Why The Dark Knight Rises Is My FAVORITE Batman Movie | Video Essay
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🎬 In FilmSpeak's video essay we discuss Why The Dark Knight Rises Is My Favorite Batman Movie
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The Dark Knight Rises...this is a film I've wanted to talk about on the FilmSpeak channel for a long, long time. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy is a series of films that defined by youth and helped to cement my love of cinema...and Nolan himself. All three movies are equally important to me, but their also just towering cinematic achievements. Films that, when grouped together, comprise what is, in my opinion, the greatest film trilogy of all time. Many of you may disagree. That's fine! But even after seeing Matt Reeves The Batman, I still find myself swept up in the magic and emotion of The Dark Kight trilogy. Now within that trilogy is a misunderstood and unfairly maligned entry in The Dark Knight Rises. While many consider Batman Begins to be a perfect origin story and The Dark Knight one of, if not the greatest comic book film of all time, The Dark Knight Rises often gets thrown under the bus for not living up to the masterpiece that came before it. However, I feel there's much to love about The Dark Knight Rises. It's the perfect trilogy capper. A Batman movie that builds upon what what happened at the end of The Dark Knight and thematically brings the story full circle back to Batman Begins. It's a film that takes risks, ups the action and the stakes, while bringing down the hammer on an immensely satisfying emotional conclusion. From Bane, to Alfred, to Catwoman, to John Blake aka Robin, to Jim Gordon, and Bruce Wayne/Batman himself, every character and ideology is fully explored and given the incredible payoff they deserve. Some may pick holes in some so called "logic gaps" or "plot holes" but they're either choosing to ignore what's right in front of them or missing the point entirely. The Dark Knight Rises is underrated, even Christopher Nolan himself considers it so. So let's shine a light on the greatest third film in a trilogy as Griffin (@griffschiller) explores Why The Dark Knight Rises is a Perfect Batman Movie, why the dark knight rises is the best batman movie of all time, and why the dark knight rises is my favorite batman movie. I know it's a bold statement, but it's how I feel. The Dark Knight Rises is a misunderstood masterpiece and I'll die on that hill. Enjoy!
#Batman #TheDarkKnightRises #TheBatman #ChristopherNolan #TheDarkKnightRisesReview #VideoEssay #DC #TheDarkKnight
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🎞 Chapters 🎞
0:00 "Now's Not The Time For Fear..."
03:51 Essential Bat Cinema
05:12 "...That Comes Later."
13:29 Make the Climb
17:53 "There's A Storm Coming, Mr. Wayne..."
23:52 A Necessary Evil
28:18 "Yes, Mr. Wayne. It Does Come In Black."
34:33 Rise
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🎞 About The Dark Knight Rises 🎞
It has been eight years since Batman (Christian Bale), in collusion with Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), vanished into the night. Assuming responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent, Batman sacrificed everything for what he and Gordon hoped would be the greater good. However, the arrival of a cunning cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) and a merciless terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) force Batman out of exile and into a battle he may not be able to win.
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What do YOU think about TDKR???🦇 Comment below and then head over & join me on Likewise! on.likewise.com/filmspeak
I think it brought down the quality of the entire Nolan trilogy. I think it is a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise excellent series. I think it has good performances that is marred by a very weak script. I think Nolan didn't truly find the best way to present Bane or Batman after the events of TDK, but ironically his Catwoman was decent. I think it doesn't measure up to the first two films and is just not very good. I think it gets progressively worse for me each time I watch it so I stopped watching it years ago and don't plan to for a while.
Can you provide citations for the Nolan interviews that were used in this video? I’d like to read all of them in full context.
@@windowsVD All in The Nolan Variations!
@@FilmSpeak Thanks!
I love all three movies, being The Dark Knight my favorite and BB and TDKR a tie.
"Bane is the actual monster Batman pretends to be" That is so badass
Deadly line. That hit me too.
The film is bad. Really not good. And this line is just as pretentious as the pseudophilosophical "what they deserve /what they need" nonsense from the Dark Knight.
Yes that line was haunting. Felt like my brain got kicked with the truth so hard I was like "wait what just happened?"
@@j.m.w.5064it's true bane is about that life
Made everything make so much more sense
I always found TDKR extremely inspirational. Bruce's struggle and his eventual rise from the pit is extremely evocative and something barely felt in superhero cinema.
And the music as he comes out of the pit, and the BATS! *chef’s kiss*
@@cnat.travels Absolutely! Hans Zimmer's a legend!
it's a much more complex and emotionally fulfilling movie than The Dark Knight
I agree. I love the story and it always reaches to me. Bruce Wayne, The Batman, frigging rises.
My only fundamental problems with TDKR are that it should have been made clearer that Talia was Bane’s assistant and that Bruce should have figured out on his own how to get out of The Pit.
"Bane is the actual monster that batman pretends to be" Damn that's why I love that character 🔥
I think one key element you are missing is, when Alfred tells the truth about Rachels letter. It takes Bruce out of the pity for himself, relief him of his anxiety and burden and then pave the way for him to become the Batman again
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy” is one of the few film trilogies where I can easily imagine any of the 3 movies being somebody’s favorite, and it’s completely understandable
Honest to god there are times where it shifts for me too. TDKR is def the one I go back to as 1, but the trilogy as a whole I almost view as one whole entity.
