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The Dark Knight Rises


John Crichton

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Well, we can't have a Batman dressed in an Armani suit, now can't we? It would no longer be Batman ... but James Bond. ;)

Nolan once celebrated myth and mystery ... when he made The Prestige. Watch the beautiful scenes with Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) and you know what I mean.

Alex

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TDKR takes place 14 years after TDK, so its DEFINITELY in the future.

Consesnus is that it takes place 8 years after TDK, not 14.

Ah, ok. I stopped reading about the movie to avoid spoilers.

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Well, we can't have a Batman dressed in an Armani suit, now can't we? It would no longer be Batman ... but James Bond. ;)

Nolan once celebrated myth and mystery ... when he made The Prestige. Watch the beautiful scenes with Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) and you know what I mean.

Alex

I know this guy who really intensely dislikes the Prestige more than any Nolan film. He did like the individual scenes but felt the film was far less than the sum of it's parts. He also felt the secret of the twins was way to obvious. I don't get that, I personally thought the twin part was a wow moment that caught me completely by surprise, and the film was more than the sum of it's parts.
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I personally thought the twin part was a wow moment that caught me completely by surprise, and the film was more than the sum of it's parts.

I figured out the twins part before it was revealed

so did most everyone with an IQ over 6.

So, are you saying you have an IQ inferior to 6?

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Well, we can't have a Batman dressed in an Armani suit, now can't we? It would no longer be Batman ... but James Bond. ;)

Nolan once celebrated myth and mystery ... when he made The Prestige. Watch the beautiful scenes with Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) and you know what I mean.

Alex

I know this guy who really intensely dislikes the Prestige more than any Nolan film. He did like the individual scenes but felt the film was far less than the sum of it's parts. He also felt the secret of the twins was way to obvious. I don't get that, I personally thought the twin part was a wow moment that caught me completely by surprise, and the film was more than the sum of it's parts.

Yes but ... what does that have anything to do with it? How does this add to the main issue? I like it more than the other Nolans, but that's not the point. Also, why the intense hate when you like the individual scenes? That seems rather odd, right?

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I personally thought the twin part was a wow moment that caught me completely by surprise, and the film was more than the sum of it's parts.

I figured out the twins part before it was revealed

so did most everyone with an IQ over 6.

So, are you saying you have an IQ inferior to 6?

:lol: That made my day right there.

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I personally thought the twin part was a wow moment that caught me completely by surprise, and the film was more than the sum of it's parts.

I figured out the twins part before it was revealed

so did most everyone with an IQ over 6.

So, are you saying you have an IQ inferior to 6?

no, because I used a qualifier in the word most

I'm sure I have moments that dip below six. but it doesn't happen often. I locked myself out of the house awhile back, that was a negative IQ moment, about a minus 42 (dollars).

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I think The Prestige might be his best film and twist and turns of the story have nothing to do with it. I like a very human story going on in it (the ruining Faustian ambition and all that), the performances (Hugh Jackman is fantastic), the whole premise of the story (Tesla vs. Edison subplot especially), and, and the small, intimate scale. It is also a very unorthodox look at the Victorian era, from a visual standpoint. Certainly Wally Pfister's (the cinematographer) best work.

I generally tend to disagree that Nolan's films are overwrought (or that it is a bad thing), but at least I can understand why it bothers some people. The Prestige script is definitely better balanced than his latter works, though. The complex, non-linear narrative aside (which itself works well as a metaphor for all the trapping and "smoke and mirror" elements of the story), the two main characters lead the piece.

And it is better than the book it's based on. An entertaining read (even after watching the film), but nothing truly great.

Karol

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The movies are not set in "present day" per se, they never say when they are set. TDKR takes place 14 years after TDK, so its DEFINITELY in the future. You could argue all the other ones were too.

Actually TDKR is 8 years after Dark Knight.

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I think The Prestige might be his best film and twist and turns of the story have nothing to do with it. I like a very human story going on in it (the ruining Faustian ambition and all that), the performances (Hugh Jackman is fantastic), the whole premise of the story (Tesla vs. Edison subplot especially), and, and the small, intimate scale. It is also a very unorthodox look at the Victorian era, from a visual standpoint. Certainly Wally Pfister's (the cinematographer) best work.

I generally tend to disagree that Nolan's films are overwrought (or that it is a bad thing), but at least I can understand why it bothers some people. The Prestige script is definitely better balanced than his latter works, though. The complex, non-linear narrative aside (which itself works well as a metaphor for all the trapping and "smoke and mirror" elements of the story), the two main characters lead the piece.

