The Dark Knight Rises [2012] [Region Free]

For me this is easily the best movie of 2012. Im not a fan of Bond anymore so I cant speak for that. Avengers was awesome and Bourne legacy was good though not a patch on the original trilogy. This though has it all, a thoughtful story of redemption, action and a fitting end to the best superhero reboot of them all. I have to confess on first viewing I was sceptical. The hype was huge and I got swept along. That is always a recipe for disaster where anything less than perfection leaves you feeling cheated and since everyone will want something a little different you will never make everyone happy. I also felt the film seemed to plod in a few areas but miss out vital months where you would have liked to see what led to events. As it is I suspect a lot of cuts were made as this still runs at over two and a half hours. These films are the thinking persons superhero movies. A normal person made super through gadgets and a drive to go beyond the normal confines of dealing with problems. The acting is spot on, the soundtrack is one of the best applications since Gladiator. For a classical score it is rousing and gets the adrenaline pumping or fuels emotion. Its one of few recent soundtracks where I will hear part of the main theme on tv and instantly know where its from. The action sequences are superb. At first I was critical that they seemed slower but this is in context as our hero is getting older, he is nearly out of steam and this is his chance for one last push against someone faster, stronger and more violently driven. I was resentful that my hero seemed to be made to look stupid and weak but this is all necessary for his final redemption. Then there is the message that has underpinned the whole trilogy 'Batman is a symbol' and once you remember that you appreciate the setup. For me, Christopher Nolan has made a superb trilogy that can not be beaten. Yes there were a few things that could have been slightly improved but once you start going back and altering films you end up with the mess that is the current version of Star Wars. It should be left alone now, no more reboot attempts like Spider-Man. In many ways these films have followed the original Star Wars trilogy - Batman Begins was a breath of fresh air, the Dark Knight was the trilogy's 'Empire Strikes Back' - dramatic sobering and emotional, THe Dark Knight Rises is the swan song that whilst not as strong or complete as the others, draws the curtain in a satisfactory way. Dont watch it with stupidly high expectations and you will enjoy it. Some have criticised the transfer but I thought mine looked very sharp compared to the DVD.

I'm guessing that plenty of people reading this review will have seen this movie and know how fantastic it is. If you haven't, then make sure you watch the first two films before this one - as an end to the trilogy it is brilliant. While it can be viewed as a standalone film, it makes MUCH more sense after you've seen Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and can be appreciated all the more as a splendid piece of filmmaking. Onto the Blu-Ray itself. The picture quality is absolutely fantastic - this is the best of the films to get on blu-ray as it has the most IMAX footage in it (about 72 minutes worth, or a third of the film all told - compared to about 26 minutes for The Dark Knight). When it switches to IMAX, the aspect ratio flips to fill your whole television, creating a fantastically detailed and immersive image. This is only available on the blu-ray - the DVD keeps the same 16:9 aspect ratio throughout. Nolan utilises IMAX well, from simple establishing shots to whole chase and fight sequences. Sequences such as the plane hijacking and the bomb chase sequence are made to stand out all the more with the visual gravitas the IMAX lends them. Sound-wise, this is a film that demands to be watched loudly - if you set the volume low, dialogue (especially Bane or Lt. Gordon when he is hospitalised) can easily be lost. Instead, turn this film up loud, and take this as an opportunity to really give your sound system a workout, to truly lose yourself in the high spectacle of this grand finale to one of the greatest trilogies ever made in any genre. The special features (on a second disc) are fantastic - detailed, interesting and informative, by far the best special features of all of Nolan's Batman films. The steelbook itself is also worthy of mention. The artwork chosen for both the exterior and interior of the case really is superb, encapsulating the spirit of the film well. The case also has a much more premium and moody feel to it, which compliments the film in a way that the regular blu-ray case doesn't - whilst the cover art on that is fine, the back loses any sense of artistic merit in it's use of bright garish colours that boast of the special features contained in the pack. All that is lost in the steelbook feature-wise is the UV copy, which is fine by me as I have found it to be a poor, flawed substitute for a real iTunes digital copy. This steelbook, then, is a worthy collectors piece to celebrate a real feat of film-making, and (when viewed alongside the rest of the trilogy) a series that perhaps represents the peak of Christopher Nolan's career so far - to my mind the greatest living director (with the possible exception of Steven Spielberg). This item comes thoroughly recommended!