@@FilmSpeak I was 13 years old when Batman Begins came out in Cinema back in 2005 lol I am now 29
I’d like to add: this doesn’t invalidate other film trilogies, or people’s opinions of them. People absolutely deserve to feel however they want about any movie, because every film is someone’s favorite! Hell, I have a love for every single Star Wars movie! I love hearing people talk about which ones are their favorites (even if they don’t share the “general public’s” opinion) because that’s the joy of art! The “general public” shouldn’t dictate one’s opinion of a piece of media, feel how you want to feel! I loved this video and hearing his immense passion for the film made me love it even more!!
Rami vs Nolan who y'all got
I like to call it "The Dark Knight Legend." It was phrased that way in a Rises trailer. Calling it that ties it together that the whole thing is almost more of a myth of hope that happens to star a character we all know. It's almost like it's not even a "Batman" movie; it's The Dark Knight Legend.
I love when Batman tells Gordon his identity by saying “a hero can be anyone , by doing something even as trivial as wrapping a coat around a boy to let him know the his world hasn’t ended” Gordon is Batman’s hero 😢. I always love in Batman begins when Gordon’s says “your only one man” and Batman whispers “now we’re two” and you hear the sentence fade out as he’s leaving while saying it. Some real ninja shit. This Batman is the most stealthy , while the new one is the detective and batfleck was just the brawler
Coupled with the dumb voice, that scene absolutely made me cringe. No one talks like that (the dialogue) and no one talks like that (the dumb voice).
@@VVVY777 agreed! I just finished watching it a couple minutes ago, and I couldn’t stop laughing at how dumb the dialogue was there. It was also way too wordy, considering he has less than 3 minutes to fly the bomb out of the city
I got real mixed feelings about Bales portrayal of Batman. Absolutely love his Bruce Wayne 10/10... but not so sure about his Batman anymore...
@@VVVY777 Not to mention they add a flash back just incase we didn't get, typical Nolan hitting us over the head with exposition "Get it dumb dumbs"
"Now we're two" "We?.." Gordon's reply in that scene just makes it. Great comic timing from Oldman.
The pit scene is honestly my favourite movie scene of all time. I constantly rewatch it just to feel moved and get goosebumps at Bruce rising out and basically being reborn as Batman. Masterpiece, thank you Nolan.
That scene wasn't all that at least not to me I think the tunnel scene of Batman getting whooped is way better
I agree, that pit scene represented EVERYTHING about what it means to be a hero! The inspiration level on that scene is stratospheric!
Bruce making that climb is FUCKING NEXT LEVEL EPIC!!!The music and the prisoners rejoicing makes is Legendary✔️🔥💯
@@firelord4662 dumb take
Someone said the chant sounds like they are saying "FISH FISH PASTA PASTA" And it ruined it for me
Liam Neeson doesn't get enough credit for his rendition of Ra's Al Ghul. So badass
I like how the Lazarus pit is a mirror of the well Bruce fell as a child and developed his fear of bats, his father was there to save and get him from the well but in the Lazarus pit Bruce had to get himself out on his own, and when he got out it visually shows how Bruce has changed.
This trilogy should have had him more as a detective then just a vigilante with a raspy voice.
@@ethandowdle88 I love how your answer has absolutely nothing to do with the comment, the video, or even The Dark Knight Rises. We're all just out here sharing our love for the caped crusader and having a good time Dealing with The Batman fanboys is gonna be a hell of a ride, huh
@Christian Stewart hard agree. My point is everybody here is sharing their love for Batman, and are talking about what each movie means for them. The Batman might be a good movie, but don't go out there trying to ruin everyone else's entertainment in hopes they'll love _your_ favorite movie, specially when we're talking about the same character haha. Fanbases are wild sometimes, aren't they?
HOW AM I JUST NOW REALIZING THAT WAS THE NOLAN UNIVERSE’S LAZARUS PIT?!?!
@@1dudecrush right???? It's so damn obvious when you think about it, it's both the Lazarus Pit and a metaphor for the well Bruce falls into when he's a kid, but I just realized it like a month ago rewatching the movie lmaooooo
Every time I watch TDKR, I like it even more... and I loved it the first time I saw it. Not only does it hold up to repeat viewings, it reveals more of itself in its varied aspects. Also, Anne Hathaway absolutely KILLS it as Selina Kyle, stealing every scene she's in with a level of confidence equal to Christian Bale's. Their chemistry is integral to the success of this movie, and it baffles me that so many people don't give Hathaway the credit she deserves.
I agree. She wasn’t given enough credit. She’s definitely my fav Catwoman! I make no apologies for it.
I admit, I didn’t think she could pull it off but really should have known better, as I had the same skepticism when Heath Ledger’s casting was announced in the previous film.
I wish they casted someone else for Selena. She got the job done, just didn’t do it for me. Kinda ruins the immersion for me whenever she was on screen. That’s just my opinion though.
@@John-Doe-Yo - Just curious why you feel this way. I'm only asking because I have the opposite opinion and I just like to hear when others don't feel the same as me.
@@williamgregg6339 Well I simply couldn’t separate the character from the actor. Most of the time she’s on screen all I see is the person from the princess diaries movies or the devil wears prada. No big deal like I said she got the job done.
