Superb movie-making by Nolan yet again

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2012)

I just love a good superhero movie, so I happily saw the two Tim Burton offerings ("Batman" & "Batman Returns") and even the pair of inferior Joel Schumacher works ("Batman Forever" & "Batman & Robin") before thoroughly enjoying the British director Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" (2005) and "The Dark Knight" (2008). Four years later, Nolan - who again co-wrote and co-produced - is back with the final and longest part of his acclaimed trilogy. The expectations were very high and Nolan does not disappoint (and deserves particular thanks for not using 3D).
The opening sequence - which I saw in an early trailer - is terrific and almost the best thing in the film and Nolan makes sure that the rest of the story races along with verve and tension, aided by Hans Zimmer's incessant, throbbing score.
It's eight years after the last film and Bruce Wayne (once more the talented Christian Bale) is a broken man, physically, psychologically and even financially. Two contrasting characters arrive in Gotham City to draw him out of retirement: a slinky cat thief (well played by Anne Hathaway who has the most humorous lines) and arch villain Bane (a fearsome-looking Tom Hardy whose lines are unfortunately muffled by his face mask). The Bane character may not be in quite the same chilling class as the brilliant Heath Ledger as The Joker, but Catwoman is a splendid addition to the cast list.
I didn't always understand what was going on - a recent viewing of the two previous films might have helped (who remembers the League of Shadows?) - and I saw it with a friend who was enjoying it for the second time and found the plot more intelligible, so that may be encouragement - if any was needed - to catch it again sometime. But the film always looks wonderful and the action is exciting and unrelenting, satisfyingly alternating from brutally visceral fighting between Batman and Bane to the deployment of some heavy hardware including a bat bike and a bat helicopter.
So, now that Nolan has triumphantly completed his trilogy, does this mean that the crusader is hanging up his cape? No way. The money to be made by continuing the franchise and the setting up of the Robin character (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) means that some other director will soon receive the call from Warner Brothers ...