Batman - The Dark Knight Rises

[LemonMelon]

Has anybody here read Knightfall? I found the differences and similarities with that storyline interesting. Nolan made it work. The Joker and Scarecrow (set free by Bane, as Catwoman is in TDKR) are in Knightfall and are actually a significant reason for the weakening we see in Dark Knight Rises that leads to Batman being broken by Bane. They had to omit Joker for obvious reasons. In addition, there's no Pit of Despair, and there is a replacement Batman enlisted during his rehabilitation. It's an interesting arc.

 

[corianderstem]

I loved seeing Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy pop up. Cillian especially - I gave a good laugh of surprise when we saw he was the judge.

 

[monkeyskin]

Has anybody here read Knightfall?

Next on my list. How far along did you read, it looks like it went on for a year or two between Bane breaking Batman and Batman later defeating Bane?

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm mostly just familiar with the Broken Bat and Who Rules The Night storylines. Knightquest is about Batman's replacement Jean-Paul Valley, and I haven't read that. His slow descent into madness and abuse of power sounds interesting. He actually becomes the villain for a while, not Bane.

 

[mobvok]

The nuclear hostage scenario was too weak to overcome my volume of nagging quibbles with the motivation and mechanics of the whole thing. Quibble Volume is not a killer problem in itself, it's something The Dark Knight overcame, but it did leave me feeling really underwhelmed this morning.

 

[the tourist]

The Pit of Despair almost seemed to me like Nolan's take on the Lazarus Pit.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

That's absolutely what it was.

 

[corianderstem]

Also, I almost laughed at the "hooray, we're saved!" moment of the bomb exploding over "the bay."

Yay, nuclear fallout! Polluted waters! Don't eat the seafood ever again!

Despite my minor nits, I will surely see it again, hopefully at the IMAX.

 

[the tourist]

That's absolutely what it was.

I didn't wanna go and say absolutely, since the Lazarus Pit brings people back from the dead. But yeah. Nolan and his semi-realism take.

 

[cobl04]

Well, I was pretty fucking blown away. Didn't have a performance akin to Ledger's, but I really loved every single second. A very fitting finish to one of the best trilogies ever. My heart broke for Alfred when he was in front of the graves, but I love Hollywood endings, so I loved Robin and Alfred and Bruce seeing each other in Italy.

Scrolling back through all your thoughts, I guess the quibbles some of you had just didn't bother me. To those of you a bit about how he got back to Gotham, etc, it is a superhero movie. The most bemusing part to me was how he fixed his broken back with a poke from the old bloke and then a few chin ups.

I'm sure more thoughts will come to me, but my head is spinning at the moment. I was quite awestruck by what Christopher Nolan was able to do. My mind can't even fathom how you could create something like that.

Just finally, and please feel free to shoot me down for this, but did anyone feel like the ending was just a tiny, subtle wink to this scene from 60s Batman?

1960s Batman - The Bomb - YouTube

I know that's a very Morrissey-plays-Satellite-of-Love suggestion, but it did pop into my head, and I smiled.

That's all you have to say? Not even going to comment on how big Cotillard's post-natal boobs looked?

That shot certainly encouraged a bit of movement downstairs.

 

[Imperor]

I'd be hard pressed to say this wasn't my favorite cameo in the trilogy:

Spoiler

 

[lazarus]

There were quite a few laughs from our hipster-heavy audience at that one.

 

[Imperor]

Likewise. And I also was one of several who chuckled at Littlefinger/Carcetti popping up in the first scene.

Also:

*SPOILER ALERT* The Dark Knight Rises 1966 Opening Theme - YouTube

 

[powerhour24]

I loved seeing Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy pop up. Cillian especially - I gave a good laugh of surprise when we saw he was the judge.

"Death... by exile!"

The Honorable Judge Scarecrow presiding.

 

[powerhour24]

I'll say it, it tops The Dark Knight in scope, ambition, emotion and yes, even the villain. And the full circle aspects returning from Batman Begins made it all the better. TDK wears its ambitions to be Heat crossed with The Godfather in a comic book movie openly, this installment manages to stand on its own a lot more. Perhaps the pacing isn't as tightly wound as TDK, but there's so much to keep your attention & keep you anticipating that it wasn't a drawback to me.

I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but probably what impressed me the most is the weight and history that's implied by the gap in the story throughout the film & its setting. When Batman first comes riding in again it's so much more powerful than just the first action sequence in any old sequel.

My two complaints though: I was really enjoying how they were setting Blake up to be a nod towards Robin, until the scene where they out & out named him that. . Also, as impressive as the IMAX resolution is, the switching perspectives was not nearly as seamless as it was in The Dark Knight, there's far too many scenes where typical widescreen ratio footage is intercut with IMAX footage and the transitions were often jarring and making the people seem squashed for a brief moment until your brain adjusts, only for it to go and switch again. Sure IMAX cameras are too loud to record any audio on set, but at this rate they should have gone full out with it, or at least shot the scenes that would feature it completely in the format. Of course this probably comes down to not being able to predict how the edit is going to come together while shooting, which is understandable.

