The Dark Knight Rises The TDKR General Discussion Thread - - - - - - - Part 156

[BatLobster]

Wow, for some reason I never made that connection before. There are so many little details like this that link the films together. As much as TDK may feel standalone, it's still playing off of Begins in many ways. Like how story-wise the implicit reason Bruce believes in Harvey so much is because he reminds him of his own father Thomas Wayne, a character not actually ever mentioned in the film.

Yep, absolutely. The Dark Knight deceptively feels like it's standalone, but everything it's doing flows directly as a result of the way things were set up in Begins. And you still have things like- Scarecrow's cameo, Maroni taking over for Falcone, Bruce making a passing reference to something Ra's told him, the direct callback to Alfred bringing Bruce a meal while he's grieving and blaming himself for his parents'/Rachel's death. Just as a whole, it completely went in on the idea put forth at the end of Begins about escalation. I see the two movies as extremely connected, even if they feel very different and occupy different genre spaces.

Rises is really intended as the true connective tissue of the trilogy though, where I feel like it actually combines the look, tones and themes of the previous two, and brings it all to a conclusion that solidifies everything as one big story. It's the synthesis after the thesis and antithesis. And even though The Joker is never mentioned in the film, all the consequences the film is dealing with all stem from the hell that he put Gotham, Bruce, Dent and Gordon through.

 

[DoomRulz]

I never could find a properly lit version of this shot in gif form so I did it myself.

Shots like this really sell Batman as a predator of the night, and of course, everytime Bale was hanging upside and snagged a baddie in his movies was just perfect. Have any other Batmen captured that side of him? There was a little bit of it with Ben, when the cop spotted in him in the corner on the wall in BvS, but beyond that...

 

[Green Goblin]

Given Nolan's obsession with time, if he was going to make a more supernatural DC film it should have been Flashpoint.

 

[Gothamsknight]

When people ask me what my favorite movie of all time is, it's really tough to answer, but TDK always pops into my head because I don't think I ever had a theater experience like that. I mean, not just audience wise, but witnessing history being made like that. The movie really is a masterpiece in my mind or at least as close as it gets for that kind of movie.

 

[DoomRulz]

When people ask me what my favorite movie of all time is, it's really tough to answer, but TDK always pops into my head because I don't think I ever had a theater experience like that. I mean, not just audience wise, but witnessing history being made like that. The movie really is a masterpiece in my mind or at least as close as it gets for that kind of movie.

TDK is my 2nd favourite, after Jurassic Park. While TDK and Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker are the reasons I became an actor, Jurassic Park catapulted my love for dinosaurs and paleontology and to this day, the opening scene on the island with the Brachiosaurus is, to me, the perfect example of cinema magic.

 

[Drizzle]

When people ask me what my favorite movie of all time is, it's really tough to answer, but TDK always pops into my head because I don't think I ever had a theater experience like that. I mean, not just audience wise, but witnessing history being made like that. The movie really is a masterpiece in my mind or at least as close as it gets for that kind of movie.

TDK is in my top three. It was the first time I was actually depressed while leaving the theater because the movie was over.

 

[InCali]

While I enjoyed it, I think TDKR is the weakest of the 3. While I recognize TDK is probably superior to Begins, there's something about Begins that really grabbed me and I really, really loved it. The cinematography of TDK was stunning. I liked that part of it was done with IMAX (I saw it in a true IMAX theater). The changes made the IMAX scenes breathtaking......I also sat in the 3rd row in front of a HUGE screen so there's that. I'd have to give the first 2 movies a tie.

