THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
With The Dark Knight Rises now on Blu-Ray, we thought that this would be a perfect time to revisit it with a Mini-Review. The scope here was great and that was my favorite part of it. The cast was amazing, the writing top notch, and the directing was great. I liked this more than The Avengers which I felt became too cluttered as it went along. Lots of recognizable faces in this one. Definitely better then Batman Begins, but just a step down from The Dark Knight.

Overall, this is a great way to end one of the greatest trilogies in film history. Nolan did with superhero films what Coppola did with mob movies. He reached and got to a bar higher than what anybody would ever expect from a film like this. It was definitely worth seeing in theaters (twice) and you should own it on Blu-Ray. I hope Warner Brothers sees what Nolan did and allows for that spin-off to happen, if you know what I mean (and those who have seen it will know what I’m talking about).

If you haven’t seen this one yet, make it the next movie on your list.

[rate 4.5]

Check out these Batman related Blu-Rays for sale…

Release Date: September 28, 2012
Studio: Sony Pictures
Director:  Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels, Garret Dillahunt, and Piper Perabo.
Plot: In a futuristic gangland in the year 2042, a 25-year-old assassin named Joseph Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) works for a mafia company in Kansas City as a “Looper”. Loopers kill and dispose of agents sent by their employers from corporate headquarters in Shanghai from the year 2072. Loopers are foot soldiers, paid on the condition that all targets must never escape.

When Simmons recognizes his target as a future version of himself (Willis), his older self escapes after incapacitating him. The failure of his job causes his employers to come after him, forcing him to fight for his life as he hunts his older self.

Thoughts: I don’t understand why Looper didn’t come out in the May through August release calendar. The trailers are thrilling. The casting could not be better, headlined by the always impressive Joseph Gordon-Levitt and action legend Bruce Willis, with top notch supporting talents including Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels. The time travel paradox/assassin/mafia concept is right up the alley for both genre fans and action flick fans. And Rian Johnson. You might not know the name, but you should. He directed the pitch perfect Brick, which also starred JGL, and the very creative and entertaining The Brothers Bloom, with Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo. This is a director with a clear vision who surrounds himself with some of the best working talents around. I can’t wait to head to the theater to check out Looper, then maybe I’ll go back in time and see it again for the first time.

Release Date: July 20, 2012
Studio: Warner Brothers
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine.
Plot: Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face’s crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. (via IMDB)

Thoughts: Well the end is in sight for a journey that began eight years ago and is arguably one of the greatest cinematic trilogies of all time. Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise took comic book movies to a new level. Placing the character in the real world and giving the characters and story that sense of realism that could make you believe that this could actually happen. The Dark Knight Rises is shaping up to be THE movie of 2012.

The Dark Knight Rises, like it predecessors, boast an impressive cast. Joining the returning Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think out of three films, this cast seems to be the best by far. Nolan has said that he didn’t want to save anything from this movie and this looks like it. While not a lot is known officially about the story, that hasn’t stopped the fanboys and internet writers from speculating.

From the trailers and other footage that’s been released, It seems like Nolan is sticking true to his word. There’s already a sense of epicness to this and a feeling that this will easily top anything that’s been done in the two previous films. Hardy and Hathaway look impressive as Bane and Selena Kyle/Catwoman. I like the fact that the film is set quite a while after the events of The Dark Knight. (8 years is official figure I keep hearing). Not only is this a great story setting but this could be a great move for Warner Brothers. With Nolan definitively stating this is the last Batman film he is directing. It’s been rumoured that he will be on the reboot as a producer much like his role on next years Superman Reboot “Man Of Steel”.

If that is the case, this reboot or next series of films could take place in those eight years. Bale has recently said he would up for a fourth film if the story is right- but we’ll have to wait and see. The Dark Knight Rises will be giving an epic conclusion to this wonderful journey and I think it will be the best movie of the summer. I’ve seen The Avengers and loved it, but I just think that TDKR will be better. Nolan hasn’t let us down yet and I think he will be able to top everything else we’ve seen. Either way, July 20^th can’t come quick enough for this Bat-Fan.

