Community Review: The Dark Knight Rises (Spoilers)

91 responses to “Community Review: The Dark Knight Rises (Spoilers)”

1. 

   Lucas

   July 23, 2012 at 1:03 pm

   “After the break we will be dropping spoilers everywhere! If you don’t want any part of said spoilers, bail out now!”

   Don’t you mean… Bale out? 😛

   …

   As for my thoughts, I found the first 2 hours incredibly boring, but it did pick up towards the end. But 1/3 of it being good doesn’t cut it, so thumbs down from me.

   Reply
   1. 

      a

      July 23, 2012 at 7:59 pm

      It had a few little issues imo, like the scene where it’s instantly night; The ending reminded me of the introduction of The Dark Knight Returns. It was an other wise great movie, Nolan probably gets more credit (possibly a little too much) then anyone else in show biz but he’s beginning to deserve it.
      I just hope the Justice League follow ups can hold up to this standard a bit more with some welcomed changes such as Robin being a girl and possibly Jon Hamm as batman.

      Reply
2. 

   Jiff

   July 23, 2012 at 1:06 pm

   I watched it yesterday, I think you summed up my thoughts pretty well. I thought Anne Hathaway was very well cast as Catwoman, she played it to a tee! I thought the whole Robin ending was a little odd considering Chris Nolan intended to keep it a trilogy..
   Also I’ve never seen Michael Caine cry

   Reply
   1. 

      weresmurf

      July 23, 2012 at 2:21 pm

      It’ll be kept a trilogy. The idea was for the legacy to live on but not via Wayne, in TDK he wanted to retire, knowing Gotham was safe, now he can.

      Reply
   2. 

      Stephen

      July 23, 2012 at 3:18 pm

      Watch The Quiet American.

      Reply
      1. 

         Jiff

         July 23, 2012 at 9:42 pm

         No, ai down’t fink I wiw.
         🙂

         Reply
   3. 

      alinos

      July 23, 2012 at 9:48 pm

      Yeah a Nolan/Bale trilogy.

      By providing robin to potentially take over the mantle as batman. Allows WB the ability to continue the franchise forward with a rational reason as to why there is a new batman. Since Bale said he won’t play the character again.

      To think that WB would leave the franchise alone now that Nolan has finished his trilogy is naive. Instead we might actually see a continuation of the franchise instead of a straight reboot. And by providing a character who is new it allows development of the series to continue.

      It also helps the whole the legacy needs to be more than a man thing. As well as providing the audience with a sense that Bruce has truly left Batman behind by passing it on. Since to have it all sit there doesn’t really remove the need for bruce to one day retake the mantle as batman if necessary. Since batman has essentially become necessary to act in the worst of the crimes.

      Reply
      1. 

         Zac

         July 25, 2012 at 2:21 pm

         I think WB, seeing Avengers’ success, wants to make a Justice League set of movies and this TDKR pretty much rules out any chance of the sequels being included in that. If it was a JL universe, where was any other member of the JL when the nuclear bomb was about to go off with no batman in sight? That would have been world news, reaching even country bumkin Kent farm where Clark would have felt obligated to help. If WB wants a JL movie, I think this series ends here with a legacy of batman. Maybe the same actor will stay on as Bruce Wayne for JL as opposed to Robin but that’s probably where the similarity will end

         Reply
3. 

   @hyp3rstrike

   July 23, 2012 at 1:07 pm

   Good movie, but I felt it didn’t really do a Batman ‘conclusion’ any justice. Didn’t seem like there was enough Batman theme-ness in it.

   Bane: Aside from his bruteness and intelligence, his voice annoyed the piss out of me. Seriously. Also didn’t like that he was someone else’s bitch in the end.

   Catwoman/S Kyle: Hot, not enough screen time.

   Robin: Knew it would happen. Even if they say they didn’t, they’d find a way to continue it.

   Wayne/Batman: Almost raged at the Nuclear death scene. Was a bit better after we find out Wayne survives, but still a bit annoyed he’s not staying as Batman.

   Alfred: Loved him. Except the part where he leaves.

   Reply
   1. 

      Marty

      July 23, 2012 at 1:16 pm

      “Almost raged at the Nuclear death scene.” ha same – I was like “hell. no. this is not happening!” even when they figured out he fixed the autopilot, I didn’t click – I thought alfred was right about his desire to die and he’d just kamikaze’d anyway. Then as soon as they cut to the cafe it was an “oooooohhhhhhh” moment.