All time favorite movie is "Once Upon a Time in America" (long version.....short one was a mess). Unbelievable performances from top to bottom.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Batman Begins is still incredible and I can totally see why some may consider that the best of the trilogy, but TDK is everything a sequel should be in pretty much every way possible .Similar to Aliens, T2, or Empire Strikes Back, it builds upon the foundation of the first movie while being different and more intense without upping the stakes just because it's a sequel. The themes of escalation Gordon warned Batman about at the end of Batman Begins is shown here is so perfectly, and right from that iconic bank robbery prologue, the movie just hits you like a train, never going too fast or too slow. It's like a rollercoaster and does everything an amazing sequel should. Even when you set aside the breathtaking performance from Ledger, it's just everything a movie of it's kind should be. Edge of your seat, breathtaking, tension filled experience. Just one of the many reasons it stands above all comic book movies, in my mind. From the cinematography, to the score, to the writing, directing and editing, it's just all top notch.

And as a Batman fan, for me, it perfectly captured How Batman and The Jokers relationship should be on screen. Ledger will never be topped as the Joker.

an iconic film that deserves all the praise it's gotten.

 

[DoomRulz]

From Batman Annual #3. Happy Father's Day, everyone ^_^

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

When people ask me what my favorite movie of all time is, it's really tough to answer, but TDK always pops into my head because I don't think I ever had a theater experience like that. I mean, not just audience wise, but witnessing history being made like that. The movie really is a masterpiece in my mind or at least as close as it gets for that kind of movie.

TDK is more than a movie. The period leading up that movie was the most fun time to be a DC fan. The first Batman movie I saw in theaters was Begins, but TDK is probably still the greatest movie theater experience I’ve had. Avatar, Infinity War, Logan, Prometheus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and TDKR are all up there in terms of best movie theater experiences for me as well.

BvS TC, Justice League TC, Green Lantern, and Last Jedi were all the most disappointing movie theater experiences. So much anticipation that resulted in complete disappointment.

 

[Gothamsknight]

TDK is more than a movie. The period leading up that movie was the most fun time to be a DC fan. The first Batman movie I saw in theaters was Begins, but TDK is probably still the greatest movie theater experience I’ve had. Avatar, Infinity War, Logan, Prometheus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and TDKR are all up there in terms of best movie theater experiences for me as well.

BvS TC, Justice League TC, Green Lantern, and Last Jedi were all the most disappointing movie theater experiences. So much anticipation that resulted in complete disappointment.

Agreed. I had seen Batman Begins in the cinema with my mother, but nothing really compares to TDK honestly. I went to the midnight premiere of TDK with a friend, and we managed to be first in line. You just knew history was being made, and there was so much electricity in the air that night. It was sold out, and there was like this calm before the storm. Once it was over, everybody gave it a massive standing ovation. TDKR was a great theater experience for me as well, but in terms of crowd reaction, The Force Awakens is really the only one that came as close to TDK.

BvS and JL really made me realize how far we had fallen in quality since TDK trilogy. It was depressing for me, but at the same time I didn't care much because I knew whatever Snyder was doing wouldn't have come close anyway. What didn't help was that I wasn't a big fan of Man of Steel either.

Fast forward to now with Matt Reeves The Batman on the way, I do think we may be heading towards another great era for Batman. I've said it multiple times, but this is the most excited I've been for a comic book film since TDKR. Couple that with the fact that the trailer was incredible, and now Reeves will be teaming with Bruce Timm for a new animated series that is, in a way, a spiritual successor to Batman TAS. Everything is just pointing towards a good decade coming up for Batman.

 

[BatLobster]

Batman Begins is still incredible and I can totally see why some may consider that the best of the trilogy, but TDK is everything a sequel should be in pretty much every way possible .Similar to Aliens, T2, or Empire Strikes Back, it builds upon the foundation of the first movie while being different and more intense without upping the stakes just because it's a sequel. The themes of escalation Gordon warned Batman about at the end of Batman Begins is shown here is so perfectly, and right from that iconic bank robbery prologue, the movie just hits you like a train, never going too fast or too slow. It's like a rollercoaster and does everything an amazing sequel should. Even when you set aside the breathtaking performance from Ledger, it's just everything a movie of it's kind should be. Edge of your seat, breathtaking, tension filled experience. Just one of the many reasons it stands above all comic book movies, in my mind. From the cinematography, to the score, to the writing, directing and editing, it's just all top notch.

