deepthroat Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Anyone else been to see this yet? What were your impressions? I went yesterday (opening day - Friday July 20) at a true Imax theater (more on that in a moment). I was actually a bit apprehensive, as The Dark Knight is one of my favorite films of all time. Heath Ledgers performance as The Joker was unprecedented, and the scope, score, and intimacy of such a large production was truly amazing. I think The Dark Knight managed to catch lightning in a bottle and we all know it's virtually impossible to duplicate that. So my expectations were a bit muted to see The Dark Knight Rises, which was probably a good thing. At 2 hours 40 minutes and with nearly an hour of footage shot in native Imax, it was very long and beautifully shot. But the story was unremittingly grim. Gritty, some might say. Surprising for a super hero movie, and hard to believe that I would be saying that a movie with Batman at it's center would be so dark and disturbing, but when I left the theater I felt this movie, and the effects lasted the rest of the afternoon and evening. It's not a movie that I could shake off lightly. Ann Hathaway as Selena Kyle (she's never called Catwoman) was surprisingly effective, and the rest of the cast was great, in particular Joseph Gordon-Levitt who played an idealistic cop. All I can really say for certain is that the end of the film surpassed my expectations and made the first 2 hours + worth the wait. I actually got a bit emotional, and my immediate reaction upon leaving the theater was to want to hop in line to see the next showing (again). I don't know long-term how the film will hold up for me. The Dark Knight is a film that I can watch and rewatch over and over again. Although I want to see this film at least one more time in an Imax theater, I have no idea whether it will hold up to the repeat viewings that The Dark Knight has. A final word about the Imax theater - be aware that the Imax brand name has been rolled out to multiplex theaters that use a bastardized form of Imax presentation. Although it's still better than a conventional 35mm presentation, the "digital Imax" that is shown in the retrofitted multiplex cinemas doesn't have the resolution nor the screen size of the purpose built Imax theaters. 1 Quote Link to comment
farangbah Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Went last night and did the stupid thing of bringing in a fifth of Thai rum and pouring in my fountain soda as I am wont to do. Same result every time: I'm all en fuego for the first half hour and then pass out at least twice. Movie is long, like three hours. Batman is my fave superhero franchise, so I gots no probs going again. Quote Link to comment
pdogg Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Is this a movie that you think Thai ladyboys will like? Quote Link to comment
deepthroat Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Is this a movie that you think Thai ladyboys will like? NO. Way too much talking and dialog, and little/no humor for great swathes of it. It really is unremittingly grim for about 1/2 of it's 160 minute running time. Quote Link to comment
deepthroat Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Went last night and did the stupid thing of bringing in a fifth of Thai rum and pouring in my fountain soda as I am wont to do. Same result every time: I'm all en fuego for the first half hour and then pass out at least twice. Movie is long, like three hours. Batman is my fave superhero franchise, so I gots no probs going again. Would you like a referral to a good 12 Step program? Quote Link to comment
TEXASMAC Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Ladyboys are all in for the " Three Stoogies". Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 NO. Way too much talking and dialog, and little/no humor for great swathes of it. It really is unremittingly grim for about 1/2 of it's 160 minute running time. I think generally you are right, but there are some exceptions. Sonya from Linda Bar would enjoy it I'd bet. After she sat beside me watching Inglourious Basterds and having it hold her interest throughout, I think she'd take well to most movies that have a lot of dialog, and long stretches between action sequences. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Would you like a referral to a good 12 Step program? A 12 Step program for an Irishman is if they can take 12 steps without staggering and falling down, then they ain't had too much to drink. Quote Link to comment
Snick Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I liked it, but it is long and the first half can be a bit slow. But by the end, wow, non-stop action, lots of closure. Not a date movie though, wait for Expendables 2. Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Interesting, not a mention of the elephant in the room as far as this movie goes. I wonder if this film will be forever tainted by the memory of Aurora & the terrible killings that happened there. It isn't a marketing coup that anyone could wish for but it does give this film an iconic status that it could never have expected. Or wanted. I keep reading how unrelentingly grim this movie is, I hope to draw my own conclusions soon. Quote Link to comment
