Opinion: Why Toy Story 4 Is A Bad Idea

Opinion: Why Toy Story 4 Is A Bad Idea

 

Oh Twitter, you frustrating little bird. No sooner had a sequel to Pixar's fantastic Finding Nemo been announced than thousands of Twitter addicts all around the world began trending the self-started rumour of Toy Story 4. Honestly, Pixar gives an inch and the fans invent their own mile to take. I clicked on the trend, dreading what I would find, and lo and behold it was just as I feared. To quote a couple:

'omg Finding Nemo 2 and Monsters Inc 2 and Toy Story 4! My childhood has returned!!!'

'Toy Story 4 just announced - excuse me while I run around!!!'

I slapped my hand to my face in a frustrated manner a couple of times, before I proceeded to ask them for their proof on the matter. One reply:

'I dno lol it was trending.'

Facepalm. 

It really says a lot about social networking these days that a rumour so powerful can be instantly accepted by so many individuals who fail to do any research on the matter. It only took me ten seconds to find out: I typed Toy Story 4 into Google and - surprise, surprise - there was no news indicating any such announcement.

Still, it raises an interesting question. Giving that the hashtag was trending worldwide, I've no doubt that Pixar has had a sneaky peak at the fan reaction to the rumour. Most of the reception was positive (bar myself and a few other brave crusaders seeking the truth), so should Pixar go ahead?

For goodness sake mate, you're a grown man now!

First, lets take a look at the Toy Story movies so far. Pixar's most beloved franchise is currently holding the impressive title of the most successful trilogy of all time (ahead of The Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars movies), with Toy Story 1 and 2 boasting 100% fresh ratings on rotten tomatoes, and Toy Story 3 a peachy 97%. So they've done well for themselves, right? Does that mean that they should carry on? No. The phrase 'quit while you're ahead' comes into mind.

When Toy Story 3 was announced, fans jumped for joy. Toy Story 2 ended on an appropriately cheery note, however there was always a nagging feeling that there was space for a final ending.

Throughout the second instalment, Woody is constantly conflicted, knowing that if he goes back to Andy his years as a beloved toy are numbered. By the end, the toys are home and happy for the time being, but we know that eventually Andy will (like us) grow up and stop playing with them.

Andy bids farewell and gives his toys a new life.

What happens then? That's what Toy Story 3 showed, and that's why it was necessary. Toy Story 3's ending, however, was a perfect and emotionally satisfying send off for all the characters. Andy says goodbye and has accepted his move from a boy to a man, whereas the toys (especially Woody) come to terms with the fact that their owner has loved them as much as he possibly could have and they must also move on. Everybody gets a happy ending, and the audience is satisfied that it's a 'happily ever after' scenario.

Pixar have already carried on the stories by way of the 'Toy Toons' before Disney movies. I like this trend, as it provides a little unexpected treat. They're really just short little sketches (barely even 5 minutes) about side characters or whatever the toys are up to now. A fourth full instalment, however, is completely unnecessary and would be the definition of money-grabbing.

Just because the story could continue in its own way - and I say could because there are still a few lacklustre plots that could be tackled poorly - does not mean it should. I'm sure if he wanted, Christopher Nolan could do another Batman film after The Dark Knight Rises, however he is aware that a good story has a clear ending.

The Toy Story trilogy has a good, clear, happy ending that we can always revisit. It's almost as though our childhood has been placed inside a little bottle which we can open up and enjoy whenever we like. Lets keep it that way.

By Dean Johnstone

Harry Potter - One Year Later...

Harry Potter - One Year Later...

Today marks one year since the release of the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two. What better way to salute the "occasion" than putting the films in order of quality? I knew you'd agree.

This article contains spoilers for all seven books/eight films!

8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Film Six)

Dumbledore teaches Harry how to kill Voldemort (by finding and destroying 'Horcruxes' containing parts of his soul), before the wizened old headmaster meets his death at the hands of Severus Snape. By the end, Harry announces he is not returning to Hogwarts, deciding that he has to complete his mission alone.