Agreed, although I will say that the complex method of telling the story is really a lot of fun for me, and probably played a larger role in my enjoyment of the film than it did in yours. I don't enjoy unintentionally confusing storytelling like you find in TDK, for instance, but a more deliberate type of confusion works wonders in The Prestige. I need to watch that film again.

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I think The Prestige might be his best film and twist and turns of the story have nothing to do with it. I like a very human story going on in it (the ruining Faustian ambition and all that), the performances (Hugh Jackman is fantastic), the whole premise of the story (Tesla vs. Edison subplot especially), and, and the small, intimate scale. It is also a very unorthodox look at the Victorian era, from a visual standpoint. Certainly Wally Pfister's (the cinematographer) best work.

I generally tend to disagree that Nolan's films are overwrought (or that it is a bad thing), but at least I can understand why it bothers some people. The Prestige script is definitely better balanced than his latter works, though. The complex, non-linear narrative aside (which itself works well as a metaphor for all the trapping and "smoke and mirror" elements of the story), the two main characters lead the piece.

Well said, crocs. You are right to point out that the 'mystery' in The Prestige is not necessarily that what drives the film but rather the theme of obsession. It's interesting to compare The Prestige with Scott's The Duellists. Different yet thematically very similar movies. The difference lies in the approach. Actually, my signature explains it perfectly.

Alex

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  • 2 weeks later...

http://manarchymag.com/core/2012/07/dark-knight-rises-sneak-review/

The end of a truly epic trilogy is upon us. Christopher Nolan, director of all three installments of Batman, pondered even making this final film. He promised only to direct a third movie if the story was not only necessary, but gripping to him as the director. He was so dedicated to this end, that the story outline was completed before he was even named director of his last blockbuster, Inception.

And so the story goes. The dedication towards making a truly dignified conclusion to the caped crusaders most profitable series has paid off. What has been created is not only the best collection of comic book movies ever produced, but also the most outstanding installment of the Nolan’s Batman.

Bruce Wayne, played by the dark and brooding Christian Bale, has reached the crossroads of his relatively short life. He has lost his only love at the hands of Heath Ledger’s Joker, and is a man with a broken spirit. His alter ego is no better off, having become the most hated man in Gotham City. Bane, on the other hand, is introduced in a fashion that reflects the chaos of his character. As Bruce Wayne and his alter ego collapse, his rise to power is equally as stunning.

Supporting both the protagonist and antagonist are a host of diverse characters that are as complex as they are intriguing. In The Dark Knight, we were presented with the Joker, who was not only insane, but also incapable of telling the same origin story twice. He would gladly die to “watch the world burn.” This movie gives us this complexity with no less than three supporting roles. While this writer has found Anne Hathaway (of The Princess Diaries and Havoc fame) to be drab and aloof in her past roles, she is the polar opposite in The Dark Knight Rises. She not only blows away Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman portrayal, she is downright intoxicating.

As per usual, Gary Oldman provides us with a flawless portrayal of Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. He is a character that the good in us can relate to, which is pretty significant in a city that is surrounded by crime and despondent citizens. As well, we are graced with Inception-alumna Marion Cotillard, who brings talent to a role that would otherwise be considered, frankly, boring. Last, and certainly not least, is fellow Inception-alumnus Joseph Gordon-Levitt. To say anything specific about his role is to give away integral parts of the movie. Suffice to say, he is by far the best supporting character of any of the three Nolan Batman films, eclipsing that of the venerable Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth.

I would be remiss if I did not touch on what Nolan seems to have perfected – the villain. Bane is this installment’s chaos. He is played by Tom Hardy who is (yes, you guessed it) a supporting actor in Inception. The brilliance of the direction of these films is how lost you get in the villain’s soul. You lose track of the fact that an A-list actor is on screen. You are completely immersed in their portrayal as an ordered society’s tainted medicine.

If you thought The Dark Knight introduced us to a dystopia, just wait until you watch this movie. We learn that it is not only Bruce Wayne and Batman that are rotting from the inside out, but an entire society. You will see urbanites at their most wretched, and in their prime. The chaos wrought unto Gotham City by the Joker was merely the beginning. And Nolan manages to convey this wild ride into 165 minutes of his best work.

