Risen

Well I have to say 'Rises' was well worth the wait. I'm feeling like the members of MHB that I went with enjoyed it overall, too. When I went into work the next day and eventually discussed the movie with a couple of work buddies who are die hard comic book guys, I realized I had to walk away before I got too annoyed.  There's no pleasing some people, but I've come to the conclusion that there really is no pleasing the hardcore comic book readers when it comes to the movie adaptations. My friend Steven, who is a huge Joker fan, really liked this one but still favors 'The Dark Knight'. As for me, I can't rank Nolan's three at this point in time. They're all connected but there are things in each of them that really stand out and shine. As for 'Rises' the fight between Batman and Bane underground was easily the best scene and I loved the beginning sequence with the plane because it was a lot like a James Bond opener. The ending was great too because plot-wise everything was resolved leaving nothing open for Nolan but at the same time sort of inviting other filmmakers to give Batman a try. A writer for Rolling Stone made a really good analysis of the Nolan trilogy which was along the lines of: In a post 9/11 world, Batman took on the role of a soldier, very much so in 'Rises', fighting terrorism and like the events of 9/11 he's fighting it or dealing with it in his own backyard. 'The Dark Knight' raised the issue of whether or not it was moral to use technology to spy on people to ensure their utmost safety, which is what we're dealing with now with things like The Patriot Act signed by Bush and continued through Obama. But anyways, awesome summer movie and in general. Great cast, Gary Oldman awesome as always, Marion Cottilard and Anne Hathoway smokin' as always. Another great score by Zimmerman.