Wait...so, Ron's the main character now? Oh.

The film was just littered with missed opportunities. Instead of growing up with its audience, much like the book had done, Half-Blood Prince decided to focus on comedy, shedding far too much limelight on Ron and Hermione's 'will they/won't they' relationship. People are dying left, right and centre in the outside world at the hands of Voldemort's Death-Eaters and instead we're forced to watch as Ron tries out for the Quidditch team and Hermione gets a little bit jealous! This film needs to sort out its priorities...

In the final act of the book, there is a breathless action sequence in which Harry chases after Snape, desperate for revenge. He passes his friends battling Death-Eaters in corridors, the castle is getting torn apart and Hagrid beats off Voldemort's followers with his bare hands. Yet in the film we are given a one minute conversation between Harry and Snape, in which Snape easily dismisses Harry and departs. Even as Snape reveals 'I am the Half-Blood Prince' the title hasn't even been mentioned for over an hour so we just don't care anymore. How exhilarating...

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Film Five)

Voldemort is back in physical form - a fact which the Ministry of Magic refuses to believe. Dismissing Harry's warnings as attention-seeking, they then do everything in their power to discredit him and falsely reassure the wizarding world that the Dark Lord has not returned. Meanwhile, Harry joins the 'Order of the Phoenix', an underground force determined to fight back against Voldemort's forces even if the Ministry won't. When it becomes clear that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge is a sadistic bureaucrat working for the Ministry, Harry opts to train his fellow students himself for the inevitable war to come.

"So just jump over there and give the director a good slap."

Bizarrely, the longest book in the Harry Potter series became the shortest film - a fact which sums it up pretty nicely. Hundreds of plot points are missing. The Order of the Phoenix is a prime example of my view of the movies - they rely on you reading the books before you see them. At times it feels like the scriptwriters sat with a checklist of 'important stuff' from the book and just shoved it into the film. For example, Hagrid's half brother, Grawp, is seen once and then never seen again in any of the other sequels, despite appearing several times in the books. What was the point? On their own the movie adaptations might be fine, but as a series and as a whole, they don't quite click.

Still, it's not a bad movie in itself. It's got a decent script and, once again, the adult cast make it all the more entertaining as Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes and Imelda Staunton all play their roles with noticeable enthusiasm. Visually it's also stunning - the final epic confrontation between Voldemort and Dumbledore inside the Ministry of Magic is really brilliant. I can imagine the visual effects team sitting in the cinema thinking 'Yup. We did that.'

6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Film One)

I imagine if I wasn't the old fuddy-duddy I am now the first entry into the Harry Potter story would be much higher in the list, but looking from an objectively enjoyable standpoint, Philosopher's Stone sits at number 6. Kicking off the entire series, Philosopher's Stone tells the tale of Harry Potter, a young orphan who lives with his cruel aunt and uncle. Upon being told he is actually a wizard, Harry attends Hogwarts, a school designed to teach magical children how to control and enhance their abilities. He discovers that his parents were actually murdered by Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard whose body was lost when the killing curse he tried to use on Harry rebounded upon himself.

"I get paid HOW MUCH?!"

When I was younger I think my VHS player started to get a little annoyed at how many times it saw Philosopher's Stone being inserted into it. As a children's film, Philosopher's Stone can do no wrong - its visual effects are incredible, the story is hugely engaging (thanks to the book its based on) and director Chris Columbus does a brilliant job of letting the three young stars excel at their new game. Philosopher's Stone is the film that launched such an incredible cinematic series and allowed a whole generation to become aware of Harry Potter's story.

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Film Two)

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his second year, however a dark conspiracy threatens to shut down the whole school and condemn him to a life of living with muggles. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." As muggle-born students are continuously put in harm's way, Harry, Ron and Hermione do everything in their power to find out who is responsible and why.

Graffiti artists at Hogwarts were pretty sadistic.

