The Dark Knight Rises and shines.

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2012)

So here we have it. The end of a trilogy, the end of an era of the universe of Batman through the eyes of Christopher Nolan. And baby, it goes out with a bang...
Going into the theatre tonight I actually wasn't sure what I was up for. I loved Batman Begins, but I didn't actually care that much for The Dark Knight. So the big question was, will TDKR actually be more like the first or the second film? The answer is: neither.
This third instalment of the Nolan-franchise carries its weight all on its own merits. Despite the lack of any kind of intro or opening credits, there actually is plenty of build-up (partly thanks to the insane opening scene). The foundation for a proper, action-packed story is laid down perfectly, explaining things just enough whilst keeping the viewer intrigued to find out more. But if you thought that Nolan couldn't surpass his previous work, you will be pleasantly deceived.
Christian Bale as Batman is terrific. Never before was a superhero so human, so vulnerable. As his mask of intangibility and anonymity slowly starts to crumble, this is a man who questions his reasons to keep being who he is, and he must figure it out before it is too late. Because somebody's preparing to take him and Gotham down, and he might just be too strong for the Batman...
This somebody is a character called Bane. As a character, an actor and a performance it must be incredibly hard to follow Heath Ledger's The Joker, which was easily one of the greatest villains to ever appear on the silver screen. But tonight, Tom Hardy took a swing for the fence... and made it. His performance is thrilling and actually frightening, in the sense that you don't just *know* you're supposed to be afraid of this character, you actually FEEL it. He instils a feeling of horror and discomfort that is not rivalled by many other film villains. What I actually liked about his character the most is the fact that unlike Scarecrow, who grew into being a villain, and the Joker, who was just a raving maniac, Bane was actually (literally) born from evil. Born in hell, as it is said in the film. This is not a man, this is a creature. A living, breathing manifestation of evil that cannot be reasoned or negotiated with. Hardy's performance is masterful. Since his creepy mask is never removed, he, like only a few actors before him, must act without the use of any facial expressions, making his voice his main tool. His manner of speech (and the sound of it through his mask) is enough to send chills down your spine. This is more than just a another villain from a superhero flick, this is a character that just got torpedoed into the top 10 of the greatest antagonists in the history of film. Now I realise that's a bold statement to make, but you just go and watch TDKR and prove me wrong.
I would say a slight downside to this film is the overflow of characters, both new and old. Aside from the already familiar characters, three new major ones are introduced. And there are also many characters running along in the margin which may seem not important enough to pay attention to, but actually they are so you need to stay focused.
I understand the character of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Blake, was written in specifically for him because Nolan wanted him in it. And although as a character he works just fine, it does feel like it was at the expense of Gary Oldman. As a cop, Levitt does everything that Oldman's character could've done, but he spends most of his screen time in the hospital, almost like they wanted to get him out of the way, and that's really too bad.
Now, I was extremely excited to see what Nolan had done with Catwoman, because she is one of my favourite film characters. When I heard that she would be played by Anne Hathaway, I had my doubts. I thought she was just way too sweet to pull this off. But I must say, Ms Hathaway did a pretty good job. She is actually much more sly and devious than I thought she could be. The Nolan brothers, on the other hand, disappointed me here. Catwoman isn't really Catwoman, she's just a sexy girl in a spandex suit who can kick your ass. Her movements aren't even typically cat-like... So that was a bit of a letdown.
I would also like to make a note on Michael Caine. I think his performance here was so much deeper and more character-driven than the other two films. In fact, there is one scene in particular, where he confesses something to Bruce, that almost moved me to tears. And this is actually TDKR's greatest strength; unlike the other two films, this one deals much more with actual human emotions, it gives us an insight into what actually drives these characters, both heroes and villains alike.
As much as I would love to, the word-limit restricts me from elaborating more on the characters, so I'll just move on to the technical stuff. And in that department, actually pretty much everything was perfect. The pacing was very well balanced, and during those 2 ½ hours I didn't get bored once. Great action scenes alternate with more quiet moments, and the special effects are absolutely awesome. Hans Zimmer once again delivered a terrific score and there was some high quality dialogue. Also in store: a couple of great plot twists and two very cool cameos... There are a few plot holes, but everything else easily makes up for it.
I highly recommend The Dark Knight Rises. It is a worthy conclusion to the trilogy, and it far exceeded my expectations.