Episode 1253 - 'The Dark Knight Rises' Movie Review
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'The Dark Knight Rises' movie has finally arrived and a room full of Geeks give their thoughts on it. (1:25:04)
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Dark Knight Rises Major Plot Points
• Starts off with a scene in the past with a young Ra’s
o Some type of lead in for a future reveal – possibly a baby’s birth
• Bane’s aerial escape
• Selina’s arrival into Gotham
• Bruce has been secluded in Wayne Manor for years
o Unkempt, sickly, and using a cane
• Bruce attempts to return to Wayne Enterprises
o Includes going for a physical which reviews all of the injuries from TDK
o Meets up with Lucius Fox – shows him the new toys
o Meets Miranda Tate – she begins to try to get him in back into the world
• Harvey Dent Day
o The discussion of Gordon’s firing
o Miranda Tate further flirts with Bruce
o Bruce meets with Selina
-She steals his wallet
-She steals his car
o Bruce has Alfred pick him up – “takes time to get back into the swing of things”
• Selina steals from Wayne Manor – takes the pearls
• Bane’s arrival into Gotham
o Takes down Gotham’s Wall Street
o Gordon injured
o Bane begins trap for Batman
- Bruce becomes Batman again – Alfred reminds Bruce he is no longer Batman
- Trap in sewers – includes taunting by Catwoman
• Fight with Bane – “Mr. Wayne”
• Batman loses – “When Gotham is in ashes…”
• Selina witnesses
• Bruce and Alfred wind up in an underground prison
o Bruce retrains
o Uses well as a way to test his training
• Bane takes over Gotham
o Stadium and bridges blown, prisoners released
o Uses Wayne Enterprises equipment (Tumblers) to help takeover city
• Bruce returns to Gotham
o Meets with Fox
o Heads for hidden bunker for gear
• Batman works to take back Gotham
o Teams up with Catwoman
o Fights along side the police department – “War” (similar to Batman in DKR using Mutants)
• Batman v. Bane
o Daytime fight
o Brutal fight
o Bane stopped – Batman dead? (some kind of Ra’s type switch similar to Batman Begins)
• Catwoman escapes – later seen at an airport with the large hat
• Epilogue: A promoted Blake locates Selina in an upscale apartment
o “A girls gotta eat”
o Blake inquires if “they killed” Bruce/Batman & where he is
Major Events:
1. Gordon knows who Batman really is
2. Gordon or Alfred dies
3. Blake gets a promotion – possibly the new commissioner
4. Miranda Tate revealed as Talia – provided Bane with the Tumblers
5. The “Legend Ends” marketing is really a reference to Batman’s “crimes” at the end of TDK
6. Ending will mirror Dark Knight Returns where Bruce is though possibly dead and training others
7. Ra’s makes a cameo – behind Bane?
Besides the nuclear bit, Blake's fate, and Bruce going bankrupt, I think I hit all of the other plot points.
M.
I was really enjoying the movie up until the ending and I think it was all in how it was laid out, not what the ending actually was. My wife was really into this movie more than I was and she left the theater saying the ending killed it for her too. I lost evey bit of enjoyment and felt like I wasted the time and money for nothing.
Anne Hathaway was great.
Great conclusion to the Saga. I was reminded of Empire Strikes Back when everything just kept getting worse, how is it going to clear up!?!
Loved when you guys brought up the 1960's Batman.
M
Anne Hathaway was great. Bane made a great villian and I wasn't bothered with the voice. Besides a Nolan Catwoman movie with Hathaway, I'd like to see a Nolan movie that focuses on Gordon and the Gotham PD.
I agree, a movie about Gordon & the PD would be great. I'd want the one with Anne first, but Nolan can't give me enough of his Bat-universe.
M
'Nuff Said.
Matthew
Also I suspect that if they had used the full Daggat name from the animated series, that whomever created that Daggat would be owed money fro using a pre-existing charcter.
That's been the case with all the the other established characters they used, and it's why Selina Kyle wasn't Catwoman in the Haley Berry film.
I Was Quoted!!
Whopee!!!
Also early in the story Deacon Blackfire is able to "break" the Batman years before Bane was even created. Although it is more psychological than physical. Trade is around. Worth checking out.