Much like its predecessor, Chamber of Secrets is primarily a children's movie, largely due to the fact that the main cast are still children themselves. The storyline darkens, however, and the humour steps up slightly. The second film in the franchise is incredibly loyal to the book on which it is based, and it provides plenty of exciting action sequences. Sure, there are still plenty of cheesy moments but when you were a kid filled with unending enthusiasm and unfamiliar with the concept of dry sarcasm, wasn't that just the bee's knees?

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Film Three)

  

Harry discovers that accused mass-murderer Sirius Black has escaped from the wizarding prison Azkaban and is looking for - uh oh! - him. Delving into his parents' past, it is revealed to Harry that Sirius was actually their friend and was wrongly accused of betraying their whereabouts to Voldemort, the act which resulted in their death. So who is the real culprit?

"Here's my number, so call me maybe."

As the cast members and the audiences grew up, so did the tone of the films. Throwing aside the wizarding robes and brightly lit hallways, Prisoner of Azkaban marks the series' foray into slightly darker, more trendy territory. Don't get me wrong, it's hardly the 'Batman Begins' of the Harry Potter series, but even the choice to make the characters wear their own clothes rather than the Hogwarts robes gives the film a bit more realism (as bizarre as that sounds).

The third entry to the movies is a good film that stays true to the vast majority of its source material (hooray!). The younger cast also progress smoothly into their more teenage-orientated roles, acting out the relatively cheese-free dialogue with ease.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (Film Seven)

After Dumbledore's death, Harry decides not to return to Hogwarts to complete his studies. Instead, he begins tracking down Voldemort's Horcruxes in a desperate effort to destroy parts of his soul one by one. Ron and Hermione go with him, however bitter jealousy and old rivalries threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, Voldemort is searching for the 'Elder Wand', the most powerful wand in existence and rumoured to be one of the fabled 'Deathly Hallows.'

"Let us never speak of that horrific dancing."

Following the abomination that was Half-Blood Prince, I really wasn't expecting much from the second-last offering in the series. Luckily, I was completely blown away. Opting for a rightfully darker tone, director David Yates gives us an almost unrecognisable Harry Potter movie. We don't get to see Hogwarts and we don't get the comfort of knowing Dumbledore is keeping an eye on Harry. They're out in the wilderness on their own, fending for themselves. From the opening titles, in which the familiar Warner Bros. logo looms towards us, we can tell something is different - the pleasant music of 'Hedwig's Theme' is missing, and we have a harsh drumbeat signifying the beginning of the end.

Deathly Hallows: Part One is a fantastic adaptation of a complicated novel. The decision to split the film into two parts is one that was always inevitable, as the amount of content would never be told faithfully in one movie. The only qualm I have with the film is how much the momentum is lost after the first act. As soon as Harry, Ron and Hermione pitch their tent in the middle of a forest, the amount of dialogue and lack of action becomes almost unbearable. And what is with that dancing scene?

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Film Four)

Harry's fourth year begins with the arrival of two foreign wizarding schools arriving at Hogwarts, as Dumbledore announces the Triwizard Tournament will be held in the grounds. While no student under the age of 17 is allowed to enter, 14 year old Harry's name is announced as one of the competitors. Forced into a deadly competition he didn't wish to enter, Harry must find out who submitted his name into the Goblet of Fire and why, culminating in a horrific confrontation with Voldemort himself. 

Cedric Diggory: standard issue disposable character

Goblet of Fire is an appropriately balanced film - it's funny where it should be. It's perilous where danger lies. It's scary when we confront the unknown. Drawing from J.K Rowling's fourth book, director Mike Newell gives us a movie that skims over some of the more complicated, unnecessary points of the material, instead focusing on providing a really enjoyable spectacle. Sitting down in the cinema for the first time to watch it, the scene I had been looking forward to the most since I'd read the book was Voldemort's return - and the movie thankfully pulls it off. Ralph Fiennes makes a fantastically terrifying debut as the Dark Lord, with his servant even killing off Robert Pattinson! Bonus! 