- Katy Purry

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The 137 and 138th word in that passage have me stymied; they may be the only reason for spoiler tags in this otherwise spoiler-free sales pitch.

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The 137 and 138th word in that passage have me stymied; they may be the only reason for spoiler tags in this otherwise spoiler-free sales pitch.

the only reason for spoiler tags is my dislike of excluding them when posting articles/reviews (even spoiler-free ones). DEAL WITH IT!

and what does stymied mean? :(

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So apparently the main inspiration for this film was Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.

Interesting, most interesting.

Also, the first reviews seem to suggest it will be better than the previous one. I'm still not convinced. Ah well, 11 days to go!

Karol

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The 137 and 138th word in that passage have me stymied; they may be the only reason for spoiler tags in this otherwise spoiler-free sales pitch.

the only reason for spoiler tags is my dislike of excluding them when posting articles/reviews (even spoiler-free ones). DEAL WITH IT!

and what does stymied mean? :(

Please don't misunderstand me, miss "i'm gonna give the muppets 5/10." I was merely mentioning that for the benefit of anyone who was afraid to read it; it doesn't give away the plot.

To stymy or stymie means to thwart or stump. In this case, it means I don't know what the two spoiler words indicate for our cowled friend.

What's that? "Princess Diaries"?

No, the next to last word and the one before it in the sentence that starts with "Bruce." It's easier to copy a chunk of text into your favorite word processor and do a Word Count and add or subtract one than it is to count 1, 2, 3, 4,... all the way up, or even count sentences. If'n you don't know by now...

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It contains new footage. If that's what you mean. Not really plot-oriented, though.

No, the next to last word and the one before it in the sentence that starts with "Bruce." It's easier to copy a chunk of text into your favorite word processor and do a Word Count and add or subtract one than it is to count 1, 2, 3, 4,... all the way up, or even count sentences. If'n you don't know by now...

I think you might be reading too much into it. But then again, who knows?

Karol

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13 minute preview of the movie. VERY spoiler-heavy for those not wanting to see beyond what's in the trailers or hear so many of the producers discussing the film.

[media=]

It was worth it just to hear Christopher Nolan say "Catwoman," thank the Steelers, and showing how much they destroyed the field.

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When you say spoiler-heavy, do you mean it reveals the plot of the film? Or just that it shows a lot of scenes?

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I would rather say it's spoiler-heavy and scare away all those who don't want to see anything than say "it's safe" and listen to people cry because it showed them something they wanted to wait one more week to see. So it's an "I don't know how to answer either question and didn't feel qualified to try" kind of answer.

I would say it includes a few minor spoilers that I had not seen in any previous trailers. It uses a few specific words that some people may find spoilerific. For instance, Nolan does speak the C word -- not that one, the other one. It shows one set that has not been seen since the first movie.

It shows a lot of movie clips, sure, and it shows a lot of behind the camera shots and clips and the actors talking, but I still don't know much more about the plot beyond what the trailers have shown, so I put the warning out there. The clip is not just 13 minutes of movie footage because that would be giving too much away. It basically introduces all the main characters and gives the actors something to say about their relationship to Batman or purpose in the story. For instance, Tom Hardy says that when Bale was in full costume, he'd look at him and the three-year-old inside him would get giddy because "there's Batman." It shows a few locations that I had never seen in any trailer and didn't know how to fit them into the context of what I think I know. It does not show any villains previously appearing in Nolan's saga.

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I just used your post as an opportunity for a Marathon Man quote

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I've got two tickets booked for the "Batman weekend". The normal screening on Friday (there are no midnight showing here) and the IMAX one in Manchester on Saturday. That's the closest venue like this to mine. Well, it's about time I visited this city. And I've never been to IMAX before. Can't wait!

Karol

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My friend invited me to an IMAX midnight premiere, so I'm pretty excited. I love premieres were there are tons of fans who are excited. The pencil trick from TDK got such a great reaction at midnight.

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Not the best reviews site but IGN's scoop handshake continues: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/07/16/the-dark-knight-rises-review

If Nolan has kept the consistency throughout and knocked a smashing finale out the park then hats of to him.

The wait for the reboot begins here.

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15 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. 15 positive reviews, some glowing, some calling it a masterpiece, almost everyone saying it lacks the intensity of Ledger's performance but judged on it's own it's very good. One review said it blows away every Marvel film this summer. That's easy to believe. Spiderman was fun but popcorn, and the Avengers the most overrated film of all time.

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