Cinepals - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Reaction & Review! | Christopher Nolan | Christian Bale | Tom Hardy | Anne Hathaway

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Achara and Kristen watch the third movie in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises! In this film, Batman returns from exile to protect Gotham City from the ruthless terrorist Bane, who seeks to plunge it into chaos. The Dark Knight Rises was directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception, Interstellar, The Prestige). The main cast includes Christian Bale (American Psycho, The Fighter, Ford v Ferrari) as Bruce Wayne/Batman, returning to protect Gotham after years in exile. Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, Venom, The Revenant) plays Bane, a powerful and intelligent terrorist leader. Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables, The Devil Wears Prada, Ocean’s 8) portrays Selina Kyle/Catwoman, a skilled thief with shifting allegiances. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper, 500 Days of Summer, Inception) stars as John Blake, an idealistic Gotham police officer. Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose, Inception, Allied) plays Miranda Tate, a wealthy philanthropist with hidden motives. Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules, The Prestige, The Quiet American) reprises his role as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s loyal but conflicted butler. Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour, The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional) returns as Commissioner James Gordon, fighting to maintain order in Gotham. Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, Million Dollar Baby) plays Lucius Fox, Batman’s tech expert and ally. The film serves as the epic conclusion to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, exploring themes of redemption, sacrifice, and revolution. Join us on YouTube at https://www.YouTube.com/@Cinepals for the cutdown reaction or becoming a Patron at www.cinejump.com and get access to the uncut reaction for this movie as well as many other movies and shows! SOCIAL MEDIA ~KRISTEN STEPHENSONPINO~ Instagram: @Kris10Kesp ~ACHARA KIRK~ Instagram: @AcharaKirk ~CINEPALS~ YouTube: @CinePals Insta: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals

I'm no tech genius, but I knew if I wanted my business to crush it, I needed a website now. Thankfully, Bluehost made it easy. I customized, optimized, and monetized everything exactly how I wanted with AI. In minutes my site was up, I couldn't believe it. The search engine tools even helped me get more site visitors. Whatever your passion project is, you can set it up with Bluehost. With their 30-day money-back guarantee, what do you got to lose? Head to bluehost.com.

That's B-L-U-E-H-O-S-T-com to start now. Oh, sena. Pals. Hey, everyone, what's up? We're back. It's a Chara Kirk, joined by Kristen Steffinson Pino. And we are closing out the Dark Night trilogy with The Dark Night Rises. You've been enjoying the crap out of this.

I've been enjoying revisiting these. I've 100% been enjoying this ride. What that is? This is my Batman. Oh, okay. You know, because it's only his face? I mean, I don't have, like, the mask here. I was just trying to cover

So you just see that Yeah, yeah, I get it And also I feel like I feel like, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're stupid No, I was going to say Like, I feel like They get extra pouty Yeah

Maybe it's just because you're only seeing This much But all of their lips look like this Oh, I'm funny I am Batman Anyway, this is derailed We're going to watch The Dark Night Rises you guys

Let's jump into it Here we go. If I was behind the mask, I'd probably go. You know what I'm saying. I'd have like the biggest stupid grin on my face. Like, ha, ha, ha. I'd be the Joker. Yeah, that's why you're not Batman.

Ha ha. Oh, he sees him. Show me. Yes. Oh my God. Okay, you're the new baby You're not Robin Oh

He retired Oh, okay All right, if you want to stop here That was a solid ending I'm sorry, I take it back Like if you want to stop there That was a very powerful ending But I think it's bullshit

That Alfred does not go to Mr. Bruce like and they don't say you know they see like I don't well he set it up in the beginning right because he was like you know oh my god it breaks my heart and he ended up with the they do such good emotional damage in this series I feel like because because they set it up for us at the beginning with Alfred saying like what his dream was which is like he dreams of a better future for Bruce where he can stop being Batman and and actually start living his life and so it ends really nicely where we get to see that and we get to see Alfred see that and I mean even though I knew that everything was going to be okay at the end I still got emotional and I'm really happy that I got

to like go on this journey with you so we could be emotional about it together my mouth started flying off the yin-yang that was so funny I couldn't like there's no way my mouth was I was like She was not the one for him, okay? And then at the end, I felt so betrayed by Catwoman that I was like, you know what, Bruce, okay, you stick with the nice girl. I'm sorry. And then she did, like, the ultimate, F you. And I'm like, I could have never predicted that reaction.