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two (Film Eight)

 

Seven books. Eight films. Ten years of cinematic history came to a close on this day in 2011, with Deathly Hallows: Part Two hitting cinemas worldwide.  

Voldemort now possesses the Elder Wand, and Dobby has become yet another friend to die for Harry; with barely anything to go on and little time to spare, Harry, Ron and Hermione attempt to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes before an all out war begins. Unfortunately, the remaining Horcruxes can only be found within the walls of Hogwarts itself, which is now under Death-Eater control. Breaking through its defences, the students of Hogwarts promise to buy Harry enough time to kill Voldemort whilst holding off an immense attack from the Dark Lord's forces.

"Look out! Unemployment's coming!"

Deathly Hallows: Part Two wasn't perfect. Some parts were a little underwhelming, whereas others were incredibly weird (Voldemort hugging Draco) - but blimey, wasn't it fantastic? The battle of Hogwarts was absolutely stunning, with the special effects surpassing the heights of any Harry Potter movie shown previously. 

And yet the real appeal wasn't the spectacular set pieces or the intense action scenes - it was witnessing the emotional conclusion of a story we had watched for ten years. We'd watched Harry grow up from a small, oppressed child with no purpose to a man ready to do what is necessary to save his world.

Some fans complained that side characters didn't get their due - so what? This is Harry's story. The movie followed him from beginning to end, and Daniel Radcliffe finally shows us the true extent of what he can do in the role, with the supporting cast acting their socks off. 

Harry's final showdown, Deathly Hallows: Part Two certainly provided us with all the magic we needed, closing the book on Harry Potter's story and a legendary series of cinema.

Just do me a favour, Hollywood. Don't reboot it.

By Dean Johnstone

Dean Johnstone is a Media and Communications student who desperately seeks your approval. Let him know much you love him by sending heartwarming comments/love letters/poems to:

Twitter: @DJJohnstone

Email: dean.james.johnstone@hotmail.com

3 Reboots Which Shouldn't Happen (But Probably Will...)

3 Reboots Which Shouldn't Happen (But Probably Will...)

The Amazing Spider-Man got me thinking this week. Movie franchises are very rarely successfully rebooted, with the red and blue webswinger acting as the current exception to the rule. With talk of rebooting Batman after The Dark Knight Rises, as well as giving the already awful Twilight Saga a fresh beginning after Breaking Dawn Part II, how much further will movie executives go to squeeze their last buck out of a series?

With that in mind here are three franchises which, in my opinion, should be left well enough alone.

Back To The Future

To sum up Steven Spielberg's hilarious trilogy in a word, Back to the Future is 'fun.' The series is one of the most beloved science fiction franchises of all time, aided by the hilarious duo of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd as Marty McFly and Doc Brown. The first instalment is my favourite, with Marty travelling back to the past to warn Doc of his impending death at the hands of terrorists. Inadvertantly meeting teenage incarnations of his parents, Marty is sucked into a complicated scenario in which he must ensure his mother falls in with his father. To complicate matters even further, Marty's mother falls in love with him! Marty has to try and rectify the situation whilst finding a way to get 'back to the future.'

This kind of comic duo can't be recreated

There should not be a reboot, by any means, because Back to the Future is hugely entertaining the way it is. However, if it did happen the only positive thing that could come out of it would be an improvement in the special effects. There is simply no replacement for Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly. Some upcoming Disney wannabe (ala Justin Bieber) would probably be cast as Marty, whereas Doc's role would be taken up by some desperately slipping comedian. Or Johnny bloody Depp.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? In a recent car commercial during the Super Bowl, Matthew Broderick reprised his Ferris Bueller persona. This led to rumours of a sequel to the 80's classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with Broderick playing an older Ferris who is settled down with a family. Sadly it was not to be. The original lives on as one of the happiest, most inspiring teen flicks ever and any kind of reboot would simply fail to capture a similar spirit. It's a very simple premise: Ferris Bueller is an American high-schooler who fancies a day off. Faking an illness, he stays in bed until his parents and sister leave, at which point he persuades his genuinely ill friend Cameron to take his dad's ferrari out for a drive. Dodging the school principal and heading off to downtown Chicago, Ferris, Cameron and Ferris's girlfriend Sloane find that being free for just a day can offer a lifetime of happiness to look back on it.

