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ORIGINAL: ADarkKnight

Reading this review with caution, through a gap in-between my fingers with one eye closed, avoiding any spoiler comment that Empire are becoming infamous for. A satisfied Mr. Miyagi smile came across my face as I reached the Verdict pleasantly surprised not too much was revealed whilst having my impatience for Friday to come tripled... THEN...Then the last line this guy goes and uses the word 'epitaph'....why?! (if you don't know it's meaning, your ignorance will be your joy in watching the culmination of The Dark Knights journey an unforeseen extraordinary experience.) So Nev thanks for giving away the ending to the greatest superhero trilogy of all time yea, cheers mate (slow clapping)..... Seriously though "EPITAPH"?! Doesn't anyone else see what he's done??!

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ORIGINAL: elab49 (via Gizoogle)

Gentleman, please - could our crazy-ass asses leave dis thread ta gangstas wantin ta say shit bout a funky-ass bad film?

quote:

ORIGINAL: ADarkKnight

Reading this review with caution, through a gap in-between my fingers with one eye closed, avoiding any spoiler comment that Empire are becoming infamous for. A satisfied Mr. Miyagi smile came across my face as I reached the Verdict pleasantly surprised not too much was revealed whilst having my impatience for Friday to come tripled... THEN...Then the last line this guy goes and uses the word 'epitaph'....why?! (if you don't know it's meaning, your ignorance will be your joy in watching the culmination of The Dark Knights journey an unforeseen extraordinary experience.) So Nev thanks for giving away the ending to the greatest superhero trilogy of all time yea, cheers mate (slow clapping)..... Seriously though "EPITAPH"?! Doesn't anyone else see what he's done??!

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ORIGINAL: Ethanial

But this time around, I'm not seeing it as a 5 star film. It was moderately entertaining, but too often the film fell flat on its broken back. JGL and Hathaway provided most of the better scenes, them and Michael Caine, but whenever Batman popped on screen, the energy deflated. The series seemed to have been swept up by its own hype. Too po-faced, too willing to have scenes where it thinks it is smart, between rehashing elements of Adam West's cinematic outing. And Nolan and Pfister's shooting style has returned to the dark days of Batman Begins.
The action looks awful again. The Dark Knight almost had decent action directing, but this time it's all gone a bit tits up.

A victim of its own hype and reviews, Nolan's franchise falls at the final hurdle. The long, arduous, dull final hurdle. 2/3 ain't bad I suppose. But for an event film, it's a non-entity, much like Bane. Less than 24 hours later and few scenes still register.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ethanial

But this time around, I'm not seeing it as a 5 star film. It was moderately entertaining, but too often the film fell flat on its broken back. JGL and Hathaway provided most of the better scenes, them and Michael Caine, but whenever Batman popped on screen, the energy deflated. The series seemed to have been swept up by its own hype. Too po-faced, too willing to have scenes where it thinks it is smart, between rehashing elements of Adam West's cinematic outing. And Nolan and Pfister's shooting style has returned to the dark days of Batman Begins.
The action looks awful again. The Dark Knight almost had decent action directing, but this time it's all gone a bit tits up.

A victim of its own hype and reviews, Nolan's franchise falls at the final hurdle. The long, arduous, dull final hurdle. 2/3 ain't bad I suppose. But for an event film, it's a non-entity, much like Bane. Less than 24 hours later and few scenes still register.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ethanial

But this time around, I'm not seeing it as a 5 star film. It was moderately entertaining, but too often the film fell flat on its broken back. JGL and Hathaway provided most of the better scenes, them and Michael Caine, but whenever Batman popped on screen, the energy deflated. The series seemed to have been swept up by its own hype. Too po-faced, too willing to have scenes where it thinks it is smart, between rehashing elements of Adam West's cinematic outing. And Nolan and Pfister's shooting style has returned to the dark days of Batman Begins.
The action looks awful again. The Dark Knight almost had decent action directing, but this time it's all gone a bit tits up.

A victim of its own hype and reviews, Nolan's franchise falls at the final hurdle. The long, arduous, dull final hurdle. 2/3 ain't bad I suppose. But for an event film, it's a non-entity, much like Bane. Less than 24 hours later and few scenes still register.

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ORIGINAL: criffle

for all 3 Batman films. Excellent.

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ORIGINAL: Olaf

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ORIGINAL: criffle

for all 3 Batman films. Excellent.

I got my 'TDKR - *****' tattoo last week to go alongside my Batman Begins and TDK ones, so I'm glad Empire have done the right thing. I'm booked in to get the large tattoo of The Great Director's smiling face on my torso coloured just after the 5am screening on Friday, can't wait!

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ORIGINAL: superdan

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ORIGINAL: Olaf

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ORIGINAL: criffle

for all 3 Batman films. Excellent.