Because, like, I remember the first time I watched it, I don't think my reaction was quite as strong as yours. terms of the wording but like my jaw was on the floor because I didn't see it coming because they lead us down that path so well because like we just assume we're like of course it's Bain it's Bain it's a little boy like this happened Bain made it out and it's like and I feel like I question I was like hey I was going to say hey Char you know that's actually a little girl playing a little boy right now right yeah I almost said that and then I was like but it doesn't matter like you know like it works they do that all the time yeah works like whatever and then they go actually utilize it against us knowing we know and i was like okay and i'm talking about the middle

one like and then i'm like defending her when cat woman's like oh you're snob stuck up whatever i'm like girl you know what she's helping us like da da la la and then and then she i'm like bruce could not catch a break no no but i you know i i loved the suffering on him i hated it hated it beloved it to see him find his inner fight and bring it back and then to just shake it off and be like you're right Alfred you're right this was really good

this is very well done do I want more yes but I but then at the end the way they ended it I actually decided I will accept it did you hear that Kristen accepts it she accepts that that's the end of the trilogy I actually I do accept

because the way they ended is so epic first I was pissed and I'm like this is no Donkey doodoo, stop pooping. I know. And then all of a sudden, the end, they like, you know, with Alfred and everything. And then I was like, respect. Word.

Yeah. And you got a new Batman. Yeah. We can just imagine. Yes. I'm okay with this. What happens. And so, yeah.

It was powerful. They closed it, they closed it out really nicely, respectfully. You know, it's like, yeah. They uncovered so much. Plus, I do like the fact that, you know, he's now dead to the world so he can live. Yeah. him and catwoman have a fresh slate a new beginning new identities and he gave her the thing so he could make it he could create a new one for himself as well with her and live a beautiful amazing life and they're both that badass is like i loved the introduction of bane like i think he's such a cool character and yeah you know yes like as you pointed out tom hardy's voice for bane was a little funky in the beginning but i i really did

I like it. I dig it so much. I like that he's this like big, scary guy, but he's got this, like, weird little voice, you know? I like how he's very eloquent and he's, like, quite poetic with the things that he says. He's kind of dramatic. I dig it. I feel like I have to show you. Miranda, you can suck it. Like, you can suck it. And like, you know what? She doesn't even deserve a foot up her ass. That's how much I can't stand her. She doesn't even. She doesn't even. even deserve the foot up her ass like O'Calia the one who betrayed him yes I'm trying to show you what Bain looks like in the comics

that one but yeah he's he's different looking in a way like he's got a different mask but I like I like the crazy mask I think they did a good job if like what you're showing me yeah with who they casted for him yeah I mean he

bulked up a lot for this role and I thought he did such a great job I enjoy him so much like I think Tom Hardy when he takes on a role he fully commits and he he has fun with it I love the scarecrow came back into play I love that he's a judge I'm like you're such an idiot like you can't help but you're also like you're such an idiot and it's like it's funny because you you start off with like from the beginning when you see the scarecrow and you're like you're the coolest guy like cool's like you're pretty cool oh you're too smart and then you're like you're an idiot right like i mean he's you're such a great yes and i like and i kind of like it yeah i kind of i i do i do enjoy it i love that he's like always right there and the and you're like he keeps coming back like

christopher nolan loves working with the same people over and over again great like um michael Kane is a constant collaborator with Nolan, Tom Hardy as well. And then of course, Killian Murphy. They've done like, I don't know, so nearly all of his projects have Killian Murphy in them. But like most of them have him. And so he, it's cute. It's cute that he keeps bringing him back because he's like, well, these are my people. These are my people. I'm going to keep hiring you to come and it's fun probably to spend a day on set with your friends. So why not? What did you think of Anne Hathaway's catwoman? I thought Anne Hathaway was really cool.

I think she's a badass. She's like super, like she's super cool. Man, is she a brat? Like I wanted to, she did such a good job at making me, and I love Anne Hathaway. I think she is just royalty. I think she's gorgeous. I think like everything, you're just, you can't help but like love her, you know, as an actress and like in characters. However, I wish there was one.

slap to her face. I wish he threw her one time into the wall or something. Okay. Whoops. Sorry. Didn't mean to do that. Yes.

