Legendary performance from Heath Ledger.

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2014)

Like many people throughout the world, Dark Knight Rises has been one of my most anticipated films of the year. I didn't grow up reading Batman and I didn't even see Batman Begins until years after it was released. I can hardly be put in the category of Batman fanboy lovefest. That being said, I love film and the spectacle of the event. I thought my anticipation and excitement would be stolen away by the tragedy in Colorado and for a moment, it was, but once the movie got started, I lost myself in the seedy underbelly of Gotham City. From that point on, I could have been on Mars and I wouldn't have noticed. I was hooked.
As much as I loved The Dark Knight, I might have enjoyed Rises even more. As a whole, I think it might be a better movie. I felt that The Dark Knight was Ledger's film. Even if he hadn't tragically passed away before the films release, it was still his movie. Nobody was taking it from him.
The Joker is one of the greatest villains in film history, but it's more because he's so insanely charismatic and not really for his physical prowess. I never felt that Batman was going to be bested by The Joker. The same can't be said for Batman in Rises. Batman has clearly met his match in Bane. He's so powerful I was wondering if Batman had what it took to defeat him. In fact, there's one point in the movie where I didn't think Gotham needed Batman, they needed The Avengers. Gotham's fate seemed that dismal to me and it had me that much more invested in the story.
In The Dark Knight, the Joker's performance was so iconic that any storyline almost seemed secondary. This is where Rises really succeeds for me. The stakes are raised with the introduction of an even more powerful villain in Bane. At the same time, Rises is able to weave together a story that perfectly encompasses Bruce Wayne's journey throughout the three films.
Christian Bale has always done a great job as Batman. In fact, he's the best Batman ever put to film in my opinion. His acting in the two previous films was top notch, but he really shines here in Rises. He's a broken man at the start of the film. You can literally see the physical toll that being Batman has taken on his body, but it's the mental toll that makes his performance even more haunting.
Bale isn't the only actor that has brought his "A" game. Anne Hathaway is superb as Catwoman. She's sexy and dangerous at the same time. Michael Caine also brings a lot of heart to the film. His scenes with Bruce Wayne are some of my favorites in the film and are down right tear jerking.
I know a lot of people have some problems with plot holes and logistical concerns. I never really trouble myself with things like this in films. Sure, it seems unlikely Batman would be able to make it back to Gotham in 19 hours without a passport, but having a scene where he tracks down a counterfeiter, travels to the airport, narrowly gets through security and then eats a bag of peanuts on the plane is entirely unnecessary and would make the movie 5 hours long. It's a movie, get over it.
In the end, Rises is a perfect finale to the greatest comic book trilogy of all time. The film does a great job of putting a bow on the trilogy. It feels right and it feels satisfying. At the same time, they don't tie the bow too tight and clearly leave it open for us to spend more time in Gotham.
I don't know where the franchise is going to go from here, but what I do know is that Nolan has created a masterpiece. He has single-handedly made comic book films box office powerhouses, but more importantly he has taken them from silly popcorn flicks to serious cinema that can be put on a list among some of the best films of any genre. Nolan has made the comic book film relevant, important, timely and most of all, intelligent.