      Also, wayne manor becoming a refuge, bruce being “dead” simultaneously with batman and robin being untrained and a while off taking the cowl all seem to add up to quite a difficult time ahead.

      Reply
      1. 

         mattroe

         July 23, 2012 at 1:28 pm

         Really? I saw that ending coming from a mile away. Specifically that set of events. Batman appears to die but is later revealed to have survived so Wayne can live a normal life, then Alfred sees them at the cafe.

         That whole ending just made me groan. Besides being the most predictable ending since Avatar, it was just… ugh. I can’t put into words how disappointed I was by the whole thing.

         Reply
         1. 

            Jerom

            July 23, 2012 at 11:30 pm

            It’s actually more of a channel of Dark Knight Returns, where batman SPOILER SPOILER superman SPOILER to SPOILER

            But really, read that.

            Reply
4. 

   Marty

   July 23, 2012 at 1:09 pm

   I really enjoyed it – I need a second viewing as all i could focus on was how it would end thanks to all the “batman dies” rumours! I love the knightfall story so whilst i thought toms bane was great, I still would have liked the story to be more about him rather than the whole Ra’s al Ghul gotham must die thing. However I thought Nolan did quite a good job of pulling together and merging parts of no mans land and knightfall. I didn’t leave the movie in love with bale as batman, but the bar was so low before these movies so I guess he’s still the best. Anyone else find it strange how much you can almost ignore the second film and have the first and third movies pretty much make total sense?

   Reply
   1. 

      @hyp3rstrike

      July 23, 2012 at 1:41 pm

      Still a better ending than Twilight and Mass Effect 3.

      Reply
      1. 

         DocHoliday

         July 23, 2012 at 11:32 pm

         So true, Mass Effect was such an awesome series that ended on such a weak note.

         Reply
5. 

   The Cracks

   July 23, 2012 at 1:09 pm

   I was disappointed with the ending.
   SPOILERS
   They should have let Batman die. Having him fix the autopilot felt like a copout, and seriously diluted the impact of Batman’s final actions.
   Also, the movie seemed aimed at people who knew nothing about Batman. No way was I falling for Bane being Ra’s Al Ghul’s child. And Bane dropping Bats’ back onto his knee was pretty obvious as soon as they started fighting.

   To me, Batman Begins was excellent because the explored who Batman was, and why he existed, and then Dark Knight explored just how far Batman could go, whether he would break, etc. Dark Knight Rises didn’t seem to have as much character exploration of Batman as the others, and I found that a little disappointing.

   Reply
   1. 

      Nuddy

      July 23, 2012 at 2:52 pm

      agreed, it would have been better if he had died, but had planned it all along – had left all the info for Robin to become batman.. you know, like he predicted it.

      Reply
      1. 

         SuperSaiyanScottie

         July 23, 2012 at 8:26 pm

         Are you serious? This movie was truer to the comics than most super hero movies. And the movie was aimed at people who haven’t read the comics, and people who have. Of course you didn’t fall for him being Ra’s Al Ghul’s kid. Know why? Because he wasn’t Ra’s Al Ghul’s kid! Tahlia was listed in the casting and even people who didn’t know the comics very well knew from the start, she was his kid, not Bane. And Bane breaking Batman’s back, no, I can assure you, it wasn’t completely obvious to everyone. Nolan can’t just aim the movie at people who read the comics. He wouldn’t make a profit and it wouldn’t be as popular.
         And what is this crap about “To me, Batman Begins was excellent because the explored who Batman was, and why he existed, and then Dark Knight explored just how far Batman could go, whether he would break, etc. Dark Knight Rises didn’t seem to have as much character exploration of Batman as the others, and I found that a little disappointing.”? DURR. Thats because Batman begins is about how BATMAN BEGINS. The point was to emphasize how BATMAN BEGINS. Do you see what im getting at? That movie was about exploring and establishing him as a character, why would they still keep exploring the character 2 (3 hour long) movies afterwood?

         Reply
   2. 

      Chris Lynn

      July 23, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      “Also, the movie seemed aimed at people who knew nothing about Batman.”

      Agreed – especially Blake’s ‘reveal’ at the end. “Grayson might be too subtle, better have his actual name be Robin.” …facepalm.

      Reply
      1. 

         Lucas

         July 23, 2012 at 9:37 pm

         What?! you talk about people who know batman didn’t accepted that Bane was Ra’s son, yet you wanted batman to die by nuclear explosion?

