Spoiler-Free Reviews of The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises arrives in theaters this week, and the critical reviews are pouring in. Its safe to say the film is a massive hit with critics as it will be with audiences as well. I'll post some spoiler-free highlights from various critics below, so don't be afraid to read. All the newcomers have been praised, with Anne Hathaway (Catwoman/Selina Kyle) and Tom Hardy (Bane) seemingly nailing their performances as the two main newcomers.


Nolan also leaves a window open for sequels, although not necessarily for Batman and not necessarily for Nolan to direct. Among other possibilities, Anne Hathaway's sensational introduction as Catwoman makes a stand-alone movie for her enticing. Damn, the girl's good in the physical aspects of her cat burglar role, as well as being sexy and funny whether playing Selina Kyle or her feline alter-ego. - Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun


With spectacle in abundance and sexiness in (supporting) parts, this is superhero filmmaking on an unprecedented scale. Rises may lack the surprise of Begins or the anarchy of Knight, but it makes up for that in pure emotion. A fitting epitaph for the hero Gotham deserves. 5 Stars out of 5. - Empire Magazine

Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, recruited for duty after their stints in "Inception," are all on their game here, blending easily in a supporting cast anchored by old pros Caine, Oldman and Freeman. Perhaps the riskiest casting choice was that of Hathaway in the potentially problematic role of Selina/Catwoman, but although her kitty outfit reps a slightly more cartoonish touch than Nolan's neo-noir aesthetic typically allows (if nowhere near as campy as those worn by Halle Berry and Michelle Pfeiffer), the versatile actress nails the sardonic, hard-edged tone necessary to make this morally ambiguous vixen a dynamic foil for the Caped Crusader. - Variety

Talk about a tough act to follow, but “The Dark Knight Rises” doesn’t just follow it; it tops it in almost every way, making it a guaranteed frontrunner for Best Picture. Where most trilogies end on a weak note (witness the likes of “Return of the Jedi” and “Spider-Man 3”), “The Dark Knight Rises” succeeds as an epic triumph that scales the rare heights of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” making it the crowning achievement of the Batman trilogy and the biggest, best, most exciting Batman of them all. - Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood


What brings Batman out of his shell and back into his bat suit? It starts with his attraction to Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar who teases Bruce wickedly while hiding a secret agenda. Hathaway – sexy, scrappy and fast with put-downs – is dynamite as Catwoman, bringing welcome humor to a movie about to be enveloped in darkness. And no one is darker than Bane (Tom Hardy), a battering ram of a villain, his face covered by a grille that feeds him medicine to alleviate pain he's suffered from childhood. Hardy's face is covered for 99.9 percent of the film, but his physical and vocal performance is riveting. - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

New Dark Knight Rises Stills

An interesting new still photo of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises has been released. It shows the cat burglar and femme-fatale in a compromising position with what looks like a SWAT team around her. Not sure whether she is being caught or what, though that unconscious guy whose hand she's using to hold the gun trigger looks to be having a bad day. She doesn't have the cat-suit on, so it might not be during a burglary, unless she's trying to blend in somewhere while doing it.

There's also this above photo of John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard). The reason its interesting is because this is the first time we've seen the two together, and the setting behind them looks like some suburban one as opposed to Gotham City. Though it could just be somewhere on the outskirts of Gotham. We'll find out in a week!

And in this one, Bane (Tom Hardy) clearly does not like the Gotham City stock exchange.

Dark Knight Rises Featurette; Catwoman Spin-off Film?

We're a little over a week away from the anticipated release of The Dark Knight Rises, and a new 13-minute featurette has been released to hold everyone over just a little bit longer. The video features everyone from the main stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway & Tom Hardy to mysterious new characters played by Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Cast members will also be doing the interview circuit. Wednesday July 11th you can catch Morgan Freeman on Jay Leno. Thursday July 12th has Anne Hathaway appearing on The Today Show, Live with Kelly and finally David Letterman. She'll also be on Jimmy Fallon on the 13th. There's bound to be a new clip of Catwoman/Selina Kyle shown. The Today Show also gets Christian Bale on Monday the 16th. 

Christopher Nolan also said in an interview with Access Hollywood that Anne Hathaway should star in a Catwoman spin-off with another director. He stated, “She’s an incredible character and we’re very excited to see her and hopefully we’ll leave people wanting more." When they followed by asking about a Catwoman spin-off film he said he was done, but, “I certainly think she deserves it, she’s incredible.”  

It would certainly be an intriguing idea for Warner Bros to not have to reboot the Batman franchise too soon by creating a Catwoman spin-off film. And I bet if the script was good, Christian Bale would be up for some kind of role in the film as Bruce Wayne. Maybe Jonathan Nolan would write/direct...