What a great movie to finish of the trilogy,it's a pity Nolan didn't make another one with Robin

Great

First of all, this film was mostly a great watch, the action sequences were first class, the acting was very good, and the villain was suitably menacing. The last 45 minutes go past very quickly, and it was a superbly composed final hour by Nolan. Bales performance as Batman was a little lighter than The Dark Knight with a few more laughs but not many, and Hardys performance as Bane was towering and unsettling. He really was a man mountain in the film. Could I write more praise? Sure, I mean the film score is superb, I bought the soundtrack too and it's fast paced and really well composed and I love it a lot, Catwomans theme is fantastic but the whole score is sensational. I remember seeing this in the Imax in Kingston and it was extraordinary, the action exploded in your face, the sound was deafening but not loud enough to hurt your ears, it was enough to put you right in the heat of the action and I enjoyed the film a lot more because of that. There are downsides in the film, the ending still has me a little confused, I believe it does actually happen but it's hard to see HOW it happened, if you know what I mean. There's no real indication of how it happened, this all sounds very vague but it has to be for fear of spoiling the film for others. The film's probably a little overlong, could have been half an hour shorter and would have been better for it. As for Bane, for such an imposing character, again it's very anticlimatic, and you'll know what I mean there again. We don't see much of Batman at all in the film, he's on screen for maybe half an hour or more, and most of the time it's just Bruce Wayne. Not enough of Banes backstory was shown, how he came to be such a man mountain, how he entered the Lazarus pits, why he was there etc. There's a lot of vagueness in the film, with fill in the blanks moments for us to work out ourselves. Now there's talk of the next film being set in the 1980's focusing on the Justice League or something, I have no idea really. I did enjoy the film but there were a few too many vague moments for me to truly enjoy it to its full potential, and to be honest The Dark Knight was better. But if you haven't seen this yet and own the previous 2 films you'd be a fool not to buy this.

First of all, Nolan has made the greatest trilogy of all time, and while the film probably won't demand repeat viewings like The Dark Knight, it's narrative structure and beautiful photography by Pfister, make this film the superior one in the series. Where the first movie explored fear, and the second movie chaos and anarchy, this film is based on redemption and pain, because as many people have stated, both Bane and Bruce experience pain throughout the movie. And this is what makes Bane an interesting villain, because he is the polar opposite to Batman, but the same, as Nichy once said, 'you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back at you'. Bane is Batmans abyss, what he could have become if he had joined the League. Structurally the movie fits in perfectly with the others, and this is what makes this the best trilogy of all. Everyone is dedicated to Nolans vision, from the cast, to the crew, they believe in what he has done, and this makes it better viewing for the audience. The cast are fantastic, and the question of the ending? it's perfect, Wayne has paid his due to Gotham, and Gotham to him, after all it took away his parents, and made him unhinged. But this movie finally, shows him at peace, and the last scene confirms that this epic trilogy is over. It's sad to think this, Nolan resurrected a franchise that went out of control, and then some, and has managed to give the movie a conclusion, that not only respects the source material, but the movie goer too.

Very Entertaining!

Brilliant trio

Great price for a Steel book blu ray !

It was a treat for this great movie available at a good discounted price! I am not a fan of Christopher Nolan and I have been oscillating whether to buy this or not. When I saw the pricing reasonable, I thought I should give a try and was thoroughly satisfied with it.

