The podcast returns this week with our third episode on Christpher Nolan's third and final Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises." The discussion around the Playlist water cooler has been dominated by the film, with most of the staff, like our critic's review, pretty much loving it. Host Erik McClanahan brings on Managing Editor Kevin Jagernauth and Comptroller Rodrigo Perez to give their thoughts on the film. We also discuss where the franchise could potentially go from here (good luck to whomever follows Nolan with their take on the caped crusader) and look at what's next for Nolan.
**SPOILERS** abound in this episode, so we recommend listening after you've seen the film. And if you just can't get enough Batman this week, make sure to check out our feature on what worked and what didn't in the film. As always, we appreciate any feedback in the comments. Were you satisfied with "The Dark Knight Rises"? Are you glad to see Nolan is moving on? What do you think he'll make next?
I'm with Erik totally, Kevin is way over the top in his praise for TDKR. The Dark Knight is a better film, its better written, more clearly structured, more realistic and grounded, the Joker and Heath Ledger and just more tightly focused, its like a rich crime thriller. Rises just tries to do TOO MUCH and it does feel messy and incoherent, the dialogue is not as tight as Dark Knight, there's a lot of believability issues with stuff that happens and I dunno I hate the whole bomb thing at the end, that to me is incredibly cartoony and cheesy and it almost to me betrays what Nolan did in this series previously.
Bane wasn't big eanogh!!!!
My problem with the film (and with the discussion in this episode) is that you have to read so much into it in order to appreciate it. The psychological, emotional, and political themes that you guys spend so much time praising are all just touched upon, buried under so many minutes of exposition, uninspired action sequences, superfluous new characters, and references to previous films. The analysis that Batman's "ultimate sacrifice" for Gotham achieves his permanence as an everlasting symbol of hope and strength — the culmination of his goals set from the first movie — is not a bad one. But you really have to dig for it, post-viewing, because in the moment, we spend so much time being told to give a shit about Bane and Ra's al Ghul and The League of Shadows and Talia, that we lose sight of what should be the main theme of the movie, and the trilogy. The contents of the movie are absolutely "muddled", and I'm surprised all three of you agreed that it was well-paced. The Dark Knight Rises is a decent movie badly in need of editing.
How did he get back to Gotham, seriously? Who gives a crap. The movie was already almost 3 hours long, they can't show everything. I hate people that want every little damn thing explained to them like they are eight years old. People who harp on little things like that as plot holes have no damn idea what a plot hole actually is.
The film was a great, almost perfect ending to the Nolan Batman trilogy. It was even better at second viewing.
Did Bane and Talia have their own plan for escaping Gotham before the bomb went off, or were they perfectly happy being eradicated along with all of the city?
great podcast. The talk of the themes in the film is great and really trumps a lot of what the internet is focusing on when it comes to TDKR. I can't wait for future episodes and going back to listen to the previous two.
Really having trouble finding a download link–do you need to have a soundcloud acct?
Listening now, I think I'm firmly with Erik on this one, but I think Rod makes a good point — if you're fully in it, you're not going to care about some inconsistencies or questionable absences, such as how Bruce Wayne got back to Gotham (he just did. it's not that interesting).
I can't say I was really that enthralled with the movie as in comparison to the previous entries. Nolan really didn't seem to have his heart in this picture, just a cash grab, punching the clock fulfilling his work obligation. Like mentioned in your previous entry on 'What didn't work', there were too many illogic situations without any real content to help ignore them. The tone was all over the over place, camp to serious to melodrama to camp to action. Catwoman seemed like a last minute addition, I'm still not sure what purpose her story served, other than attracting a female audience. The film is pretty much a failure as an end to a trilogy, except for ending Nolan's obligation. But for a stand alone it barely registers above Batman Forever.
Dunno if Soundcloud is experiencing problems, but the podcast keeps stopping midway through and refusing to work. Have to keep refreshing. Also doesn't like skipping ahead.