thaibound Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 one could argue that polanski's rape charge might be relevant to an audience's interpretation/criticism of the films he directs (though not often successfully in my opinion), but in no way should the insane behavior of a disturbed individual empowered by a gun-happy society with absolutely zero association with the making of the film, play any part in the evaluation of the The Dark Knight Rises. it's a disservice to the film of extremely minor consequence relative to the true tragedy of the events in colorado, but it has no more to do with Batman than the columbine shootings had to do with bowling. Quote Link to comment
seven Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I gave up on Batman after Michael Keaton and Clooney fucked it up. I realize the Nolan trilogy is probably better, so i should give em a shot. The reports that it´s dark and grim appeals to me. Quote Link to comment
deepthroat Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Seven, I HATED the earlier Batman stuff. Made me swear off superhero movies for life. Then a buddy started whispering in my ear about "Batman Begins" and I thought, naah, whatever, not for me. I was at the Imax theater to see I Am Legend and they announced that they were going to show a 10 minute preview (the entire opening scene) from the upcoming movie The Dark Knight, which had been filmed using Imax cameras. By the end of that 10 minute scene I was converted, and couldn't have cared less about I Am Legend (which sucked IMHO). I HAD to see this new Batman film! When it opened I went to see it in an Imax theater and was blown away from start to finish. Heath Ledger was amazing, as was the story, the music, the acting - as I've said earlier, one of my favorite films of all time. And the only superhero film worthy of academy award consideration. After that I went backwards and watched Batman Begins on bluray and was very impressed. Pacman - good to see you here my friend. I went to see Dark Knight Rises 12 hours after the attack in Aurora, and it was very much on my mind as I sat in the theater. I too wondered if it would forever stain the memory of the film it was associated with, but as Thaibound has said, I think it's long-term effects will be nil. Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Pacman - good to see you here my friend. I second that sentiment Mr. Pacman. It's been awhile and happy to see you here. I hope all is well. Hope to see you soon. Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Thank you Sam & DT. It has been awhile, too long actually. All is well with me, I hope the same applies to both of you plus the many other names I know here but haven't seen for a while. I wonder if they are as happy to see me as I am to see them... Quote Link to comment
pdogg Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I wonder if they are as happy to see me as I am to see them... Nope, not a pistol in my pocket................Happy to see ya Paccers! Talking about guns, although the Colorado killer could have picked any packed movie, I suspect his choice of Batman is not a complete coincidence. Perhaps he wanted to trump the Joker, Riddler, and other comic book villains? Perhaps walking into a Bergman film with body armor and a gas mask would be quite odd; less so for Batman? Quote Link to comment
bumblebee Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Thank you Sam & DT. It has been awhile, too long actually. All is well with me, I hope the same applies to both of you plus the many other names I know here but haven't seen for a while. I wonder if they are as happy to see me as I am to see them... Ah Pacman there you are. I thought this thread was about you posting here when I read the title. Good to have you back and active. Quote Link to comment
seven Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Nope, not a pistol in my pocket................Happy to see ya Paccers! Talking about guns, although the Colorado killer could have picked any packed movie, I suspect his choice of Batman is not a complete coincidence. Perhaps he wanted to trump the Joker, Riddler, and other comic book villains? Perhaps walking into a Bergman film with body armor and a gas mask would be quite odd; less so for Batman? His first words to the cops were : "I'm the Joker". In his first court apearing yesterday his hair was colored red. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thank you Sam & DT. It has been awhile, too long actually. All is well with me, I hope the same applies to both of you plus the many other names I know here but haven't seen for a while. I wonder if they are as happy to see me as I am to see them... I am also happy to see a quintessential Australian gentleman like you Pacmeister!!! I look forward to our next dinner date at that Indian Restaurant, where you so lovingly spoon fed me those lambs brains. Quote Link to comment
