I've read a handful of comments of Facebook with various opinions and usually I keep to myself and don't delve into arguing publicly about things that don't matter, but this is something I feel strongly enough about to just come out and say:
If you think Dark Knight Rises was a "bad" movie, you are wrong. You are free to dislike it because of personal taste/preference/style, but it was not a bad movie.
I was discussing with
a friend of mine how just like any kind of art there are things that make it good or bad whether you agree or not.
DKR was a well-crafted story with dynamic characters and good messages and themes scattered throughout. Well cast (minus Anne) and executed well through the script, directing, production design, etc.
Therefore it was a good movie. Whether you choose to buy into Superheroes is your decision, but you know what it was going into it.
It, also, should not be blamed for any violence that is related to it because it does not glorify evil.
I will agree that the original Dark Knight, with the Joker, was highly unnerving and not something I would watch every day or show to young children. Sometimes when I watch violentesqe movies I wonder if we are giving crazy people ideas but it is only because they are singling out one small part of a film and ignoring the overall picture and themes. But...
Here is the thing about movies, to tell a story through the medium of film it has to be visual. So, yes, the movies are dark (and this one is less dark than the Dark Knight) but it is to show us that there is evil in the world--something the characters are actively trying to stop by the way. Sometimes it is hard to watch hard things, but it is also a part of life. We cannot go about pretending evil doesn't exist just because we don't see it immediately around us.
Something I like about Batman is that it's not just a fanatic (did I say fanatic--I meant hunk) with a cape and mask and fancy equipment, but also local heroes in the government and police force that are trying to make a difference. And even everyday citizens are given the opportunity to do good.
And, yes, the Batman is flawed. Turns out every human is. Turns out we don't always want to do the right thing, we are sometimes selfish, and we want to be the hero of the story and sometimes it's not always for the most noble reasons. That's what makes us wonderful and dynamic and those flaws and learning to overcome them are a part of God's eternal plan for us. What people don't realize is the movies with perfect characters are the ones that are really annoying. There was only ever one perfect person. We can't relate to perfect characters.
I also want to point out the huge HONESTY theme that we got throughout in case you didn't notice they were telling us that we should be honest with the other humans in our lives--and with ourselves. The day before I saw it I made a pact with a friend to be more honest with people even when it is uncomfortable and the day after I had/heard of some refreshing experiences where honesty really paid off. Batman agrees, so everyone say what you're really feeling because it is always better than hiding/withholding information for the sake of crafting something that seems like it will work better.
As for my review of the movie, the only complaints I have is that we never saw Tom Hardy's beautiful face...and that Anne Hathaway...she had her moments, but...bleh.
I will also continue to love C. Nolan because he is a filmmaker who reminds us that even if you can now watch YouTube videos in 4K a good and put in special effects on your iPhone, an intricate story is what will really blow people's minds.