Bane definitely isnt a brute in the comics, he's always been insanely brilliant in the same way Batman is. Shoot, some of his first appearances show how he enjoyed getting caught committing crimes specifically to get locked up in supermax prisons, so that he could have fun escaping them. He was one of the First characters to figure out that Batman and Bruce Wayne are the same person. He's outsmarted and outplayed Batman several times, which is where the whole thing with him breaking Batman's back comes from. He's always intelligence first, with muscle to back it up. Seriously though, He's the one that invented the Venom Serum that grossly enhances his strength and aggression. When is character was initially designed, the idea was to make a shadow of batman; a character that is everything batman is but from poverty with a selfish instead of selfless mindset. To even say in the comics that he's a brute, is to ignore more than half of his characterization.
I love how almost everyone missed a key clue even Batman when he fought Bane the first time. He tells Bruce “before I saw the light of day I was already a man” which I somehow caught.
wdym?
@@ratking_ if he listen he woulda knew that Bane wasn’t his son. His child escaped when she was a child.
That's actually brilliant...
As someone who loves TDKR the most in the trilogy, I did NOT expect to hear things that will make it love it even more. Thank you!
ahhh amazing I love that so much! My pleasure. Thank you for watching!
well said and agreed!!!
So did you love when armed cops and armed bad guys charge at each other like gangs from some lame 70s musical? Was that what put it over the edge for you? Or do you really love when policecops all charge into a trap in a sewer, to a man? Is that your cup of tea? Maybe the stupid nuke is something that winds your gears?
Absolutely SPOT ON. I adore this film and I think it is incredibly underrated. I believe all 3 films in the trilogy to be on par with each other and each are "better than the other" for different reasons. This film came out after graduation from senior year, an exciting but uncertain time...it was this film, it was Batman that gave me hope, this Batman...Christian Bale's Batman. Having grown up with this version of the character and see it conclude beautifully was all I could ask for and Nolan delivered on every level. Yes, he created a masterpiece. The greatest trilogy of all time.
Love hearing all of this. I relate so hard haha and I agree! Each film in the trilogy is absolutely on par with each other and the excel at doing different things. Such a perfect trilogy of films!
I disagree darknight was better then rises joker was the way better villain
@@firelord4662 i never said Rises was better than The Dark Knight…nor did I say Bane was better than Joker.
@@firelord4662 nobody asked 😐
@@firelord4662 I loved the Joker better than Bane. But Bane was still really f cking grea too. Like FilmSpeak said all the movies are great.
Another thing I like about Bane - _"no-one cared who I was until I put on the mask"_ - is a mirror of Batman. Both wear their mask to hide their pain, Bruce in a psychological sense, Bane in a physical sense. Although it could be argued that in Bane's case it's also a psychological sense. He could just get treatment elsewhere so he's not in agony, but he decides to use that pain and reflect it back onto others, and uses the mask as a method of terrifying his opponents.
I was so sad when people didn’t like the 3rd movie. It was so beautiful. I would rant about the brilliant symbolism of Rises to anyone who would listen. I’m so glad someone else sees it too.
I think it's a good movie. A very good movie, like a solid 8/10 for me. Just fell slightly short of being great imo but I do think it's absolutely over hated and I completely respect it being #1.
I would give it a 5/10. Don’t understand how people like this film that much.
@@minionenthusiast3431 As a film itself, I think it’s damn good but as a Batman film, it’s pretty below average so that’s why I would give it an 8.
@@minionenthusiast3431 Because it's perfect for Bruce's character development, which the trilogy is really about.
The passion and in-depth exploration of TDKR and it's deeper themes and meanings you've displayed here has given me a new appreciation for this movie!
Amazing. That’s more than I could’ve hoped for 🙏🏻
You completely nailed it, I have been telling people who argue this film the exact same topics that you brought up. I think its the psychological norm for people to hate on final installments.
The color grading on both The Dark Knight and Rises is incredible. Seriously.
Even after the release of The Batman, this is still my favorite interpretation of the Batman mythos. Batman Begins is, in my opinion, the lesser of the three, but it is still one of my favorite films of all time. Bale's performance in that movie is at its best. His Batvoice is a lot easier to take seriously because it's usually more of a whisper than it is in the other films, and the way he functions is exactly how I view the Batman character. The Dark Knight is my favorite film of all time. I love the Joker. Heath Ledger is my favorite interpretation of the character, only tied with Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. Aaron Eckhart is a great Two-Face, even if he isn't my favorite. Bale isn't as good as he is in the other two, but that's not saying much when he was amazing in those other films. I think that his performance was sadly overshadowed by Ledger as Joker, and he's still my favorite character in the movie. The moral dilemmas he goes through and the way he resolves them are really inspiring to me, especially since he does break his rules and has to do what he can to fix that (creating the spy camera thing and having Lucius destroy it in the end). The Dark Knight Rises is my second favorite film, but goddamn it it is a *very* close second. Bale's Batvoice is at its worst here, but his performance as Bruce Wayne is at its best, even in comparison to Batman Begins, which is a really good thing since Batman is barely in the movie. I love the arc he goes through in the film; learning to move on from Batman and live his own life. Especially since that's the most subtle thing in the whole trilogy. The film is an emotional masterpiece in my opinion. The only reason it's below The Dark Knight for me is because I find more entertainment in that film over this one. I love every film in this trilogy, and it makes for, in my opinion, the perfect character arc for Bruce Wayne and Batman, and it features some of my favorite versions of its characters. There are issues here and there, but the films are so good that I couldn't care less.