I got my 'TDKR - *****' tattoo last week to go alongside my Batman Begins and TDK ones, so I'm glad Empire have done the right thing. I'm booked in to get the large tattoo of The Great Director's smiling face on my torso coloured just after the 5am screening on Friday, can't wait!

I'd never get Chris Nolan's face tattooed on me. He's taken over from Jim Rosenthal as the Devil's double.

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ORIGINAL: bennyboy1971
I'm not fussed about reviews, beyond the fact that they seem overwhelmingly positive.

Thats enough of a sign for me that me and the girlfriend are going to get a good solid couple of hours entertainment when we finally get to watch it.

What more do you need from a superhero film? It's not like this is highbrow literature - its comicbook fantasy stuff retooled so adults can get their kiddy kicks without any guilt. Yeah, it might be sombre and overlaid with zeitgeisty parallels to the perilous state of our own world, but its still a bloke in a mask doing action shit, with explosions and baddies and cool gadgets. Escapism par excellence, in other words, and there's no reason to believe Dark Knight Rises won't deliver all that, just like the first 2 films.

Hype has its place, but some people are taking this stuff way too seriously.

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ORIGINAL: bennyboy1971

What more do you need from a superhero film? It's not like this is highbrow literature - its comicbook fantasy stuff retooled so adults can get their kiddy kicks without any guilt. Yeah, it might be sombre and overlaid with zeitgeisty parallels to the perilous state of our own world, but its still a bloke in a mask doing action shit, with explosions and baddies and cool gadgets. Escapism par excellence, in other words, and there's no reason to believe Dark Knight Rises won't deliver all that, just like the first 2 films.

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ORIGINAL: Rinc
She's supposed to be 13! I'd want her to be very attractive though

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ORIGINAL: MonsterCat

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ORIGINAL: Pigeon Army
Stop being mean to Deviation

No.

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ORIGINAL: Pigeon Army
I am sure Christopher Nolan approves of your opinion that the film he spent ages writing and directing, imbuing with meaning and complexity, is merely a way to get "kiddy kicks".

I mean, I get not wanting to analyse a film indepth on your first viewing, but handwaving away Nolan's attempts at creating a thoughtful, relevant superhero film because "it's a man in a mask" puts you on a par with the people who dismiss these films as 'stupid'. You just happen to like them, rather than dislike them. Take the escapism, but escaping your world doesn't mean you stop thinking about the one you've escaped to.

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ORIGINAL: Pigeon Army

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ORIGINAL: bennyboy1971

What more do you need from a superhero film? It's not like this is highbrow literature - its comicbook fantasy stuff retooled so adults can get their kiddy kicks without any guilt. Yeah, it might be sombre and overlaid with zeitgeisty parallels to the perilous state of our own world, but its still a bloke in a mask doing action shit, with explosions and baddies and cool gadgets. Escapism par excellence, in other words, and there's no reason to believe Dark Knight Rises won't deliver all that, just like the first 2 films.

I am sure Christopher Nolan approves of your opinion that the film he spent ages writing and directing, imbuing with meaning and complexity, is merely a way to get "kiddy kicks".

I mean, I get not wanting to analyse a film indepth on your first viewing, but handwaving away Nolan's attempts at creating a thoughtful, relevant superhero film because "it's a man in a mask" puts you on a par with the people who dismiss these films as 'stupid'. You just happen to like them, rather than dislike them. Take the escapism, but escaping your world doesn't mean you stop thinking about the one you've escaped to.

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ORIGINAL: Alistair

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ORIGINAL: Pigeon Army
I am sure Christopher Nolan approves of your opinion that the film he spent ages writing and directing, imbuing with meaning and complexity, is merely a way to get "kiddy kicks".

I mean, I get not wanting to analyse a film indepth on your first viewing, but handwaving away Nolan's attempts at creating a thoughtful, relevant superhero film because "it's a man in a mask" puts you on a par with the people who dismiss these films as 'stupid'. You just happen to like them, rather than dislike them. Take the escapism, but escaping your world doesn't mean you stop thinking about the one you've escaped to.

I think you might have taken the quoted comment a bit too seriously. While I agree that "kiddy kicks" is a bit harsh and kinda irrelevant I think I know where bennyboy was coming from in his post, in a roundabout way. I think he was mostly saying that the bad reviews of the film are maybe taking the film itself a bit too seriously. And let's be honest, it is essentially a film about a man that dresses as a bat, and it comes from a comic book. That is not to dismiss it, but to give a bit of context as to what we're talking about here. A bit of perspective on the film is required for those that think this is somehow 'high art' (i.e, some reviewers are expecting too much).

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ORIGINAL: Lazarus munkey

I'm not sure Nolan could drop a ball if he had his hands cut off.