Today's life lesson: looking moody.

A reboot could, and probably will, happen. If it does, I sincerely hope that Matthew Broderick is involved in some way. Obviously he's far too old to play Ferris again (unless in a sequel), but his creative input was a major factor in the production of the first movie. There was such a huge level of innocence and mischievous fun in the script, and the fun knew no bounds. The remake would have to capture this, and that's something I'm afraid it couldn't replicate no matter how hard it tried. Unfortunately, the cast would ultimately comprise of Hollywood cliches. Taylor Lautner would get hit with the impossible task of recreating Broderick's comical 'lessons of life' in an attempt to bring in an excited female audience, while Michael "I'm so awkward" Cera would be his geeky, awkward friend Cameron. J.K Simmons (famed for his sarcasm and cynicism in Spider-Man) would be the principal tracking Ferris down, and Amanda Seyfried would turn down the role of Sloane, prompting the movie studio to offer the part to Megan Fox. Great.

 Batman (at least not for another decade)

Batman has been redefined by Christopher Nolan (read my previous posts relating to the subject and you'll see why I think Nolan's Batman is the best). Any reboot following his vision of Gotham would, put simply, suck in comparison. There are rumours that Ryan Reynolds is in talks to play the Dark Knight when Warner Bros. reboot the franchise after The Dark Knight Rises.

Even Delboy and Rodney would struggle.

Please, no. Just no. Don't get me wrong, I like Ryan Reynolds as much as the next guy. He was good in Green Lantern, it was just unfortunate that the movie itself sucked. His performance in Marvel's Blade series was also surprisingly good, however I feel his acting style is much more suited to comedies. Christian Bale is the definitive Batman (for now), and Ryan Reynolds just does not have the personality, the screen dominance or the ability to portray such a conflicted, multi-layered character. Sorry Ryan.

 

 As for the movie itself, if whoever is hired to direct tries to recreate Christopher Nolan's dark, gritty atmosphere it would simply feel like a mediocre tribute act to a legendary band. The rest of the casting would depend on which way the franchise wants to go and which characters are included. There are a wealth of characters from Batman's comic stories that weren't included in Nolan's movies. Poison Ivy, Mr Freeze, The Penguin and even Batman's sidekick Robin are up for grabs. As for the characters portrayed in Nolan's trilogy, we have the likes of the Joker - surely there will be no better incarnation than Heath Ledger's. Alfred? Michael Caine has just played him. Beat that. Ra's al Ghul? Liam Neeson. You see the problem now. 

Someone try and top this. I dare you.

Which brings me to my point: to alter the quote of a teary-eyed youtube star, 'leave Batman alone!' At least for a little while - a decade, let's say. Give him some cinematic breathing space so that when he does come back (which he will), we can appreciate how long it's been and we can genuinely get excited for a new interpretation of Gotham and Bruce Wayne.

Where does that leave us with a Justice League movie? Well, if the plans are really coming to fruition of an Avengers-style team-up between DC Superheroes (Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman etc...), perhaps we could save Batman's introductory movie until last. Let him be the gateway into the human, grounded world that we know whilst all these intergalactic superheroes are finding their way to Earth from space. All we can do is wait and see for now.

The Amazing Spider-Man has, well, amazed audiences this week with its surprisingly excellent reboot of the well loved webswinging hero. This is a spectacular exception to the rule, and I personally hope that Hollywood doesn't get caught up in the euphoria and start rebooting everything that moves.

You can read my full review of The Amazing Spider-Man below, and check back to Movies Under the Microscope next week for a review of The Dark Knight Rises.