Really appreciate that “Even After the Batman” line. A lot of people are turning on this trilogy because of the new film, and talking about how “terrible” Bale really was, but it’s nice to see someone still appreciates these films.
@@masonscott2168 I loved The Batman, but these movies are just more entertaining to me. Pattinson may be better than Bale in the Batman department, but Bale will always be my Batman. Also, agreed, absolutely. The whole, "Nolan's movies were good but they weren't Batman movies" is absolute bullshit.
@@catchannel1484 I wouldn’t say Nolan’s films aren’t Batman films because they most definitely are, I just this new is a much better Batman movie whereas Nolan made the better overall movies
@@JD-jz5gu Fair enough
@@masonscott2168 People turning on this because of the new batman are sheep… and braindead. They just like everything thats new even if it‘s not really better. New and hyped. If batman begins came out this year and the batman back in 2005, people would be turning on the batman and hype up batman begins. Stupid people…
Glad to see this film get the love it deserves. It's honestly my favourite in the Nolan trilogy.
This is a perfect commentary on TDKR, truly a masterpiece.
Bane's beatdown of Batman in the sewers is one of the series highlights, despite what anyone thinks of the rest of the movies. Cutting the music completely was genius.
I’ve always though TDKR was the best of the trilogy, I’ve watched it far more times than I’ve watched any other Batman movie so far.
Unpopular opinion: The Dark Knight is overrated and while it has some amazing scenes, the editing in the 1st act is absolutely and undeniablely dismal. I actually was shocked I wasn't watching a workprint copy the 1st few attempts at watching The Dark Knight. The way they just cut from the Russians, the vigilantes(which they just assumed the audience knew what was going on!?) and finally reducing the Scarecrow to being tied up on the curb without actually showing any sequence was gawd awful imho. Then the whole scene with the 2 women, then bam! He's on his way to Asia.... it just didn't flow whatsoever. The Dark Knight Rises transitions from act to act much better and has a 'flow' to it imho.
@@dennismcdonald2607 i love tdkr more but i completely disagree with this take
I literally rewatched this yesterday and was reminded how great of a movie this was. Then you, great sir, dropped this masterpiece and allowed me to understand those deep feelings of appreciation I have for this movie. Thank you and keep up the good work. You got yourself a subscriber
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! I have loved this fild since I first saw it in the theater. And it was instantly not only my favorite of the trilogy, but my favorite of all time. I echo your sentiments on what this movie means for your love of cinema growing up. It did the same for me. Always happy to see someone praise and understand this film for the motifs and message they intended to convey with this entry of the sage. Bravo to them and bravo to you for the video.👍🏾
I also just loved the OST on this movie, I know it's not a major part, but music has always been important in my life. "Why do we fall?" by Hans Zimmer might be the best piece on there, it's carried me forward a lotta times.
I agree Why do we fall is fantastic, but it always cuts so well together with A watchful guardian. It's just so good and I never get tired of it
The epic Batman conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy lived up to being epic, well before Snyder's BvS and Snyder Cut. It's hard to do a story of Batman coming out of retirement, entering the Knightfall storyline of being broken and built back up, only to retire from being Batman. Nolan tried to do the best he can in making a wholly satisfying full circle to that in Rises. While I love everything this final ride represents and standout moments like the brutal sewer fight and Rising from the Pit, the script includes plot contrivances, coincidences, and logical leaps (and an underwhelming twist villain in Talia al Ghul imo) that Nolan isn't usually known for. (Ofc setting aside other errors such as going from day to night in the motorcycle chase and the Bane grunts who drop off early) A satisfying conclusion to a trilogy, but not the greatest film of them.
Fair enough!
The motorcycle chase thing is a criticism that has been debunked multiple times. If you pay attention to the skyline during the scene, you can see that the sun is slowly setting in the background.
@@catchannel1484 Nolan had also spoken about the purposeful manipulation of time within the film. He speeds things up because they’re covering such a long span of time throughout the film. I mean it’s Nolan…he ALWAYS manipulates time. But also, yes your take is 100% correct. It’s been debunked
@@FilmSpeak Wow, I didn't think of that. That actually explains a few of my critiques and others', like the whole, "How did Bruce Wayne get back to Gotham so fast" thing. I always just shrugged and said, "He's Batman".
You make a great point but I think the greatness of the film lies in its theme - rising above pain. So apart from the technical flaws of the movie, which you most likely would catch after watching it several times, I would say its thematically, the greatest of the three films in the trilogy.
Dude, I flipping love this movie! It’s my favorite DC film, it’s so good and massively underrated. People love to hate on it, but I think it’s really great. The only problem that I have with it is that Talia’s death is a little difficult to watch. But that doesn’t really matter very much. I totally agree that it makes the others better!
There are really dumb plot conveniences and characters behave like absolute idiots (common to Nolan movies). You think a back surgeon punching his spine into repair is "great"?
@@VVVY777 What?
@@Jay-Zech You bought the part where the prisoner fixed his broken back by punching it? WHAT A MASTERPIECE.
@@VVVY777 I know when someone is fishing an argument, and you are. Why else would you come and comment on this video? So I won’t be continuing this conversation any further
It deserves all the hate. So many plot holes and just dumb things it’s hard to enjoy. Watched this movie yesterday btw so I remember it just fine. Do not understand how people like this film so much.