 

[powerhour24]

I was surprised by how much I liked Catwoman, as I may have already said. I expect to kind of hate her, and I decidedly did not.

My biggest problem with the film was the lack of backstory for Bane. Not the person, but the villain. Like, where the fuck did the mask come from? It seemed like they were relying a bit too hard on the audience just knowing who Bane was and what the mask did, and I was kind of irritated with that throughout the film, waiting for the explanation to come.

His back story is certainly there, more than any of the previous villains, you're just talking about an explanation for how the mask worked. Which was implied, and I didn't feel we needed to know more about it's function ala Lucius Fox explaining things to Bruce.

 

[powerhour24]

One last thing, another reason this was more enjoyable to me, Bale gets the chance to actually anchor the movie and has quite the arc, which is why despite its more modest scope and cast I always preferred Batman Begins to TDK, it's all about Bruce Wayne as a living, breathing and tortured person. Every previous Batman movie made Wayne nothing but his playboy image and even Batman plays second fiddle to the villains. Here they manage to create the epic scope and balance of the ensemble that TDK accomplished, while still allowing Bruce to have that great arc and depth.

 

[LemonMelon]

I really loved the interactions between Bruce and Alfred, I got a bit choked up when they had to split up, and on to Bruce's "death." Michael Caine is a tour-de-force in TDKR, for the little screen time he gets.

Not sure that I agree TDKR "stands on its own more." This film definitely brings the trilogy closest to being a cheesy, heartwarming action series. The entire plot is some shit about the hero being down on his luck and triumphing over adversity, and the ending is hilarious (if necessary; like Nolan would ever have the nerve to kill Batman). It's been done a thousand times, and less absurdly. It's not like TDK was a revolution in filmmaking, but it messed with your head a lot more. TDKR is more about brute force and pulled heartstrings, which is a weakness, but I can see why some would find it more appealing. You definitely want to throw up a bit when TDK ends.

I will say that the twist was a very pleasant surprise. I couldn't buy Bane as the sole villain. I knew he had to be answering to someone.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I really loved the interactions between Bruce and Alfred, I got a bit choked up when they had to split up, and on to Bruce's "death." Michael Caine is a tour-de-force in TDKR, for the little screen time he gets.

Not sure that I agree TDKR "stands on its own more." This film definitely brings the trilogy closest to being a cheesy, heartwarming action series. The entire plot is some shit about the hero being down on his luck and triumphing over adversity, and the ending is hilarious (if necessary; like Nolan would ever have the nerve to kill Batman). It's been done a thousand times, and less absurdly. It's not like TDK was a revolution in filmmaking, but it messed with your head a lot more. TDKR is more about brute force and pulled heartstrings, which is a weakness, but I can see why some would find it more appealing. You definitely want to throw up a bit when TDK ends.

I will say that the twist was a very pleasant surprise. I couldn't buy Bane as the sole villain. I knew he had to be answering to someone.

so true on Caine's performances.. stellar IMO. And even the second time I got choked with those scenes with Bruce and death scene.

 

[bollox]

Caine really had to do almost all the emotional heavy lifting in the movie. I've always been impressed with his spot on portrayal of Alfred and have enjoyed him in all three movies.

So, what did Bane's voice remind people of? I'd have to go with the Elephant Man as portrayed by Scrooge McDuck. But I could also hear it as General Grievous impersonating Sean Connory. Any other thoughts?

 

[LemonMelon]

But I could also hear it as General Grievous impersonating Sean Connory.

This. Perfect.

 

[waynetravis]

Sean Connory.

I heard Connery when Bane said this:

"It doeshhn't matter who we arrrre... what mattersh ish ouuur plaan. No one cared who I washh until I put on the mahhshk."

 

[LemonMelon]

Wow, this film's been out for four days and its box office numbers have already surpassed its $250 million budget. Looks like it's on a good pace to pass up TDK's ridiculous $1 billion box office.

 

[I Move in Mysterious Ways]

This is a pretty unusual film series for me in that I find it especially difficult to rank these three films from best to worst. Much easier done with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Spiderman, X-Men, etc.

 

[deep]

1. TDK
2. Batman Begins
3. TDKR

 

[corianderstem]

Christian Bale popped 'round today to see the victims. A lovely gesture.

Christian Bale in town visiting victims of shooting - The Denver Post

 

[Imperor]

That's a nice gesture on Bale's part. There was a movement across social media to get him to do it in the Batsuit, which would have been the god damn stupidest thing I've ever heard.

 

[corianderstem]

Yes. Not at all triggering or traumatic!

 

[cobl04]

That's a nice gesture on Bale's part. There was a movement across social media to get him to do it in the Batsuit, which would have been the god damn stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Yeah I saw that. My eyes nearly rolled out of their sockets. How contrived would that be??

At any rate, great stuff from Bale.

 

[lazarus]

"Sir, you can't park your car in the ambulance zone."

"THIS ISN'T A CAR."

**

"Where are the shooting victims located?"

"I'm sorry sir, hospital policy prevents us from giving out that kind of infor--"

"WHERE IS IT??"