iceberg Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 His first words to the cops were : "I'm the Joker". In his first court apearing yesterday his hair was colored red. Seven, I noticed this too, but I thought the "Joker" had green hair in the comic books?? To me he looked like a deranged "Ronald McDonald!" Either way this guy is seriously fucked up,and deserves a bullet to the brain! This would be the best cure for this "Briliant Neuroscience Student" IMHO! But it looks like he'll just be another media darling! The film does look good though,and I'll probably check it out tommorow on my day off! Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I am also happy to see a quintessential Australian gentleman like you Pacmeister!!! I look forward to our next dinner date at that Indian Restaurant, where you so lovingly spoon fed me those lambs brains. Quintessential? Does that mean I am 5 times more essential than the other gentlemen? Thank you for your kind words Mr Lefty & I do have fond memories of our Indian feeds. I am off out to an Indian restaurant tonight as luck would have it. And if you recall, the lamb brains were a gift from the host, your friend I believe & instead of giving me a taste, he brought out a dish of them. I could hardly eat them all myself & I was happy to pass some across in the most manly, heterosexual manner I could manage. We wouldn't want all the other patrons talking about us now, would we? 1 Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Ah Pacman there you are. I thought this thread was about you posting here when I read the title. Good to have you back and active. Thanks BB, it's nice to be with friends, we go back a long way. We just need Pampamsam to log on to complete the triumvirate... And thanks for making me laugh with the Dark Knight reference, I liked it... Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Sorry for the off-topic posts, back to the subject of the movie. I saw it yesterday & consider it a good movie. It doesn't quite make the realm of cinematic greatness (not IMO) but it is a fitting conclusion to the Christopher Nolan brand of Batman movies. I didn't think it was so 'unrelentingly grim' as to be very drawn out in order to make the point that Batman's revival or rising was an even greater feat than we would otherwise imagine. Oh god did they labour the point that Batman was the underdog against this overwhelming foe. And when the protagonist met the antagonist for their showdown, it was, by giant action film standards, a most pedestrian fight where the inevitable happened without any great cause for alarm. Of course what happened immediately after was completely unexpected & I advise anyone wanting the details to go see for themself. As to the question of whether a Thai, either GG or LB, would enjoy it, I suspect most would find it a bit excruciating. The long lead up to the finale & the many plot twists were hard enough to follow for a farang, A fairly convoluted plot might diminish their understanding of what is going on but there is enough happening on screen to keep them amused. Funny enough, our Thai friends probably have more chance of knowing what is happening thanks to them having subtitles, something I wished for on a few occasions. Nolan has this strange habit of having the characters discuss some plot development & presto, in the next scene, it has happened. It makes for very fast movement of the story & saves on monotonous scenes but OMG, blink & you won't know what is happening. And I was concentrating the entire time, some things still caught me out. I wasn't helped by the poor diction of both leads, one because he had a ridiculous plot device permanently over his face making him at times, impossible to understand, & the other lead was speaking in a gutteral hoarse voice that was simply unnecessary & annoying. If ever a movie suffered from trying to do too much, this one does. There are a host of things I could mention but I don't want to spoil the experience for those yet to see it. And despite what sounds like luke warm praise, I do recommend everyone see it, even if for nothing more than this film is going to be discussed for a long time & you don't want to be the only one left out of the conversation. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I may get around to watching it in a few years, if it's on HBO, and I ain't busy. Superhero movies don't generally give me a pup tent in my boxer briefs. Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I may get around to watching it in a few years, if it's on HBO, and I ain't busy. Superhero movies don't generally give me a pup tent in my boxer briefs. Go & see it! I just re-read my critique & I was being very hard on the film. This is much more than the usual action, CGI flick, it has enough existential angst to separate it from any other film of the genre. I may be wrong but I think you will enjoy it. And I forgot to mention Anne Hathaway, she is teffific in this. She gets some of the best lines & some of the best scenes. And she will give you a rod in your undies, when she is bent over riding that big-ass muthafucka of a motor bike cum whatever, all I could think of was sitting behind her & helping her out of her skin tight costume. Get out of your comfort zone & go see it Lefty. There'll be no red wine for you if you don't... Quote Link to comment
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