He goes, oh, sorry. And then she kicks him or something. She does not deserve to be with Mr. Bruce. Wayne. Okay. He's too good for her. But she really got under my skin. But she was cool.

Yeah. She was cool. She was hot. And I do like that she came back. For me, you kind of came back a little too late, though. Like, I wish there was, like, a little bit more of a bond. But I just, no matter what, she's untrustworthy. And Bruce, you'd be careful out in Italy or France or Greece or wherever you guys decided to go.

Because this girl cannot be trusted. Just because she came through one time does not mean she betrayed us more than once. So, yeah. I liked her take on Catwoman, but I do feel like, for me, Michelle Fiver, catwoman is like the best. I think there was just something about her kind of raw sexual energy and how she kind of feels a little bit like unhinged as well which was really fun but I appreciate that Anne Hathaway had a different take for this character and I think also they wrote her differently yeah I think I think Anne Hathaway anytime she plays kind of like a villain

though in any role she's always kind of like more like pissy and like just a pissed off girl. Right. You know, which I actually prefer her as a sweet, funny, adorable, awkward kind of girl. Yeah. Personally. Princess Arias. Yeah. I just, yeah, and, yeah, a few others. Yeah. But I'm not, like, I mean, she's, she's great. When I see her play, like, somebody who's kind of villainish, all I keep thinking is, these are your true colors, aren't they? Like, these are, definitely, like, definitely your true colors right here when you're pissed. Like, this is you. Right. Like, I don't know why I get that vibe. But I don't accept her as true catwoman but I'll accept her as cat woman that makes sense okay

like in this in this version in this version of like yes but not my other girl man that is that is my catwoman she I will bow down to her she was like am meow like and maybe Anne Hathalie could have taken it a little that way and been a little bit more like whatever instead of so serious and so like I guess it's also like the tone of the movie because now that I'm thinking about it as much as I love Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in the Tim Burton Batman, right? I guess it wouldn't really match the vibe.

You know, for her to be all like, meow. No, it wouldn't match the vibe, but here's the thing. I do believe she could have been a little more spunky with a perk. Okay, just a hair, just their hair. Yeah, sure. Because like she could have still been like, her but with like a little like a little more attitude but like it's like a huh where you're like

damn she's savage versus you're just a bitch like you know what i mean sure like i would have like to get a little bit more like savage oh and so where you're kind of like you can't help but go that was funny like i kind of want to root for you it's so yeah exactly even even though you're like she's kind of like a bad person or like a gray character yeah they just made her a bitch so it's like It was kind of like, you just bitch instead of... Until she wasn't. No, she's still a bitch. She came back for him.

It doesn't matter. You're a bitch, you're always a bitch, but, um... Listen, you know what? It's not always a bad thing. We can own being a bitch, you know? It's okay. In her defense, I'm not even like the hugest Anne Hathaway fan, but I feel like, no. Really?

I mean, I think she's a... I like her. She's a good actress. I really like her. I'll give her that. Yeah. I do like her. But I do.

I just, you know, like, to me, I'm, I mean, it worked, it worked. It worked. It worked. It worked. It worked. But seeing as we were such huge fans of Michelle Pfeiffer and her version of Catwoman, it's like, it's hard to live up to, you know? I really did like Anne Hathaway's fight scenes.

Oh, the way she moved was cool. I will give it to that girl. The way she moved was very well, like it was very well done. The way she kicked. I wanted her legs flying up in the air, twain. four seven. Sa, sa,

saw, what's a like, I was like, I was all about it. I'm like, girl. It's,

it's fun when, when they design the character's fighting style to really match like who they are and how they might move because, yes,

she is catwomen when you think a cat, you're like, oh, very flexible, feline, fluid movements. And so that translated really well in her fight scenes. I think,

what is it called, like those scorpion kicks or something that she was doing when she was like throwing it back those were gorgeous like no she so so cool her movements were very they were done very well she did a great job she did yeah it's just you know and she looked hot she did look hot like the costume her whole figure everything was looking incredible in the cat suit i think miranda got hotter toward the end yeah i don't know why they did her like that like i wish they kind of like especially toward like started going to the end

I kept looking and going, like, girl, you were, like, killing it right now. She's gorgeous. She's beautiful, but I didn't, I don't think they executed it very well in the beginning. Oh, in the first scene when she got that party? Yeah. I don't know why. I don't know if it was the lighting or I would have to go back and, like, really look at it. But in the beginning, I was kind of like, okay, she's just kind of annoying girl who's, like, wanting charity.

