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Film Review: “The Dark Knight: Rises” (with NO SPOILERS)

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Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cottilard

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Today, I just saw, “The Dark Knight: Rises”, the final Chris Nolan/Batman film of the trilogy. I’m planning to do two posts on this movie, one non-spoiler post and the other with spoilers. Here is my review of the film:

Plot/Synopsis: The film is set after the events of the second movie, “The Dark Knight”. While Gotham City is almost at peace from crime because of the Dent act, Gotham City is still in danger when Bane, a terrorist leader, arrives to destroy the city. Batman returns once again, and gets some help from Commissioner Gordon and Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

I’ll keep the synopsis above small and simple, so I won’t reveal too much. This is NON Spoiler review aimed at those who haven’t seen it.

As far as my thoughts on the movie goes, I thought it was the best one of the trilogy. Many critics online are giving this film negative reviews, that’s probably because a lot of them don’t understand the Batman character or the comics. I was very impressed that, “The Dark Knight: Rises” stayed true to the comics. I thought the film was very gripping all the way through. It was dark and intense. The film is a long one, about 2 hrs. and 45 minutes, but the pacing goes by pretty fast. I thought this was a pretty heartfelt and sad, Batman story. I thought the writing was pretty well done.

The movie was pretty much action packed all the way through. Some of the action scenes were pretty breathtaking. Especially the Batman and Bane fight. That whole fight scene had no music playing during it, which made it awesome. The film also had some pretty fun fighting sequences, explosions, and vehicle chases.

I thought Tom Hardy made a fantastic, Bane. A lot of critics complained about the character, saying he wasn’t dark and evil enough. I’m like, really? I would be afraid of that guy if Bane was a real person, he was fucking scary in that movie. A lot of reviews compare Bane to Heath Ledger’s Joker, saying Bane can’t top Joker, but that’s not a fair judgement. In my opinion, don’t take this the wrong way. I find Tom Hardy’s, Bane, much better than Heath Ledger’s, Joker. Villains are meant to be hated, but instead Christopher Nolan wants to scare people to death with, Bane. For the past two Batman movies, Batman has always been this unstoppable superhero, but Bane was the only guy who is capable enough of making Batman look weak. Most Batman villains try to kill Batman with an army of men, but Bane could do it all himself. I thought Tom Hardy looked great as Bane, and he did a good job with the speaking voice too. I’m glad the film stayed true to the, “break the Bat”, thing which is what Bane is known for.

I also thought Anne Hathaway, made a perfect Catwoman. I knew that from day 1 ever since she was first casted for the role. Have you ever noticed that the costume that Anne Hathaway wore as Catwoman, is very similar to the Julie Newmar Catwoman from the classic TV show? I bet not many people noticed that. Some of the cast members from the past few films returned of course, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. I’m glad this film did more with Morgan Freeman’s character, Fox. The Fox character wasn’t in the last two movies that much, but this time, they gave Fox some more screen time which is good to see. Plus, there’s a few surprising cameos in the movie, I don’t want to say right now but in a different post with the spoilers later.

Of course, Hans Zimmer’s score never disappoints. His Batman scores are always amazing and the music of this film is the best of the trilogy.

While the ending of this movie was a bit too predictable, not surprising at all, I thought, “The Dark Knight: Rises” was an incredible film. I was at the edge of my seat throughout most of it. It was nice to see a more emotional Batman. It’s nice to see that Batman can have feelings and can be more human. Not always being the tough guy that everyone wants him to be. I love how the film went into more insights about Bruce Wayne’s life and childhood.

As far as the “Man of Steel” trailer shown before it goes. That was pretty freakin’ cool, too! Although, I was kind of disappointed that the trailer was much shorter than the SDCC version. It’s just a teaser though. I’m sure, “Man of Steel” trailer #2 will show a lot more. Hopefully, they will reveal what General Zod looks like in the next trailer.

Score for “The Dark Knight: Rises” = **** (4 stars as in “Excellent”)

Kev

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Brock discussses more on “Man of Steel”…

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So the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel” has been the most talked about movie of the year on the internet. Which is expected, because every time a new Supes movie comes out in theaters, he is usually the most talked about superhero than all the others. Why? Because Superman is king of all superheros. The legacy of the character is bigger than all the others. Batman maybe up there, pretty close, but he’s not in Superman’s league. When Bryan Singer was making, “Superman: Returns” Warner Bros. got the same thing from the fans. A lot of skepticism going around and mixed opinions. When “Superman: Returns” came out, it got mixed reviews and it did okay in the box office. “Superman: Returns” wasn’t a hit, but did pretty good in the box office.