You make me appreciate these movies even more with every video essay🙌🏻
i always thought the ending with alfred seeing bruce was a case of "heh, y'know, it's almost as if he's sitting right there, smiling back at me." like a happy fantasy alfred had. i didn't know everyone else was so torn on it.
Honestly GREAT VIDEO. The only flaws the movie has are technical editing flaws at times. Some fights could have been shot better, some editing could have been a little better, but other than that it's an incredible movie if I had to rate it I'd give it a 8.9/10. There's no denying the movie is epic and full of important reflections of our society especially extreme inequality and fascist uprising due to a broken system maintained by deceit.
I always loved this movie as an early teen, and it saddened me to find out that many people thought it was the worst in the trilogy. So thank you for giving me hope that this movie is becoming more appreciated, like it deserves
People couldn’t quite crack the ending code, where the autopilot doesn’t work, and Batman dies
NPCs couldn’t handle it
I felt this way immediately upon seeing it opening weekend. I said to my friends that "This is a rare moment where you get to see a perfect trillogy of movies." They did not agree, and it was then that I realized how subjective art was. It was like we watched completely different movies. But I think mainly they couldn't see the parallels and tie ins to the Batman Begins. They expected a Dark Night redux, but I thought that what we actually got was something more. Anyway I'm going to watch this movie again soon thanks for putting it back on my radar.
I couldn't agree more. Despite whatever plot holes it has, this movie has an emotional weight to it that all the others lack. It's also the first time we really see Batman lose, for real, live on screen in brutal fashion. And yet he comes back. That whole sequence in the pit is inspirational beyond a comic book film. The line, " Without the rope, then the fear will find you again." Something about that isn't just talking to Batman its talking to you the audience.
This is one of my favorite batman movies saw it 4 times in theaters. Thanks for showing it some love
It was my pleasure 🙏🏻 thanks for watching!
The Dark Knight Rises is my favorite Batman film too and in my top 3 movies in general. Thank you for this superb essay which summed up its greatness so well & so succinctly (I fell it could have at least been an extra half hour longer easily). One of my favorite essays I have ever seen on this site.
Lol. Imagine thinking that in the entirety of cinema, that the TDK trilogy ranks in any ones top 3. I hope you're under the age of 20.
@@mdc3227 Last time I counted, I'm old enough not to treat my opinion as fact & act like I'm better than people on KZhead over film opinions because clearly I have nothing better going on in my life :)
I struggled with articulating how much i love a piece of media that most disliked, i tried to explained why i like the dark knight rises to a lot of people but i just couldn't find the right words to articulate my points but since i just watched this video and you pretty much said everything that i felts and why the TDKR is the prefect finale i will used this wonderful video essay as my source of reference. Thanks so much.
I actually recently just rewatched this movie for the first time in a while and still like this one a lot. Might be my favorite of the Nolan trilogy. Its a great movie but doesn't get much love is from how iconic the dark knight is
My personal problem with this movie is that it pushes the stakes a bit too high, resulting in a plot that fails to be entirely convincing in a few places (or even more than a few). The movie’s heart absolutely is in the right place, but I think it needed to be expressed through a simpler, less contrived story.
How so
And that's why I believe the Dark Knight garners more praise compared to Rises. It delivers its themes with more panache and injects its literary symbolism in a more appropriate and balanced manner that translates more efficiently to the audience's natural intellectual style of assimilation. Heath Ledgers performance is the deal breaker, and provided a more intriguing way of transmitting philosophical ideas than Tom Hardy's depiction of Bane. Both movie's symbolism is solid, but one is more palatable and less fluffy lol
@@kyrgiosuhhhh5617 Yeah. Plus I believe it gets more praise - and straight out is a better movie - because it uses the crime drama genre, which is far more compatible with Batman’s character than the pseudo war genre Nolan tried to go for with Rises.
@@rickblaine9670 Yes that's a great point. The scope and scale of TDKR isn't as compatible with what fans are used to within a Batman story. The simpler structure of TDK serves the movie much better. For example, Batman gathering an army of soldier cops to battle a wave of baddies is much less in line with the nature of a Batman story, as opposed to him trying to keep up with the tricks and machinations of just one character in the Joker. And that brings me back to my original idea, that Heath Ledgers strong performance carry's just as much, or more weight to TDK's storyline than the epic battle for Gotham portrayed in TDKR - i.e. The battle for Gotham's soul is more of an intriguing scenario than the battle for Gotham's entire physical existence.
@@rickblaine9670Stakes being too high. And film turning into that basically a city civil war felt more too mafia-esque or gang warfare-y. All excellent points. It also lost the duality of day and night. Day-The people of Gotham, the government, the police, and Bruce Wayne versus Night-crime, criminals, and Batman.
Thank you for vocalizing so many of my thoughts. This movie is way underrated. I don't think Tom Hardy gets enough love for his amazing performance. And the way it bought together the themes present from the first movie of Bruce wanting to create a symbol the would outlive him was just brilliant. And literally every other word or expression from Michael Caine had me moved to tears! Just an amazing film.
