The Dark Knight rises to expectations

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2012)

While this summer's theatrical selection was generally mundane, going to the movies is always a pleasurable experience. The buttery overpriced popcorn, the thrilling previews and a genuine sense of wonder that comes with the theater experience. While there wasn't much to see this summer, when a movie as big as The Dark Knight Rises is released, the world stops for a few days.
The conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Saga, TDKR is truly an epic undertaking. Coming in with a running time just under three hours long, it's almost as ambitious as a Lord of the Rings marathon. Even today, nearly two months since its release it's still in the top ten box office movies this week.
But all that asideis it any good?
Well, yeah, yeah it is. The movie begins with the brooding villain Bane (played brilliantly by Tom Hardy) hijacking an airplane by using another airplane. It's exactly the semi-trippy/ingenious concept that you'd only see in a Christopher Nolan movie. The movie escalates from here, easing us back into the city of Gotham, refreshing our memories, and introducing a reclusive Bruce Wayne, and the sly Selena Kyle/Catwoman. Every minute this scene integrates to the story, is another truly immersive experience. Eventually Bane takes over all of Gotham by "giving it to the people" you see Batman be awesome, and (SPOILER ALERTish) pretty much nobody dies. But the movie isn't entirely full of high flying mind-blowing greatness. This movie does fall short of expectations on several regards. One may complain that the movie is just too long, there are many unnecessary parts that could have been trimmed down after a quick editing job. The biggest concern that I had however, was the several plot holes that plagued the movie sending every cop in the entire city to the underground and how everyone knows Batman's secret identity.
All my complaints are merely in retrospect, however. This is a solid and deeply emotional film that is immensely satisfying at the end.
Four and a half stars (out of five)