A sublime epic, a proper film that just happens to be about a super hero

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2014)

Christopher Nolan is a master director whose ability to deconstruct and reconstruct genre narrative tropes is almost unparalleled in terms of intricacy. He is able to build upon and improve upon crime and super hero tropes in order to deliver a narrative construction that comments on and surpasses tradition. In the Dark Knight he manages to weave a breathtakingly epic look at the consequences of vigilantism in a way that that captured the spirit of Batman from the comics whilst giving it a filmic core. The film plays off tropes and reverses them and does so in an oh so satisfying way.
Beyond that the film is immensely enjoyable, with a plot thrust that is perfectly paced, finely acted and features incredible set pieces. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and captures the feel that these movies need. There will never be a better super hero film than what Nolan has accomplished here. It is the Heat or the Godfather of super hero films, a film that will stand the test of time.