Sheep
I also like how Bruce's relationship with Selina mirrors his relationship with Gotham. Yes, they may let him down time and time again, but he will not give up on them, and in the end his faith was rewarded. There are so many great moments in this movie, most of them elaborated on in this essay, but I'll say I really love how Nolan communicates things without a bunch of dialogue. Like when Batman comes back because Gotham and Gordon need him, there's two cops, one a veteran and one that's obviously a rookie. He's never seen Batman because Batman has been in hibernation for years. Dude was probably a teenager the last time anyone saw Batman in action. So he takes a potshot at him, and then swiftly apologizes. It's great, and you get this fabulous snapshot of Batman's place in the world without anyone having to actively tell you what's going on.
Exactly. Bruce lost his love- Rachel, and lost his successor - Harvey. Bruce gained a new love - Selina, and gained a new successor- Robin.
beautifully done video. tdkr is also my favourite of the trilogy and it's great to see someone put everything great about it into a well structed video.
This was a beautiful, well-made video. The Dark Knight is my favorite film of all time and I think Rises deserves more appreciation. I’m tempted to make videos for each film in the trilogy, but I feel like this video alone would be tough to beat 😅
Loved this!!! Great job man
This is a movie I’ve always loved and never understood the hate for, like really? Many criticisms are stupid nitpicks like you mentioned. That ending is absolutely perfect.
Great Analysis review I always love the dark knight rises and I honestly never gotten the hate for it at all while it’s not my favorite it’s definitely my second favorite of the Nolan Batman trilogy
That's because you don't know how to think critically.
@@will_of_europa I agree. The stupid plot contrivances and absolute idiotic beats had me rolling my eyes the entire movie.
@@will_of_europa Ah the good old, "you're wrong and stupid, but I won't explain why that is". Surely only a true intellectual that really knows what they're talking about would make such a comment.
@@will_of_europa it's his opinion bro. Art is subjective.
My favorite of the Dark Knight Trilogy movies is first The Dark Knight Rises, then Batman Begins and finally The Dark Knight. They're all great in their own ways but I really like the conclusion and emotional climax of the 3rd film. It had some plot holes when you get knit picky but the themes of hope, truth vs. a well intentioned lie, human nature and Batman finally saving his city and inspiring hope on a massive scale becoming the hero while Bruce Wayne is able to find peace and happiness outside of being Batman and away from Gotham. It was a great conclusion!
Bane killed someone in almost all of his scenes. His quotes were just as good an memorable as joker In TDK. Bane is one of the best written villains of all time. Very under rated film an can't forget multiple people died in the theater the night it was released.
The only thing I love from this film is Bane. Not particularly a big tough giant villain, but still a menacing character. Also his speech is always wonderful, with that sound from his mask. LOL
This film is a deeply thought provoking thematically rich and epic experiences . It ironic some of the people that bash this movie for small contrivances and conveniences love Spider-Man: No Home despite that films story but full of even bigger plot holes . . The Dark Knight Rises is a better written end to a superhero trilogy than Spider-Man: No Way Home
the way you explained the half truths and the theme of how they can be turned against you just made me so happy. i never clocked that with this movie, but, as a true believer in honesty and truth, to know that this film’s theme is that is now just beautiful. thanks for this video.
22:10 What interview is this from ? Cant find
This guy gets it * points to narrator *..Look beyond the "logic" and the themes of the movie. I like how it gets to the darkest and lowest point imaginable gotham in chaos batman stuck in a pit and as an audience member thinking how will he get out of this to see the physical and metaphorical triumph and the whole trilogy end on a good note. Not to mention the social themes touched on in the film. Nolan made a masterpiece
I completely agree! This The Dark Knight Rises to me is an absolute masterpiece, the character arc Bruce Wayne goes through (especially when he leaves the prison) is phenomenal. I love TDKR and glad you highlighted its greatness :)
Eh, no. The script was absolutely stupid. Characters were doing stupid things nonstop. Batman devolved into an absolute idiot in this movie. It's a VERY pretentious movie without substance. Seriously.
@@VVVY777 Eh, yes. The plot was absolutely brilliant. The characters were brilliantly acted and written. Batman was at his most inspirational and heroic. It’s a VERY good movie with a lot of substance. Seriously.
I think my favourite aspect of Rises is the notion that since the very beginning of the trilogy, Bruce had always struggled with what happened in his past and failed to come to terms with himself -- so that by the time we get to the final movie he must literally confront himself, this mirror version of himself, in Bane.
That was deep bro, Great video.
Personally, I think the Kung Fu Panda trilogy is as close as films have gotten to "a perfect trifecta". It's just tricky to define perfect since it varies for each person. Amazing video btw!
Lotr?
Jason Bourne
Toy Story trilogy
I just finished rewatching this trilogy last night, How fitting this was recommended to me
Almost as if a new batman movie recently dropped...
I think this movie is terribly underrated. While also simultaneously lacking something fundamental that The Dark Knight had that I can't quite put into words other than it just not being as tight as its predecessor. The only part that really grinds my gears is Talia's death. They could've used a different take of that...surely. And I think it would've benefited from giving Bane one more beat after Catwoman blasts him. I know that seems to not make sense but it's really too much to explain here. Really, it would've come spectacularly to life as two films. Maybe The Dark Knight Falls and The Dark Knight Rises? The story has a perfect breaking point, no pun intended. Bruce's journey back to the occupied Gotham and infiltration of the city could've been the majority of a film all on its own. Imperfect. But still awesome and tremendous filmmaking..
