Dark Knight Rises

[Scott Hajek]

It's been a long while since I had any discussion about this movie. But, that respite is just one of the:

7 Stages of Batman Grief...

1. SHOCK & DENIAL- Just after I saw it, I was disappointed with the movie and tried to convince the people I knew who saw it that the movie just wasn’t good. Way too many plot holes and horrible inconsistencies.

2. PAIN & GUILT- “Am I the only one that didn’t like it?” “Should I feel ashamed that I think Batman is one of the best comic book characters ever and I didn’t love the Nolan trilogy?”

3. ANGER & BARGAINING- Christopher Nolan is the most overrated writer/director and all his other movies are garbage. Let one apple spoil the bushel, right?

4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS- Okay, I won’t talk about it. Won’t think about it. Maybe, someday I’ll learn to respect this film as a masterpiece.

5. THE UPWARD TURN- Hey, there are other things to be happy about: football is coming back!

6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH- School is back in session, my basement project is almost finished, Fantasy Football drafts are happening, social events. And, "Avengers" will be out on DVD soon.

7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE- “The Dark Knight Rises” is still garbage, and a reboot is around the corner with the JLA franchise. But, Nolan is good. I did like Memento and Inception and The Dark Knight. But, Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises are garbage.

If anyone asks, I'll post my list of gaping plot holes. But, considering only one person who posted on this thread didn't like the movie, I don't think anyone will be asking.

[Tony H]

It's been a long while since I had any discussion about this movie. But, that respite is just one of the:

7 Stages of Batman Grief...

1. SHOCK & DENIAL- Just after I saw it, I was disappointed with the movie and tried to convince the people I knew who saw it that the movie just wasn’t good. Way too many plot holes and horrible inconsistencies.

2. PAIN & GUILT- “Am I the only one that didn’t like it?” “Should I feel ashamed that I think Batman is one of the best comic book characters ever and I didn’t love the Nolan trilogy?”

3. ANGER & BARGAINING- Christopher Nolan is the most overrated writer/director and all his other movies are garbage. Let one apple spoil the bushel, right?

4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS- Okay, I won’t talk about it. Won’t think about it. Maybe, someday I’ll learn to respect this film as a masterpiece.

5. THE UPWARD TURN- Hey, there are other things to be happy about: football is coming back!

6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH- School is back in session, my basement project is almost finished, Fantasy Football drafts are happening, social events. And, "Avengers" will be out on DVD soon.

7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE- “The Dark Knight Rises” is still garbage, and a reboot is around the corner with the JLA franchise. But, Nolan is good. I did like Memento and Inception and The Dark Knight. But, Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises are garbage.

If anyone asks, I'll post my list of gaping plot holes. But, considering only one person who posted on this thread didn't like the movie, I don't think anyone will be asking.

Post away Scooter! I am curious. I liked the film, but thought it had a tossed together, cater to the fan boys, kind of feel to it.

[Scott Hajek]

Here's what I started writing about the movie at the beginning of August. So, it's been a while, and I don't think I'll go beyond this.

I really, really wanted to love “The Dark Knight Rises.” I really did. I love Batman as a character. His gadgets. His vehicles. His ability to kick ass. I admire his detective skills, his moral compass and his taste in clothes. But, alas, I am sad because the movie just wasn’t good. A couple of bright spots amounted to a few minutes of enjoyment. But, the more I think about it, the greater my disappointment.

I understand that Batman is a comic book character and “The Dark Knight Rises” is just a movie. But, when I see a movie I go into it with a certain expectation. Some movies ask you, up front, to suspend your disbelief. Others, ask you to take it all at face value. Like this one. This portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne is supposed to be focused on his humanity. The villains are the result of tragedy and mental anguish. Their motivation is based on revenge or mental instability.

Maybe it is the high level of expectation that I had that ended up being the cause of my severe disappointment with this movie. Or, maybe it’s also because the Riddler was the true villain in this film and for what he did to the script. The story in this movie was so “riddled” with plot holes.

Starting with the end… Duh, spoilers follow. The flight of the “Bat” with the bomb in tow: when we last saw the countdown, there were about two minutes left on the clock. With a blast radius of 6 miles, Batman needed to fasten the tow line, fly out of the city and reach a point 6 miles away in that time. From the edge of the city he needed to fly about 180 miles an hour just to get the epicenter of the blast six miles offshore, not accounting for the effects of the blast. And, he needed to safely eject from the seat of the Bat and swim to shore. Where was the shockwave? The heat from the blast? All of the buildings on the edge of the city should’ve had the windows blown out. And the bus with orphans? Probably knocked off the bridge. This scenario could’ve been avoided had the scene shown six or seven minutes left on the clock. More time to get all of it done and make a safe getaway.