         Sounds a bit Contradictory considering batman has never even nearly died due to Nuclear bomb explosions saving gotham.

         **also why was there a mushroom cloud at sea??

         Reply
      2. 

         Jerom

         July 23, 2012 at 11:32 pm

         Nah, Tim Drake would’ve been a better choice.

         Reply
         1. 

            Zac

            July 25, 2012 at 2:25 pm

            Tim Drake, John Blake

            Reply
   3. 

      DocHoliday

      July 23, 2012 at 11:44 pm

      I disagree here a little bit. I think they explored Bruce Wayne’s mental state just as much in this film as the others. He is completely distraught after what has happened to Rachael and Harvey Dent. The discussions between Bruce and Alfred dive deep into the depression that Bruce feels, and Alfred feels like he can’t pull him out of it. (Michael Caine’s performance was excellent, and powerful) It really shows the amount of grief that Bruce has been caused by his loss. He is borderline suicidal. I do in some ways agree that they should have let Batman/Bruce die at the end. But I think the actual ending was just as impactful. He allows the city of Gotham to think that he dies (making the ultimate sacrifice for the people, and fulfilling his goal of wanting to inspire good). And by living a life after Batman he still fulfills his promise to Rachael, that someday he would no longer have to be Batman.

      Reply
6. 

   Bruce Gosk

   July 23, 2012 at 1:11 pm

   Such an awesome movie. I don’t even like Batman… Going to be Number one on imdb soon… Already rated 9.2 this morning…

   Reply
7. 

   MrBS

   July 23, 2012 at 1:15 pm

   I have to be that guy…

   I didn’t like it.

   I thought the a lot of the plot/themes was retread of the previous movies (with its second origin story complete with training montages…) and not up to the same quality. I was amazed that certain tropes made it into thris film considering Nolan was at the helm but that telegraphed ending.. very dissapointing.

   Reply
   1. 

      mattroe

      July 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

      Ditto exactly this.

      Reply
   2. 

      Jackson

      July 24, 2012 at 9:46 am

      I’m that guy, too. I agree completely.

      Reply
   3. 

      Justin

      July 24, 2012 at 11:52 am

      Yeah, I’m there as well. So disappointed.

      Reply
8. 

   Glenn

   July 23, 2012 at 1:15 pm

   “Bane started out as a class warrior and ended up as a glorified bodyguard taken out ridiculously easily by Catwoman.”

   I dunno, I don’t think he took that rocket to the ribs like a chump… I completely forgot about Catwoman up until Bane exploded, probably because of how tense everything leading up to that point was.

   Let’s face it, Nolan has made a good trilogy… People might have problems with certain aspects, whether that’s because of how good TDK was, or because they’re genuine complaints, there aren’t many directors out there that have a trilogy that most people like all three movies.

   Reply
   1. 

      weresmurf

      July 23, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      ^This. Absolutely this.

      Reply
   2. 

      Hermes and Thoth

      July 23, 2012 at 3:41 pm

      My major point re: these three films is that there are very few trilogies that are acclaimed across all three films and have this caliber of storytelling and class. Nolan’s Batman will be remembered for a long time, through reboot after reboot.

      Reply
   3. 

      DocHoliday

      July 23, 2012 at 11:56 pm

      True! and his line right before he dies “We both know I’m going to have to kill you, your going to have to imagine the warmth.” Awesome.

      Reply
9. 

   Beavwa

   July 23, 2012 at 1:19 pm

   2hr 45min movie felt like it would have been lucky to have an hour of Batman in it.
   Liked what they tried to do with Bane’s character, needed subtitles in parts, since it felt like the dialogue was disconnected from the on-screen actor at times.

   Reply
   1. 

      Hermes and Thoth

      July 23, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      What are you!?

      “IERMGUHTMSWREKONING”

      Reply
      1. 

         Mronius

         July 23, 2012 at 11:45 pm

         There were so many times when Bane said something incoherent, I looked to my friends, and we all shrugged.

         Reply
10. 

    Shoitaan

    July 23, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    I thought the movie was amazing and on par with Dark Knight. I do wish they had stayed focussed on Bane. I found him to be a more interesting (though less scary) villain than Joker, but the intrigue was washed away in the blink of an eye when it seemed this intellectual and frightening mastermind was just the lovesick puppy of Talia-al-ghul. Having read Knightfall, I loved Nolan’s Bane through and through until the last 1/5th of the movie when this happened. Bane also gets much less screen time which made a difference.

