The epic conclusion we deserved

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2013)

The Dark Knight Rises is the final movie in the Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and isn't just a superhero movie, it is a true epic! The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight. And even though it has been 8 years, we still see that the cover-up of Harvey Dent is still taking its toll on the characters which is something great to see. They haven't left The Dark Knight in the dust and forgotten about it, it is still a big part of this movie. And that is what a concluding chapter should do, it should feed off of the previous movies and Christopher Nolan has done that brilliantly. Batman has been out of action for these 8 years but with the rise of Bane he must come out of seclusion and fight to save Gotham. But its not as simple as that, Bruce Wayne can't just put on the suit and be back ready to kick ass. No, it's been 8 years and Batman is coming up against his most physical enemy in the trilogy.
Christian Bale: Batman/ Bruce Wayne
Christian Bale really plays three roles in this movie, Batman, the hermit version of Bruce Wayne and the playboy millionaire version of Bruce Wayne and he does all three amazingly. His ability to play such a diverse role in the movie is a real attribute to his ability as an actor and something which must be applauded
Tom Hardy as Bane:
Tom Hardy portrays perhaps Gotham and Batman's greatest threat. He is physically superior to Batman and someone which would have been difficult for Batman to face at his prime. Bane is menacing and in my opinion, has the most badass villain voice. It is so menacing and a little scary even though it was a little hard to hear initially. A reason for Bane's menacing appearance in the movie is the way he was designed in terms of costume. In the comics and other Batman movies (namely Batman and Robin) Bane is depicted as a faceless brute and nothing more. However in The Dark Knight Rises we see he has direction and intelligence. The direction Nolan has taken Bane is something to marvel. His costume in the film is rather different from those in the comics in that we see his eyes. This is key in my opinion as it allows the audience to see so much more emotion, and emotion is key to any character
Anne Hathaway as Catwoman:
HA! A Catwoman which is actually amazing! That's right, Anne Hathaway portrays a cunning, skillful, manipulative, sneaky, badass, sexy catwoman. Nuff said The Rest:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays an up an coming cop and going into the movie I wasn't sure how they were going to effectively integrate him into the story and movie as a whole but Nolan did it and he is a truly valued character
Gary Oldman returns as commissioner Gordon and is the character who feels the stresses of the Harvey Dent cover-up the hardest and Oldman's portrayal of Gordon is again worldclass I would make a comment on Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Michael Caine as Alfred but there isn't the need. If either one of them ever gave a bad performance I think the world would explode.
The Story:
The story itself is a masterpiece. This is the first superhero movie I've ever watched where I forget that i'm watching a superhero movie. You are totally immersed into this world and are fully invested in the story from the get go. Perhaps the the hallmark of the story is the fact that it plays on your emotions. You are so heavily invested in the story and so emotionally attached to everything and this is something truly special.
This movie is fast when it comes to pace. I mean really fast, and fast for the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes. Nolan doesn't let you take a break between scenes oh no and this is exhilarating. In my opinion, I think the movie could have been longer. Without giving anything away, there are some aspects of the film which I would have loved to be expanded on.
The Trilogy:
Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is now one of the world's greatest trilogies. Along with The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars trilogies this one will stand the test of time and be forever great. When it comes to choosing a favourite from the trilogy, well that is totally personal preference. The three films are so very different from each other that I can understand someone saying any one of the three is their favourite and the fact that this is possible is something which is truly special and owes tribute to Nolan Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is an incredible film. It isn't often that we get the third installment in a trilogy being as good if not better as the others. In my opinion, it is the best. The first two are now to me just great superhero movies. This, The Dark Knight Rises is an epic and something which I'll never forget.