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THE DARK KNIGHT RISESMovie Reviews
Action adventure about Batman's return from self-imposed exile when a cat burglar and a masked terrorist threaten the safety of Gotham City. Cast:Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Liam Neeson, Nestor Carbonell, Josh PenceDirector:Christopher NolanRelease Date:July 20, 2012DVD Release:December 4, 2012From:Warner Bros.Rating:PG-13Length:2 hr 45 min
The Dark Knight Rises played to very good reviews. • Mara Reinstein wrote in Us Weekly, "...an emotionally gripping and impeccably crafted piece of filmmaking.... expect the gold standard of tautly edited set pieces amid a twist-heavy story." • And Josep Parera wrote in La Opinion, "...épica y magistral." More Reviews Below...
The Dark Knight Rises Positive Reviews (51 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's an engrossing story with a real sense of peril -- as long as you ignore the dangerously gaping plot holes and long running time."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 07/19/12
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...mesmerizing... a film of grand ambitions and epic achievement... maybe the best, most troubling, assured and enthralling of all the superhero movies."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 2,337 words, 07/20/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "...so coldly cerebral that it's a detriment to the film's emotional core. It's all doom and gloom and no heart. There is no reason to care about these characters..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,109 words, 07/19/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an emotionally gripping and impeccably crafted piece of filmmaking.... expect the gold standard of tautly edited set pieces amid a twist-heavy story."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 137 words, 07/19/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...caroms between a self-serious meditation on How We Live Now and an oof! pow! extended fistfight between a good guy and a bad guy..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 07/20/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the sheer scope of Nolan's vision - with emotion and spectacle thundering across the screen - is staggering... Bale gives a hypnotic, haunting performance."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 07/27/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intelligent... ambitious... [however,] the plot is occasionally murky, its archvillain lacks charismatic menace, and the last hour is belabored."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 07/19/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "That Nolan is able to combine civil anarchy, mass destruction and a Batcycle with exercise-ball tires is remarkable... it's an honorable finale."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 07/19/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a very, very good large-scale action/crime movie with a degree in high technology and a will to make you believe in costumed crime fighters."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,109 words, 07/16/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Tortured and tense... its heart and guts are strong, allowing for Bale's best acting in the series and a few genuinely touching scenes."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 07/19/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard.... boasts the most accomplished female acting of the trilogy."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,154 words, 07/19/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...hugely entertaining... adroitly avoids clichés and gleefully subverts your expectations at every turn.... builds to a pulse-pounding, nail-biting climax."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 07/19/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...more of a 164-minute anxiety disorder than a movie... It means to string the audience along, while stringing it out, on a bloody masquerade..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,092 words, 07/19/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an epic and then-some send-off to a character, and a franchise, that made it safe for superheroes to get serious... a satisfyingly grand finale..."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 422 words, 07/18/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "That Nolan is able to combine civil anarchy, mass destruction and a Batcycle with exercise-ball tires is remarkable... it's an honorable finale."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 07/19/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a shallow repository of ideas, but as a work of sheer sensation, it has something to recommend.... inspires a dull awe -- it is impossible not to be cowed..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 987 words, 07/18/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...soul-deep. It prompts us look at our most private fears and how we cope with them. It questions what happens if we give into those fears."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,008 words, 07/19/12
Brad Wheeler, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's not only packed with high-toned classical and contemporary cultural allusions, but manages to wear its popcorn inspirations on its sleeve."(See all of Brad Wheeler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 07/19/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...ambitious.... The last 30 seconds very nearly had me on my feet cheering. It's just all the stuff in the middle that needs pruning."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 07/19/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...steeped enough in self-contained mythology to reward hard-core fans while giving less invested viewers a rousing, adroitly executed piece of popcorn entertainment."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,249 words, 07/19/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...ends in a furious finale of chaos, carnage, and cataclysm... the filmmaker has brought things to a satisfying closure."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 07/19/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's been a while since a franchise movie gave me so many enjoyable opportunities to say, 'No way,' 'Oh, no, they didn't' and 'I never saw that coming.' "(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 878 words, 07/19/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...brings the Batman story to a close in enormous, satisfying fashion, not just on the huge scale it builds for itself, but on a human level as well."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 835 words, 07/19/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...this is what a superhero movie is supposed to look like... Nolan brings his Batman trilogy to a close with a majestic, almost completely satisfying crash."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 969 words, 07/19/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...embraces wit, while avoiding camp. It uses technology to create not just eye candy, but wonder.... a fitting climax to a trilogy that elevated a genre..