when you think, How can Nolan make this bigger or better. He does, dont doubt the man he is a genius at movie magic . He stays with his own story, yet still sticks well to batman lore. With sprinklings of a little modern day troubles within our own world. The one that was the best and only thing I will give you from the movie is Bane and his men Go into the Gotham stock exchange. One guy says "what do you think your going to steal this is the stock echange there is no Money here?!" Bane replies "If there is no money here then what are you doing here!" With Nolans Batman Trilogy to a satisfying close. The next person that tries to revive the batman series. I wish them the best of luck they will need it. Nolan has placed a big foot print in that department that I dont believe anyone can fill! Expand
  25. Jul 20, 2012
    9
    An epic, visceral, emotional ride. A truly grand feat of filmmaking. Is it better than The Dark Knight? No. But then again, under the circumstances, there was no way it ever could be. What it IS however, is a fitting conclusion to Nolan's Batman saga, the best film he could have possibly made without Heath Ledger. Nolan has beaten the "superhero threequel curse" and delivered the second best Batman film ever made, and arguably, the second best comic-book movie too. A must see (but come on, you were going to see it anyway). Expand
  26. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    SPOILER FREE REVIEW: There is no word grand enough to describe the closing film in the Dark Knight saga. Epic doesn't even come close. It is an experience that is truly transcendent for any big summer blockbuster, let alone a comic book adaptation. The movie is set 8 years after the previous film and in the new Gotham crime seems to no longer be the problem, however a new one has begun to grow from the depths of Gotham's sewers, as an increasingly corrupt and greedy 1% take and take and leave nothing for the rest. It is set in a world that so closely resembles our own world in so many ways and Nolan touches on this subject in a way that no other big time director would dare to fathom, nor accomplish with such precision. Some will say that this film is a scathing rejection of socialism, when in fact it shows us the danger of ignoring social and economic injustice, which is at it's extreme a Russian style revolution. But politics and economics aside, the film is still wholly carried by it's intensity and its action, and the action is simply breathtaking. Nolan seems to be the only big budget director left who uses CGI only when absolutely necessary and the effect is very real and impressive, especially during the jaw dropping last 45 minutes of the film. The cast of The Dark Knight Rises is, I think, the best ever assembled for a Batman movie and the surprise best performance comes from Anne Hathaway who is fierce as Catwoman, but also surprisingly human and genuine. She embodies the message of the movie, showing us that all people can change and everyone should have a second chance. Tom Hardy's Bane is perhaps the most fearsome villain I've ever seen on the screen, even if he lacks the electricity that made Heath Ledger's performance in the Dark Knight so monumental. And then there is Marion Cotillard who, even though she wasn't given enough screen time, still managed to steal many of the scenes she was in. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a good performance as well, though I don't think he was given enough of a chance to show off his skills. The returning cast was all great as well, particularly Michael Cain. It is inevitable that this film will be compared in every way to it's towering predecessor, and in many ways The Dark Knight Rises is better. For example, the Screenplay seemed much tighter for this film and was almost 100% devoid of cliches that somewhat dogged the first one, and the amazing score by Hans Zimmer seemed to be more thrilling in this film. However, as a whole I think audiences will respond less to this one because of it's much more pensive nature. It doesn't all fly at you with lightning speed like The Dark Knight does. To fully appreciate this movie you have to be fully engaged and you have to come at it with an open mind and a willingness to want more than just a lot of action and violence. My only big complaint about this movie is that even though it was 2 hrs and 45 min long, it still felt to short. Expand
  27. Jul 21, 2012
    8
    A wonderful end to the finest superhero-themed trilogy one has ever seen. Every character is developed fantastically, from the villainous Bane to the ever loyal Alfred, the hardened Commissioner Gordon and finally the Caped Crusader himself. A must see for anyone who wants more than their admission ticket's worth.
  28. Jul 20, 2012
    5
    The Dark Knight Rises was slow, often boring. It makes a few assaults to the audience's intelligence. Implausible, convoluted, often predictable, and cliched. The worst parts were the boring and convoluted.

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

    So many flashbacks, but not to shed light on the story, but to misdirect you. The sad part is, even with the misdirection and the "twist", they hardly spent enough time on the character involving the "twist" to make you care, all this effort placing your attention on a plot point that ends up being irrelevant. 5 out of 10. If yer bored, watch it. I would have been more entertained doing something else.
    Expand
  29. Jul 20, 2012
    4
    The Dark Knight was the best superhero film to date. However, TDKR was not. It wasnt even good. The entire movie was slow, boring, preachy, pandering, and had practically no action. If you know Batman lore, you know who Miranda Tate is, so the "surprise" at the end, wasnt a surprise. And even if you dont know the lore, it still wasnt all that much of a twist. It felt like an afterthought to throw into the movie. All the people who say TDKR was the best movie ever and gave it a 10, have not seen the movie yet, or are just insane fanboys that will love anything with a bat symbol on it. Expand
  30. Aug 1, 2012
    8
    "The Dark Knight Rises" is a brilliant summer blockbuster that succeeds responding its massive hype by gloriously ending The Dark Knight Trilogy. Despite some stretched-out plot holes and cliches the movie's story-line is tight and packed with visual eye candy, stuff that you gotta watch in IMAX. Most of the actors from "Inception" are brought down into the film and they boast solid performances. The tone of the movie isn't as dark as "The Dark Knight", but it still is mature and realistic (in a sense...). However what Christopher Nolan hit dead right was, in my opinion. the ending. I won't spoil anything but I can say that the ending is very refreshing and interesting; it's different from the usual linear endings brainless Hollywood blockbuster directors/producers think of. Long story short, WATCH IT. It's not quite the same level as of "The Dark Knight", but it has big scope visual eye-pleasers as well as a somewhat sensational and wise ending; a finishing touch for director Nolan's epic trilogy of the lonesome dark knight. Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 45
  2. Negative: 2 out of 45
  1. Reviewed by: Todd Gilchrist
    Jul 23, 2012
    100
    A cinematic, cultural and personal triumph, The Dark Knight Rises is emotionally inspiring, aesthetically significant and critically important for America itself – as a mirror of both sober reflection and resilient hope.
  2. Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    Jul 23, 2012
    70
    Christopher Nolan, for all his visionary flair, wants to suck the comic out of comic books; Anne Hathaway wants to put it back in. Take your pick.
  3. Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    Jul 20, 2012
    85
    As you might expect from the creator of "Inception" and "Memento," there are surprises both in the story and in the storytelling. But the biggest surprise may just be how satisfying Nolan has made his farewell to a Dark Knight trilogy that many fans will wish he'd extend to a 10-part series, at least.