The Dark Knight Rises Commercials Hit TV

Commercials for The Dark Knight Rises have begun taking over the airwaves. The ads premiered during the season finales for American Idol and Modern Family, and like everything else related to The Dark Knight Rises, have sent people into a frenzy.

I like the Catwoman themed commercial. The banter between Bruce and Selina is turning out to be top notch. You can clearly see in this ad that she enjoys toying with him, just like Catwoman should. While dancing at the ball Bruce comments that she is wearing a "brazen costume for a cat burglar." She retorts, "yeah? Who are you pretending to be?" I love it already. Later on when Bruce is leaving the party the valet guy says, "your wife said you'd be taking a cab home." A surprised Bruce asks, "My Wife?!" Cut to Selina/Catwoman grinning and driving his prized Lamborghini away. Yes Bruce, she is a brazen cat burglar.

July 20 can't get here soon enough. The film stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Juno Temple. 

Watch The Dark Knight Rises Trailer!

The official trailer for The Dark Knight Rises starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Juno Temple (great cast!) has been released online. So watch Batman, Bane and Catwoman here in glorious HD!

I posted a preview before it hit theaters here, but now with the HD version it is even better. Notice the pearls Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) is wearing in the mirror. They look like the exact same ones Bruce's mom was wearing in Batman Begins. Did she steal them from Wayne Manor? Did Bruce give them to her symbolically? Or just a coincidence and the costume department didn't notice? Guess we'll find out on July 20, 2012.

I'm most looking forward to finding out more about Catwoman/Selina Kyle. She seems to be the most complex and well written character of the film. And with such a rich comic history, plus Christopher Nolan's great job adapting these legendary characters, I'm sure we will all be pleased with the end result. Anne Hathaway nails it in this epic trailer.

Preview of The Dark Knight Rises Trailer!

It's almost here! The first full trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will be released before Sherlock Holmes on Friday December 16th. It probably won't be officially released online until Monday the 19th, but will most certainly pop up around the internet. Don't read if you want to wait until Friday to watch it.

Well, I caught some of the trailer early...and it's epic! They manage to not give away any major plot points and show tons of action. There is one scene that takes place in a packed football stadium, during a football game...let's just say you've never seen anything like it before. (Okay, explosions trigger off and the field collapses behind into the ground as a player is running with the ball.) Bane (Tom Hardy) is the culprit of course.

We get a scene at what looks like some ball/party/masquerade with Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). She tells him: "you think this will last? There is a storm coming, Mr Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches." She then whispers in his ear, "cause when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us." So it seems as if Catwoman/Selina isn't too fond of Bruce in the beginning. I think she ends up helping him though. But it also makes it sound like Catwoman will in fact start out as a thief, or cat burglar. And maybe she will even agree with Bane until she sees how insane he is, thus joining Batman. Her line also makes it seem like a little "Occupy Wall Street" vibe in the story. (As well as Bane getting the criminals and poor of Gotham to rise against the rich.) This script was written years ago though, but still manages to be very timely. Christopher Nolan must see the future!

I also felt this scene of Selina and Bruce dancing at a masquerade/ball with some tension seems similar to the masquerade scene with the two in 1992's Batman Returns. Maybe they did that as a little callback to that great film.

One final thing, we get a brief glimpse of Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. I really believe they will actually be playing two League of Shadows members. Marion as Talia al Ghul and Joseph maybe as Black Mask? I can't see those two great actors just playing random Gotham people. I have a feeling Catwoman will take one of these two out while Batman battles with Bane for an epic finale. Just some speculation!

This movie is going to be one of the best of 2012 already.

The Dark Knight Rises Rumors

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever and rumors are always swirling. Badassdigest.com has some potential spoilers/rumors about what the plot of the film could follow. Here is what Badass Digest says:


"As she herself confirmed, Anne Hathaway will be Catwoman in the movie. I can’t tell you what role she has in the beginning, but by the end of the story Catwoman isn’t a villain but rather an ally of Batman. And who are they teaming up to take out? The League of Shadows. Headed by Talia Al’Ghul. With Bane, who is her muscle/possible love interest. And with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in tow. Is he playing Black Mask? My source didn’t know, but did know that Levitt is certainly an antagonist and involved with the League of Shadows."


It seems to make sense, and this rumor may be right on some basic things, but probably not 100%. It connects the film to the first Christopher Nolan Batman movie. Marion Cotillard will be in it, but her role has not been announced, and all the rumors have pointed to Talia, daughter of the villain from the first Nolan film, Batman Begins. If this isn't true, then it's a pretty good guess. It's worth noting that the website has been correct on certain rumors in the past. 

Anne Hathaway is confirmed as Catwoman; Tom Hardy is a villain named Bane