And as a Batman fan, for me, it perfectly captured How Batman and The Jokers relationship should be on screen. Ledger will never be topped as the Joker.

an iconic film that deserves all the praise it's gotten.

Very well said, sir!

A legendary theatrical experience. The Dark Knight is what movie theaters were made for. If I could relive one movie experience again for the first time, it'd be TDK, easily.

 

[Drizzle]

I saw TDK at the midnight premiere. The crowd wasn't as amped up as when I saw the Avengers movies or The Force Awakens later on, but everyone in the room was hooked. You could hear a pin drop during the quiet moments.

Some highlights that I remember:

- A collective "Ooooooh" and wincing at Joker's "magic trick" followed by laughter at "You think you can just steal from us and walk away?" "Yeah."
- The whole theater jumping out of their seats when the dead fake Batman slams into the Mayor's window
- A woman a few rows ahead of me saying "Holy s***" in surprise at Joker's "LOOK AT ME!" during the hostage video
- Applause at Batman stopping the truck and flipping the Batpod on the wall followed by even more applause at Gordon's reveal
- More laughter at Joker's "You complete me" and later with his nurse reveal and the casually awkward "...Hi" to Harvey

 

[Gothamsknight]

Very well said, sir!

A legendary theatrical experience. The Dark Knight is what movie theaters were made for. If I could relive one movie experience again for the first time, it'd be TDK, easily.

Absolutely. It's insane what that movie accomplished. It's such a tight movie that just flows so well, and it's pretty hard for me to compare it to anything. It exceeded my expectations when I saw it, and I LOVED Batman Begins.

 

[Gothamsknight]

I saw TDK at the midnight premiere. The crowd wasn't as amped up as when I saw the Avengers movies or The Force Awakens later on, but everyone in the room was hooked. You could hear a pin drop during the quiet moments.

Some highlights that I remember:

- A collective "Ooooooh" and wincing at Joker's "magic trick" followed by laughter at "You think you can just steal from us and walk away?" "Yeah."
- A woman a few rows ahead of me saying "Holy s***" in surprise at Joker's "LOOK AT ME!" during the hostage video
- Applause at Batman stopping the truck and flipping the Batpod on the wall followed by even more applause at Gordon's reveal
- More laughter at Joker's "You complete me" and later with his nurse reveal and the casually awkward "...Hi" to Harvey

My audience reacted to those scenes very similarly haha. When the Joker did his magic trick, 2 dudes behind me yelled with their hands on their mouths. The hostage scene had my theater more silent than I think I've ever heard a room full of people. You can hear a pin drop because everybody was in shock at how terrifying the Joker was. My theater applauded at the batpod on the wall and Gordons reveal as well.

 

[Kane52630]

I remember traveling like 40 mintues to watch with my friends, finding out it was sold out because we were too stupid to not preorder our tickets, and then traveling another hour in traffic to the nearest (good) theater that was showing it and wasn't sold out.... turns out when we got there it was sold out, but they added a 11:30 showing of TDK because the demand was so high.

 

[BatLobster]

I remember seeing a 2AM showing opening weekend, because the demand was so high and everything was selling out.

I have never seen that before, or since.

Oh, and to add to the memorable audience reactions (which seem pretty universal). One that always stays with me. The applause when Heath Ledger's name came on screen in the credits, and the "in memory of".

 

[Kane52630]

Oh yeah, when we left we saw they added a 2am showing and the next crowd was waiting for us to leave. I think the only other time I saw that happening was either Avatar or The Avengers.

 

[BatLobster]

I dunno how I survived that. Helps to be 21 years old I guess. I'd be asleep within 30 minutes if I tried that today, I don't care how good the movie is.

 

[Brother Jack]

TDK is the best theater experience I've ever had. Opening day in IMAX. Waiting in a line that went out of the door with my friends. The nervous anticipation before it started, and then the film itself just clicking with us as the audience in a way very few movies do, at least in my experience. You could just feel it in the room. Everyone being so into the story, the performances. Reacting in the right way to every moment. And Ledger somehow exceeding already mythic expectations, to the point that he became almost like the greatest special effect in a movie full of explosions and huge action set-pieces. I will never forget the silence in the room during the shot of him hanging his head out of the police car. All of us sharing in this singular and special experience.