Now that Zack Snyder is director of the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel”, the skepticism continues even more. Zack Snyder is not everyone’s favorite director, he gets criticized for his past movies like “300”, “Watchmen” and, “Sucker Punch”. People think Zack is talented at the visuals and cinematography which I agree with, his visuals in his films are amazing, you can’t deny that.  It’s just that people complain about the writing, and the way Zack uses too much Slo Mo effects in his movies. I can understand why people are having a hard time trusting Zack because of his past work, but I totally believe in Zack and trust in Zack, that he just made a Superman movie that we’re all going to love.

Between Facebook, AICN, and other movie forums/blogs, fans have been having interesting debates and discussions about, “Man of Steel”. Some say Zack is going to make a shit Superman movie and some actually trust him. It’s all mixed. I’ve always believed Zack was the right choice to make this movie. The point of this re-boot is that it’s an introduction of a new era. Ignoring the Christopher Reeve/Donner era completely. Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan wants to try a fresh start on Superman. Like I said, this movie is just going to be an introduction, to help build up the sequels later on. In other words, an “origin” story.

I believe we’re finally going to get a beautifully made Superman movie, that we’ve all been wanting for years. I think the movie will be action packed, dark, and the film will be told with heart also. Warner Bros. have been trying really hard to make a great Superman movie. Why have the last few Superman movies haven’t been that great? Because Superman movies are really hard to make and they’re hard stories to tell to bring on the big screen. They really are challenging stories ’cause it’s all science fiction and a lot of mystery surrounding the stories. You can tell great Superman stories in the comics, graphic novels, and animated movies easily because you can do anything with the stories. For the big screen, it’s a different thing, ya know? This is why I believe Zack Snyder got the job to direct, “Man of Steel”, ’cause he has what it takes to bring these stories to the screen. He knows his shit, he’s no joke.

People mistakenly believe that “Man of Steel” is for the longtime die hard fans, but to me, it’s looking more aimed at the new fans who don’t know anything about Superman. The new film, wants to school us in. Get really deep into the stories and characters, which “Superman: Returns” never did. All “Returns” did was concentrate on the love story between him and Lois Lane. In “Man of Steel”, it’s all about learning more about Superman. It’s about learning more about his past and why he came to Earth. Trying to figure out why he became who he is later.

And about the John Williams score, I still say the movie should still use it. If they don’t want to use it, I’m cool with that now, after seeing the bootleg trailer before it got taken down in youtube.

With all this being said though, I’m very excited and stoked for the movie. Whether it’s action packed or not, I think it’s going be an amazing film. I don’t think this film will disappoint everyone at all. People will walk out of the theaters with smiles on their faces. I’m pretty sure. I wish we didn’t have to wait next Summer to see it. They will make us happy this time around. As soon as the high quality version of the trailer arrives online, I’ll post it asap.

Kev

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Cool Photo: “Man of Steel” official teaser poster revealed at San Diego Comic Con…

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So the teaser trailer was shown at SDCC and so was this teaser poster, posted, here.

You know how in the “Dark Knight: Rises” teaser posters, you see a hint of Superman on them, mysteriously? Well, Nolan has done it again with the Superman “Man of Steel” poster, but this time, there’s some Batman secrecy on the “MOS”, poster. Look closely, the shining light on Supe’s chest. Does that shining light remind you of something? Yep, that’s right. That shining light is a shape of a Bat.

I hope I’m not that first one that noticed this?

Kev

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Report: Superman “Man Of Steel” trailer WILL be attached before the “Dark Knight: Rises”, confirmed…

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Good news to all Superman fans!!!!!!!! The Superman Homepage, revealed exclusive news that the “Man of Steel” teaser trailer will be attached before the “Dark Knight: Rises”, movie. The “Dark Knight: Rises” hits theaters next Friday, and this is another reason to get excited for the next “Dark Knight” movie so we can finally see the “Man of Steel” trailer. People have been asking about the “Man of Steel” trailer and the questions have finally been answered! The wait for the “Man of Steel” trailer is almost over and I can’t wait to see it for myself.

