I appreciate it for what it is and I can tell you that without a doubt, it really is a good movie. The scale of the film is beyond what the last two were. I’ve read a few reviews where many people have said that if you enjoyed BB more than TDK then this movie is for you and I can’t agree with that anymore. Nolan takes the themes and tone of BB and some small elements of TDK and adds them all into The Dark Knight Rises.
I don’t have to tell you how amazing the cinematography is. Besides, this is a comic book site, do we really care how light or how dark a scene was? Besides that, my point is, without a doubt Wally Pfister needs to have another academy in his hands by next year’s awards. The film itself I feel like it might get nominated but it won’t win and I don’t think that it should win either.
Now please allow me to speak to you as real as I can be. I am a DIE HARD NOLANITE. Plain and simple. Many people in this site say that most nolanites refuse to see any flaws committed by this man and my counter is, when you make an overall really good movie, those flaws tend to be forgiven and forgotten. It is when you make a shitty movie that those flaws must be accountable for. Even the Avengers had flaws, but since it was so good, you forgive and you forget.
I, like most of all you, am sure, have been following this movie since day 1. Every picture, every news, every early leaked detail, they’ve all been glared by my eyes. And I’d like to take a second and thank this site and it’s writers for covering all that news for so many months now and putting it all on here for us to read and manly doing it without getting paid. So really, BIG THANK YOU CBM. (Especially you Nail, no one puts out as much TDKR news as you do man, THANK YOU)
But guys, I finally have to break the so called nolanite mold and tell you that, I feel like shit even having to write this and thinking about it but The Dark Knight Rises does not beat The Dark Knight. I am a person who did enjoy TDK more than BB. Going in to see this movie, a lot of people told me beforehand that it was obvious this film was not going to be better than TDK but it didn't really matter as long as it finished in a satisfactory note.
It does end in a satisfactory note. When you look at all three, it really is an amazing trilogy. We can finally say that we have a masterpiece comic book trilogy. If you look at this movie as a standalone film without putting it against TDK, this clearly is a brilliant film. But if you’re like me and still have some of that aftertaste left from TDK, then this film doesn’t even touch TDK.
I’m not mad nor do I hate the movie, I’m just a little heart broken. I really wanted this to be better than TDK but it wasn’t and that just saddens me so much. I had so much high hopes for this film and it broke my heart. I’m trying to see it as a film on its own with no backbone attached to it but it’s just really hard to do. I can tell you that it is better than most great CBM and on par with some of them and yes it is better than the Avengers but let’s end it there before I run into trouble.
It almost feels like this is the sloppy work of Nolan but the ironic thing is, Nolan’s sloppy work feels like most directors’ A game. I'm not really a fan of the pace. I think the film is too rushed; I would have loved for some parts within the story to have really played out. It deserves to have more time. The story was really good; I actually like the story here more than of TDK, it’s just I like the way TDK was built and executed more.
There are moment were you are left in awe, I can’t deny that. The first Bane/Batman fight is just completely breath taking. Everything you want to see in that fight will happen. That’s all I’m going to say about that. The actors are all in their A game. Bane is a bad ass mother [frick]er. There really isn't much to say about him than that. All the naysayers will eat their own words. The same goes to Selina Kyle. Anne is Catwoman even if she isn't mentioned once by that name in the film. My only complaint is Marion Cotillard and there is not even anything wrong with how she acts here or what she does, it’s just her character is a bit not that important, until the end obviously (small spoiler sorry). To make it more clear, any actress could have played her role just not someone like Marion Cotillard with all her qualities.
So like I said, watch this film and try as hard as it might be, to not even think about TDK, if that is your favorite of the two. You do that and you’ll see how amazing this film is. You do the opposite then it’s pretty hard to neglect that there is something missing. Regardless, it is an enjoyable and brilliant film and one everyone needs to see. But seeing as we’re all nerds here, we’re burden, at least I am, with needing to know if it stands with its predecessor or not. I really wish I don’t care as much but I do. So I ask to please take it easy on me if you disagree with my opinion. Understand this is not a negative review; I’m not a crazy fan on some rampage seeking to disrupt this film. I’m just letting all you fellow nerds of mine know how I feel about it. So I'll shut up now, peace.
My overall score