By Dean Johnstone

The Amazing Spider-Man Review

The Amazing Spider-Man Review

2012: The Year of the Superhero continues, as Marvel hits us with yet another winner. Appropriately named director Marc Webb's first shot at a Spider-Man reboot lives up to its name, as The Amazing Spider-Man gives us the webswinging hero we always should have had in the first place. While not perfect, the movie does the vast majority of its job to the best of its considerable ability, while young brit Andrew Garfield slips almost effortlessly into the role he was born to play.

Following 2007's abysmal Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi and starring an increasingly maligned Tobey Maguire, Sony's decision to reboot the franchise came at a time when the series really needed it. The result? A movie which stays much closer to its source material, giving us a definitive Spider-Man and (as is always the way with Marvel) leaving us begging for more. Think of this as Spider-Man's Batman Begins. 

Andrew Garfield: the definitive Peter Parker

"Be good," Peter's father says as he and his mother mysteriously disappear into the night, never to be seen again. Jumping forward to Peter's high school years, we encounter an incredibly intelligent boy with a passion for science and one Gwen Stacy, played with grace and beauty by Emma Stone. Discovering one of his father's old suitcases in his aunt and uncle's basement containing countless scientific data and a mysterious photo of Dr. Curt Connors, Peter bluffs his way into an intern tour around Oscorp tower. Scientist Dr. Connors is in the process of discovering how to merge primate DNA with that of a lizard's which would give the human population the ability to regrow cells and body tissue. Sneaking his way into a secret experimental lab filled with spiders, Peter...well, the rest is superhero history.

The Amazing Spider-Man does unfortunately take a little while to kick in (we don't see Peter begin wallcrawling until at least 60 minutes into the 136 minute running time). That's okay though, as in the back of our minds we're all aware that this is the beginning of something special. Some critics have complained that the movie takes an hour to tell the 'origin story' of Peter's spider-bite whereas Sam Raimi's trilogy established the plot in mere moments. Personally, I would much rather have a movie where we understand and relate to the character so much that we know, we really know, how much it means to him to have these changes occur.

Real-life couple Garfield and Stone

There are a few uncomfortably familiar moments too, which is to be expected. The death of a certain major character is played out in almost exactly the same fashion as we have seen previously, while Uncle Ben's "with great power comes great responsibility" speech is basically re-told with a thesaurus. 

Aside from this, however, The Amazing Spider-Man soars higher than I'd ever expected. Andrew Garfield is the Peter Parker we always wanted to begin with (sorry Tobey), while Gwen Stacy is a welcome addition to the big screen thanks to Emma Stone giving her best performance to date. The relationship between Peter and Gwen is sweet, with the awkward pauses within their conversations certain to stir up some similar memories for most teenage couples (something I'm sure came from Webb's scriptwriting experience in the equally relatable 500 Days of Summer). Rhys Ifans is a terrific Spidey villain as The Lizard, in that he is not actually villainous at all. Like all the best comic book adversaries (Joker aside), he thinks he's doing the right thing - his methods are just carried out in the wrong way and get out of hand.

Not a Green Goblin in sight...yet.

The special effects are stunning, something which I'm sure has surprised many critics given Marc Webb's lack of experience in the field. The decision to use motion capture technology for The Lizard rather than basic CGI is one which pays off 100%, while some shots of Spidey swinging through the city are truly breathtaking. One new feature I particularly liked was the first-person view of Peter's flight around the buildings, once culminating in a beautiful mirrored shot of the hero soaring towards a glass skyscraper.

Yet what makes The Amazing Spider-Man better than its predecessing trilogy is its ability to make us laugh when it wants us to, make us sit on the edge of our seat when Webb demands we do so and, in a move I never expected, build that lump in our throat moreso than almost any superhero movie has done before. Andrew Garfield has to be applauded for his ability to balance all the action, humour and heartbreak that the role demands. He is the definitive Peter Parker of our time and the story has set up more than enough intrigue and mystery to keep us excited for more. What were Peter's parents hiding? Are they still alive? And, as always with any Marvel movie, stick around for that mid-credits tease for the sequel.