Me: "you don't NEED to make another Batman film! You have given us everything!" Nolan: "Not everything, not yet." The Dark Knight Rises borrows many elements from The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Knightfall, but DO NOT think this is a straight forward adaptation of those storys. This just borrows some key plot elements, and becomes a stand alone movie. It's alot like what Nolan did with Batman Begins, as that one was heavily inspired by Batman: Year one, but became its own story. WARNING: I may SPOIL The SECOND installment, The DARK KNIGHT, in DETAIL. So at the end of The Dark Knight, Batman took the blame for Harvey Dents fall, now becoming enemy number 1 of the police. The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after the Dark Knight, and as it turns out, Bruce Wayne gave up Batman and is now retired. Meanwhile, Gotham City is currently celebrating a time of peace. The Joker was captured at the end of The Dark Knight (and although his fate is uncertain in this film, all you need to know is that he's gone) and the police have cleaned up the rest of Gotham. Although peace has been achieved in Gotham, our heros have pretty much been eaten alive by this lie. Bruce Wayne hung up the Batman symbol, but never moved on. He is a recluse in Wayne Manor, not knowing what to really do with is life. As for Jim Gordan, lets just say he has been messed up the most mentally after Dark Knight. His wife has left him, and he has been speeking this lie for 8 years, PRAISING Dent going "oh, Harvey Dent, truth, justice, and the american way!" while thinking "yeah, Harvey Dent, the jerk that tried to kill my own son!". So in a way, Jim Gordan is on his own, having nothing but this lie he has to live with. Things change, however, when our terrorist Bane steps in Gotham. He has one purpose: take control of Gotham. He starts a series of attacks in Gotham, forcing Bruce Wayne to pick up the mantle of Batman again to reclaim his city. Of course, there is much more to Banes plan, as he wants to break Batman both mentally and physically. Why? Because Bane is associated with a previous villain in this series, and seeks revenge. This all leeds to a number of sub plots and character arcs (along with the introduction of several new characters) all leading up to an ending where everything is tied together. The POSITIVES: -The writing is great (not as great as Begins and The Dark Knight, but still great). -The action and effects are sensational! 90 percent of the action of this film is done with practical effects and death defying stunt work. There isn't really an iconic "money shot" scene like the truck flip in the Dark Knight, but the action is still really good. Also, the fist fights between Batman and Bane aren't as good as they should be, but are still alright, and improved over Begins and Dark knight. But, the dialogue between Batman and Bane makes up for it. -The acting is incredible. The characters are written and portrayed well, and are all great. There are probably too many characters to take in one film, but, they are all still done well, and you don't want any of them to have been cut out of the film. -There are some great moralls too. Plenty of emotion, and some good character analysis. -The ending: there are no words to describe but EPIC. It's written great, filmed great, and acted great. Somehow, Chris Nolan wraped everything up PERFECTLY, and I am shocked he was able to do so. Trust me, he MEANT IT when he said this would be the final Batman film of this series. SURPRISES: -One of the main charcters in this film was Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Her role isn't EXTREMELY pivotal to the plot, but important to Bruce Waynes story, and she has plenty of screen time. I didn't think Hathaway would be a good Catwoman, at all, but I was wrong! She was cast PERFECTLY, and gave a great performance. Tom Hardy I already new would be a great Bane (and he was). -In The Dark Knight Rises, ALOT of new characters are introduced, but thankfully, almost every character gets enough screentime, and they all give great performances. -Another newcomer particularly is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who gives a great performance as Officer John Blake. Although an original character by Nolan, he has several chatracteristics of a few charcters from the comics. He was acted and written so well, that I WANT to see this John Blake character in the comics. -And lets not forget the plot twists. There are moments of BRILLIANCE in this film. Obiously I won't spoil the plot twists for anyone though. Sure, I saw 1 or 2 of them coming, but there were a few I DID NOT expect. The NEGATIVES: -one nitpick I have is how Batman immediatly retired after Dents cover up. Instead, I would have stated Bruce continued to be Batman for 2 or 3 years (as a fugitive being hunted by the police) and slowly faded away, and by the point of this film, he has only been retired for a couple years. This is only a nitpick, since the starting off point of the film would stay the same, and this change wouldn't have made much difference to the plot. And it would still take place 8 years later, the only difference being he has just been retired for a couple years, instead of all 8. -Banes voice is an issue for alot of people. Trust me, you can understand him... 97 percent of them time. There are a few lines of dialogue that you can't quite understand, but overall, the voice was fine. BUT, in the opening, Banes voice was TERRIBLE! Yeah, I could understand him, but you couldn't help but laugh whenever he talked. After