1. The Dark Knight Rises (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
The Dark Knight Rises is a genuine oddity. On one hand, it encompasses all that makes Christopher Nolan so appealing as a filmmaker: his keen grasp of cinematic scope, clean-cut directorial style, and accomplished technical precision. On the other hand, it emphasises every one of the director’s worse qualities as if suddenly studied beneath a microscope: his dull grasp of action sequences (many of which are reduced to boring mid-shots), his reliance on overwritten screenplays, and a lack of visual flair when it comes to making the most of his camera.
Although there are many great things about the third and final film in his Dark Knight trilogy, ultimately Rises is a struggle against banality. It’s jam-packed with secondary characters and uninspired action cues, many of which allow the story to break focus at crucial points. Gaping plot holes are made apparent at almost every turn (something Christopher Nolan would presumably be much against). And though some will argue that suspended disbelief is required (because it’s a movie!), that’s fair enough: but why did Nolan spend two previous entries grounding the franchise in realism if only now we’re supposed to start suspending our disbelief?
Not only that, but the entire picture is so dark and depressing that it hardly feels like a good time at the cinema at all, which is ultimately what a blockbuster should be giving its audience. Unlike The Dark Knight, which thrived on a kind of narrative precision and moved with the assurance of a Michael Mann flick, this entry seemed jumbled and undercooked. So much so, that The Dark Knight Rises almost seems like a rough cut hiding a much better movie.
A sure case of throwing absolutely everything at the wall – and almost none of it sticking. Nice try, Mr. Nolan.
[springboard type=”video” id=”628519″ player=”wgtc007″ width=”600″ height=”350″ ]Agree or disagree with our choices for this year’s most disappointing movies? Let us know in the comments section below.