A sequel is already in the works set for a 2014 release

Summary

Like the Batman series before it, the Spider-Man franchise has finally been given the movie it deserves. While it appropriately refuses to fall to the dark, moody atmosphere of Batman Begins, The Amazing Spider-Man rightfully succeeds in providing us with a much more grounded reality than Sam Raimi's trilogy. Sure it's a little frustratingly slow to start and a tad uncomfortably familiar in terms of echoed situations and dialogue, but if we drag ourselves out of the past and view it as its own fresh film, it's an incredibly positive launch pad for the new series. Spider-Man is well and truly back in the swing of things.

9/10

See it if you liked: The Avengers (2012), Batman Begins (2005), Spider-Man (2002)

By Dean Johnstone

5 Reasons Why The Dark Knight Rises Will Be Awesome

5 Reasons Why The Dark Knight Rises Will Be Awesome

July 20th will mark the end for revolutionary director Christopher Nolan's venture into the world of Batman, as Warner Bros finally release The Dark Knight Rises worldwide. From Batman Begins in 2005 to The Dark Knight in 2008, Nolan has given us not only two of the greatest comic book movies ever, but two of the most well recieved and adored cinematic events of all time. 

This week, the third and final movie recieved a standing ovation at its first official screening. Film critic Tom Mcauliffe pointed out that the movie stands as a fitting conclusion to the series, stating: "The trilogy is greater than the sum of its parts, and for me the third was the very best part of the whole story." Fellow critic Lauren Hiestand gave the film 9/10, adding: " I’d put Amazing Spider-Man at a 7.5 and The Avengers at an 8.5."

Sounds promising huh? Here are 5 reasons why, in my opinion, The Dark Knight Rises will be awesome.

In Nolan We Trust

"Just crossing off how many billions I'm about to make, lads."

It's 2003. Batman is wounded. No one has seen or heard from him for years. The last sighting was the Batman series getting crossed off somewhere on director Joel Schumacher's "franchises to destroy" list, shortly after the laughably uncool (there's another Mr Freeze pun) Batman and Robin movie in 1997. After a few frantic attempts to search for him, Warner Bros. stop and ask a nearby fellow if he's seen Batman anywhere. "No," says Christopher Nolan. "Here's what I'll do, though. I'll give you a new Batman."

Lo and behold, Batman rose again darker, bolder and better than ever before thanks to one director's simple idea to tell Bruce Wayne's story from the very beginning. Christopher Nolan took a 'superhero' whose reputation had been tarnished at best, and breathed new life into the Bat. Batman Begins forced fans to sit up and listen to what the visionary had to say, until The Dark Knight completely blew us away with a stunning performance from Heath Ledger as The Joker and a story full of more exciting twists and turns than any cinematic thriller in history.

Watch it. Watch it. Watch it.

Nolan's other incredible works include The Prestige (also starring Christian Bale), Insomnia (starring Al Pacino) and in 2009 Inception, a 'heist drama set inside the mind' boggled and amazed audiences everywhere. It's one of those superb movies that allows interpretation and opinion to dominate conversations for days afterwards, aided by a role that (in my opinion) Leonardo Dicaprio was born to play.

And yet what makes Nolan so much better than some other directors is his refusal to use CGI unless absolutely necessary. The spinning corridor fight scene in Inception? An entire revolving cube was created for actor Joseph-Gordon Levitt to jump around in. Also, let's not forget the scene in The Dark Knight in which Batman flips the 18-wheeler truck driven by The Joker. Lesser directors may have used CGI or more effortless methods, but not Nolan. "Let's just flip it, film it and see what happens," he said. "We'll try not to destroy any buildings." Look out for a plane being hijacked in mid air by another plane in the first few moments of The Dark Knight Rises. No, seriously. That actually happens. Classic Nolan!

IMAX

"Looks good. Now let's make it look awesome."