the opening act, however, they got the tone right, and Bane started to sound cool later, just bad in the opening. -editing was alright, but felt kind of "choppy" at times. -The pacing was good for the length, but still not that great. -alot of people think the film was too long. I disagree, I thought it was to SHORT! -The movie is 2 and a half hours long, but, this movie is the definition of a 3 hour movie. If it was just 15 minutes longer, almost all of my problems would be fixed.. The pacing would have been better, and the film just would have "flowed" better, instead of feeling clutered with information. And considering that some of our most successful films (Titanic, Lord of the Rings, and a few others) are well OVER 3 hours, I doubt extra length would have been a negative effect on this film in any way. -Despite the large amount of characters cramed into 2 and a half hours, most of the characters get enough screen time, except for one. Marion Cotillard as Wayne interprise member Miranda Tate. She gets a good amount of screentime, but still needed more. If the film was 10 to 15 minutes longer, 5 extra minutes JUST with her would have given her character more time. She was the one character that just didn't get enough development. -I have a few other nitpicks, but only a few are worth mentioning. There is a scene with a bank robbery in broad daylight, but 8 minutes later, it's pitch black! And when it comes to the plot midway through, it may seem a little illogical, but no more than Batman Begins or Dark Knight, so you can't question what is realistic and what isn't WITHOUT questioning the others. You can't ask one question without asking another. Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is, whether you like it or not, a good film, and an incredible ending to Chris Nolans trilogy. And alot of people complain about the ending, saying "MY Batman wouldn't do this!" well, it's not anyone elses Batman in this series, it's Chris Nolans Batman. We all have out own interpretation of the Batman character, and Chris Nolan gives us his. And personally, I don't think Chris Nolan could have ended his take any better. So, if you ignore the comics, forget your personal opinion on the Batman mythology, and view The Dark Knight Rises as a STAND ALONE MOVIE, you should be fine. The main reason why the ending works is BECAUSE it's forshadowed in the previous 2 films (if you payed attention, of course). "if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you will become something else entirely. A legend." As a man he can be destroyed, but as a symbol, he can live forever. THAT is a comman theme illustrated in this entire trilogy. If you can accept that, then you should know that The Dark Knight Rises has a very fitting end. If you liked Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, there is no good reason to NOT like this one. If you liked Begins (but didn't care for The Dark Knight) this should be a pleasant surprise, as this movie ties in ALOT to Begins, and I would even reccomend everyone to rewatch Begins before viewing Rises. But, if you DIDN'T care for Begins or Dark Knight, this film probably won't win you over, but everyone should still check this out. For me, this film gave me everything: Suspense, action, genius writing, great performances, 2 great cameos, plot twists, and an incredible ending, Nolan book ends everything as a trilogy should. Another word of warning: If you are looking for a nonstop "Batman" film, well, this may not be for you. This movie features less screentime for Bruce Wayne in the Batsuit than any other Batman movie. But that's the point. We got plenty of Batman in The Dark Knight, so now, we have Bruce Waynes story being completed. If you don't like Chris Nolans take on Batman, that's fine, but don't HATE on these movies just because they aren't for you. Sure, it is pretty illogical at times, but just as much as every other movie in existance. And if someone is going to tear this film apart over nitpicks or small plotholes, trust me, if I tried I could EASILY do that to any other movie. Just acknowledge that these ARE good films, instead of complaining about what you DON'T like. It's not that I ignore the problems in this movie, it's because there is MUCH more good than bad, so I can still give it 5 stars. Also, some people were dissapointed with The Dark Knight Rises because the expectations were SO overwhelmingly high. PLEASE, do NOT let your expectations get the best of you! Think logically (like me) before viewing this movie. Sure, this film isn't 10 times better than Dark Knight as that was to Begins, but, it's still great! I still love all 3 chapters of this trilogy (something alot of trilogys fail at). So, if you enjoyed Batman Begins and Dark Knight (and payed attention to the themes illustrated in them) you should enjoy this. Is this the PERFECT everything a fanboy could want Batman film? Well, no. But heck it'll do! It's still a great Batman movie, and succeeds in doing what was most important: giving the trilogy a fitting ending. Sure, the movie isn't perfect, but quite frankly, a perfect film just doesn't exist. And if there is anything else that anyone is confused or scratching their head about, please comment. After seeing this film 3 times, I have been able to explain nearly every plothole or problem I had when I watched it the first time. If you were confused in any way, feel free to ask questions :) Everyone should check this out, as it is a truly incredible ending to this amazing trilogy. Me: "I never said thank you." Nolan: "and you will never have to."