I don't really like comparing the three films in terms of quality because I think they all have their own strengths and do different things, but in terms of theater-going TDK is easily number one. Only Force Awakens and the first Avengers have ever come close to rivaling it.

 

[Drizzle]

Oh yeah, when we left we saw they added a 2am showing and the next crowd was waiting for us to leave. I think the only other time I saw that happening was either Avatar or The Avengers.

I think the last time I remember seeing around the clock showings for anything was for The Force Awakens, which had showtimes at 2 AM, 4 AM, 7 AM, etc. By the time Infinity War and Endgame rolled around, theaters in my area didn't stay open for 24 hours on opening night (there were clearly budget cuts even before COVID), so instead they just dedicated the majority of their theaters to screening them.

I dunno how I survived that. Helps to be 21 years old I guess. I'd be asleep within 30 minutes if I tried that today, I don't care how good the movie is.

I hear you on that one. I could do midnight screenings all the time back in the day. Now I'm hesitant to see a movie if the showtime is past 8 PM. The last midnight premiere I went to was the first Hobbit movie when I was 24. When the movie got out, I had to be at work five hours later. I'm grateful that since then, studios have opted for the Thursday night 6 PM or 7 PM premiere, which still have the same atmosphere if not more, since everyone is a little more awake.

 

[BatLobster]

TDK is the best theater experience I've ever had. Opening day in IMAX. Waiting in a line that went out of the door with my friends. The nervous anticipation before it started, and then the film itself just clicking with us as the audience in a way very few movies do, at least in my experience. You could just feel it in the room. Everyone being so into the story, the performances. Reacting in the right way to every moment. And Ledger somehow exceeding already mythic expectations, to the point that he became almost like the greatest special effect in a movie full of explosions and huge action set-pieces. I will never forget the silence in the room during the shot of him hanging his head out of the police car. All of us sharing in this singular and special experience.

I don't really like comparing the three films in terms of quality because I think they all have their own strengths and do different things, but in terms of theater-going TDK is easily number one. Only Force Awakens and the first Avengers have ever come close to rivaling it.

On one hand, assigned seating really makes life convenient and you can't argue with that.

On the other hand, there really is something to be said for the experience of waiting in line for hours. I literally waited on line for 12 hours for TDK and TDKR with my friends, making other friends just chatting with other people in line. Such a wonderful communal bonding experience. I guess those mega-marathons they do now for certain films is another way to get that kind of thing, but I really think just basking in the nervous anticipation with other strangers united by a common interest was such a special thing. It just stands out in my mind as such a positive experience.

 

[Drizzle]

On one hand, assigned seating really makes life convenient and you can't argue with that.

On the other hand, there really is something to be said for the experience of waiting in line for hours. I literally waited on line for 12 hours for TDK and TDKR with my friends, making other friends just chatting with other people in line. Such a wonderful communal bonding experience. I guess those mega-marathons they do now for certain films is another way to get that kind of thing, but I really think just basking in the nervous anticipation with other strangers united by a common interest was such a special thing. It just stands out in my mind as such a positive experience.

I remember lining up maybe 5-6 hours before showtime for TDK and there were still maybe a good 25-30 people in front of me. Needless to say, my friends and I still got good seats. There's just something about that which makes it feel more earned compared to nowadays where you can show up 5 minutes after the trailers start and not have to worry about finding a seat.

 

[Kane52630]

Well especially now since most theaters have assign seating. Back in those days the main reason to stay in line for hours is to not get a bad seat.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

I went to the midnight showing with my dad in brother. It was the summer before my first year of high school! Best movie theater experience ever, it was the first time I cried tears of joy while watching a movie. I just remember being in complete disbelief and awe at how ****ing good the movie was.