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ORIGINAL: fiercehairdo

OK, I'm sure this post is gonna get the Nolan fanboy's foaming at the mouth but it has to be said...

Read this short article which sums up Nolan's Bat Franchise strong tendency to endorse very iffy Right-Wing politics: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/jul/17/dark-knight-rises-capitalist-superhero

I completely agree with this piece.

The truth is, The Dark Knight endorsed torture, Extraordinary Rendition, phone-tapping and mass invasion of privacy by the film's 'hero'. It endorsed suspending peoples rights in the cause of fighting terrorism. In other words it endorsed the fascistic neo-con right wing politics of Bush, Cheney et al.

The Dark Knight Rises portrays the Billionaire as the good guy, imposing his will on the anarchic masses (read Occupy movement) who are in fact in thrall to criminal thugs like Bane. Anyone watching the news lately cannot have failed to have notice that in reality the billionaires (Murdoch, Diamond etc) of the world rarely are operating for the wider good and the protesting masses (Occupy movement) very often have justice and moral good on their side. TDKR inverts this view to billionaires good, protesting masses bad.

In other words it just continues and emphasises the deeply retrograde, conservative, right wing politics of the previous film.

Yes they are very slick, quite exciting and stylish films. BUT if we are going to take them seriously as great movies please lets not ignore the wider message of the films: that human rights and laws can be suspended by the wealthy if they believe what they do is right; that vigilante action is justifiable; that torturers are heroes when operating with the right intentions; that capitalist wealth domination is a force for good and movements like Occupy need to be suppressed. A pretty depressing agenda in my view.

I know many are going to reply "it's just a fantasy; it's just a film about a man dressed as a bat - don't take it too seriously". But frankly those same people are often the ones comparing these films to The Godfather and Citizen Kane - are we taking them seriously or not??? Indeed Nolan and his collaborators seem to be taking it VERY seriously hence the portentous tone of the franchise. If it is a masterpiece as people claim it should be seriously examined, and if it is ultimately pushing a very conservative agenda on audiences under the disguise of stunning action and various bat-gadgets well that needs exposing. Especially since the mass love-in of Nolan has now got completely out of hand.

Bring on the attacks...

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ORIGINAL: Rgirvan44

quote:

ORIGINAL: fiercehairdo

OK, I'm sure this post is gonna get the Nolan fanboy's foaming at the mouth but it has to be said...

Read this short article which sums up Nolan's Bat Franchise strong tendency to endorse very iffy Right-Wing politics: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/jul/17/dark-knight-rises-capitalist-superhero

I completely agree with this piece.

The truth is, The Dark Knight endorsed torture, Extraordinary Rendition, phone-tapping and mass invasion of privacy by the film's 'hero'. It endorsed suspending peoples rights in the cause of fighting terrorism. In other words it endorsed the fascistic neo-con right wing politics of Bush, Cheney et al.

The Dark Knight Rises portrays the Billionaire as the good guy, imposing his will on the anarchic masses (read Occupy movement) who are in fact in thrall to criminal thugs like Bane. Anyone watching the news lately cannot have failed to have notice that in reality the billionaires (Murdoch, Diamond etc) of the world rarely are operating for the wider good and the protesting masses (Occupy movement) very often have justice and moral good on their side. TDKR inverts this view to billionaires good, protesting masses bad.

In other words it just continues and emphasises the deeply retrograde, conservative, right wing politics of the previous film.

Yes they are very slick, quite exciting and stylish films. BUT if we are going to take them seriously as great movies please lets not ignore the wider message of the films: that human rights and laws can be suspended by the wealthy if they believe what they do is right; that vigilante action is justifiable; that torturers are heroes when operating with the right intentions; that capitalist wealth domination is a force for good and movements like Occupy need to be suppressed. A pretty depressing agenda in my view.

I know many are going to reply "it's just a fantasy; it's just a film about a man dressed as a bat - don't take it too seriously". But frankly those same people are often the ones comparing these films to The Godfather and Citizen Kane - are we taking them seriously or not??? Indeed Nolan and his collaborators seem to be taking it VERY seriously hence the portentous tone of the franchise. If it is a masterpiece as people claim it should be seriously examined, and if it is ultimately pushing a very conservative agenda on audiences under the disguise of stunning action and various bat-gadgets well that needs exposing. Especially since the mass love-in of Nolan has now got completely out of hand.

Bring on the attacks...

It doesn't endorse all of them.

Batman beats the Joker up and it amounts to nothing.
Batman uses the sonic technology but Fox stands up to him.

The movie isn't about endorsement  - it is about what are the limits people are willing to go to protect their society. Nolan tests the various ideas that underpinned the War on Terror. In some instances it works,  in most it doesn't. It is hardly an endorsement of the Bush culture but rather a mirror to it. Big difference.