Spannend, Emotional, Atemberaubend!!! Das Finale einer großartigen Trilogie! Die Story: ...ist sehr gut aufgebaut, da sie direkt an "The Dark Knight" anschließt & auch auf "Batman Begins" passiert. Hier ist den Autoren ein Glanzstück gelungen. Damit ist die Geschichte noch tiefgründiger, als bei seinem Vorgängern. Die Handlung des Films basiert auf den Geschichten von "Batman - Die Rückkehr des Dunklen Ritters, Der Sturz des Dunklen Ritters" & "Niemandsland". Damit wird die Figur Bruce Wayne mehr in den Mittelpunkt gesetzt, was auch den Tiefgang dieses Films erklärt. Damit ist der Film keine typische Comicverfilmung. Diese Variante gefällt mir sehr gut, da ich auf quietschbunte Heldenverfilmungen ohne jeglichen Plot wie z.b. "Batman & Robin" von 1997, gut & gerne verzichten kann. Zum Glück verstehen die Nolan-Brüder, wie man einen Helden wie Batman in Szene setzen muss. Die Darsteller: Mit Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine ist die gewohnte Riege aus den letzten Teilen wieder mit von der Partie. Nur Maggie Gyllenhaal & Aaron Eckardt sind nicht dabei, da ihre Figuren in "The Dark Knight" sterben mussten. Und Heath Ledger verstarb ja nach den Dreharbeiten von "TDK". Christian Bale ist dieses mal mehr als Bruce Wayne zu sehen. Als Batman taucht er eher selten auf. Doch das tut seiner Leistung im Film keinen Abbruch. Ohne Zweifel spielt er die Figur bravourös. Die Rolle ist wie auf ihn zugeschnitten, da er sich intensiv in diesen Charakter reinversetzen kann. Damit hat er mich in allen drei Teilen mehr als überzeugt. Gary Oldman als Lt. Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman als Lucius Fox & Michael Caine als Alfred sind die Ruhepole des Films. Besonders letzterer spielt hier dieses mal einen sehr ergreifenden Part. Ein Meister seines Fachs. Neu dabei sind Tom Hardy (Bane), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (John Blake), Anne Hathaway (Selina Kyle / Catwoman) & Marion Cotillard (Miranda Tate). Die beiden erst genannten fügen sich super in Nolans Konzept ein. Besonders Tom Hardy zieht mit seiner Mimik alle in seinen Bann & wirkt sehr furchteinflößend. So stellt man sich Bane vor. Hut ab!!! Gordon-Levitt war in allen Belangen sehr überzeugend. Von ihm ist in nächster Zeit sicher noch einiges zu erwarten. Bis auf Anne Hathaway haben die anderen bereits in "Inception" Erfahrungen unter Nolan sammeln dürfen. Auch Marion Cotillard war damals mit von der Partie. Auch sie war eine gute Wahl für "The Dark Knight Rises". Auf Anne Hathaway war ich im Vorfeld besonders gespannt, was sie für eine Selina Kyle / Catwoman abgeben würde. Dabei wurde meine Wenigkeit nicht enttäuscht. Sie gab eine Selina Kyle vom feinsten. Jedoch war bei Catwoman etwas Luft nach oben. Der Regisseur: Hier sind fast keine Wort mehr nötig. Es dürfte allen bekannt sein, dass Christopher Nolan seine Filme atemberaubend in Szene setzen kann. Diesen Stempel hat er nicht erst seit "Inception" aufgedrückt. Sein jüngerer Bruder Jonathan ist oft als Drehbuchautor dabei. Nach "TDK" bekam er auch hier wieder das Vertrauen. Die erneute Zusammenarbeit war wieder mal ein voller Erfolg. Dafür gibt es Bestnoten von mir. Die Kulissen: Hier haben sich die Macher selbst übertroffen. Gotham City wurde erneut atemberaubend in Szene gesetzt. Außerdem erstrahlen "Wayne Manor" & die "Bat-Höhle" in neuem Glanz. Beides war in "TDK" nicht zu sehen, da es in "Batman Begins" zerstört wurde. Der Zuschauer kann sich in Sachen Gotham City auf tolle Effekte freuen. Mehr möchte ich an dieser Stelle nicht verraten. Die Musik: Erneut zeigte sich Hans Zimmer für den Score verantwortlich. Jedoch ist James Newton Howard nicht mehr mit dabei. Dennoch wird die Musik spektakulär eingesetzt. Aber im Gegensatz zu den Vorgängern, fand ich diese hier nicht ganz so stark. An einigen Stellen des Films wiederholen sich Passagen des Scores zu oft. Aber vom Material her immer noch eine recht solide Umsetzung. Fazit: Habe ich ja eigentlich schon ganz oben erwähnt. ;-) Spannend, Emotional, Atemberaubend!!! Das Finale einer großartigen Trilogie! Einzig die Synchronstimme von Bane könnte den Gesamteindruck etwas trügen. Mit der Zeit klingt sie dann doch recht nervig. Besonders dann, wenn Bane seine Reden hält. Aber da dies auf die Kappe der deutschen Synchronabteilungen geht, möchte ich dies nicht wirklich als Kritikpunkt anführen, da Nolan dafür nicht verantwortlich ist. Fans des dunklen Ritters werden voll auf ihre Kosten kommen. Denn dieser Streifen hält einige Überraschungen parat. Aber Fans von reinen Comicverfilmungen dürften etwas enttäuscht sein, da es sich hier nicht um selbiges handelt. Im Abschnitt Storys bin ich bereits näher darauf eingegangen. Schwächer macht dies den Film auf keinen Fall! Chris Nolan ist wieder mal ein actiongeladenes Szenario geglückt. Mit "The Dark Knight Rises" wird diese Trilogie wunderbar abgerundet & die Vorgänger sogar noch aufgewertet.

Super film la 4k est magnifique sur un bon lecteur blu ray il ya le blu ray normal avec un bon produit pour la collection