I hope the movie, “Man of Steel”, looks good and hope it don’t disappoint. I’m sure Comic Con will reveal the trailer a week early this Saturday when Warner Bros. do the “Man of Steel” panel. I hope it’s a good trailer. I hope we get actual footage from the film itself, and not just the S shield on the screen.

Read the news, here.

Kev

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Christopher Nolan needs to move on from superhero films at some point, let the man move on already!!!

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So Christopher Nolan made three Batman movies and after that, he wants nothing to do with superhero films whatsoever. Of course, typical Hollywood keeps begging him to do more superhero films. I’m glad he’s not going to make the “Justice League”, movie. Would be cool if he directed it, but I understand he wants to move on after years of making Batman movies. He’s made three Batman movies and that’s enough for him. Like everyone else, I would like him to do more superhero films, don’t get me wrong, but keep in mind, this guy is a film maker himself. He needs to move on to other projects.

I wish people would respect his work outside of the superhero genre. Well, people did respect his work outside of superheroes before, and that film was “Inception”, so it’s close enough. People need to respect more of his work. I’m pretty sure most Batman and “Inception” fans haven’t even seen “Following”, “Memento”, “Insomnia” or “The Prestige”. The man is a master of film making. He still needs to finish the new Superman movie, “Man of Steel”, since he’s producing it. Then he’ll be done after that.

When the “Dark Knight: Rises” comes and goes, don’t worry folks, I’m sure the man will still make amazing movies outside of the superhero genre. The man’s a genius. It’s going to be interesting to see what he’s planning to do next after, “The Dark Knight: Rises”. Will he still do action adventure movies or something different? Christopher doing Batman movies will help his film making to a whole new level. I’ve explained this before, but I don’t mind doing it again, just to help get people to back off on him doing superhero movies. If he doesn’t want to do anymore, that’s his decision.

He’s a writer and storyteller himself, let him tell other stories. Give him a chance, and you will realize that he is way more than just a superhero film maker. Congratulations to Chris on his new star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well deserved!

Kev

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Report: Hans Zimmer, officially signed to score, “Man of Steel”, still doesn’t rule out the iconic John Williams theme though…

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Well, Warner Bros. has finally announced the score composer for the upcoming new, Superman movie, “Man of Steel”. It’s no surprise that they were going to get Hans Zimmer, and most everyone predicted they were gonna get him anyway. Hans Zimmer scored for all three “Batman” films and, “Inception”, all Christopher Nolan directed flicks.

One thing to keep in mind though, this still doesn’t rule out the John Williams theme song. They’re still being tight-lipped on whether or not Warner Bros. is planning to use the iconic Superman original theme. Questions you have to ask. Will they ditch the original theme for good and create something new? Will Zimmer still use bits and pieces of the original theme and create a new version? Will they still use John Williams original track for the opening credits, and Zimmer will score the rest of the film?

Keep in mind guys, that the earlier Superman movies had different score composers. John Williams only scored the first Superman movie, “Superman: The Movie”. All the other Superman movies still used the original score, but they had different versions and styles of the theme. Is Hans Zimmer planning to do the same? I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon about the John Williams theme.

I still say that the original theme should be used for the movie. Why? Because there can’t be a Superman movie without it. James Bond has used it’s same theme song for years but they had different versions of the theme for every film. “Star Trek” used the same theme for every movie and TV episode, but used different versions and styles.

If Hans Zimmer snubs the John Williams theme completely, then people won’t get used to the Superman character. It may not sell as well in the box office. I’m sure, “Man of Steel”, will do well in the box office, but without the JW’s score, the Superman franchise may lose some of it’s fanbase. I still think they should use the score in some way. If Zimmer, decided to do something completely different, he’s never going to be able to top it and he will NEVER make it better than the original theme. Superman is pretty well known to have the JW’s theme ’cause the track is who Superman is.

There are still a lot of fans with mixed opinions on the theme song for, “Man of Steel”. Some do want the original theme and some want something totally new. I still support this theme song in the video below and can’t see a Superman movie without it.

See the report, here.

Kev

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Report: “Man of Steel” footage will be shown by Zack Snyder at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, possible teaser trailer too???