Omg Thank you! People think I'm crazy bc I prefer TDKR but I recognized these flaws in what Batman was doing in TDK and then having it all come full circle felt perfect. Plus I just became a father that year it came out, and Bane being this little girl's silent protector broke my heart. I got the opening day Bane black and white 1 sheet framed bc it hit me that hard. Very well explained!
I love this trilogy. Although I think dark knight is clearly the best of the 3, I tend to watch dark knight rises more.
You know, now that I sit and think about it, I have watched Rises more than TDK. I didn't make a point of doing so, but unconsciously I think I always knew what my favorite film in the trilogy was. Side note: I'm a **HUGE 007 fan**. Bond was/is/will be my #1 franchise. Loved your Quantum and TND videos, too.
Easily have watched TDKR more than the sequel. It's a longer movie but it's more beautiful and paces well
I think Hardy's depiction of Bane is really underrated. He was always going to draw comparisons to Ledger's Joker. But Hardy show's Bane is not only physically superior but also just as cunning as the Joker. If Hardy's Bane showed up in any other Batman film, he'd be an all time great villain.
I love Dark Knight Rises. It is the key that binds the last two movies together in an epic tapestry.
I don't really like this movie (Bane was just too badly butchered). That said, this is a great exploration of the movie
You have a thinking problem
@@theconsciousobserver6829 I literally separated my own feelings about the movie and stated that the video was well made. That's the opposite of a thinking problem.
Watching this video and realizing my opinion on TDKR is shared by others makes me feel like I just found other survivors on the deserted island I washed-up on lol
I wish someone would put this much love into Anne’s Portrayal of Catwoman. I do feel the love from your video and it’s honestly my favorite of the trilogy as well. Good job sir!
I'm happy that so many people in the comments adored TDKR too!!! The dialogue, imagery, and Robin reveal sit on this amazing little precipice between corny and iconic. The tone, themes, and aesthetics of the movie do such a great job capturing the real-life political climate at the time. The homage to Knightfall is so tasteful. Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway had enormous shoes to fill as supporting characters, and they delivered.
I like the Dark Knight Trilogy but I don't love it,for 3 Reasons 1.They are Christopher Nolan Movies not Batman Movies,2.There's too Overprays as Masterpiece while ignoring the problems,and 3.Nolan trys to Follow and Respect the Source Material while being Realistic but failed in both Forms of the Latter, the Dark Knight Rises is one of my least Favorite Movies that is either Underrated or Overrated with disappointed Views and I watch this Movie 2 Times in the Same Day when it was on Cinema,I truly wish I can Love it like others but I just don't,and that's Ok we all have different Opinions,I do love Batman,Catwoman,Bane,Gordon,Blake(Kinda),Alfred,and Fox,it's just the Execution that didn't work.
You gotta learn some syntax, dude.
This is such a great movie. Tom Hardy is awesome as Bane.
I still remember going out to the cinemas to see TDKR. It was mind-blowing. Still haven't experienced something like that in a theater since.
The Dark Knight Trilogy as a whole is still one of the Best Comicbook/Movie trilogies period. This is what the genre needs more of, as a comicbook reader, their is so much to explore within the genre beyond laughs and superficial spectacle.
God I wish I felt this way as well. I honestly find the dark Knight rises to be Christopher Nolan's worst film by far even though I don't think it's bad, but I still think it's a mess
Yeah ngl i hated just about every minute of it
It was an utter mess. Anybody who thinks otherwise simply doesn’t care about a coherent plot
@@nickm8874 Or is simply seeing things on a higher plain than yourself and it's you who is missing the point.
@@nickm8874 plus it just didn’t feel like a Batman movie to me in the slightest. It was like a Nolan movie with characters that were loosely based off of Batman shoehorned in. & I literally face palmed over the whole john blake robin thing. So stupid
@@daysandwords like I’d have enjoyed it more if I was on magic mushrooms? Potentially. I don’t think that should be a prerequisite personally, but you do you ….
It’s funny, I always thought Bane sounded like every far left politician, blaming the wealthy and police for every bad thing. But I suppose this is why Nolan is so good. As opposed to most movies now that spell out what they want you to think, this one kinda lets you decide.
Demagogues have this thing of making the target audience feeling oppressed, repressed, and abused. Even though the Nazi regime was the complete opposite of the "left", it is the same emotional game the one that Hitler used.... and, interestingly, the movement was labeled as socialist. It was "for the people". If we accept left and right as a valid reduction of politics, we will find that both sides have had demagogues, criminals, dictators and people who just disregarded human rights. The fact that demagogues and autoritharism move in a different axis from the left-right one, is one of the main arguments against reducing politics to that uni-dimensional axis.
This channel is SOOO GOOOD!!
All 3 films are masterpieces, thank you for the trilogy Nolan.
The Dark Knoght Rises is the perfect closure to the magnificent trilogy. It is also my favorite and the one that I keep watching again and again. Goosebumps. Bane was portrayed unbelievably good and Hardy's voice is 100% Bane in my opinion. Cat woman, what a performance. Literally this film was the cherry on top.
Haven't even watched the video yet but I am just coming to say F**KIN' FINALLY SOMEONE IS SAYING IT. It's my favourite Batman and actually one of my favourite movies.
man PREACH! Right there with you dude. This film not only means a lot to me personally, but damn is it just an excellent fucking movie. Nolan closed out this trilogy with a BANG!