    I also felt the movie could have been longer. It never felt bad but they had clearly crammed a lot into it and I think blowing the finale out to 3.5 or 4 hours wouldn’t have been that bad. It never felt rushed mind you so it’s fine, it’s just less sophisticated in its story ramp up than it’s predecessors.

    Finally, I think near the end the storyline cuts a LOT of corners but it’s a comic-book movie so I don’t plan on overthinking details (like… how did Bruce Wayne get from some remote African prison to Gotham with nothing in his pockets in less than 25 days etc).

    Minor quibbles aside, the movie was fantastic. It was a good story and a fantastic piece of cinema. Yes, some things could have been done better but everything should be judged on what it did do and not what it didn’t do and everything Rises did do was largely fantastic. 5/5 from me!

    Reply
11. 

    Wonko

    July 23, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Good movie but too long.
    Not enough Bat-gadgets, action and super villains to justify 2h40min.

    Reply
12. 

    That Teemo

    July 23, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    My main issue was that there wasn’t enough Batman doing Batman things. The bits where he was in it were awesome (the police chase) but after that, he just didn’t seem to act like how Batman did in that scene (or from the previous movies).

    Reply
13. 

    Nick

    July 23, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    There are two ways of looking at the movie, as part of a trilogy and as a film in it’s own right.
    1) Trilogy view:
    Comparing it to the incredibly high stand of TDK…. it doesn’t even compare. TDKR story just felt ‘simple’, Batman is out of the games, get’s a reason to come back, falls, picks himself up and scrambles to stop a bomb going off. TDK had so many layers and everything in that film had purpose. I think TDKR places last in ranking the 3 films. Batman Begins (I hate that title so much now) was probably the best origin story superhero movie ever made – so much that it’s made spiderman and superman try and emulate it’s formula.
    2) On it’s own, it’s not a bad movie. Memorable scenes are the prologue, Batman’s first duel with Bane, Bane’s hostile takeover, the climax and when you first see Selina Kyle is her suit and on the batpod (…nice). Some things bugged me however, like John Blakes whole contribution, why have him? Why not just have more of Gordon? And the fact his name is Robin (facepalm). The whole “we have to stop the bomb” – seemed beneath the film, I felt it was too easy to sum it to that. And a few other things I can’t think of right now..

    Score: 8/10 (Just to compare BB – 8.5/10, TDK – 10/10)

    Reply
14. 

    Trjn

    July 23, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    Just to point out, the reason that Wayne didn’t make that climb (or that practically everyone else failed) was because the rope stopped them from making the jump.

    It wasn’t a perfect movie but I damn sure enjoyed things.

    Not entirely happy with Wayne retiring. One of the big things about Batman in basically every version I’ve seen is that he cannot give up the cowl. Bruce Wayne is a false persona, Batman is who he truly is.

    I’ll probably be seeing this again some time soon.

    Reply
    1. 

       Cakesmith

       July 23, 2012 at 1:49 pm

       People who have been “Batman”
       Canon:
       Bruce Wayne
       Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael) – Takes over when Bane breaks Batman’s back in Knightfall.
       Dick Grayson – Assumes the Batman identity after Azrael is forced to relinquish the mantle, prior to Bruce Wayne’s return. He became the new Batman after Bruce’s apparent death. With Bruce’s return, Dick went back to being Nightwing.
       Black Mask – Commits a series of murders disguised as Batman.
       Jason Todd – Became Batman in he Battle of the Cowl story arc.
       Tim Drake – Been depicted as a future Batman on several occasions
       Damian Wayne – Also been shown as Batman in the future
       Terry McGinnis – Shown to be the successor to Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond.

       Flashpoint (Alternate reality:
       Thomas Wayne – Shown to become Batman when his wife and young son (Bruce) are murdered in front of him.

       So yes, while Bruce Wayne is the most common Batman, he is not the only one.

       Reply
       1. 

          Huntsman

          July 23, 2012 at 2:00 pm

          You just reinforced his point, batman never relinquishes the cowl unless he is dead or missing. Hell he still tries to be batman before handing it over to terry in the future

          Reply
          1. 

             Cakesmith

             July 23, 2012 at 2:05 pm

             Exactly. People are assuming that he is done as Batman. That he has given up the cowl for good. He has given up the cowl at the end of the movie exactly the same as he has given it up at the start.

