Visually stunning spectacle

Rating: 9/10 (20 October 2013)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Film Review Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson. Director: Christopher Nolan Synopsis: Christian Bale stars as the classic superhero Batman and his billionaire alter-ego, Bruce Wayne. In the last installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman films, Bruce Wayne no longer feels that the City of Gotham needs a hero and goes into hiding. However, when a new villain, Bane, played by Tom Hardy, threatens Gotham City, Wayne decides to pick up his mask again and come to the rescue of the city. Review: Christopher Nolan introduces the final, thrilling chapter in his Batman series, and it certainly is another big adrenaline-filled, comic- inspired movie, which feels right on the big screen. As all sorts of familiar faces keep us grounded and the audience is introduced to a few new characters as well. When crisis threatens Gotham City, Bruce Wayne jumps back into the Batmobile to fight crime. Batman is joined on his quest by a young and eager cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an elusive cat burglar (Anne Hathaway), and the ultimate violent masked villain (Tom Hardy). This film served as great entertainment with its colorful cast and unexpected plot twists. Nolan also used some actors that had either appeared in previous Batman films or in his other major hit, Inception. All of them were shown in their respective roles: a massive Tom Hardy was almost unrecognizable in his Bane costume, while Joseph Gordon- Levitt and Marion Cotillard were both great as Robin and Talia—and obviously comfortable with the directing style and the overall dramatic tone, similar to that of Inception. The only actor that seemed out of place was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. Typically, Anne Hathaway has been cast as a sort of girl next door, so it came as a shock to watch her steal and fight her way through the City of Gotham. After a few scenes, however, it becomes evident that the casting decision was a good one, as Hathaway portrayed a darker Catwoman role very well. This is a long film, in traditional Nolan's style, clocking in at over 160 minutes. There were a few times when the movie felt drawn out, but the dramatic action scenes and impressive dialogue really held the audience's attention and kept them on the edge of their seats. However, the timeline tended to be a bit confusing at times. Sometimes, throughout the movie, it was hard to tell how long it had been since the last time a given character had been on screen. Left with no knowledge of passing time (days, months, years even) was really the only shortcoming in this film. Despite the minor flaws in this film, The Dark Knight Rises is exciting, creative, and dark—and certainly well worth a few hours of your time.