The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Brief review: Even if it doesn't quite meet the high expectation set by its predecessors, Nolan's long-anticipated conclusion to his "Batman" trilogy is still a great way to end the franchise. In spite of its 164-minute running time, "TDKR" never fails to entertain, thanks to the clever writing and gripping narrative, enhanced by the film's visual depth. In the same fashion as "The Dark Knight", "TDKR" has little to no 'comic book feel' about it, simply because its director tries to keep everything as realistic as possible. Unfortunately, that combined with the lack of humor makes it seem a bit too serious at times. Execution-wise, "TDKR" is nothing short of masterful, but considering Nolan's amazing skills that's not a surprise. Pfister's muted, almost noir-ish cinematography and gritty camera work match perfectly with both the movie's dark tone and Gotham City's grim atmosphere, and Nolan's refined, yet vigorous direction maintains the intensity of the story. While far from epic, the action scenes are well-shot and thrilling to watch, and the CGI work is first-rate and intentionally kept to a minimum. The acting is superb. Although a bit underused, Christian Bale turns in his best Batman performance yet. Anne Hathaway steals every scene as the seductive, yet shifty and manipulative Catwoman, Tom Hardy does an outstanding job as the astounding villain, Bane, and Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are at their very best. If you are a UK resident, and you haven't seen "The Dark Knight Rises yet, you can still catch up and watch it on Sky Movies on 16th of August, thanks to the wonderful sky bundles, this well-rounded TV programme offers to its viewers. Give it a shot, and see if you agree with me!
Overall summary: Pretty much humorless and tad overlong, yet never boring, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a beyond satisfying conclusion to Chris Nolan's worldwide acclaimed "Batman" trilogy, that boasts a deeply thoughtful script, strong characters, and top-notch execution.
6 comments:
Yeah, it could've used some humor, but I still really dug it.
Good to hear from you George!
Thanks, Alex. I'm glad to be back too.
I couldn't agree more iwth you on TDKR. It was a bit too serious. Still great though.
Nice review. I agree about the running time and lesser humor (relative to the previous ones) that can make TDKR feel a bit tedious at times.
Still, the best way to end Bruce Wayne's epic journey.
B2B.
Nolan's films are the least comic book movies comic book movies ever made. Nice to see your reviews up again George.
B2B, I'm glad we agree on this one.
I was satisfied with it as well.
Maurice, exactly! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad ting though.
I'm not gonna be as consistent as before, but I plan to post some reviews from time to time ;)
Post a Comment