Official Misguided Geek Movie Review:  The Dark Knight Rises Before reading this review, or any review, I encourage you to see the movie first, just do it, go, you will thank me I promise. There, now, to the review, which I will try and make as short and to the point as possible.  The Dark Knight Rises is not a perfect movie, it drags a little bit, the story jumps around too much, and for an action movie there were long stretches with out any, you know, action.  So yes, its not perfect…. but it is close. Christopher Nolan set out to make an epic, and he succeeded.  The Dark Knight Rises is an intense film, worthy of being one of the best Batman stories period, up there with the Killing Joke, Long Halloween, and yes The Dark Knight Returns. Nolan has excelled in humanizing Batman.  It can be hard to identify with demigods, men in armor, war heroes and super powered teenagers, yet if you strip away the money and gadgets, Bruce Wayne is just a hurt guy, trying to rediscover who he is after a great loss.  Something many of us can understand. Nolan matches up the, now very human and vulnerable Bats with the very inhuman killing machine Bane.  Unlike the Joker, Bane is driven, focused, with a clear cut plan.  Where the Joker was a forest fire, Bane is a tacticle strike cruise missile. And then there are the supporting, no means minor characters, Selina Kyle, Commissioner Gordon, new comer John Blake, as well as the ever present Alfred Pennyworth.  Much like what he did with Inception Nolan intertwines all of his players to create a tapestry of events and arcs which bring the three movies together, and then give them the bitter sweet ending that they, and we the fans have deserved. Make no mistake, the ending is definitive, and I must say as the movie was winding down, I became surprisingly emotional.  Like many of you, I have known these characters my whole life, and although I know there will be more movies (eventually) and tv shows, and video games, and of course more comics, Nolan has done a masterful job of retelling the old story in such a new and refreshing way, that I am sad that the run is over. Avengers had the flash, and it has been the superhero movie of the summer, but The Dark Knight Rises has the heart, and the soul that was missing from Marvel’s summer epic.  You have to go see it, its as much watch as any movie of the summer, and it does not disappoint. *This review was written before my awareness of the tragic events that occurred last night in Colorado.  This review is not meant to be insensitive to those events, merely a review of the movie.  My thoughts go out to the people and community affected.
July 20, 2012 VIEW POST
Made up word movie review The Avengers… Aveng-uking-tastic. Seriously though, best super hero movie ever, I will have a full review, because this deserves one, up sometime tomorrow. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
May 4, 2012 VIEW POST
Im going to share with you guys one of my secret obsessions.  I love finding quirky, low budget, indie romantic comedies on Netflix and watching them by myself.  It doesn’t seem healthy, I know, but it helps me pass the long nights alone in my hotel rooms, or random days when I boredom wins out over productive reasoning.  Plus the typical subject matter of these babies can lead to awkward moments with friends, family, or significant others. This stellar movie “Kissing Cousins” is a prime example.  This flick has all the makings of a perfect indie romocomido.  The cast is relatively unknown, Rebecca Hazlewood is the only one I recognized, and that was from the short lived “Outsourced” (the TV show that coincidentally is based on another amazing indie roco by the same name).  The premise is original, a guy once jaded by love distances himself from his family and all relationships, and builds a business (literally) around heart break.  Best of all, and what I love about these types of films, the plot devices are questionable and somewhat uncomfortable.  In this case, the main character, Amir, reconnects with an old cousin he hasn’t seen in 20 years, Zara.  In an effort to prove to his friends that he does not have bad relationship karma in the weeks leading up to his best friends wedding, Amir and Zara pretend to be in a relationship, not a familial one, but a romantic one.  This brings up some strange feelings for both parties, leading to my favorite quote of the movie “its acceptable in some cultures.”  It is as sweet as it is uncomfortable, and a must watch for the nerdy, indie movie lover in us all… I do not, however, suggest this as a family viewing. Go forth nerds, and enjoy.
November 6, 2011 VIEW POST