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Over the years at San Diego Comic Con, both Superman and Batman has never made appearances to do some marketing for the yearly film conventions. Well this year, Superman will finally be at SDCC, while Batman continues to not want anything to do with it. Look like Zack Snyder got the permission by Christopher Nolan and WB’s to do it. Yes, Snyder will be there to show footage from the film, “Man of Steel“. Will the teaser trailer be revealed as well?

At the Superman, “Man of Steel” panel at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo, they showed the Superman, Jor-El, and Faora costumes out on display. See the pics, here.

I’m not sure why Warner Bros. is still NOT letting us see what Michael Shannon looks like as General Zod, yet? Maybe they’re saving that for SDCC. Hope so. I’m dying to see what the new General Zod looks like.

I’m still praying that “Man of Steel” will be a really good movie. I know Zack Snyder is not everyone’s favorite director, and I know he’s controversial with his “slo mo” scenes, but I truly believe he has what it takes to make an amazing Superman movie. I’m hoping “Man of Steel” will be an action packed ride, it probably will be from the looks of things. I’ve seen some of the Behind the scenes photos that were leaked to the web.

Can’t wait to see a trailer. The trailer should be out later this summer. Hopefully it’ll be a good teaser, and not just the S symbol on the screen.

Kev

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Cool Video: Why Zack Snyder and crew are quiet about details of “Man of Steel” movie…

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At the L.A. Times “Hero Complex” convention event over the weekend, Zack Snyder the director of “Man of Steel”, the new Superman movie appeared on stage to have a live chat with “Walking Dead” creator, Robert Kirkman. While they talked a lot about zombies and comics, Robert, kept bugging Zack about details for “Man of Steel”. As you can see in this live interview, Zack was tight lipped about “Superman” plot points throughout the whole thing.

There are plenty of fan discussions on the internet being disappointed on Zack being silent on, “Man of Steel”. Why is Zack being so secretive of the new Superman movie? Well, it’s a Christopher Nolan movie. Nolan is the mentor and producer of the film. Nolan loves to keep all of his movies secretive. When Nolan did the Batman movies and “Inception”, he was secretive on all those movies but once in a while, he will release a photo or a little teaser to get feedback or hype up the movie.

I remember a while back, Hans Zimmer, explained why Nolan is secretive on his movies, read about it, here.

I agree with what Nolan is doing. Why spoil the surprises and excitement before the movie comes out? Nolan is doing a good job keeping spoilers private as best as possible. These days, every Hollywood movie wants to reveal everything before the film comes out. Nolan is one of the very few who doesn’t like to reveal everything. He’s definitely one of those, “Wait until the movie comes out”, type.

I’m sure Zack would love to talk about the plot details and everything else in “Man of Steel”, but he can’t. I’m sure he had to sign some kind of agreement paperwork that he’s not allowed to talk about anything outside the studio. If Zack did start talking about stuff about the movie, that could get him fired or sued.

Enjoy the interview below.

Kev

 

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Cool Video: “The Dark Knight: Rises” full trailer is here!!!

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Oh wow! I’m totally stoked to see, “The Dark Knight: Rises”. This could be the best superhero flick of the year, for sure. The trailer looks impressive.

It is sad that this is the final, “Dark Knight” film with Christopher Nolan directing, but I understand that he needs to move on. He can’t do Batman films forever, he needs to do other projects. I’m sure the three Batman films he did, helped make him a better director than before, and will help him make better films in the future.

Thanks, Mr. Nolan! In Nolan, I trust!

Kev

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Finally, the official, “Man Of Steel” facebook page is online…

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Warner Bros. finally put up their official facebook page for the “Man of Steel” movie, directed by Zack Snyder. Proof that it’s Warner Bros. page? Check the new S shield logo at the top. That’s never been released before anywhere. Could that be the possible teaser poster?

See the official facebook page of “Man of Steel”, here.

That’s where they’ll be posting the trailers, posters, movie stills, news, etc.

I’m really praying they did a good job with this movie, and I hope Zack doesn’t mess it up. I want a really good Superman movie like everyone else. I hope this is a Superman movie that we’ve all been wanting for years. A great Superman movie told with heart and plenty of action.

The Superman franchise tries their best to come out with a great movie but fails every time. Hopefully this film, will make everyone walk out of the theater with smiles on our faces, and that’s what we want out of a Superman movie!

Kev