The Dark Knight Rises

Fours year ago today I wandered over to my local cinema at 8:50 in the morning grabbed a cup of tea and sat down to watch The Dark Knight, which was excellent.  Well this is the exact same team that made that, so... should you expect anything different?  No, not really this is yet another excellent film from Christopher Nolan, it's dark, edgy and ultimately very satisfying.

My only criticism would be that I saw the ending coming a mile off and it would be nice to have another motive for the villain other than destroying Gotham City, but it was still a very good way to end the trilogy.  Who will pick it up from here?

Film 311/365, Day 333/365 – Shaft

Shaft is one smooth and cool, whilst also being violent and actually quite angry, but then it is Samuel L. Jackson and he does it so well.  There is a fair bit of action, lots of baddies that couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo from two paces yet Shaft can pick them off without really paying attention.  Good but not that good.

Synopsis:  New York detective John Shaft is investigating a racially motivated murder which could have been committed by the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon.  Shaft is determined to get to the bottom of things whilst everything seems to be going against him.

Film 243/365, Day 257/365 – Equilibrium

Excellent fight sequences and some fairly good science fiction.  There aren’t that many new concepts in Equilibrium but it puts them together quite well.  The best things however are the fights, whether with guns or swords and especially when using the guns in hand to hand combat!  Great fun.

Synopsis:  Emotions have been outlawed.  Anything that may cause emotion has been made illegal and is destroyed.  Drugs are administered to the populace to inhibit emotions.  All of these rules are ruthlessly enforced by the Clerics.  But what would happen if one of the Clerics discovers emotions? 

Film 200/365, Day 212/365 – The Dark Knight

A fantastic way to follow on from Batman Begins.  The Dark Knight has everything that made the first film excellent but this time we have a villain worthy of the Batman.  Three years ago today I was sat in the Vue at 08:50 in the number one screen with a cup of tea and ten other people to watch The Dark Knight, that was the first film the last time I tried to watch 365 films in 365 days.  Heath Ledger was well worth his Oscar in my opinion.  Brilliant.

Synopsis:  Batman is starting to get to the criminals, they are getting nervous and turn to an unpredictable psychopath known as the Joker to help them get rid of the Batman.  And with a new District Attorney called Harvey Dent the criminals look like they have nowhere to hide.

Film 199/365, Day 212/365 – Batman Begins

Excellent action and a great way to restart the Batman franchise after the abhorrent Batman and Robin.  Christian Bale is excellent as the conflicted Bruce Wayne and Christopher Nolan has given Batman a very real feel.  Batman Begins is a dark and exciting journey.

Synopsis:  When the man that murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents is released from prison Bruce gives up on justice and Gotham City and goes in search of another answer.  On the other side of the world he discovers another way under the tutelage of Ra’s Al Ghul.  When he returns to Gotham City it will never be the same.

Film 118/365, Day 127/365 – Howl’s Moving Castle

A magical heart warming tale.  Yet another fantastic animated film from the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki.  The animation is excellent and the world in which Howl’s Moving Castle takes place is outstanding.  If you’ve never seen anything from Studio Ghibli then this is a great place to start, if however you have seen some then you will need no convincing to see this.  Great film.

Synopsis:  A young girl who meets a powerful wizard in a chance encounter is cursed by a rival witch.  The curse turns her into an old lady who cannot reveal that she has been cursed.  In an attempt to reverse the curse she goes in search of the wizard to see if he can help her but unable to tell anyone about the curse she ends up becoming his cleaner and ends up changing everyone’s lives forever.