             Reply
             1. 

                Trjn

                July 23, 2012 at 2:39 pm

                You forgot Superman, who covered for him while he was off-planet or something silly like that (may not have been canon).

    2. 

       Dire Wolf

       July 23, 2012 at 3:52 pm

       Nolan’s Batman seems happy to give it up if he knows someone else it watching over Gotham. He was more than happy to consider retirement in The Dark Knight because of Harvey Dent and he was happy to sit it out for 8 years while the city looked after its self. It doesn’t strike me as odd that he’d also be happy to retire if a new Batman was found. Plus a new Batman sort of fits with his whole idea of what Batman was supposed to be in the first place. Batman’s supposed to be a symbol, not a single man, and because of that I don’t think Bruce would have an issue passing on the cowl.

       Reply
15. 

    Cakesmith

    July 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I liked the movie. It’s definitely the lesser of Nolans Batman movies but it is still a prime example of blockbuster film-making.

    Yes, the film has it’s flaws. It is overly long. Batman rediscovers how to be Batman twice in the movie. The social commentary gets a bit lost and some things seem a bit convenient, These stop it from reaching the heights of Begins and Dark Knight.

    But, unlike The Amazing Spider-Man, the movie holds up on it’s own and it’s possible to look past the flaws and still enjoy it.

    I liked that people who know their Batman comics will pick up on certain things (like Talia, knowing that Bane will “break the Bat” etc).

    Also — as someone who loves climbing — there’s no way Batman couldn’t have climbed up that wall first time. It was super easy! Juggy hold everywhere! COME ON MAN!

    This could be me reading into the movie too much, but I kind of got the idea that the rope made it impossible for people to make the jump.

    Oh, and for those complaining. I’ll just leave this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slInVLWC9I

    Reply
    1. 

       Nuddy

       July 23, 2012 at 3:03 pm

       haha well played – that was what I was thinking!
       “EVERYPODY FRHEEZE!”

       Reply
    2. 

       Mannotron

       July 23, 2012 at 3:17 pm

       Oh wow, I forgot how bad some of the Batman films have been…

       Reply
    3. 

       Dire Wolf

       July 23, 2012 at 3:54 pm

       I don’t think the rope actually made the jump impossible, it was just that the safety provided by the rope meant that people wouldn’t put in the extra effort needed to make the jump.

       Reply
16. 

    Beavwa

    July 23, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    Necessary DVD bonus feature: redub Bane’s voice with the zombie voice from Saint’s Row 3…

    Reply
17. 

    SOX

    July 23, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    24 hours until a nuclear bomb goes off in Gotham and Batman goes to the effort of setting up some pointless pyrotechnics on a bridge before he gets started…

    Reply
    1. 

       Trjn

       July 23, 2012 at 1:33 pm

       He does have a flair for the theatrics.

       Reply
    2. 

       Cakesmith

       July 23, 2012 at 1:56 pm

       Ra’s al Ghul: Theatricality and deception are powerful agents.

       Reply
       1. 

          Jake

          July 23, 2012 at 2:02 pm

          They kept calling him Razz for focks sake.

          Reply
          1. 

             Cakesmith

             July 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

             Yeah, that annoyed the crap out of me.

             Reply
    3. 

       Michael

       July 23, 2012 at 2:46 pm

       Not pointless: the movie’s about hope. It’s important that the city knows that the Bat is back to save them; it gives everyone something to rally behind.

       Reply
    4. 

       Hermes and Thoth

       July 23, 2012 at 3:37 pm

       Seems ridiculous but is a powerful message and symbol. One of my favourite moments, when you really go, yep. The Dark Knight has risen, again.

       Reply
18. 

    Mark

    July 23, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    “Also — as someone who loves climbing — there’s no way Batman couldn’t have climbed up that wall first time. It was super easy! Juggy hold everywhere! COME ON MAN!”

    Oh Mark. You sound like a douche.

    Reply
    1. 

       weresmurf

       July 23, 2012 at 2:35 pm

       I know right…. it’s almost like he had…

       a.) A gas powered grapnel

       or

       b.) An elaborate flying machine!?

       Reply
19. 

    Cakesmith

    July 23, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Oh! And people complaining about the ending where Bruce is “dead” and Robin takes up the mantle. This happened in the comics.