Must be a regional thing. For example, where my wife grew up kids play Duck, Duck, Grey Duck instead of Goose.
vv off topic button vv
Only dialogue comes out of that speaker.
I think I forget the story because it's scarcely mentioned. Kinda like Birth of the Demon & Son of the Demon. It's almost treated like an Elseworlds.
Bravo for remembering it. I need to break out my trade & add it to my re-read Batman list.
M
If he's doing podcast interviews now how long before he pops up on CGS?
http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tt/tt120725christopher_nolan_th
[pause, Reese looks nervous]
Lucius Fox: Good luck. *
So let me get this straight. The Dark Knight Rises, arguably the most anticipated movie of this summer and the capper to one of the most popular, original, and respected representation of the Batman character opens up this weekend; and your plan is to spoil the entire movie through an a *wikipedia* article?
[pause, Jamie D looks nervous]
Good luck
I'm glad you posted that, though-- you beat me to it! Looking forward to listening to that later today.
M
1.) the ending of TDK was necessary in the context of the movie. They could've easily blamed Joker for Dent's crimes, but now you have a loose end. Once you involve another person, it can complicate the lie.
In TDK, Batman learned that (like Dent) he could die a hero OR live long enough to become the villain. At that moment, he could make the decision. He also could be the villain to make Dent the White Knight. Seemingly, Batman is the corruptible one. It would prevent future copycat Batmen.
2.) Seeing Bruce's world get worse & worse meant the ending could occur. He no longer had anything as Bruce Wayne & could get a fresh start. Plus, sometimes you need to be beaten down (in this case figuratively & literally) to rise up.
3.) Few would want Anne Hathaway to get more scene time than me, but she's the grease in the engine, not a piece of it. Her presence brought Batman back, helped Bane & Talia's plan, helped Batman save Gotham, & give Bruce a new light at the end of the tunnel. She's a facilitator.
4.) I see you're concern with them not using Roland, but Smallville never used Arthur ("AC"), and the new Arrow series doesn't use the name Dinah.
The movie "Walking Tall" changed the person's name it was based on. Apparently the Rock couldn't play a character named "Buford Pusser"
Why do you think Meg is so opposed to the names "Merlin" (a Knight's magician) and "Mycroft" (brother of famous detective) as possible names for any sons we might have? They aren't common.
M
M
But I just wanted to say that the moment of silence at the end to honor the CO shootings showed a lot of class. Well done.
I won't rehash everything I said in the other discussion, but I will say that I agreed with Adam that I think the scope and size of this movie started to make it not work as a Batman/Gotham movie. I also found that- not remembering the specifics of 'Begins that well when I saw this one- I started wondering just why Al Ghul had such a hard on for Gotham in the first place. Especially as it doesn't seem like that bad of a place anymore by this movie.
The more I hear and see comments about the Blake character, the more I am getting convinced that he is meant to become Batman, and not just join the Bat Family (which was my initial impression of the unsatisfying ending). But that actually makes the ending worse for me, as I just don't buy that the Bruce of these movies is ready to retire and go settle down with Selina. Nothing in his experiences in this movie led me to believe that he was personally fixed enough to put away the monster, nor was he SO convinced that Blake was ready, or that Gotham was ready, for him to just leave them to each other. Not after putting his whole lifetime towards it. That just doesn't wash for me. But, oh well.
Still, though, a lot to enjoy in the movie and I look forward to seeing it again.
Oh, one thought I had during the episode, regarding the lack of Alfred. I personally didn't mind it, as much as I love Sir Michael, and I am a huge fan of his work and career (by the way, his recent memoir, From the Elephant to Hollywood, makes for an excellent audiobook listen), I didn't mind his relatively small role this time, as he had a lot to do in a small amount of screen time. And I wonder how much of the story decisions surrounding Alfred in this movie were also practical production decisions-- he's almost 80, and sometimes it is difficult to get your completion insurance for an actor of that age. It may be that they could only insure him for a small role. And given that nearly all of his role was in and around the mansion, I wonder whether they shot him out of the movie early just in case. That is a terrible thought, but a reality when it comes to an older actor. The insurance companies bonding the completion of the film often won't got for a large role on a long shooting schedule.