The end of the Nolan era for Batman. And what an end...

Rating: 9/10 (25 July 2012)

Well, it's certainly better than Batman Begins. On the other hand, debating whether it is better than The Dark Knight or not is a more close call... Yet either way, The Dark Knight Rises is a hugely satisfying and bombastic conclusion to a great trilogy of superhero films. Well done, Mr. Nolan. Welldone.
To anyone who hasn't had the chance to see it yet: Picture the key themes and ideas presented in Batman Begins. Now throw in the dark directorial approach and style of The Dark Knight, combined with a MUCH larger scale story in general. That's TDKR in a nutshell, and the 165 minutes that it comprises of really whiz by. It's perfectly paced, and the film could've actually benefited from a little more running time to develop all it's plot elements a little more.
For a superhero movie to be successful, however, having a strong villain is pretty important. And Bane is, in my opinion, a stronger villain than The Joker. Heath delivered an absolutely mesmerizing performance, and he's certainly more menacing than Bane because he is such a loose cannon. Yet Bane leaves a huge path of destruction in his wake, and the fact that he is planning every move he makes only makes this all the more terrifying. What's more powerful: A deranged man in clown makeup making some threats on national television, essentially for his own entertainment? Or a man with a muzzle saying he will not rest until Gotham is ashes, following up those threats with a string of intricately planned terrorist attacks, all orchestrated towards achieving this end?
It's not just Bane that's great, however. Anne Hathaway steals every scene where she's in and is a complete joy to watch. She's manipulative to both sides and constantly wavers somewhere between good and bad on her own terms, without any notice. She's dangerous and can leave you for dead any minute she wants to, generally kicking ass in the process. You can't ever decide whether or not to really trust her, just like Batman is struggling to do. Oh yeah, and she's pretty hot too. Catwoman was just... Awesome. Best part of the movie by far.
Not to mention the film is wholly driven by it's plot, which is massively engaging throughout and really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It actually does a lot of throw-backs to the previous entries, which is pretty nice (although it does feel overused at times), and it has some genuinely unexpected plot twists right up until the last few minutes.
But The Dark Knight Rises isn't perfect. Very few films are. Sometimes it feels too big for it's own good. Some new characters aren't given enough screen time to grow. As the film shifts focus from one plot point to another to keep the story going, it feels as if this is done at the cost of the development of these other plot threads. Some romantic elements seem a little forced into the film and don't seem to grow naturally from the previous entries. As do the constant throw-back and references in terms of symbolism, which always feel like a little much. Yet this massive scope is the very thing that makes it - just about - the best entry in the series. It's still got some great drama, some brilliant set pieces, and it's still a hugely entertaining conclusion to a great trilogy. And without saying too much... It manages to leave the door open for sequels, too. It's going to be a LONG time before another superhero trilogy tops this one.