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,093 words, 07/19/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...satisfying and often breathtaking... Nolan's a wizard at action sequences... Our last glimpse of Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman feels earned, and just right."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 07/19/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...reasonably accomplished as a gigantic superhero movie; as a meditation on capital and its personal and social discontents, it's strictly from the funny pages."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,053 words, 07/19/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...declares its importance with each scene but seldom backs up the claims... solemn to a fault and begging the Joker's question: 'Why so serious?' "(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 07/19/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...after a somewhat slow start, it kicks into gear and then barrels toward a thrilling, skillful and literally explosive ending."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 07/19/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nolan surprises by one-upping you. He gives you something even grander and more fantastic than you expected.... it's heavy, and the weight is welcome."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,125 words, 07/19/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a shallow repository of ideas, but as a work of sheer sensation, it has something to recommend.... inspires a dull awe -- it is impossible not to be cowed..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 987 words, 07/18/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...big and ambitious... it's unlikely we'll see anyone make a superhero movie with Nolan's sense of scale and devotion to old-school, captured-on-film razzle-dazzle."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 07/18/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one reason this is the best Batman film yet -- because Nolan has a good time, too.... a genuinely epic, fully realized entertainment."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 07/19/12
Michelle Orange, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...more terribly earnest but also more genuinely terrifying than most.... aspires to the epic and reaches it on a number of impressive and less impressive levels."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,332 words, 07/19/12
Nick Schager, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...thematic concerns are matched, blare by ominous blare and punch by thunderous punch, by its aesthetics in terms of sheer, unadulterated size..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,372 words, 07/18/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...ambitious.... The last 30 seconds very nearly had me on my feet cheering. It's just all the stuff in the middle that needs pruning."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 07/19/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sets a benchmark for dense, thematically complex films that elevate their premise of guys in crazy costumes fighting each other."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 07/19/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "There are no heroes here.... a dark movie for our dark days...This is a beast of a film... a beast that has us all in its red and rageful glare."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 07/16/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...makes you feel thoroughly miserable about life. It's spectacular, to be sure, but also remarkable for its all-encompassing gloom."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,043 words, 07/20/12
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: MODERATE "...murky, interminable... Nolan, for all his visionary flair, wants to suck the comic out of comic books; Hathaway wants to put it back in."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,608 words, 07/17/12
David Edelstein, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "The canvas is epic, the themes are profound, the execution is... clunky.... with all the murk and solemnity, there's no exhilarating pop. You might say it never quite rises."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 07/18/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard.... boasts the most accomplished female acting of the trilogy."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,154 words, 07/19/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: MODERATE "...with repeated scenes of bone-crunching violence, it is something of an ordeal to sit through. But Nolan provides moments of jawdropping spectacle..."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,113 words, 07/18/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...disturbing and triumphant... arguably the biggest, darkest, most thrilling and disturbing and utterly balls-out spectacle ever created for the screen..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,769 words, 07/18/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...hugely ambitious... exhilarating, exhausting... retains the moral urgency and serious-minded pulp instincts that have made the franchise a beacon of integrity..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,224 words, 07/15/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "...massively accomplished... Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined... the best of Nolan's trio..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,723 words, 07/16/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard.... boasts the most accomplished female acting of the trilogy."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,154 words, 07/19/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...thrilling and satisfying... a massive, supremely mounted fantasy-adventure that fulfills expectations in every department, narrative, visual, and emotional."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 07/16/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...makes you feel thoroughly miserable about life. It's spectacular, to be sure, but also remarkable for its all-encompassing gloom."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,043 words, 07/20/12
19.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Dark Knight Rises's reviews are separated by an average 19.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Dark Knight Rises (51 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Dark Knight Rises's reviews cover 98.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 47,305 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 928 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Dark Knight Rises Coverage, Volume & Length (51 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 16.0 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Dark Knight Rises's reviews on average broke 16.0 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Dark Knight Rises's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Dark Knight Rises (51 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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