The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
So, this is Christopher Nolan’s triumphant finale to this Batman trilogy. The interesting thing is, despite the title of the movie, The Dark Knight Rises really has more to do with Batman Begins than it does with The Dark Knight. There’s much more here about the League of Shadows and Ra’s al Ghul than there is about the Joker, though the deceased Harvey Dent does get mentioned on several occasions.
Not surprisingly, the core plotline here is that Bane and his minions, as representative of the League of Shadows, want to reduce Gotham to anarchy and destroy the city. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne hasn’t donned his Batman gear in years. He gets spurred on to return and mayhem ensues. However, there are several holes in the plot that will leave you scratching your head, wondering how that is at all possible.
For example, there is an underground prison in a faraway land and the only way that the inmates can escape is by climbing out of a long vertical tunnel. Strangely, though, this prison does not appear to have any guards or wardens, there are bars but there don’t appear to be any locks, and there is no sensible way for the inmates to get rations and supplies. I understand that the prison is more symbolic than real, but elements like this just bothered me. And there were many of them.
Yes, the Dark Knight Rises is still an enjoyable way to spend almost three hours in a movie theatre. The action is intense and the visuals are stunning. Bane’s voice is a little odd and you’ll be suspending your disbelief more often than you’d like, but this is Batman. And a pretty good Batman at that.
Chronicle (2012)
It’s clear enough that the writers of Chronicle borrowed a little bit of inspiration from comic books like the X-Men. Some teenagers find their way into a mysterious cave and then they emerge the next day with superhuman powers. They have telekinesis, for example, and they can fly.
The three boys aren’t necessarily friends in the beginning–you’ve got the dorky guy and the two cool kids–but they develop a common bond over their newfound abilities. Of course, we dive into the discussion of only using these powers for good, culminating in a city-wide destruction case. Chronicle
Let the Bullets Fly (2010)
If only they had the Internet… in 1920s China, a crook makes his way to a remote town, posing as the new mayor. He’s welcomed with open arms, but quickly gets into a conflict with a local nobleman who isn’t afraid to bend a few rules. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse with the two men smiling at one another, while simultaneously scheming about how to outwit the other.
The story takes several unnecessarily complex turns without adding any sort of sensible intrigue to the mix. Let the Bullets Fly
There were so much raves about the Darknight Rises, but i’ve never been a fan, despite watching all the prequels.
I have not followed the recent Batman series, mainly because of time and work. The one thing that gets me is the same with the Spiderman reboot is that they really have nothing to do with the actual originals. The one thing that I will give the Dark Knight series is that they changed the name and it kinda follows the image of the Batman character in the current comics.
I wanted to ask Michael, is Let Bullets Fly anything like the kung Fu theater movies from the 70’s?
No, not at all. Minimal kung-fu, if any, and much more scheming, cheating, and double-crossing.
Just caught ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in cinema last week, must say I quite like the ending.
I watched Chronicle on DVD, it was a lame movie.
I was surprised with your negative review of ‘Let the Bullets Fly’ as the film has received critical acclaim when it was released mainland China & Hong Kong.