Right. I didn't feel like, ooh la la la, until, like, toward the end. And I was like, girl. Yeah, you're like, oh, I see it now. I see what Bruce is into now, you know? And then so I kind of wish that. they gave her a better opening. I don't know, that's just me.

But maybe, maybe the intention was to kind of keep it under the radar. Maybe keep her a little bit more pain, so you didn't suspect. Yeah. So she's not too striking. Yeah. Because she was like, toward the end, I'm like, wow, you're, I was like, you're very beautiful. You know. She is.

So I don't know. The worst part, maybe you need to start trusting people. I've trusted you. Oh, what about this? Not done. Like, I'm like, you trusted the enemy. his downfall is a pretty face i think it is yeah indeed it is and he likes a little brat he does like a brat this woman sent him to hell and yeah then he disappeared with her you're never going to forgive

how many times did he do her dirty she do him dirty and he still decided to disappear with her he believed in her but i think sometimes you know i think when well maybe when someone gives you that much trust, I think it can, it could inspire you to, listen, it could inspire you to do better because someone believes in you that much. And you step up to the plate and you're like, do you know what, I want to be that person that you think is in me or not until you figure out that you're living a lie and you're like, do you know why it's too hard. Okay, okay, okay, I'll give it to her. I'll say maybe. I'm not going to say. I don't know. Oh, okay. Never mind. I thought about it. And then I changed my mind.

No, that's okay. I'm good. Fox, I thought, was going to die. Yeah. Like, I got really scared. And then I'm like, makes sense why they didn't send that stupid troll to the ice. Which troll? Miranda.

Oh. It just hit me. You have to understand. There's a lot of things I feel like I was processing and I was still stuck and caught up over here and we're already right here. And I was still so caught up all the way left field. I was slowly like, I felt like I was catching up and then filling in blazing them. There was so much to process. I felt like I was so shocked in this one.

Right. And I couldn't believe the things that were happening. Like our entire like place got taken over. All his toys. You know, and I'm like, every time I was like, do it, and you're like, no, I'm like, oh my God, that's right. Oh my God. But I'm like, huh. And I couldn't catch up with this one.

Right. There's a lot going on. I almost felt like I needed to pause and take a moment. to process and go, what the WTF? Like, really? That that really just happened. Let's rewind it one more time. It really did. Like, they really did that. And that's how I was feeling. So this one I would definitely watch again a few times just to be like, yeah, they really did it. Yeah. I know I watched this and I know, I know. I know. I really know. Yeah. It was good. Like all their little I mean the writing in this in this trilogy has been phenomenal and I enjoy how I guess because they knew that this was going to be the last one I love how they threw back to like the earlier ones well to Batman begins I suppose like that moment where he tells Commissioner Gordon like you put you know sometimes a hero is someone who puts a coat around a young boy who's

scared or whatever the hell he was saying. Of course, in that moment, you know, because you haven't, you haven't seen a lot of Batman stuff, so you don't know all the names. In that moment,

the first time that happened, and they say his name, they say blah, blah, blah, Gordon, blah, blah, blah. Anyone who's been following Batman comics or the animations or the movies or anything, they'd be like, oh, that's Commissioner Gordon,

except he wasn't commissioner at that point. And so it's like, a nice moment but like it really ties everything in it's really sweet and it's really beautiful and there's so much heart to this trilogy yeah I feel which is what makes it so strong I think they did a really good job at keeping you on your toes and not fully being able to like yes what's to come next yeah yeah I think they like because everything you're you're trying to solve it and they did a great job at keeping like well me anyways like they they did a great job of keeping me elsewhere and occupied in other places and trying to go oh my god because there's so many important

things that we're getting thrown at us all at once that by the time it hits you you're like I can't get over that yeah so I thought this was this one I think was really good I think all three of them like I don't I don't know I like the second one but I like the first one better but now this third one I don't know like between if I have to pick the first one I I think it's really hard. It's very hard to pick between those two. Because it's so, it's so well executed. All of them are really, really well executed movies. And I think, you know, it really shows that you can do a superhero movie like this while still making it feel like cinema, you know. And so, yeah, they've just done a fantastic job. It's, it feels darker. It's more.