Lets take a look at some of the recent movie news in today’s Pit.

• Another Tron sequel is a bit closer to happening as Disney has hired David DiGilio to pen the new entry into the classic sci-fi franchise. DiGilio’s past credits include the short lived Aaron Stanford TV series Traveler and the forgettable Paul Walker flick Eight Below. I hope that they move forward on another Tron as there is endless potential within the world set up in the original 80s film and further expanded on in Tron: Legacy. Next year we’ll have Tron Uprising, an animated television series that fills the gap between Tron and Legacy. I wonder how the animated series will help shape the new film entry.

• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in talks to fill the army boots of tough guy Roadblock in John Chu’s upcoming sequel to the 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The film is expected to have a rather large cast turnaround and will feature a ton of new characters, while losing a few of the supporting players who were in the original. Channing Tatum is expected to return as Duke and I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a safe bet to return as Corba-Commander. The first one was bad, but in a very enjoyable way. It was a popcorn flick and did its job by being damn entertaining.

• It looks like funny man Jim Carrey may pull back into his filmography and return to some of his most successful characters. While out promoting his new film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Carrey dropped that he has been in talks for both a Bruce Almighty sequel and a Dumb & Dumber sequel. While I could care less about another Bruce Almighty (the memory of Evan Almighty still leaves a bad taste in my mouth), I would LOVE to see Carrey reprise Lloyd Christmas along with Jeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne. We don’t get comedies as funny as Dumb & Dumber anymore, maybe lightening could strike twice…

• How about some more sequel news? Angelina Jolie might reprise her role as action hero Evelyn Salt in a sequel to Phillip Noyce’s 2010 flick Salt. Sony is bringing back the writer of the first film, Kurt Wimmer, to pen the sequel. It is unknown who would take over helming the picture as Noyce as publicly stated that he would not be directing the sequel.

I recently watched the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s new sci-fi thriller Inception, and I honestly have no idea what it is about. Dream invasion and manipulation? Mind-f#&$ing? Visually it looks amazing, and it is Nolan, so I’m there. A few new character posters have been released. This first one features Leonardo DiCaprio…

And this next one is of Joseph Gordon-Levitt…

The rest of the film’s stellar cast includes Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Sir Michael Caine.  What do you think about the posters? Excited about Nolan’s next flick?

This week sees three releases; the latest entry in the Harry Potter franchise, a quirky “anti-romance” with a top notch cast, and a college-aged Fatal Attraction.

Okay, so technically the sixth Harry Potter film hit theaters at midnight on Wednesday and has already pulled in more than 100 million dollars worldwide (God I hope it takes this year’s box office crown from Transformers 2). David Yates, who helmed the last journey through J.K. Rowling magical universe (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) returns for Half-Blood Prince along with all of the familiar faces along with the addition of Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn. It is refreshing to see a series go this long with all of the key players firmly in place. While I have not read the books, I enjoyed the last film and I think that the Prisoner of Azkaban is a marvel of filmmaking. The trailer and posters for this entry of the series have been top notch and have made this non-reader excited about the new flick.

(500) Days of Summer looks awesome. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are two of the most likable actors around, and together they make sparks. Gordon-Leavitt is a greeting-card writer who falls for a new colleague, Summer (Deschanel) on her first day of work. The move spans over the next 500 days of their relationship. The trailer is quirky and fun.

Last up we have Morgan J. Freeman’s Homecoming, starring The OC‘s Mischa Barton, the new 90210‘s Jessica Stroup, and Matt Long. The film is getting a limited release in New York and LA. Fatal Attraction meets Obsessed with college aged actors. What guy wouldn’t be lucky to have Barton and Stroup fighting over them?

What will you be seeing this weekend?