    Dick Grayson takes over Batmans mantle when he travels back in time and they fake Bruce’s death in Final Crisis. After Wayne’s “death”, Grayson stated that he had no problem becoming Batman, but Wayne had left a prerecorded message telling him not to take up the mantle and to continue fighting crime as Nightwing with Robin at his side. Realizing that Gotham still needed the Dark Knight, Grayson retired his Nightwing mantle to become the new Batman. With Wayne’s return and plans to launch Batman worldwide, Grayson remained the Batman of Gotham City. After the events of Flashpoint, he returned to being Nightwing.

    Reply
    1. 

       Trjn

       July 23, 2012 at 1:43 pm

       I have no problem with Blake becoming the new Batman. It was pretty obviously set up throughout the movie, particularly with how much focus his character was given.

       My problem is that I can’t imagine Batman completely leaving it all behind. In the comics that you’re talking about, he was still there. In Batman Beyond, he was still there. Sure he wasn’t the one with the cowl but he was still deeply involved.

       Yes, they set up the use of the Clean Slate too. Just seems weird to have Bruce Wayne choose to no longer be Batman.

       Reply
       1. 

          Cakesmith

          July 23, 2012 at 1:53 pm

          But you’re assuming he has given up the cowl for good.

          Reply
       2. 

          Michael

          July 23, 2012 at 2:41 pm

          Nolan and Bale’s Bruce Wayne has always made it clear that he was willing to give up being Batman if the time came and he wasn’t needed. It was at the core of his relationship with Rachel, for instance. He even gave up being Batman prior to this film, but was just Bruce Wayne: Recluse. Once he knows that Gordon is in charge of an honest police force and that Blake is willing to take up the mantle, or at least continue the legacy, there’s nothing keeping him there, and in fact it’s the perfect time because everyone thinks he’s dead.

          It’d be odd for comic Bats, but it’s entirely within the realm of possibility for this movie version.

          Reply
    2. 

       weresmurf

       July 23, 2012 at 4:51 pm

       Wow that totally replied to the wrong person…. *facepalms self* Sorry Mark *sigh*

       Reply
       1. 

          weresmurf

          July 23, 2012 at 4:52 pm

          Ok screw using my phone to post… *gah*

          Reply
20. 

    Jethee

    July 23, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    I loved it, I honestly thought it was fantastic, the only problems I had with it were so very minor. I just wished they explained what happened to the Joker, there were so many times where I was hoping he would appear and ask Bane why he was so serious 😛
    The only other thing that I thought could have been improved was Banes death, he starts as some terrfying threat to Gotham as well as the world to been blown away like a rag doll in an instant.

    Reply
21. 

    Jake

    July 23, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Loved the first 45minutes, was bored in the middle, liked the ending.

    I don’t get why they didn’t just climb the rope. It’s a pulley, but you can see the rope connected to the top on the far right. JUST CLIMB THAT ONE! COME ON!

    Reply
    1. 

       Michael

       July 23, 2012 at 2:38 pm

       Yeah that was about the only thing I didn’t really get in the movie. I didn’t see a good shot of how the rope was actually string up but for it to actually do it’s job it had to have gone all the way (or at least most of the way) to the top, loop around some kind of pulley or hook and come back down to where the noose was. Otherwise there was no other way they could lower the climber back down after the failed jump.

       So why they didn’t just climb the rope, I have no idea.

       Also, I’m no doctor but I’m pretty sure you can’t just punch a vertebrae back into place 😛 At least not without paralysing the patient.

       Reply
       1. 

          Michael

          July 23, 2012 at 2:39 pm

          And of yeah the movie was awesome…very long, but still awesome 🙂

          Reply
          1. 

             Jake

             July 23, 2012 at 2:46 pm

             The rope wasn’t too bad, but how the fock did Bruce Wayne get back to Gotham? Did he use a bat teleporter?

             Reply
             1. 

                Michael

                July 23, 2012 at 3:49 pm

                Well, Bruce Wayne’s a pretty resourceful guy. It didn’t show it explicitly, but he could have simply found a phone at the nearest town and called for a private plane.

                Remember that just before he manages to get out, there’s a scene where Lucius Fox is speaking to the special forces agents and he tells them the bomb will go off in 23 days. When Bruce Wayne shows up after Selina Kyle saves the kid who stole the apple, and they talk about the bomb going off in about 12 hours. That gives him 22 days to get from wherever the prison is back to Gotham…plenty of time I would imagine.

       2. 

