A brilliant end to Nolan's trilogy - if not better than The Dark Knight, tarnished by the shooting

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2012)

My spoiler is, just don't search online for Batman #500 from the old print run which is where Dark Knight Rises takes a big chunk of its story, together with Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns graphic novel for the rest of the general look and action from the film. The rest rolls right along from The Dark Knight movie albeit with the time jump.
It doesn't beat The Dark Knight and how could it, Tom Hardy's Bane is as good a performance as you could expect from behind a mask that was never taken off, which wasn't an issue with the other main villains from previous films. For 2hr 45mins it didn't drag and get boring - on the first viewing anyway. The money and locations are on the screen, the action builds up to a series of skirmishes if not a completely epic battle since the best of the fireworks are saved until last. The aftermath is Nolan's customary nod to the audience.
I watched it at a normal screen but anyone viewing on IMAX wouldn't be disappointed, there are definitely more shots that you can see could be framed for the ultra-massive screens than the handful that were inserted into The Dark Knight.
I'd give it one more viewing for the fact it's the last one, but after that, for a film that's nearly three hours I'd await the Blu-Ray. Also cannot believe that someone went to a cinema to kill people watching a movie, which will also be (unfairly) reflected onto the film. RIP those who died, condolences to those affected.