Forget 3D, this is where it's at. Although I've had a negative experience with IMAX in the past (Transformers 2 was a fail - "so the green one's fighting the red o- oh, no he's fighting the grey one."), the medium is one which has been hugely well recieved. It's marketed well, too, whereas 3D decides to slap its filthy glasses all over every film that sees the light of day. Whereas The Dark Knight had roughly 30 minutes of footage filmed in the format, The Dark Knight Rises will feature at least an hour of footage in IMAX.

In With The Old, In With The New

Never has there been a better ensemble cast.

Christian Bale portrayed Bruce Wayne as a dark man with a desire to conquer his fears, shooting the actor further in to mainstream stardom with the experienced support of Michael Caine as Alfred. The rest of the brilliant ensemble cast from the first two movies, including the likes of Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhall, gave the films their incredible emotional push. This year sees the addition of Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard and Tom Hardy, all of which bring their own style and originality to their roles. I mean c'mon. It's Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman in the same film. Casting doesn't get much better than that!

Hans "Epic" Zimmer

Just shut up and take my money, Mr Zimmer.

A movie is nothing without a soundtrack. Hans Zimmer's amazing score to Nolan's Batman trilogy has given huge emotional and heart pounding impact to the movies. The exhilirating final scene in The Dark Knight, where Batman is chased and hunted by the Gotham police, is nothing short of epic with Hans Zimmer's "A Dark Knight" music accompanying Gordon's rousing speech to his son. This year, The Dark Knight Rises sees Batman's signature two-note theme return, with Bane's rousing chant putting a sharp pin in the proceedings. To create the sound, Zimmer and Nolan posted on Twitter inviting fans to take part by recording their own vocals chanting. Combining hundreds of voices together, Zimmer created music literally for the fans, by the fans. A one minute sample of each track from the soundtrack of The Dark Knight Rises has recently debuted online so get googling!

Why Do We Fall? 

Begins. Falls. Rises.

The story of Batman has been told countless times, from comics to cartoons and hilariously awful Mr Freeze puns. Yet none have quite told the story as thrillingly, as dark and as epic as Nolan and his team. "Lets start from the beginning," he said. And so, Batman Begins.

Young Bruce Wayne acquires a severe fear of bats as a child after falling down a well and disturbing the creatures in their home. "Why do we fall, Bruce?" asks his father, saving him from the well. "So that we can learn to pick ourselves up."

"Let's introduce a little anarchy."

Years later, Bruce vows to avenge his parents' death by conquering his fear and "becoming fear itself." Prowling the streets of Gotham as his new crime-fighting alter ego Batman, Bruce discovers a plot to destroy the city. Defeating Ra's al Ghul, Batman saves the city and yet encounters a new threat with The Joker. A mass anarchist devoid of any reasoning or motivation other than to cause chaos, The Joker laughs as he kills Bruce's childhood friend Rachel and tears Gotham apart from inside out. Turning the city's "White Knight" Harvey Dent into the villain 'Two-Face', The Joker ensures that Batman must take the fall for Dent's crimes in order to keep the faith for good within the people of Gotham. "He's the hero that Gotham deserves," says Gary Oldman's Jim Gordon. "But not the one it needs right now."

Shrinking into the shadows as an unconvicted criminal, Batman goes into hiding. Eight years later, the arrival of the ruthless terrorist Bane pushes Bruce to rise once again to defend the people of Gotham - an act which may cost him his life.

"Some people just want to watch the world burn. Well, Bane's ready to pull the pin on that grenade." - Tom Hardy.

Ra's al Ghul forced him to conquer his fears and become Batman. The Joker pushed him to his emotional limits. Now Bane will challenge everything Bruce Wayne stands for, forcing Batman to rise from the shadows and reclaim Gotham for the forces of good. "You see only one end to your journey," says an emotional Alfred to Bruce.

"Sometimes, a man rises from the darkness."

The Dark Knight Rises is released on July 20th, at which point 'awesome' shall be redefined. 

By Dean Johnstone.

Dean Johnstone is a Media and Communications student who desperately seeks your approval. Let him know much you love him by sending heartwarming comments/love letters/poems to:

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Email: dean.james.johnstone@hotmail.com