The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller

Release Date: July 20, 2012

My Rating:  




The Dark Knight Rises is a roller coaster of thrills, morals, darkness, plot twists, top-notch action scenes, and much more; it's pure high-order entertainment.  Nolan ends his trilogy on a great, and dark, note.  The Dark Knight has risen well.

The thing about making a finale, or any sequel, in a franchise is that it's hard to do so.  There are expectations and hype to live up to, and a weak installment can ruin a franchise (even without hype).  Sometimes, however, such films are a success.  Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises is the finale to his Batman trilogy, and I just saw it in the theater today.  It doesn't live up to the excellence of The Dark Knight, but it really is an excellent movie.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after the end of The Dark Knight.  Bruce Wayne is retired from being Batman, and he mainly stays shut up in his new mansion.  His reputation as Batman is tarnished because he took the rap for Harvey Dent's crimes in the previous film.  However, he is soon pulled back into action when a new villain, Bane, starts wreaking havoc on Gotham (although, of course, this havoc is not his primary objective).

Nolan's previous two Batman films were more dark, deep, emotional, and moral, instead of lighthearted and bright.  They were even a bit intellectually involving.  So what should you expect from this movie?  More of those same elements!  He doesn't completely live up to hype and expectations, and this film is probably the weakest of the trilogy (but only slightly; it's just a hair behind Batman Begins), but Nolan does not disappoint.  The film starts out a bit slowly and a bit weak, and the first act is definitely the weakest part of the film (but not bad, though), but it eventually really gets going and really unfolds, and the sky is the limit for Nolan.  The film is by no means perfect.  It does have a few flaws.  There are a few flawed dialogue lines here and there.  Batman doesn't have as much screen time as he should have.  Also, the plot stumbles a bit here and there, and some things should have been organized and paid off better.  But it's pretty darn good as it is.

The effects, visual and sound, are excellent.  The visual and special effects are as great as ever, from the scenery and portrayal of Gotham, to the costumes, action effects, and everything else.  Hans Zimmer composed the score for the previous two films, and he composed it for this film too, and once again, he did a good job.  The actors in this film put on good performances.  In this film, we have some familiar faces, including Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Mr. Fox (Morgan Freeman).  And of course we have some new characters, including Bane.  There are also a couple of women with whom Bruce has shallow love affairs, and one of whom is Catwoman.  And speaking of new things, Batman now has a new means of transportation: one that flies!  And of course the story is good, and the ending is especially powerful (but I won't give it away).  The story even has plot twists and whatnot, and it's not completely predictable or formulematic, which is good, of course.  This movie, again, is, by a tad, the weakest in the trilogy, but it's great.

The Dark Knight Rises is a roller coaster of thrills, morals, darkness, plot twists, top-notch action scenes, and much more; it's pure high-order entertainment.  Nolan ends his trilogy on a great, and dark, note.  The Dark Knight has risen well.




Cast and Credits:
Bruce Wayne / Batman: Christian Bale
Commissioner Gordon: Gary Oldman
Bane: Tom Hardy
Selina / Catwoman: Anne Hathaway
Miranda: Marion Cotillard
Lucius Fox: Morgan Freeman
Alfred: Michael Caine

Warner Brothers Pictures presents
A film directed by Christopher Nolan
Running time: 164 min.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Genre: Crime, Drama 

Released: October 14, 1994

My Rating:  
(Click here for more info on my rating scale)


The Shawshank Redemption is moving and compelling, and it truly touches the heart and soul.


The Shawshank Redemption is currently number one on the IMDb Top 250 list.  I don't particularly agree with that, but it is a truly great movie nonetheless.  It is moving and compelling, and it touches the heart and soul.

The story is set in the 1940s, and it involves Andy Dufrense (Tim Robbins), a young man who is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and is sentenced to life in the Shawshank Prison.  As one would expect, he is very unhappy at first, but then he leans that there's something deeper that nobody can take away from you: hope.  As the story unfolds, over the years, Andy eventually becomes very influential within the prison and gains the respect of other inmates, especially "Red" (Morgan Freeman), with whom he develops a special friendship.

The story isn't original or creative, and it's relatively simple, and a bit predictable, but it's compelling, moving, and memorable, and there's a bit more to it which I won't go into.  The movie puts the viewer right into the footsteps, experiences, and emotions of the characters.  Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman put on great performances.  They really bring out their characters and offer true depth and emotion.  One of the major moral messages of the movie is that a person may be imprisoned, even for life, but the spirit can never truly be imprisoned.  The movie conveys this moral message very strongly, and it truly touches the heart and soul.

I am very glad I watched this movie.  It is a truly emotional experience.




Cast and Credits:
Andy Dufrense: Tim Robbins
Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding: Morgan Freeman
Warden Norton: Bob Gunton
Heywood: William Sadler
Captain Hadley: Clancy Brown

Castle Rock Entertainment presents
A film directed by Frank Darabont

Rated R for language and prison violence

Brave (2012)

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Release Date: June 22, 2012

My Rating:  
(Click here for more info on my rating scale)


Brave is not one of Pixar's best films, but it's fairly good; it's charming, good-hearted, a bit witty, visually stunning, and has a likable heroine protagonist.

Pixar has returned to the big screen with Brave, which I saw in the theater today, and I liked it.  It was hot today, so I was glad to spend an hour and a half in an air-conditioned theater with a soda and watching an enjoyable movie.

Brave is the story of Merida, a young red-haired princess and aspiring archer who is unhappy with her life as a princess.  She doesn't like living the controlled and restricted life that she's living.  When she is asked by her mother to choose between three possible husbands (she is at a marriageable age), she is even more upset.  She eventually flees into the woods, and soon comes upon a cottage (led there by magical blue wisps), where she meets a witch.  She begs for a magic spell to change her mother's mind, but it doesn't exactly go according to how Merida wants it...  This eventually leads to unintended chaos that threatens not only Merida's mother, but also the kingdom.