Moving to the beginning: the airjacking. While it was an impressive set piece, and thrilling in its execution, what was the point? Make the plane look like it crashed? It was dismantled in air. When the CIA and the NTSB would investigate the crash site, they’d be able to see the holes punched in the side of the fuselage, the explosive marks around the tail section and the black box would reveal all sorts of inconsistencies in a typical crash. There was no reason to leave behind one of Bane’s flunkies, other than to prove his unwavering loyalty. Plus, the body in the bodybag was filled with blood from Dr. Pavel. Since when are bodies identified by bloodtyping? Did dental records stop being the standard? Why not make it a straight kidnapping? Plus, so what if this Dr. Pavel had a theory about how to weaponize a fusion reactor? Did the CIA know about Waynetech’s secret moneypit of a project? If they did, wouldn’t the government found a way to seize it?

Dealing with Dr. Pavel: Here’s a renowned nuclear scientist who theorized that a fusion reactor could be made into a neutron bomb. A fusion reactor that is super secret and housed in a floodable underground bunker. He has never seen it as it never should exist. But, when he gets his hands on it, he enables it to become a bomb. Was he the designer? How did he know exactly how it operated and was able to pull out a piece of the reactor, make a few tweaks and weaponize it in a few moments? Then, in the remains of the football field he announces that he’s the only one with the ability to disarm it. Really? He didn’t build it. Lucius Fox built it. Wouldn’t he have the ability? Granted the summary execution of Dr. Pavel in front of a shocked crowd further solidified the tight grip that Bane had on the city and the crowd wouldn’t know about Bruce Wayne/Batman’s role in the development of the bomb. But, everyone including Lucius, Bruce, Jim Gordon and all the others also believed there was no way to disarm it other than put the reactor back in its holder.

Catwoman: Not a bad addition to the film. But, how did she get the thumbprint from the safe? And, since when does anyone use all five fingers to enter a code on a keypad or open the safe? Did she have time to find other items that were not covered up and transfer a print with dusting powder and tape? Also, like the lone tree hiding Rambo in First Blood, how did she know she would be the one waitress/maid asked to bring Mr. Wayne his meal?

Guns, guns, guns: Batman tells Catwoman, “No guns” during a fight with some thugs. Why then does he have cannons on his Batcycle and on his flying Bat?

Also, just a note on timing, granted I only saw the movie once, but when Catwoman uses the cannons on the Batcycle to blow out the barricade , I believe that the top cars start to fall before the explosion.

The trapped police: how do a thousand police officers survive for three months trapped underground? How many were killed during the explosion? And, how does John Blake find his partner under a single curb inlet in all of Gotham City? Being a civil engineer, those inlets are a couple of feet deep. Not a few stories deep as shown by the tunnel entrances.

If the first parts of the movie were not riddled with plot holes, I think it could've been redeemed with some improvements to the ending:

Alfred in the restaurant. Show Selina Kyle and the back of a man’s head. Never show that it is, or isn’t, Bruce Wayne. Leave it to speculation.

Lucius Fox in the weapons lab: have him look at a simulation of the Bat’s last flight and the explosion. Then ask about the auto-pilot. Have the technician comment that it was functioning and was reprogrammed by BW.

John “Robin” Blake in the BatCave: have him rise on the platform with the BatSuit locker rise up followed by a second locker with a different “suit”

Final scene: Gotham’s response to Batman, the unveiling of the statue. This way there is hope for a future with Batman, but some uncertainty. Though, if it were up to me completely, I’d skip from the funeral straight to the statue and leave the rest out.


However, none of my comments/observations deal with the acting, voices, writing, filming, etc.

I just don't think this movie was that good. Hype and expectation do not guarantee a good movie.

[Dave618]

I really liked the film. I actually took my Dad to see it, and we both loved it. I think, and please, take this in the amiable manner it's intended, some folks have to be willing to suspend their disbelief when they purchase their ticket to see a film about a grown man who wears a Bat costume and goes out at night to fight crime.

As far as Superhero films are concerned, I found this realistic. The message I got from the film was despite all odds, no matter how bleak things look, you gotta keep swinging. Bane attacking Gotham's Stock Market HQ, Bruce losing his fortune, seemed to me to be references to what America, and the world, is going through with the financial catastrophe we're all dealing with. It seemed to be a message of hope. Bruce kept fighting, eventually defeated his foes, and ended up with Selina and happy, despite his fortune gone. He finally achieved peace of mind and was able to hang up the Cowl.

I think Christopher Nolan created three wonderful films, and the trilogy taken as a whole, as one epic saga, is particularly impressive.

But, you know, I also thought Watchmen was awesome, and many people, even close friends, ridiculed me for that opinion. So I don't know, maybe my tastes are not entirely alligned to what most people's are. I'm cool with that.

[Scott Hajek]

I liked Watchmen and thought the movie did the graphic novel justice. And, the ending actually was an improvement. So, I don't think you're crazy for that.

[Dave618]

Yeah, the monstrous Alien Blob/Octopuss thingy was a bit hard to swallow.

[Alvin Fox]

[Brian]

Watch the Prometheus one as well. Good stuff. LOL

[Scott Hajek]

I'll be subscribing to that for sure. Spot on... spot on.