          Michael

          July 23, 2012 at 2:45 pm

          I’m fairly sure the rope is attached to the bottom of the rock that you have to make the jump from. So having the rope around your waist saves you from that jump if you don’t make it, but it can’t be used to circumvent the jump entirely. Bruce does kick a rope down when he gets to the top, but I think it’s a different rope.

          Reply
          1. 

             Jake

             July 23, 2012 at 2:48 pm

             Ahhh. Wasn’t clear.

             I’ve been watching Justice League all week as a buildup, and the Christopher Nolan Batman just isn’t resourceful enough. Why do they have to jump? They have things down there, they should have built a way across and Batman should have used his smarts instead of being all metaphory and jumping without a rope..

             Reply
       3. 

          Chuck Norris

          July 23, 2012 at 2:53 pm

          There is no medical condition that cannot be cured with more punches

          Reply
          1. 

             Mronius

             July 23, 2012 at 11:51 pm

             I heard an interesting theory that the Pit is actually a Lazarus Pit, which is why Batman is able to heal so well (and even be stronger than before) and why he sees a vision of Ra’s Al-Ghul .

             Reply
22. 

    Shadowtheartiste

    July 23, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    I thought the movie was nigh on perfect. I would have cut te ending a bit different though. I would have reduced the obvious nods to Batman being still alive (the auto pilot being fixed) but left Robin inheriting the batcave and te bat signal being remade at the end shown Alfred at the cafe suddenly looking stunned and then credits.

    I know people rage at not having a cliche Disney happily ever after all tied up in a neat bow package, but I like a good tease/mystery that leaves room for interpretation.

    Reply
    1. 

       Hermes and Thoth

       July 23, 2012 at 3:34 pm

       Would have loved if they said nothing about the auto pilot being fixed and instead just cut to Alfred at the end, with Selina on the end of the table from the visible side and Bale’s head on the other, he doesn’t have to turn it or smile or anything, just enough to know that Alfreds wish for Batman to live happily was granted.

       Reply
23. 

    MaeSam

    July 23, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    This movie had a similar effect to that of Prometheus in which I watched it, credits roll, I began to think about it and as time progressed, I liked it less though in that period I found something much more interesting, hidden in the whole story.

    TDKR is not so much a story about Batman saving Gotham (again). It’s more about Bruce Wayne’s struggle with himself, a battle for his soul being personified by all the exterior elements that form the plot of the movie.
    Alfred’s wishes to see him settle down with a woman of his own is the piece of soul of Bruce that wishes to lead a normal life.
    Lucius has similar interests as Alfred but with the business side in mind as well, hence his winks and nods towards Miranda.
    Selina represents that element of Batman which Bruce doen’t accept so easily and that is to look out for others for help. On top of that a small challenge to warm up the Detective’s instincts for the hunt. And on top of that a mix of buddy/romantic relationship/stab-me-in-the-back-twice-but-I’ll-trust-you which Bruce needed.
    Bane is a representation of both Batman’s alter form had he followed the wrong path and also represents the catalyst for Batman’s ultimate wish in his reclusive state: to fail at the hands of someone worthwhile. And he wishes to fail because as Batman he had become a recluse and fugitive that was no longer needed. The fact that he is also Batman’s superior in wits as well as brawn has given Batman the short-lived satisfaction that he has finally failed only to be whisped away by Bane in the form of his punishment.
    And finally, Blake represents his idealism when he began of not being satisfied with the way things were being done and criminals not punished for their crimes. In other words, the system not being good enough.

    So as a character piece it works well. It is all about his personal pain and struggle to find who he is and what he can contribute to others and more importantly, what others can bring to him.
    See, in a sense Alfred going away was a little like having his trianing wheels taken off. Bane not killing him is taking away his wish for a quick exit and face the choices of his past eight years and so on with other characters.
    Heard or read somewhere else about the three movie’s main theme for each. BB has fear. TDK has chaos. TDKR has pain. In BB Bruce is full of fear and his exit is Batman. In TDK Batman is confronted with a chaotic force that makes him chose exile. TDKR is the showing of the pain that his choices cost him.

    All in all, a great movie. Need to see it again to catch more things but I’m sure that with time people will like more and not be so divisive as it is now.

    Reply
24. 

    Nuddy

    July 23, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    The movie served its purpose well – providing a collection of scenes in order to deliver Hans Zimmer’s awesome soundtrack!

    Reply
25. 