serious you know like when you when you watch a lot of marvel stuff and i love marvel right like i love how um fun it is yes um it doesn't feel like this exactly though no this one but this one also has more i feel like the stakes are a lot higher in this one because we're human like we're very much human because batman's human yes yes like there's nothing like like he's special but he had to really bust his butt yeah in order to be that and but he's he bleeds just like us us. And there's no protection. There's no superpower. It's just he is the definition of like, I look up to your role model. Like he's that guy that you're like, wow, you're, you're unstoppable, but you are. Right. You know what I mean? Like you said, he bleeds. His bones break. He bleeds. He

breaks. Yes, he's human. Like so human to the point that he's not, he doesn't have really any super, super, like real superpowers. Right. Right. And I guess it's. it's attainable too because everything's self-taught everything's continuously growing but he has to put the work in it in order to get there versus oh I was born like this right or I got an injection of serum yes suddenly like really strong yes it's just like he's just the guy and you're like dang so anytime he gets hurt and that's why I think even when he got stabbed and this one and his back broke we I feel like I'm feeling like that pain a lot more in this

and feeling a lot more like I'm like and I'm like we're gonna die we're really gonna die oh my God we because there is that possibility we can die right so when at the end

when Bruce was like it says like oh you know rest in peace I'm like damn we died yeah we're human no it broke me just because of Alfred and how Alfred well like

they did it so so nicely as well because you only see Bruce Wayne's headstone and then the camera pans over and then you see that he's next to his mom and dad and then you see Alfred's face and he's just like I'm so sorry I failed you and he's like he's been the faithful servant this whole time and like the most wonderful father figure trying to help master Wayne in in the best way that he knows how and then he's like oh I failed I want to know where Alfred went, though. During that time when he just disappeared. I wonder if he just left Gotham.

He probably did. He probably did. He was smart. Maybe he was in Italy. He was like, do you know what? Screw this. I'm kind of happy that nothing happened, Alfred, and he wasn't mixed into that because he's just so precious.

Yeah. But if he wasn't it, I think we would have been even more on another level of, like, horror. Yeah, you can't hurt Alfred. Yeah. No. And if anybody did, could you whip out. Ugh. We would riot.

There would be riots in the sun. streets if you hurt Alfred i would be like i quit yeah i raged quit this movie isn't it funny how films like they'll straight up destroy you for killing somebody that you love yeah you're just like i like i'm so and you know what we're not supporting you anymore why would you do that to us why it's and it's almost like they're really they really are killing our hope and our love there it's like they're killing a family member yes at that point it's like it's like you guys know this is just a movie right It was like, no, no, don't throw this stuff at me. Like, I have enough problems in the real world for you to destroy me in my, the comforts of my home.

Or in the movie theater. Or in the movie theater in front of all these strangers. Yeah, yeah. No, it's true. This is such a good trilogy. Yeah, and such a great set of films. And this one was really great. So do you have any closing thoughts?

I don't. But it sounds like the wings, right? Anyway, we've lost the plot. This was great. I've so enjoyed going on this journey with you. I hope you guys have enjoyed watching us go through this, watching Kristen go through this. Your reaction to Miranda's reveal as Talia is going to live in my brain forever.

Rem free. I was like, shit. You said a word that we cannot have. Then you said it again. Then you said a different word that we can't say. And then you said another one that we can't say. I was like, shit. It's just going to be bleep.

Blip, blip, blip, blip. I couldn't hold it. It just came out. Like word vomit. I was so mad. And I'm like, I forgot we're filming. I forgot. This goes on YouTube.

Like, I forgot that. Well, if you were watching. watching, if you were watching on the watchalong, then you heard the full uncensored. No. No, no, no, no, no. We'll bleep it. We're bleeping it. Don't let people hear those things come out of my mouth.

Believe them. It's too late. She's lying. It's not, it won't be there. It will be bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep. Because, you know, that will come bite me in the butt later. I think it's hilarious. I love that, I love that your heart is always like on your sleep and that you can't control.

troll yourself and you're mad. I can't. It's hilarious. I really, I try really hard though. So follow Kristen on Instagram for any T because recently there was some in her stories and who boy, I was like, dang, that was. Sometimes it gets interesting out there, you know? It really does. And like, I'm all about entertaining and I like a good story. So I see the comedy and shit. Yeah, that's right. It is what it is. Anyway, thanks for joining you guys. We'll see you next time. I'm a char cook. This is Kristen's Steph and some pinot. Ciao.