In my opinion, Brave is definitely not one of Pixar's best films.  But it's far from Pixar's worst.  It's not as good as I hoped it would be, but it's actually fairly good.  The story isn't creative or anything, but it's enjoyable and charming, and it has some good moral messages.  It's a medieval-type story, with a bit of fantasy (magic), but it has some modern elements in it.  The humor isn't as good as it usually is in Pixar films, but its effective and witty at times.  The film handles its emotional aspects pretty well also.  Just like Pixar's other films, Brave is very much a family movie, and it's good-hearted.  The actors all put on effective voice performances.  The music score is pretty good. The animation in the film is some of the best animation I've ever seen.  It's visually stunning.  And it's not just eye candy, it actually helps with the emotional and narrative aspects of the film, like it's supposed to.  Overall, the movie isn't original or creative, but it has a pretty good uniqueness about it.

What I liked most about the movie was Merida herself.  She's stubborn, spunky, and strong-willed, and quite likable in personality.  She's also a bit physically attractive.  She is a good CGI character, especially her hair.  Also, she's a bit different from the typical Disney princess.  She longs for something else in her life, but it has nothing to do with a romantic relationship with a man.  In fact, she doesn't even necessarily want to get married, and she doesn't seem to mind living without a husband.  But it's not like she doesn't have any emotional or any other kind of depth as a person, because she does.  She's actually a somewhat charming character, and she's a good heroine.  And she and her mother eventually undergo some interesting yet charming mother-daughter bonding.

Overall, the movie could've been better, but I enjoyed it, and it was especially enjoyable on the big screen.  Brave is not one of Pixar's best films, but it's fairly good; it's charming, good-hearted, a bit witty, visually stunning, and has a likable heroine protagonist.  It's a good film to be seen with the family.





Cast and Credits:
Merida: Kelly Macdonald
Fergus: Billy Connolly
Elinor: Emma Thompson
The Witch: Julie Walters
Lord Dingwall: Robbie Coltrane

Walt Disney Pictures presents a Pixar film
Running time: 100 min.

Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Release Date: November 21, 1990

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western


My Rating:  
(Click here for more info on my rating scale)



Overall, I feel that Dances With Wolves is more of a moral message experience than entertainment.  It's not something I'd want to watch more than once, but it's a good movie all the same, definitely worth watching.

I saw Dances With Wolves for the first time sometime within the last several months.  It wasn't as great or memorable as I hoped it would be, but it's pretty good nonetheless.

As the story starts off, we are introduced to Lieutenant John Dunbar, who does something stupid during a Civil War battle and inadvertendly leads the Union troops to a victory.  As a reward, he is given a post at the western frontier.  Upon arriving, he finds the post deserted.  Soon however, he starts to befriend a curious local indian tribe.  Gradually, over time earns the trust and respect of these people, and eventually becomes one of them.  Along the way, he also falls in love with Stands With A Fist, a white girl raised by the tribe.  Also, along the way, he even receives a tribal name, "Dances With Wolves."

It's a simple story.  It's that old man-befriends-natives-and-turns-against-his-own-people type of story.  There's no originality in it whatsoever, and it's almost completely predictable.  However, it is very well-told, with soul and emotion.  The movie follows Dunbar and allows the viewer to feel his emotions and experiences as he gradually falls in love with the tribe and the land.  In terms of the script, and other aspects, the movie is pretty good.  The dialogue is pretty good, and the story is well-paced.  Performances by Costner and everyone else are good as well, and the actors really bring out their characters.  John Barry also composed a great score for the film, which also helped bring out the emotion, mood, and tone of the film.

I do have a few criticisms of the film.  My first criticism concerns Mary McDonnel.  She was effective as Stands With A Fist, and her performance was good, but there's something about her that took away slightly from my liking for her character.  I didn't think she was quite right for her role.  Also, I should have had more emotional attachment to her (not that I didn't, but I did feel that it lacked a bit).  My second criticism concerns the length of the film.  I can see what Costner was trying to do in terms of storytelling, emotion, length of scenes, and all that, but, in my opinion, the film was too long.  I have to admit, I liked the film, but I did get bored in some areas.  Also, while the character development is solid, I think the story should have gone more into character complexity.  The story itself had more potential too.  There's hardly any plot at all, but it's enjoyable, but nonetheless, if the movie did have more of a real plot it could have been a lot better.  Next, I didn't really feel much tension/worry for the inevitable fight with the American military coming up at the end.  I really did need to feel much more of that.  Next, they actually show Dunbar and Stands having sex.  It wasn't explicit or anything, but that scene was a bit unnecessary.  Also, while the movie is pretty good, it only has a few memorable aspects about it.  It needed more.

Overall, I feel that Dances With Wolves is more of a moral message experience than entertainment.  It's not something I'd want to watch more than once, but it's a good movie all the same, definitely worth watching.  But it did have a lot more potential.




Cast and Credits:
Lt. John Dunbar: Kevin Costner
Stands With A Fist: Mary McDonnell
Kicking Bird: Graham Greene
Wind In His Hair: Rodney A. Grant
Ten Bears: Floyd Red Crow
Black Shawl: Tantoo Cardinal
Christine: Annie Costner

Orion Pictures presents
A film directed by Kevin Costner
Screenplay by Michael Blake
Music by John Barry
Running Time: 181 minutes

Rated PG-13 for some intense Western violence, language, thematic elements, brief sexuality and nudity