The Dark Knight Rises

It was only after the second viewing that I fully understood and appreciated why Nolan turned the wheel after the acclaimed second film and once again rode the comic book waves, just like he did with the first one. More than anything else, the third film concludes the trilogy. I can understand the disappointed responses that were expecting something in the style of a funny anarchist madman Joker, but I don't buy the criticism about the poorly told story. The phrase "monstrous epic," used by many around here, suits this film better than anything else. The uncompromising Bane brings Gotham to its knees with brute force to make it suffer before giving it a taste of death. As well as its black-caped guardian. This isn't the Nolan brothers expressing their worldview, this is a critique of everyone for whom the idea of social justice is a political idol. Therefore, before the last atom completes the fission reaction, it is necessary to rise physically, but especially spiritually. This is the engine of the entire film, building Nolan's precise narrative that works both in the characters' dialogue and in the surprisingly spare but superbly raw action. All of this is then only perfectly complemented by Zimmer's thunderous music, without which the film would work a third less. If anyone wants to restart this at Warner Brothers, they should be thinking about changing careers by now. PS: Christopher Nolan is, along with David Fincher, the best cinematic storyteller of his generation. No question about it. (26/07/2012)

Not so bombastic anymore! From the realistic waters of the last part, we’ve drifted off down a sewer into the comic-book waters of part one. But this is not the movie’s main issue. But why trump the joker when it’s enough to equal it. Too much happens with too little room. Those 164 minutes just aren’t enough and some moments don’t resound as they could. In fact, Batman returns twice here, which is a lot for one movie. The introductions to new characters is maybe a little rushed (but left an impression). But disappointment sets in during some scenes. The expanse and the story’s message are of course above average. In this respect, Wayne’s journey couldn’t have had a better conclusion. And no let down from Zimmer, either. Not everything. Not yet. Thumbs up for the second time in the IMAX. The huge scale of the screen at last does justice to the dimensions of this picture. The action scenes are absorbing, particularly fly-pasts around Gotham. Awesome. (26/07/2012)

A monumental film – maybe too much so. It exhausted me as if I’d had to carry Bane on my back for three hours. The Dark Knight Rises has a massive scope, it follows about a billion different characters and the network of motivations and relationships among them it’s never very clear (at least not after watching it once). In all this burnt-out expanse, it needs to resort to various shortcuts (someone always comes and meets someone – without it being clear how they knew that said someone would be there – then they say something important and carry on – repeat and rinse after a bit) and pathetic holy speeches (and I won’t even mention the bus full of orphans), while Bane’s plan and its execution feels very dodgy. Yeah, it’s (only) a “comic book movie” and you also can find similar “comic book” twists, motifs and dialogues in the previous two parts, but here it’s a bit too much and Nolan is trying to take his very realistic concept too far. Naturally, the movie is technically flawless. In the end, it’s the character of Bruce the one who gets most of the attention, so as a conclusion to “his” trilogy, it does work well in all its fatality and epic (8/10). As a standalone film, however, it grinds a little. Let’s hope that in two years Christopher will go for something smaller. PS: Of course, it’s very likely that watching it a second time will make the film feel more cohesive, complex and clear (as usual with Nolan), but I don’t feel like going through it again so soon. (01/08/2012)

A film that unfolds in one's mind in an unprecedented way. Let's go step by step. Huge expectations, especially after Nolan made a fantastic promotion with The Dark Knight, it was said he to have nowhere else to go. It is not possible to make anything better, more complex, more magnificent. It may well not be. This installment is not better than the second. It is different, and in the end, it turned out exactly as it should have: American, with its head held high and a torn flag. In all aspects it’s more classical, more pathetic, and essentially simpler and more clichéd. I wasn't expecting a return to finding oneself like in the first film, yet there were many elements here that were absolutely the same. Bane – one of the most anticipated villains of all time – yes, mission accomplished, with his monumental, demonic personality. During the scene “Who are you? I'm Gotham's Reckoning”, I had to blink. And this film has plenty of moments like that. Especially in the “mental” sequences from the prison – this is the good old Nolan that works just as well for the third time. The action is traditionally not the main attraction, it’s pragmatic and austere, essentially just a small bridge in the dense plot. Unfortunately, the closer the film gets to the finish line, the worse and less cathartic it becomes. The final seems very weak, American, and quite unexpected to me. I often missed genuine emotions, which were abundant in the first two films. But then the question arises: what if they are there, but we have become desensitized to them because we got used to them? Speculation. It is definitely necessary to see the entire trilogy in one go. It is not a disappointment, it is still the big film of the year that will make a lot of money and win awards. However, the middle part seemed more complex, urgent, and had more twisting scenes. Hans Zimmer is still brilliant and the Joker is on par with Bane! (26/07/2012)