@@FilmSpeak By the way, sorry for commenting when I hadn't watched the video... I now have and DUDE, you nailed it! You made me consciously aware of a lot of the things that I had felt but had never really put my finger on, e.g. the return of the legit police to actual defence of the city, the fact that Bane is the real monster that Batman pretends to be, the uses of both fear and hope as weapons. Excellent video about an excellent movie. I'd be interested to know what you think of Mark Kermode's fringe theory that Batman actually didn't survive, and paid the ultimate price for Gotham.
This movie has always gotten a lot of hate and never understood it. Then again when you compare any movie to the masterpiece that is The Dark Knight it can make great films look mediocre
That’s the thing, I think a lot of people were expecting TDK and got something a bit different and didn’t like it. I mean that on top with the nitpickers who don’t really have a point but 🤷🏼♂️
@@FilmSpeak IMO TDKR is readily underrated but still a step below TDK. The movie feels a little disjointed in parts I think is my only real issue. I just truly believe no one could top Heath though, his performance is just too legendary
Maybe it has something to do with the cartoony writing and hiring a bunch of flavored actors to play tropes instead of characters. It's like they got more hiring budget and got more expensive actors but chose completely wrong people just to make sales because of name recognition. Ann Hathaway does not make a good catwoman, as one example. The actors did good with the material they got but the roles are filled incorrectly. Good for you for liking it but stop lying about it being good.
@@will_of_europa "cartoony writing" *it's based on comic book characters*
@@FilmSpeak If you can nitpick most things in this movie it’s not very good. So many plot holes and dumb things. If you think about the plane scene or the jail scene or the police trap scene or most scenes you realize how nonsensical some of this is. Even without comparing it to the dark knight it is not a good movie imo.
I still remember the moment I walked out of the movie theatre after watching the dark knight rises. That was 10 years ago! Then, I went back to rewatch the trilogy after watching the latest Batman movie. Nolan was right; I never said thank you and I will never have to for this masterpiece.
I honestly watched dark knight rises first when I was going into my summer of 8th grade. It made me go back and watch begins and the dark knight. I always find myself rewatching the dark knight and rises consistently.
I think Nolan created a near perfect trilogy. There’s some changes i would’ve made but i’m happy to the point where the changes i would’ve made don’t make the movie worse
Strong disagree. The stupid script of TDKR ensured he didn't stick the landing.
@@VVVY777 TDKR is good so I don’t agree
This is going to be an interesting one, personally, it misses a lot of Batman and Alfred leaving is the least Alfred thing to do, but again this is a movie about Gotham and what the Batman has done for them and the hope he has given to them post The Dark Knight
The dark knight rises was a perfect conclusion, best Batman trilogy to date
Probably the best breakdown if the Dark Knight Rises I've heard. I'll probably watch this again (from one Content Creator to another - seriously, great video)!! 😁👍👍👍
always loved this film
TDKR is my favorite all-time and best Batman film ever made. Bc it is the ONLY Batman film that defined Batman as a superhero - not the silent guardian/watchful protector like in the first two films, and certainly not the numbskull vigilante like in The Batman.
The Dark Knight & The Dark Knight Rises are Masterpieces my favorites
Agreed.
This film holds a special place in my heart because when I was watching it in the theaters I went in thinking no ways they could top the opening scene from “the dark knight” and man oh man was I in for a surprise
Another great video. For years I loved The Dark Knight Rises, then I started to dislike it because of certain criticisms I saw of the movie. Recently I am actually back to loving it for what it is. The movie is ambitious and you can tell Nolan and the crew are trying to tell a compelling story while also trying to conclude the trilogy. I think the only thing wrong with The Dark Knight Rises are technical flaws specifically in the editing of the movie, other than that it's an ambitious movie that mostly succeeds despite some technical flaws in editing. Oh and Talia's death scene was horrible 😆 but that's minor though.
Make your own opinions.
Thanks for doing this film, Griffin! It'll always for me be tied with Batman Begins as my favorite. Yeah, we got Heath Ledger (RIP) in TDK, but I enjoy the other two the tiniest bit more! 🎥🦇 5/4. Batman 89/The Batman 3. TDK 2/1. TDKR/BB Also, don't wanna sound advertisey, but I made a vid that discusses TDKR a bit, if you wanna see it kzhead.info/sun/lqyKoLd7nqeCl6M/bejne.html
Cheers! Thank you man. Really enjoyed engaging with you in the chat. Will give it a watch 🤙🏻
@@FilmSpeak Oh, thx man!
This was such an amazing video. Bravo.
TDKR is one of the most inspirational films I’ve ever seen. It even helped me get out of my severe depression. The pit scene alone makes this one of the greatest moments in cinematic history.
Better than the Dark Knight? Your crazy
Kung-fu panda still is the best trilogy imo. It’s what first come to mind when i think about a full story arc trilogy
Kung Fu Panda is one of those trilogies that successfully delivers payoffs from the first to the last. I'm amazed Dreamworks pulled it off while staying true to the tone, yet making it satisfying to older audiences. I dunno how they did it, but it's success in story has seldom been recreated.
One thing I love about this trilogy is that each movie is from a different genre. Even though they are one single story, each film is aesthetically and structurally different. In the case of Rises itself, the movie is fully symbolic. Every element of the film has layers of interpretation, on the theme of standing up (rising) for ourselves to create the world we believe in, overcome our own fears.
Why does this have so little views. This essay is amazing. Thank you for this! ❤