    Rosco

    July 23, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    I’m a big fan of this film, I felt it was on par with the rest of the trilogy, I’ll be watching it again. I wouldn’t critise the stop the bomb ending, that’s essentially all super hero endings. Really enjoyed Tom Hardy as Bane, and even though the whole class warfare theme ultimately had to take a back seat it still hit some poignant notes for me. Nolan is a class act with genuine depth to his film-making. The whole trilogy will have a lasting impact.

    Reply
    1. 

       drew

       July 24, 2012 at 11:50 am

       +1

       Reply
26. 

    Hermes and Thoth

    July 23, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    To be fair Mark, it wasn’t necessarily the climb that kept Bats down, it was that ridiculous jump that no one in the history of the world could make except for a child.

    Reply
    1. 

       SOX

       July 23, 2012 at 4:50 pm

       Surely adults can jump further than a child. Otherwise wouldn’t we only see children doing long jump at the Olympics?

       Reply
       1. 

          MrBS

          July 23, 2012 at 4:59 pm

          Thanks for that example there. Otherwise I may have gone on believing children can jump further than adults forever :p

          Reply
          1. 

             SOX

             July 23, 2012 at 5:08 pm

             I help where I can :3

             Reply
27. 

    TheRev

    July 23, 2012 at 5:44 pm

    I thought it was great. I really enjoyed that ending, thought it was perfect for the series. It ended on a happy note, so everything isnt so bloody bleak. I loved the human element to Batman, after all he’s been through any normal person would be suffering the same injuries he was carrying, and the fact that he isnt as strong or as agile as he was in his “prime” (Batman Begins, most of The Dark Knight) was a good thing. My only complaint would be how easy it was for Bane to just be killed like that. Kind of a downer, especially after all the epic battles. But nevermind, I’ll be seeing it again AND buying it. Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy was awesome.

    Reply
28. 

    mchaza

    July 23, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    The Dark Knight was too good.

    Reply
29. 

    [Razor]

    July 23, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    I was almost engaging TEAR MODE when poor old Alfred was apologising to Thomas and Martha, because here’s some one who has spent his whole life with this family, losing two of them to a thug and then the third because he was unable to convince him to stop being Batman. Then he had a fight and left, and never spoke again, and that’s the last thoughts Alfred has with Bruce. That fight.

    Then an untold amount of time later he went to Italy, turns out Bruce was alive, happy ending.

    Freeman’s acting was great in that last bit too. You really felt his disappointment in himself, before finding out that Bruce had applied the patch ages ago. And then the whole thing got “you brilliant bastard!” from there.

    Reply
30. 

    DocHoliday

    July 24, 2012 at 1:39 am

    I can’t say enough about the emotional performances by all of the actors in this film. Gary Oldman really made you feel the weight and guilt of the lie that Gordon has been carrying for so long. Christian Bale shows the deep depression that Bruce Wayne has, and how the decisions he’s made, have killed people he loved. joseph gordon-levitt showed Blake’s love and compassion for orphans in the film and his performance towards the end of the film was stellar as well (After they blow the bridge so him and the children can’t cross “You just killed us!”). And last but not least Micheal Caine, Wow! For as little as he was actually in the film, his performance, and his emotions as Alfred resonated through everyone in the theater. When he was at Bruce’s grave crying and feeling as though he failed the Wayne family there were not a lot of dry eyes in the theater. How often do you get such powerful emotional pulls from a “super hero” movie?… Never. That’s because this trilogy is so much more than that and it shows on so many different levels.

    Reply
31. 

    Jackson

    July 24, 2012 at 9:40 am

    I saw it last night and I was deeply disappointed. The script is a mess, there seems to be hours of needless and dull exposition, the villain is simply not interesting, Anne Hathaway is terrible and the whole Selina Kyle sub-plot could easily have been dropped and the ending is just ridiculous. I loved the Dark Knight, as did everyone, and thought this was a disappointingly ordinary follow-up.

    Reply
32. 

    AerintheADEQUATE

    July 26, 2012 at 4:15 am

    As far as the movie goes, I thought it was the best possible end to the trilogy. I’d hate to be the guy they hire to reboot this franchise after Nolan’s dusted his hands and moved on.

    My only complaint is that I think Hathaway was a pretty mild choice for Catwoman. Her portrayal was more Cat”girl” than “woman” in my opinion and it just felt like there would have been a lot better options out there for that character.

    Reply